Chapter 126

Ella

The water in the bathtub had gone lukewarm long ago when I finally pulled myself out, wrapping up in a towel.

After drying off, I slipped into my pajamas and sat on the bed, book in hand, fully prepared to lose myself in another world. My wolf was unusually quiet, and for once, I relished the solitude. I knew that she was mad at me for ending things with Logan earlier, but she would understand with time.

However, just as I was beginning to really get into the story, a knock sounded on the door and broke me from my reverie. I sighed, placing the book face down on the bed.

“Who could it be at this hour?” I muttered, walking to the door and cracking it open. Just as I expected, there stood Logan, leaning against the frame with a cocky smirk on his face.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “Bored out of my mind. Can I come in?”

I eyed him warily. “I’m not just here to entertain you when things get slow, Logan.”

His grin widened as he lifted a wine bottle and two glasses. “What about now?”

I squinted at him. “Where did you even get that?”

“I stole it from the bar downstairs.”

I frowned, disapproving. “Really, Logan? You stole it? What are you, fifteen?”

He laughed, his eyes twinkling. “Alright, alright. I asked, and they gave it to me. Happy?”

“Much,” I replied, though I still didn't move aside to let him in.

“Come on, Ella. It’s late, I know. One drink, that's all I’m asking. We could enjoy it on the balcony, overlooking the city.”

I followed Logan’s gaze to the balcony. It had stopped raining, leaving the city awash in a mirage of blurry hues. My wolf stirred, intrigued by the thought of being out there with Logan, but I silenced her yet again. “We have a flight to catch in the morning.”

“One drink won't hurt,” he pressed, wiggling the bottle tauntingly in front of me.

Finally, I stepped aside with a sigh, and he waltzed in like he owned the place, making his way to the balcony. I closed the door behind him and followed, albeit hesitantly.

Logan uncorked the bottle and poured wine into the glasses. He handed one to me and raised his own. “To stolen bottles?”

I laughed softly. “You said you didn’t steal this.”

He shrugged. “You wouldn’t drink any if I said I did.”

The wine was good, unsurprisingly. We sipped in silence for a moment, both of us staring out at the city below. The lights shimmered in the aftermath of the rainstorm, making them look as though they were painted across the view.

“This city has a certain charm, doesn’t it?” Logan finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“It does,” I admitted. “But so does our city.”

Logan cocked his head, intrigued. “Really? I didn’t think you liked it there, honestly.”

I shrugged. "”Maybe it’s not the city itself, but the idea that I can make a difference there. Maybe that’s what I’m drawn to.”

“How long do you plan on staying?”

I took another sip of wine, contemplating the question. “I’m not sure. Maybe forever. There’s a lot to do, a lot to fix. Despite the crime, despite the danger, I feel like I’m where I need to be.”

“An idealist in a city of pessimists,” Logan mused. “You’re a rare breed, Ella Morgan.”

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not,” he said softly, his eyes suddenly intense. “I like that about you.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I took another sip of wine, hoping it would quench the dryness in my mouth and the fluttering in my chest. It didn’t.

“Maybe if that city ever gets cleaned up,” I added, feeling a bit more bold thanks to the wine,”I would consider moving on to another city that needs help.”

Logan smiled, taking a step closer. “So you plan on being a knight in shining armor for the rest of your life?”

“If I can help it,” I replied, finding myself unable to look away from his gaze.

A breeze suddenly blew through, making the night air a little chillier. I shivered, drawing my arms closer around myself. Suddenly, before I could stop him, Logan was shrugging off his zip-up hoodie and draping it over my shoulders.

“Logan, you don’t—”

“Quiet, you,” he said, smirking. “It’s just a hoodie.”

Something about his gesture warmed me, not just from the warmth of his hoodie that smelled so wonderfully like his scent, but also from the inside. I had to look down at my wine glass to hide the blush in my cheeks.

We drank in silence for a little while longer. Finally, after finishing the last sip of my wine, I handed Logan the empty glass. “Well, I had my one drink, as promised. Now, I need to get to bed.”

Logan nodded, capping the bottle and setting it aside. “Fair enough. I got what I asked for. You can hold onto the hoodie tonight.”

As he picked up the empty glasses, I felt my wolf stir within me. She had been quiet, but not dormant. Rather, she was listening, watching, waiting for something.

And as Logan passed by me to head for the door, I caught a whiff of his scent—pine and leather, tinged with the lingering aroma of wine. It was intoxicating in a way that had nothing to do with alcohol.

My wolf responded instantly, a magnetic pull I couldn’t ignore. She wanted him, wanted to finish what we had started earlier. And for once, I found myself in complete agreement with her. Without a word, I grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside.

Logan looked puzzled, then intrigued. “Changed your mind?”

I didn’t reply; the words wouldn’t come even if I wanted them to, which I didn’t. Right now wasn’t the time for words or thinking or anything other than touching. Instead, I leaned in, capturing his lips with mine.

There was no hesitation. Logan’s lips pressed into mine with even more firmness. I felt his arms circle around my waist, pulling me closer as if trying to merge our bodies together. And when we finally broke away, the world seemed a little sharper and a little more vivid, like I had just removed a veil from in front of my eyes.

“Are you sure?” Logan asked, his voice low and husky, his eyes searching my face for something, anything indicating that this wasn’t happening. “I don’t want to make you—”

“Stop talking.” I cut him off. “We both know where this is going. Where it’s been going since we met. It’s inevitable, isn’t it?”

Logan’s eyes darkened as though the last remnants of his restraint were crumbling away. “Last chance to back out.”

“I’m not backing out,” I said. “Are you?”

He didn’t answer with words. He didn’t need to. Instead, he kissed me again, and it was like fire. Everything ignited—our lips, our bodies, our souls. The pull felt too strong, like a harsh wind had suddenly sucked all of the air out of the room.

We moved together like we had somehow done this a million times before, leaving a trail of empty wine glasses and clothes to the hotel bed.