Page 148 of Poet & Protector

Logan’s eyes found me again and my chest cramped. He hesitated long enough that I was afraid he was about to command me to accompany him…somewhere…but he only smiled briefly then turned away.

Trapped breath exploded from my lungs and Nev inched his chair closer to mine. I shot him a warning glance. It wasn’t safe for him to get close, not when we needed Logan to believe we’d broken up.

“Do you want to sit down?” I heard Calla ask Shay.

“Not today,” he answered. “Another day, I hope.”

I stared at the table, deeply unsettled by Logan’s brief presence.

One day stood between me and the union. One day.

Shay’s voice broke through the fog of my thoughts when he spoke to all of us.

“I realize this is a bad time, but I do want you to know that I’m sorry. I understand that by provoking Ren, I placed each of you in a really tough position. You’ve become my friends and jeopardizing that friendship is the last thing I want. I’ll be back here tomorrow, if you don’t object.”

The pack was silent. Only our alpha could give that permission.

Calla nodded.

“Thanks.” Shay walked away.

Calla’s forehead dropped to the table. Whatever that little scene for Logan’s benefit was, it had pushed her to the edge.

I felt a light touch on my arm, and I turned toward Nev as our packmates continued their conversation.

He leaned closer. “You okay?”

I started to nod, then sighed. “I don’t know.”

Only one day.

His jaw clenched and I knew his mind was circling tomorrow night the same way mine was.

“Mason.”

My brow furrowed. We were both tense, but we were also at lunch surrounded by our packmates. This wasn’t exactly a place we could have a serious conversation.

Nev’s fingertips brushed my knee. A fleeting touch.

“Tonight.” His voice was barely a whisper.

I met his gaze, and what I found in his eyes made my pulse riot.

“I need to be with you.” He paused, searching my features as if memorizing them. “All night.”

I had to look away as a torrent of emotions crashed through me. I wanted that. I wanted him all to myself, but I worried it would be too much with the union looming over us. I was afraid it would feel like saying goodbye.

When I didn’t respond, Nev murmured, “Please.”

I thought I would break apart with love, with sorrow, with fear. It would be easier to pretend nothing was changing, to go through the motions of today, tonight, and tomorrow while keeping my mind blank, my body numb, my heart silent.

I might have been able to do that, if not for how much I loved Nev. I needed to be with him, too. Even if my feelings were too much to bear. I hated that I had to consider an awful possibility…that tonight might be our last chance to be together. Logan promised he wouldn’t separate me from my pack or make me live with him. After last night, I didn’t trust either of those things to remain true.

“How?” I managed to reply.

That was the other problem. Nev and I had managed to steal only a handful of full nights together since we’d started dating. Those opportunities were few and far between.

“I’ll call Tom,” Nev said. “It’s last minute, but…”