I had smiled, slow and certain. “I am yours.”
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He kissed me then, hard and desperate, as if he could claim me with the press of his lips alone. And maybe, for a while, he had.
That night had been the first time I had truly believed in the possibility of a future with Derek. We had talked about marriage, about a life together.
But the next morning, I had woken up, still just a rogue.
I blinked, forcing myself back to the present, to the glimmering lanterns, the pomp and circumstance of the evening, to the feel of my mother’s hand in mine, leading me away across the dais.
Derek was watching me. I felt his gaze like a physical thing, heavy and intense from across
the room.
And then he called my name.
I glanced over my shoulder as my mother drew me away, saw Mason and Logan both standing in front of him. I didn’t know whether to be worried or relieved.
Derek wasn’t going to let this go. That much was clear.
Even as Logan and Mason stood in his way, even as my mother guided me toward a group of high–ranking Alphas eager to offer their congratulations, I could still feel him. His presence wrapped around me like a thread pulled too tight, stretched thin across the space
between us.
I turned forward, lifting my chin, and tried to focus on the voices around me. I smiled when I was supposed to, nodded when necessary, but my mind was spinning.
Logan had always been pragmatic, always thought five steps ahead.
And it wasn’t as though I had ever told him no.
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Chapter 34
I needed to talk to him. Alone.
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When the moment finally presented itself, I slipped away from the growing revelry and
found Logan near the edge of the amphitheater, speaking with my brother. Mason gave me
a brief glance, as if searching for something in my expression, then clapped Logan on the shoulder and walked away.
Logan turned to me, smiling, but something in his eyes was watchful. “Are you enjoying your big night?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “I need to talk to you.”
His expression didn’t change, but I saw the understanding settle behind his eyes, as well as something I didn’t want to think was calculation. He gestured for me to walk with him, and
I let him lead me toward a quieter corner near the entrance to the playhouse where the
masquerade ball would be held in two nights time. The noise of the crowd faded behind us,
but I still felt like I was being watched.
I took a breath, steadying myself. “Logan, I—” I exhaled, trying to find the right words. “I can’t marry you.”
His lips twitched, almost like he had expected it. “I know.”
I blinked, thrown off by the quiet acceptance in his voice.
He turned toward me fully, his eyes warm, kind. “Elena, I never expected you to marry me. I did it to protect you.”
I swallowed, my throat tight. “To protect me… or to protect Aiden?”
His jaw shifted slightly, but his expression never wavered. “Both.”
I searched his face, but there was no anger there, no hurt. Just something knowing,
something almost resigned.
“You’re my best friend, Logan,” I said quietly. “The best kind of friend. You’ve always been
there for me, and I don’t want to ruin that.”
Chapter 34
He smiled, something softer this time. “You won’t.”
Relief coursed through me.
But then I noticed something.
Logan wasn’t arguing. He wasn’t upset. He wasn’t even surprised.
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Yet he also wasn’t making any move to call off the engagement–not publicly, not even
privately.
I felt a weight settle in my stomach.
“You understand,” I said carefully, watching him.
“Of course,” he said easily.
But even as he spoke, even as he reassured me, he glanced past me–toward the heart of the celebration, where our families stood. Where the whispers of our upcoming wedding were growing louder by the moment.
And he didn’t move to stop them.
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