Page 159 of Chaos At Second Sight

Alpha Jonathan reminded me of a captain of a ship weathering life’s storms. Steady. Patient. Quietly carrying everyone else before himself.

He’d been both father and mother to Bella and Logan. The one who comforted Bella through her first period, taught Logan how to shave, organized birthdays, kindly chastised Logan when he broke furniture, and somehow held an entire pack together while his own heart kept breaking.

Yet the more I thought about it, the less everything added up.

Why was Logan a lycan while Bella wasn’t?

Why didn’t anybody ever speak about Daniel?

And Magnus…who exactly was he? Another lycan?

The answers were there, buried somewhere in the past that Logan had spent his entire life trying to outrun.

At some point, their phone conversation turned lighter and moved to a topic I didn’t expect: me.

“You got lucky,” Jonathan said when Logan admitted he’d called because I’d asked him to. “Your mate’s lovely. Shame she has that old grump of a father.”

Logan snatched me up, my cheek pressing into his chest as I giggled. “She’s the best bunny.”

“No wonder half your team has a crush on her.”

“They do not, Dad!”

“That’s not what I heard. If I must say my opinion⁠—”

“You must not.”

“—you better keep her close. Some of them might try to steal her, son.”

“Nobody would dare.” His eyes connected with mine. “She’s mine.”

“If you say so.”

“Logan has nothing to worry about,” I said to Jonathan over the phone.

“I’m going to make their training a living hell!” Logan bolted up, the stool falling to the floor. “Bye, Big Feet. Try not to step on any more cats with them big feet of yours.”

He jabbed the red button and ended the call. I was snatched up again by one arm while his other hand picked up the stool. “Sorry, he got under my skin.”

I patted his head. “It’s okay. I won’t let anyone kidnap me but you. And I’m a lycan now too. I’m stronger.”

“Yes, you are.” He let out a slow breath, grimacing. “But please don’t mention kidnapping. I still haven’t recovered from last time.”

“I’m okay. We’re all okay.” I smiled. “Thanks to you⁠—”

He smiled.

“—and Lucy.”

The smile faltered.

Something flickered across his face. “You know, Bunny…I just remembered a little conversation we had some months ago.”

Instinct made me take a step back. I didn’t like that look, like he was about to pounce.

“What?” I asked warily as he started toward me with lazy confidence.

“Nothing.”