Alexa's POV...
I had no reason to be tense or in any way nervous, but I was. I could feel my palms sweating as I sat at the edge of the bed, looking around the room and waiting for Logan to return. At the same time, some part of me wished he did not get back soon enough so I could leave and convince myself that I had at least attempted to speak with him.Alvin was sound asleep in my room, and I had told Ginny to watch over him. She promised to reach me if the baby was awake or needed anything. I knew she wouldn't, she was looking for every opportunity to be with Alvin, and even if the baby cried, then she'd rather take care of him than look for me to do it. I appreciated her much more than words could express.
It was afternoon, and I had taken a very light breakfast of bacon and shrimp in my room. The crowd in the dining was getting almost too much for me to handle, and I needed nothing more than privacy at the moment.
The moment the door clicked op
Logan's POV...As I listened to her express all her fears and concerns, I realised I had a major role to play in her life. I had to be not only her mate but also her friend, and I knew I was not doing such a good job in that aspect.I realised that if I had been more open to her, more available, then she would have confided in me about her worries early enough. Maybe, she would not have had to go ahead and see Kara in the dungeon, which further worsened her nightmares.Kara had been my girlfriend, she was the closest woman to me, and I knew her more than she even thought I did. I knew how deeply her jealousy ran and the extent she would go to accomplish her goals. She was strong-willed - or maybe stubborn was a better word to describe her, and she did not let go of anything she believed in. She had loved me - or so I thought - and she had remained, believing she would one day be my mate and Luna.But that was not to be, at least not after all her ni
Logan's POV...The night we shared made me remember our times in black orchid pack when she seemed to be all I could think about during the day and all I could do at night. It reminded me that Alexa was still mine, and all I had to do was love her a little more, spend more time with her and treat her like the baby she was.My father once told me that it did not matter how strong or resilient a woman was; she was still a baby and needed to be treated like one.That was very true about my Alexa. Outside, she was a full woman, strong, independent and had suffered a lot in her past, but she still held her head up high and lived life one day at a time. Inward, she was a tender flower that just needed trimming and caring to see her beauty. Alexa was the most beautiful lady I had ever seen, she had the most striking features one could find in a woman, and I loved every inch of her.Alexa slept that night after our passionate encounter and did not wake up until l
Logan's POV...As I sat there, hands folded on my laps, I was absorbed in the conversation that the elders were holding. I clenched my fist so that nobody could see that my fingers were actually shaking. I could not tell if it was out of anxiety about what verdict they would come to or if it was out of anger at how the Council of Elders handled issues once it came to the woman I love, Alexa.As much as what they said made sense, and listening to them, I could confess that the doubts and fears they had concerning Alexa were not flimsy, they were rightly founded, and maybe if I was not the one who was in love with Alexa, then I would have questioned the security and safety that she compromised in the pack.However, I was very much in love with the woman and everything that the elders were saying simply made me uncomfortable; they did not know her as much as I did, and I could swear on my life that Alexa never did anything to bring harm to the pack or to anyo
Logan's POV...The dining room was filled with most members of the pack. It was pretty noisy, with loud chatters and husky laughs from the men surrounding the table. The air smelled strongly of freshly baked waffles, coriander and vanilla.Several large trays of food were still being carried into the room by women and girls in long flowing skirts and aprons tied around their waists. The tables were filled with men, women, children and even infants being held in their mother's arms. A certain boy was wailing loudly and seemed to attract the attention of many to himself.I was quickly reminded of Alexa, and my heart leapt a bit in my chest; I couldn't wait to be with her; the peace that came whenever she was near me gave me an assurance that my heart was in the right place.Many pack members bowed to me respectfully as I made my way around the dining room, speaking briefly with some of my trusted men. It was a busy morning; most men were dressing up f
Author's POV...The dungeon's floor was wet and smelled strongly of blood and fluids unnamed. Although Logan had not quite ordered her to be beaten or maltreated in any way, the dungeon alone, which she had to occupy for nearly a year, was punishment enough.Kara turned to stare at the dungeon gate when she heard footsteps draw closer to where she was. She listened closely, straining her ears beyond the thick doors that secured the dungeon. Not long after, the cell door next to her opened loudly, and she could hear the strike of whips and the agonized cries that came from the unfortunate prisoner.She moved away from the door. At least, if she had nothing in particular, to be thankful for, she was grateful that she wasn't being whipped, starved or tortured in the cell. She had been there for a while, and she knew what went on in the dungeon halls when the lights were off. It was not pretty, and she'd wept once or twice when she was still new.But that was
Author's POV...The howls could be heard from a distance, the small cries of the night owls and the croaks of the fat frogs that inhabited the swamp at the borders of the territory all mixed to give a slight eerie melody, the kind that made one want to listen and be put to sleep or flee far away from its strangeness.The bushes rustled gently as the night breeze whirled through them, making smaller insects fly away and find shelter in the quieter parts of the vast forest that overlooked the pack house. The trees towered threateningly, their branches crisscrossing beautifully and tangling at the stems, their roots thick enough to provide holes for squirrels and other rodents.Men still strolled around the perimeter, barely exchanging glances and nods. Each with weapons not quite concealed, large bright torches and clad in black t-shirts and heavy leather boots that made them blend into the night so much that it required the trained eyes of one to see the ot
Author's POV... Kara lay there for about half an hour, listening to the movements die down until, eventually, it was as quiet as the grave; even the snore of fellow prisoners could not be heard. She knew it was time to go. She rose and shredded her clothes till all that was left was her inner wear; she then wrapped the pieces of the shredded clothes around her feet, she knew her delicate soles could not take what she was planning, and she had no shoes to put on. With her feet heavily padded up, she crawled quietly to the corner. She removed the key, cleaned it up and fit it into the lock, praying she had gotten the right one; she had watched and made sure she knew the exact keys for her cell. As she heard the click, she sighed with relief and opened the door very slowly to avoid the creaking sound; she squeezed herself through and tiptoed into the night, quietly navigating the many hallways that led around the dungeon. She had listened to the rhythm of footfalls each day and could
Author's POV... Kara could smell the water. Her throat was dry, she had nothing in her stomach for the past few days, and she was thirsty. The rain that fell the previous night was too heavy for her to drink from, except from the mud, which she was not ready to drink. The heavy rain with lightning made her run to a nearby abandoned tree house for shelter. She was still in the thick forest, and although sometimes she could hear the honk of a train and the sound of several horses, no matter how much she walked, jumped over tree stumps and checked, she could not seem to find her way out of the forest. If there was one thing that Kara was good at, it was paying close attention. Once or twice, Logan had taken her for a run in the forest. Although she did not quite pay attention to how it led out, she was sure that the left terrain was the right direction to take if someone wanted to get to the neighbouring town or leave the territory of the red Lotus. For two nights, she had neither sl