With that, she descended the steps and slipped into the shadows encasing the house's backyard. There weren’t many plants in this area, but she was close to the wall, so there were no other houses back here for hunters to look out their windows and spot her.
She had to get as far from Logan’s house as possible before being spotted. She was almost home when she ran into a guard returning to his house.
The man gave her a brief wave before climbing the steps to his home. Elena studied the sky and its multitude of colors as the sun rose higher and she strolled on to her own house.
Feeling as if there were a thousand eyes on her, she restrained herself from bolting up the steps to her front door. No one on the compound ever locked their doors, so she turned the knob and walked in as if she’d gone out the same way.
Since her father died and she returned to this place, this wasn’t her first time taking an early morning walk, but she still felt like she was wearing a blazing sign over her head that read:Just had sex with a vamp, and it was great!
It would have all the old-timers grasping their necklaces and chests if there was such a sign. But it would be fun to see.
The house was silent as she made her way down the hall to the guest bathroom to shower.
Chapter Thirty
They spentthe next night together again before Logan had to go on guard duty at the gate. She hated staying home alone and spent most of it pacing her room as she tried to suppress her longing to be with him again.
It had only been a short time since they were last together, but her body craved his like an alcoholic their next drink.
By morning, she was miserable, but after he finished his duty, she didn’t dare go to his house. It was too close to the same time that the rest of the compound started to wake.
When he arrived with breakfast, he smiled warmly at her and her mother, but she saw the strain around his eyes when they met hers. He set a plate on the counter for her mother, along with her coffee. When he finished, they talked for a bit before he followed Elena to her bedroom.
She’d never shut her door before, her mother had never asked her to keep it open, but out of respect for her, she always did. She didn’t shut it now either, but as soon as they were inside the room and he’d set the tray down, she kissed him. Just tasting him again helped ease some of her torment, but it wasn’t enough.
Needing to feel more of him, she slid her hands under his shirt and flattened her palms against his warm flesh. While it helped calm her, it also heightened her desire.
If getting caught leaving his house would create a headache for her mother, she certainly couldn’t let her walk in on them going at it like rabbits. Reluctantly, she pulled away and contented herself with the sweet bun instead of the delicious treat she really wanted… him.
“How did the watch go?” she asked as she lifted the tray and settled onto the chair.
Logan was still trying to get his erection under control when she switched gears. It took a few more seconds before he could walk over to join her near the window.
“Fine,” he said. “Everyone returned home, and there weren’t any problems on the hunt.”
“Are they sending out full hunting parties again?”
“Yes.”
She’d been so wrapped up in him for the past few nights that she wasn’t sure if they were doing that. While they dealt with her father’s murder and the trial, they kept more people close to home, but life was moving on again. One day, hunters who never knew her father would run the compound.
It saddened her to think about it, but that was the way life worked. She and her mother were still in their mourning black, but most of the others had returned to their normal clothes. Her mother would wear black for a full year, and Elena would continue to do so while she remained here.
Juan had assumed her father’s role as leader, but it wasn’t official yet. She had no doubt it would be soon; he was extremely capable, well-liked, and trustworthy. No one else deserved the role more.
“Asher and I are going to have to return soon,” Logan said.
Those words ripped her out of her reverie and ceased her chewing motion. Her fingers clenched on the sticky bun. Between her concerns for her mother, the trial, her future, and trying to keep their relationship a secret, she hadn’t stopped to think about him leaving.
Probably because the idea of it was like an icy knife to her chest, and when she imagined saying goodbye to him, it dug deeper into her heart.
Slowly, she began chewing again, but the once delicious treat now tasted like sawdust. She almost spit it out but compelled herself to swallow.
“I see,” she murmured.
Logan stared at her as he tried to figure out what she was thinking or feeling, but though her face had paled, she revealed no other reaction to his words.
“I spoke with Ronan last night,” he said. “Things are getting pretty bad there. They need us back.”
