Chapter 148

Ella

Logan and I watched Marina saunter away, and it was as if the air suddenly felt ten pounds lighter. I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding, and before I knew it I was sinking down onto the edge of the koi pond, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees.

Now, even more than before, I wished I had my wolf beside me.

“Where the hell are you?!” I called out in my mind, begging for her to return. “I need you, Ema!”

I waited for a moment, hoping, but there was no response as usual. Of course she was still dormant. When I needed her the most, she was dormant, still throwing a tantrum over my relationship—or rather, lack thereof—with Logan.

Logan, noticing the faraway look in my eyes, turned to face me with a puzzled expression in his gaze.

“You sure you’re alright?” he asked.

“For the millionth time,” I barked, maybe a little harsher than I intended, “I’m fine.”

Logan fell silent, and so did I. I think we both knew it was a lie, but there was no way I could tell him about what Marina had said and done—about the supposed hitmen who were watching both me and my little sister, poised to strike.

I really was stuck in a den of vipers, wasn’t I?

“I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head and standing. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh. It’s just been a long night, and Marina…” My voice trailed off, and Logan furrowed his brow.

“What about her?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. She’s just a lot, that’s all.”

Logan nodded in understanding, his clear blue eyes studying my face for a few long moments. I hated the fact that this was happening. I hated the fact that my fated mate came from this world of shadows. And most of all, I hated the fact that it hurt to know that it had to end, one way or another.

“So, did you need something?” I found myself asking, grasping at straws for some sense of normalcy, as if Logan had come all the way out here to ask me about champagne or hors d'oeuvres or the color of balloons.

Logan shrugged, then nodded, as though he couldn’t figure out whether he wanted to spill or not. Finally, he spoke. “Actually, I did want to tell you something. Something important.”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?” I managed to keep my voice steady, but it felt so artificial. On the outside, I was a perfect facade of collected annoyance. But on the inside, I was falling apart, and all I could think about was my little sister, and whether she was in danger.

Logan nodded his head toward the trail. “Wanna walk a bit?”

We began to wander down a garden path, the ground softly lit by the glow of scattered fairy lights. A trellis covered in climbing roses formed a sort of tunnel ahead of us. It would’ve been almost romantic, had my thoughts not been drenched in Marina’s poisonous words.

“So, Harry just dropped a bomb on me,” Logan started, his voice heavy with something that sounded like disappointment, or maybe even regret.

“Oh?” I masked my surprise with a lift of an eyebrow. One more bombshell tonight, then.

“He said he was the one who framed me for that murder after all. Admitted it right to my face.”

The statement hit me like a gust of wind. My heart raced, but my face remained unreadable. “I can’t say I’m surprised. That sounds like something Harry would do.”

“You’re not shocked?”

“I’d be more shocked if Harry ever did something that didn’t serve his own interests,” I retorted. “And besides, we caught him in the act anyway.”

Logan sighed, nodding slowly. “Fair point. So, did Marina say anything to you? You both seemed quite engaged earlier.”

A knot tightened in my stomach, but I kept my expression neutral. “Oh, you know, just idle chit chat about the party and such.”

He looked at me, slightly bewildered. “Really? That’s a first. Making friends with my brother’s fiancee, are we?”

A chuckle nearly burst through my lips, but I held it back. If only he really knew what happened back there. “Hardly. I spoke to her because it seemed polite, not because I wanted to be besties with her.”

Logan shook his head in disbelief but didn’t press further. “Alright, if you say so.”

We continued to walk, now entering the trellis tunnel. The roses smelled so fragrant and looked so beautiful as they basked in the glow of the fairy lights. I wished I could find the beauty in it, but my thoughts were elsewhere, tangled up in messes I had never wanted to be a part of.

Logan broke the silence again. “Have you given any more thought to our...arrangement?”

“The fake wedding, you mean?” I replied, keeping my eyes forward.

Logan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Listen, I know how it sounds, but I’ve been thinking. We could get it over within a month or two, and that would be the end of it. I might know someone who could forge the documents for us so we wouldn’t even need an annulment. It could all be for show.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, locking eyes with him. “Logan, we discussed this. I can’t do that.”

“But it’s nothing, Ella,” he pressed. “Just an act. Then it’s over.”

I felt my temper flare, but I kept my voice steady. “And that’s exactly why I won’t do it. A wedding should be one of the most genuine and heartfelt moments in a person’s life. I won’t mock that sincerity by parading a sham for everyone to see, all in the name of your family fortune.”

Logan’s eyes searched mine, as if trying to locate something he could latch onto, some sign that I might relent. But there was none. And besides, we had to end this anyway. I just couldn’t tell him that part.

“I’m sorry,” I continued, “but that’s a boundary I can’t, and won’t, cross, Logan. I hope you can understand and respect that.”

“Okay, I get it,” he answered a little too quickly. “I won’t cross that boundary, Ella. I promise.”

“Thank you,” I said, grateful but still carrying the burden of Marina’s threats—threats that Logan had no knowledge of. “You need to understand that a wedding, for me, is sacred. It’s not something I can stage for profit.”

We continued to meander down the path.The air was silent, too silent, and I began to wonder… was the hitman watching me now? How close was he?

Logan was finally the one to break the silence. “Okay, so no fake wedding. But we need to step up our game, Ella. It’s not just about showing up at events or holding hands in front of my dad. It needs to be believable, even when we’re not under scrutiny.”

“So what are you suggesting?” My eyes were fixed on his now. “Private getaways? Dual Instagram accounts? And no, before you ask, I’m not getting a matching tattoo with you.”

He chuckled at my attempts at humor, but the seriousness never left his face. “I was actually thinking of something a bit more domestic.”

“Domestic?”

He nodded. “Yes. Ella, I think you should move in with me.”