“Yes.”
Sander must sense something in my voice. “How well do you know Logan?”
“We’re dating.”
Sanders eyes widen and he jerks back in his seat. “You’re dating Logan? Logan Sinclair?”
“Yes.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about us being mates, but I hold off.
It’s Sander’s turn to be speechless. “Huh.” He looks perplexed, as if the thought of Logan dating anyone is absurd.
I shift in my seat. “Logan called you here?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Kind of. Do you know about his gift?” Sander asks.
“I suspected something, but I haven’t spoken to him about it. He has the second sight, right?”
“Yes, he does. But he also doesn’t know about it.”
“Does he know about you being a shifter?” Hope rises in my chest at the thought of him already knowing about us. Maybe telling him won’t be as bad as I’ve been imagining.
“No.”
My shoulders drop. “How is that possible?”
“Logan is different. He has been through a lot, and he had many people tell him he was crazy. He bounced around a lot of homes as a child after his parents left him. I was the only constant in his life, and I didn’t know how he would take the fact that there were things that lurked in the dark. That what he thought he saw the night his brother died was real. He is damaged, Salena.”
Logan may be damaged, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve love. He just needs to be loved a little differently. I am his mate, I will shield him and protect him.
I lift my gaze to Sander’s, the warmth in his brown eyes making me feel safe. He just has this way about him, this calming presence. I feel deep down he is someone I can trust. He is Logan's friend, and from one of the most respected packs in the world.
“He’s . . . my mate.”
Sander’s eyes widen in alarm. “Shit.”
“That bad, eh?” I laugh.
Sander shakes his head. “No. No, not at all. It’s just, I can tell you, he isn’t going to be the easiest person to love, and honestly, you are probably going to go through hell with him. He is one of those people who thinks that they’re just too hard to love. As soon as he begins to feel more than he can handle, his defense will go up, to protect himself.”
“I can handle that. I’m not easily scared away, Sander. I care deeply for him, and not just because we’re mates. I felt something for him before the mate bond showed itself.”
“Logan’s never had a girlfriend before, never dated.”
My mouth drops open, and I make a choking sound. “What? Really?”
“He has been through plenty of women, but never–”
My low growl cuts Sander’s words short, and he holds up his hands. Jealousy burns through me at the thought of Logan with other women.
“Sorry. Look, Logan’s been through so much, and on the outside, he might seem invincible, but on the inside, there is a war raging because he is terrified to love, to let someone in his life who he cares for so deeply.”
I blink at Sander and rub my forehead.
“If he is really your mate, you’re going to need to be patient. He will push you away.”
I glance to the side, considering his words. “Patience isn’t one of my stronger attributes. But I won’t let him go easily.”
“Well, all I can say is if you really love him, fight for him. Give him time to accept this. To accept you. He’ll come around.”
