“I shouldn’t have done that in front of you; I’m sorry.”
“I chose to stay.”
“It doesn’t matter; I should have insisted you leave.”
“And do you think I would have listened to you? You’re not my husband or my father, and I wouldn’t have listened to them either.”
No, she wouldn’t have, which was one of the things he admired most about her. She had a mind of her own and a will of steel. It was as maddening as it was endearing.
Logan wasn’t sure how to respond. Finally, he said, “I’m not a monster.”
“Aren’t you? Aren’tI? We both allowed that to happen.”
“Sometimes, we have to do things we don’t want to for the greater good.”
“And what is the greater good here?”
“Bringing your father’s killers to justice and ensuring the safety of you, your mother, and all the other hunters in your compound. After what he did to your father, if Mateo had taken over, he would have been a terrible leader. Many more would have died because of his greed and cruelty.”
Elena crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the sun cresting the horizon. He was right, but still…
“Are we any better than them?” she inquired.
“Would you ever kill someone who trusted you and who had never done anything wrong to you, other than having a difference of opinion?”
“No,” she muttered.
“There were plenty of hunters who disagreed with Nathan’s decision to join the Alliance. They didn’t kill him; they all simply broke away.”
Elena stared off into the distance before turning and walking away again. She had no idea where she was going or what she was doing; she simply had to go somewhere.
When Logan caught up to her and gently touched her arm, she turned toward him. The look in her eyes made him lower his hand. “I’m not your enemy, Elena.”
“Aren’t you?”
“I did what was necessary in there. I’m sorry you don’t like that, but I won’t apologize for who I am.”
“And who are you, Logan?”
When he stepped toward her, she retreated a little, but the motel wall stopped her from going any further. Realizing she’d cornered herself, her eyes narrowed on him. They stared at each other as he rested his hand on the wooden wall behind her head.
“I’m a hunter,” he said as he leaned toward her. “I was born a hunter, and though I’m now a vampire too, I will die a hunter. I will not allow anyone else, not even another hunter, to attack and kill one of our own, especially a leader, because they don’t agree with their choices and seek power.”
“Was it the hunter or vampire who fed on him?”
When a flash of white-blue color raced around Logan’s eyes, she stifled a sharp inhalation of breath. That color was so striking yet so alarming because of what it represented. She’d come to learn that his eyes shifted color when he was losing control and the demon part of him was more prevalent. She may be playing with fire, but she continued to hold her ground against him.
“Oh, that was the vampire,” Logan said as he leaned closer to her.
Anger vibrated through her, and Logan almost moved to give her some distance. Then her eyes dropped to his mouth and a visceral, possessive,needreaction jolted through him. It was neither the time nor the place to lust after her, but he couldn’t shake it as she nibbled on her bottom lip in the most enticing way.
Elena was contemplating shoving Logan away from her. Or at least that’s what she told herself, but when her eyes fell to his mouth, she couldn’t help questioning what it would be like to kiss him.
He’ll taste like blood because that’s what he was just drinking!That reminder sent a shiver down her spine.
What was wrong with her? He’d tortured her ex-fiancé, her father was recently murdered, and he was avampire, but she yearned to kiss him.
Her mind must have fractured somewhere along the way, and she’d hopped the train to crazy town. Or maybe she was tired of being so sad, scared, and uncertain that she sought only a few minutesnotto think.
