Chapter 129

Logan

The days have gone by so agonizingly slow. The hours and minutes have faded into each other, bleeding into one another. I can barely tell the days apart from each other now, unsure if today is Monday or if it is actually the weekend instead.

Truly is disorienting to think that my life has come to a chaotic mess like this. Do you think that I have started to bring work home instead of leaving it back in the office. It pains me to know that I had to bring home a briefcase, to sit in bed and work on contracts and new negotiations while Emily is soundly sleeping beside me.

I tear my gaze off of the new contract that my pack’s lawyer gave to me. It has truly been a mess now that I have gone public with my candidacy to become the next Alpha King, businesses and other prominent societal members slowly dropping out one by one since they have already pledged a silence allegiance to another candidate.

This is to be expected, of course, but I never thought it would happen at such an accelerated rate, to watch as multiple sponsors drop all at once. I suppose, though, that it is a good thing seeing how I am getting rid of older partnerships, and I am also bringing in new partnerships and contracts with fresher and newer businesses that are eager to work with me.

Honestly, I think the only reason why my pack is losing so many contracts is because I am the youngest in the race to become Alpha King. All of my other candidates are my father's age, holding years of wisdom and diplomacy under the belt while I am in a fresh newcomer who threatens to change things for the better. They wish to see the world remain the same while I wish to see it change, to usher in a new era of diplomacy and a new era of society.

Before I can set aside the paperwork in contracts, my phone vibrates on the side table from beside me. I quietly grown and reached to the side, picKing up the device and bringing it in front of my face. My stepmother's contact is flashing across the screen, a photo of her, my father filling the contacts photo.

I suck in a breath, unsure what it is that she could possibly want or need at this late hour in the night. I hesitantly agree, though, and bring the phone up to my ear, listening to her quiet breathing on the other end of the line.

“It’s late,” I am the first to comment, “is something wrong? Did something happen with my dad or brothers”

“No! Nothing is wrong!” my stepmother is quick to reassure me. My body instantly relaxes and I look over Emily, smiling down at her as she softly stirs in her sleep. “I was just wondering if you and Emily would like to come to your father and I's house this weekend!”

“Why? Is my father needing to talk to us again about something?” I ask while slowly closing all of my folders, tucKing away pieces of paper.

It just feels slightly suspicious that my stepmother, out of all of the people in the world, would be the one to call me about such a thing. I try to fight away the suspicious feeling that festers in the back of my mind, but it is slowly eating my consciousness alive.

“Is there something that you're wanting to do? Is this another way to humiliate us like dinner when I first introduced her to you all? What’s your motive?” I can feel myself getting irritated by just speaKing out the questions.

“Logan! Calm down!” my stepmother, eagerly speak, speaks through the phone. “I just have a small surprise for Emily, that's all. I live in a family full of boys and this is something that I want to do for her, okay? Will you just help me out with this? Please?”

I suck in a breath, unsure what the surprise could be. I slowly rack my brain to try and figure out what it could possibly be, my mind landing on nothing but another way to humiliate my wife. It is the last thing she needs, honestly, and I will not stand for any kind of disrespect that is thrown towards her.

I reached my hand out and placed my hand on Emily's baby bump. A smile spreads across her face, and she gently places her hand on top of mine, still showing me signs of love and affection, even while she is unconscious in bed beside me. It warms my heart to know that she loves me as much as I love her.

It is why I must protect her as much as I can. I cannot allow my family to hurt her in any way. I refuse to let it happen.

“Fine,” I breathe into the phone, my demeanor shifting to something more serious, “but if anything bad happens to Emily, if anyone decides to humiliate or embarrass her or bring her any harm: I will get revenge on you. I will ruin your relationship with my father, and I will make for sure that everybody knows that you are a vile woman for doing something so cruel to a pregnant woman. Do you understand?”

“Logan,” I could hear my stepmother's nervousness on the other end of the phone, a shaky chuckle, vibrating through my phone’s speaker. I am not amused, though. “You know that I would do nothing of the sort!”

“Do I, though?” I counter, swallowing a small lump that begins to form in my throat. “the first time you met her, you allowed my brothers to ridicule her and make her feel less than worthy.”

“I can wholeheartedly promise to you, Logan, that nothing of the store will happen. I just want her to feel loved and welcomed now that she is pregnant and is permanently staying with our family. So, I will be sure to send you the details of the event soon! I'll talk to you later,” my stepmother, says.

Before I can even respond, the call comes to a quick end. I grown and toss the phone back onto the side table, placing my briefcase and papers back onto the ground beside the bed. I settle beside Emily and draw her close to my body, peppering kisses along the side of her face and shoulder.

The only thing that I can think of is that this is just another one of my families luncheon that we used to have. I stopped attending, though, as soon as I took on more serious responsibilities within the pack, especially after my relationship with Emily began.

It's probably just one of those times. It is probably just another luncheon that my father and stepmother can use to assert some kind of weird dominant are the two of us. To remind us that they are the true leaders of this family and that we are not, even though I have the possibility of becoming a future Alpha King.

I close my eyes and give Emily's body a gentle squeeze, trying to silently manifest before I fall asleep that this event will be fun and un stressful instead of something that will ruin my relationship with my family forever. Because honestly? Emily is my family now, not them.