Page 75 of Poet & Protector

“I suppose that’s an improvement,” Logan said with a snicker. “I was hoping for some excitement. Eden is an extraordinary place. Getting into the club is difficult, and becoming a guest in the VIP section if you’re not a Keeper is nearly impossible.”

“We’re all excited.” I chose my words with care. “It wasn’t an invitation any of us expected.”

He let out an impatient sigh. “I don’t care about your pack, Mason. I want to know how you feel about being a special guest at my father’s club. My guest.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” This was getting worse and worse. I had to move things along if I wanted to get away from him. “I like dancing.”

Logan’s amber eyes flared and I knew I’d picked the wrong thing to say.

“I imagine you’re a very good dancer,” he said quietly. “You should find me when you arrive Friday night. There are rooms in Eden, private rooms, where you’ll be able to express yourself…freely. If you trust me, I can make your evening much more enjoyable.”

He reached out and ran his thumb along the inner left side of my collar, down to where the second button closed my shirt. When his thumbnail grazed my skin, I went cold all over and had to stop myself from jerking away from his touch.

“That’s good to know.” My words came out stiffly but that only seemed to amuse Logan.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Mason,” he said. “I can be your friend.”

“You’re a Keeper,” I replied, daring to shake my head. “And I’m a Guardian. I’m not…we’re not…Guardians serve.”

“Yes.” Fire danced in his irises. “But there are many kinds of service, Mason.”

My gut clenched. I was in serious trouble.

Logan pressed his thumb against the hollow of my throat. “All kinds.”

I swallowed reflexively and he drew a sharp breath.

So much trouble. Fuck.

“Friday night.” His hand dropped away. “Find me.”

I had no reply, but he didn’t seem to care.

Logan spun on his heel and walked away. When he was out of sight I sagged against a locker, heart slamming against my ribcage.

There was no way in hell I would go looking for Logan at Eden. Skipping the club was the only sure way of avoiding him, but Friday night would be a first for the young wolf packs. Calla needed all her Nightshades to back her up. Who knew if we’d be able to get along with the Banes out in the wild?

I had no problem with them. My relationship with Nev had given me a new perspective on our rival pack and I was much more open to befriending them than I’d been a year ago. That didn’t mean the rest of my packmates would play nicely with wolves they despised. If anything, I was the person who could be a peacemaker if things between the Nightshades and Banes got too tense.

And I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see Eden. The many rumors about Efron’s den of hedonism gave it an air of forbidden mystery. I never thought I’d pass through its doors, much less at the invitation of the Banes. It was a free pass to glimpse a side of our masters’ lives that Guardians rarely had access to.

More than that, I wanted to be in the club with Nev. Not that we’d actually be together. As always, we’d pretend. We couldn’t dance with each other, but we’d be able to dance in each other’s vicinity, I hoped. And with Calla and Ren bringing the packs together, I finally had reason to spend the whole night talking to Nev as a friend instead of acting like he was the enemy.

In the year we’d been together, we’d never had an opportunity like this. The smallest mundane occurrence of sitting with him at lunch today filled me with joy and contentment. Eden teased even greater delights. Simply being near him in a dark space suffused with heavy bass beats and trance would be amazing…so long as Logan didn’t hunt me down.

My best chance of preventing a run-in with him would be to stick close to my pack. I doubted Logan would risk a scene by separating me from the other wolves. No, he’d seek an opportunity to catch me by myself. All I had to do was never be alone. Our plan was to spend the night making nice with the Banes, which meant it wouldn’t be hard to keep myself surrounded by Guardians.

Damn, I was really late for class now and it was going to be a struggle to concentrate on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was torn. I could go to class and try to forget what just happened or I could text Nev or Ansel, tell them about Logan, and lean into the support they’d offer me.

As comforting as that would be, once either of them knew what the Bane heir had done, they’d freak and there was a strong chance they’d do something stupid. I couldn’t risk putting them in harm’s way. For now, I had to bear this alone. With any luck, I could dodge Logan for long enough that he’d lose interest. But I had an awful feeling my luck had just run out.

Fourteen

Eden

Friday night

NEV