Chapter 163

Ella

As we drove away from the racetrack, I couldn’t deny the sense of unease that began to wash over me.

The winding, dark road stretched ahead, surrounded by a vast expanse of flat, barren land. Off in the distance, tall rock formations loomed against the pale night sky, like silent specters waiting to attack.

I had never been to the desert like this, and it kind of freaked me out—which was ironic considering the fact that I had moved to this city knowing that it was surrounded by desert.

But when I was in the city, it was easy to forget. I could handle the heat, and there was still access to the ocean on the other side of the city, but the desert? To me, it was nothing but a barren wasteland where things went to die.

Growing up, I had become accustomed to the bustling, vibrant city. Whenever we went on trips, it was usually either overseas or to the mountain estate, where the air was cool and damp.

This, however, was a stark contrast from that. The desert felt brutal, a far cry from the greenery of the mountains.

I turned to Logan, my voice wavering slightly even though I tried to hide it. “So, um… Where are we going?” I asked,

He shot me a look. “To the bonfire. It’s not much further. Why?”

I shrugged, a futile attempt at seeming casual. “No reason. It’s just… different out here.”

“Ah, so you’re a scaredy cat, huh?” he asked, immediately noticing my trepidation and deciding to capitalize on it. “Ella, I didn’t take you for the type to be freaked out by the darkness.”

I scrunched up my nose and playfully swatted his arm. “Hey, I’m not a scaredy cat. I’m just not used to the desert.”

He quirked an eyebrow, his gaze meeting mine for a split second in the dark car. “I forget you didn’t grow up here,” he said, returning his gaze to the quiet road. “The desert is where everything fun happens out here. But I guess you’re used to…”

“The ocean is more my style,” I interrupted. “The ocean and the city lights. Maybe the mountains sometimes if we went to my dad’s mountain estate.”

Logan chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring. “Well, while all of that sounds fun, I must say that you’ve been missing out, Ella,” he said. “The desert has its own kind of beauty, especially at night. The stars out here are something else.”

I scrunched up my nose again. “I don’t see any stars. It’s just… black.”

He leaned forward, looking out the windshield. “Ah, it’s cloudy tonight,” he said. “But on a clear night, you can see the whole Milky Way. It’s beautiful, Ella. Trust me.”

I glanced out of the window at the pitch-black desert, trying to imagine what it would be like under a blanket of stars. In the city, the light pollution often obscured the night sky, and I rarely got a chance to stargaze.

“That sounds… appealing,” I admitted.

Logan nodded, his gaze momentarily drifting to me before they returned to the road ahead. “Trust me, it really is. I can take you out here sometime if you’d like.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity at his offer. “So you come out here often, then?” I asked, turning to look at him.

He grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yeah, pretty often. It’s my secret escape. I feel like I can think out here, and sometimes…” He chuckled. “Sometimes I almost imagine driving off into the desert and never coming back.”

Logan’s words took me by surprise, but I didn’t press any further. The idea of Logan, of the Alpha mobster, having his own little escape made my heart clench slightly. It was endearing, to picture him coming out here to look at the stars with grand dreams floating through his head.

We continued to drive in silence after that, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The desert, for all of its brutality, seemed a bit more welcoming now with that picture in my mind.

But only a bit.

Finally, we arrived at our destination, and my unease deepened once again.

The bonfire was set near an abandoned warehouse, and the surroundings looked eerie in the dim light. Loud heavy metal music blared from speakers, and I could see people with piercings, tattoos, and edgy fashion that was so different from my usual circle.

Over by the warehouse, the bonfire raged. It was enormous, its tall flames licking up into the sky like a dragon’s breath. I was honestly surprised that it wasn’t setting the surroundings on fire.

“Here we are,” Logan said, flashing me a grin. “Ready?”

“I… Um…”

I hesitated, my grip tightening on the door handle. This was not my scene at all, and I felt like a fish out of water.

“Actually, I don’t know if this is my scene,” I finally blurted out, shaking my head. “I shouldn’t have come.”

Logan shot me a concerned look. “What? Why?” he asked. “Ella, you’ll love it. Trust me.”

But I had already dug my heels in, and when I saw a guy with a spiky mohawk and a even spikier collar around his neck walking by, I steeled my resolve even further.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “I shouldn’t have come. I should go home.”

Logan let out an audible sigh and lightly tapped his hands on the steering wheel. “Ella, we came all this way,” he said. “And it’s fine, really. Can’t you just give it a chance? Five minutes? Then if you really hate it, I’ll take you home.”

By now, I was bordering on belligerent. “Nope. Go on without me if it’s so important to you.”

With another sigh, Logan nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Okay. I will. See ya.”

I was a bit shocked as Logan opened the car door and got out, leaving me behind without another word. I guessed, in my own twisted mind, I had expected him to take me home—but he hadn’t. He was heading for the party without me, and he wasn’t stopping.

My wolf, always eager for adventure and new experiences, spoke up then. “Oh, come on, Ella. Don’t be such a stick in the mud.”

I muttered to myself, torn between my natural inclination to avoid unfamiliar situations and the urging of my wolf. “I’m not a stick in the mud,” I whined. “This place seems dangerous.”

“Ella, you need to try something new once in a while,” she urged. “Do you want to spend your whole life working and doing nothing else, or do you want to gain new experiences and meet new people?”

“But look at it!” I said, looking around at the scene in front of me. Groups of people milled around, dancing to heavy metal music with drinks in their hand.

Near the bonfire, someone was throwing powder into the flames to turn them green, then purple, then white.

And over by the rundown outhouse, three people were engaged in what I could only describe as something that I would never repeat to my mother.

But my wolf was right, and I knew it. I needed to experience new things sometimes, and Logan’s form was fading, leaving me behind. I couldn’t just sit here and wait all night, anyway. I’d be safer with him.

“Ella, just go,” Ema continued to urge. “Come on. You’re his good luck charm. He needs you.”

At her words, my eyes drifted back down to the medal around my neck. The gold absorbed the light of the bonfire, making it appear as though the fire was burning within the medal itself.

Finally, with a determined huff, I made up my mind. “Okay, fine. I’m going. Happy?”

I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the car door, and stepped out into the night. The heavy metal music hit me like a wall of sound, and the atmosphere was charged with energy. I watched as Logan walked away, heading towards the lively gathering of people.

“Hey!” I called out, picking up my pace and jogging toward him. “Wait!”