“Ew.” Kate grimaced.
“Yeah.” Logan shook his head. “I was covered in her blood and then surrounded by hotel security. Will must have reported me and set me up to take the fall, the bastard. My bet is he’d have taken on Jesse next. He’s always had a thing for you, Kate. He wants us out of the way so he can claim you.”
She didn’t look pleased at the thought, and Logan felt herguerbristle at the notion.
Jesse squeezed her hip in support.
Logan kissed her. “No way Will Lawless is ever getting close to you again. Not alive, anyway.”
“Yeah.” Jesse kissed her on the cheek. “You got that right.”
“Anyway, after Will hit me, the next thing I know, I’m being hosed off and bundled into a car outside the hotel. Four huge Voiders dragged me into this place, and I met Tommy Chen. The man has an incredible network around the city. He sees all and hears all if it has to do with Voiders. I explained to him what happened. I’m not sure why, but he believed me.”
Jesse frowned. “He said something about a debt to Vicki.”
For the first time in forever, Kate didn’t flinch at their queen’s name. Logan breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. One hurdle crossed, at least.
She glanced back at Jesse. “A debt? For what, exactly?”
Logan wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. But I remember Vicki did a job that involved Chen before we brought her into the pack. Maybe his obligation has something to do with that. He agreed to bring you two to me, and even to give me some time before he called in the clan.” Logan still felt the flush of embarrassment that Chen knew about their failed claiming. “I think he felt sorry for me. Even out here news traveled that some hot Ravager chick had denied two asshole Ravagers not worthy of her.”
Kate blushed. “Oh man. I never meant to make you two the butt of any jokes.”
Jesse raised his brow.
“Really,” she tried to convince him. “We had a lot of problems between us even before Vicki,” she admitted. “I’ve been in love with you two since I was old enough to know what love was. I know it’s a human emotion, but I couldn’t help feeling it for you. Except both of you ignored me. You treated me like a bothersome pest most of the time. And when I’d finally gotten old enough to do something about how I felt, you two were so busy with Eric and everyonebutme, I felt invisible.”
Logan stroked her hair. “Kate, sweetheart. You were never invisible. Trust me. I felt connected to you a long time ago, but you were too young to even be thinking about a possible mating. As you got older, I knew, deep inside, that you belonged with me. With us,” he said, nodding to Jesse. “But by then we were pack, and Prime didn’t want anyone sniffing around you unless you wanted it, and you never wanted me.”
“Or me,” Jesse added.
“You kept putting yourself in danger. It was driving me nuts.” He glanced away from Kate to Jesse. “Jesse and I knew we needed to do something. When I realized he wanted you as much as I did, it all made sense.”
Jesse cleared his throat. “We petitioned Eric to make you take your own pack.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“We wanted you, but you were hiding behind Prime. And his head was so far up his own ass about his own mates that he couldn’t see how much trouble you were getting into.”
“Well—”
“Kate, Will nearly captured you when he tried to kidnap Vicki. And what about all your unsafe trips into the woods to spy on us?”
“You two fuck like clockwork,” she said.
He blushed and sensed her amusement. It made no sense, but around Kate, he’d always felt a little bashful about admitting to her what he and Jesse did. No wonder Jesse made so much fun of him. Even for a Ravager, Logan’s weird feelings were, well, weird.
Jesse turned on his side and positioned Kate closer to him, making her straddle Logan so he could look up at her. He nodded to Logan. “We have to fuck a lot. He needs it.”
“I do not,” Logan argued. “I just like sex.”
“Yeah, and youneedit.” To Kate, Jesse explained, “If our mate doesn’t get it regularly, he’s not right at all. It seriously messed with hisguerwhen we went without for so long, waiting on you. Shut up, Logan. It’s true.”
Logan tried to rise but Kate wouldn’t let him. She clamped those strong thighs around his waist and held tight.
“Kate, it’s not true.”
“It is,” Jesse said. “It’s not a weakness; it’s who you are. Deal with it.”
