Chapter 92

Logan

The back of my mind tangled as I watched emily exit at the office. My gut instinct told me to follow her, to chase her to the end of the Earth, to pull her back into my arms and tell her just how sorry I am for all of the things that I have done against her. I hesitate, though.

If nothing is wrong and she is okay, she is sure to hate me for the rest of our lives. She will hold a vendetta against me for all of the sins that I have committed, leaving my chest, feeling hollow and empty without her in my life. It is a risk that I do not know that I am willing to take just yet.

My foot taps against the floor, my eyes never leaving the elevator doors once they shut. Something from inside of me screams for me to follow. To close the distance that she has put between us so easily, effortless in its malice.

I shake my head, unable to rid the feeling. It claws at the inside of my mind, distracting me away from the papers that I need to sign to solidify my pack’s standing in the world. I close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath before exhaling.

I have to follow her. I have to protect her. I have to ensure that she is safe.

Scrambling, I gather my belongings and rush out of the office, finding my way to my car in the parking garage. Emily's perfume lingers in the leather seats, reminders of her existence prominent throughout the vehicle. I stare at the passenger seat, noticing that the mirror just above, still remain down, mirror open from when she checked her make up last.

The tires leaves marks in its wake, screeching as I speed out of the parking garage, heading towards the only place that I knew she would go when she is feeling overwhelmed with life. My knuckles are white against the steering wheel, and my eyes remain on the road, weaving through traffic as other cars honk at me for my reckless driving.

I don't care, though. All that matters to me is that Emily is safe, to know that she does not need somebody to be her savior in her time of need.

As the car drives down the dirt road of the playground, I noticed black smoke in the distance. My gut turns in on itself, nausea, taking over my body. My grip loosens on the steering wheel as I drive past the abandoned playground, heading in the direction of the fire.

In the back of my mind, my inner wolf tells me that Emily is in danger. That somebody is threatening her life right here, right now, and I am not there to protect her.

Anger washes over my body, my foot, slamming onto the gas pedal. I feel disappointed in myself, knowing that I have let her down, that I have allowed memories of her life to burn into ashes, the cinder tainting the ones happy memories she held in her mind.

The burning house comes into view. I slam on my brakes and jump out of the car, sprinting towards the house. I am about to reach the area where Emily's parents stand when a hand slaps me on my chest, stopping me in my path.

“Michael, I swear to God if you don't get off me—” I growl before he interrupts me.

“Emily’s inside,” Michael breathes out.

My body goes still, unable to comprehend why she would do such a thing. Maybe, she was forced inside. I would not put it past your parents to do something as cruel as that.

“Let me help you find a way inside,” the man reasons with me, “there's a door in the back of the fire hasn't touched yet. You can get to her through there.”

I don't know if I can trust him but he's the only chance I have to reach the love of my life. We run around the side, ignoring Philip and Hannah's yells for us to stop. There is a door hanging by its hinges, ready to pop off at any moment. Michael runs up to it and swing it open, a gust of flames escaping the house.

Without another thought, I rush inside, the screams from the fire ringing in my ears. I look around, my head on a swivel, and try to find Emily. I can hear her cries and yells for help, the agony in her voice. It makes my blood run cold, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I push through the flames of the fire, finding her trapped inside an office.

With one forceful kick, the door comes crumbling down. Emily and I’s gazes meet. Relief floods across her face as she rushes towards me, slipping into my arms as I pick her up, her legs wrapping around my waist. She feels weak in my arms, ready to give up.

I won't let that happen.

I quickly run back the way I came, shielding her as best as I can from the flames, my skin burning as I fight the fire that threatened to swallow us whole. The house grows and creeps, ready to fall down at any moment. I push through one last flame, rushing into the safety of the outside world just as the house comes crumbling down.

Emily shudders in my arms, her tears staining my shoulder. I push away the pain in my body and carry her towards my car, where a group of paramedics arrive. She pulls her face away from my body, eyes red, her tears not ready to stop falling.

“You’re okay,” I try my best to soothe her nerves, holding her close to me as I approach one of the ambulances. “You’re safe, Emily, I got you.”

Firetrucks scream down the road, the uniformed men jumping into action as I set her down in the back of the ambulance. The paramedics immediately attach their hands to her body, jumping into action to soothe her burns.

I turned to her parents who look upon us with looks of horror on their face. My anger gets a control of my body as a storm towards them, unable to hide my hatred and resentment I hold towards them.

“How far are you willing to go for a god damn inheritance?!” my voice carries over the chaos, reaching their ears. “Where do you draw the line? You’re horrible!”

Philip and Hannah turn to look at each other. I can’t read the emotions on their faces but I know that they are ready to leave. I can’t let that happen.

A hand rests on my bicep, stopping me from moving forward. Turning around, I notice Emily standing beside me, tears streaking down her face. She shakes her head, a silent refusal for me to do anything. I sigh and nod, lacing my fingers into hers as she guides me back to the ambulance.

I am in a trance, unable to do a thing except for follow Emily’s commands. I sit in the back of an ambulance, the paramedics working their magic on me. Emily sits across from me, a mix of horror and sadness etched on her face.

“I had to save you,” I whisper, voice cracking. Her head pops up, eyes widening. “My mother…” I pause, looking away, “I was unable to save her…”

“Logan,” Emily breathes out, voice raspy and tired.

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t let that happen to you too,” I meet her gaze.

Her expression softens. My heart aches as she takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. We turn to look at the burning house, the flames extinguished from the constant streams of water. She squeezes my hand, a silent admission of her sadness.

“Let’s go home,” I murmur. Emily nods, slipping into a comatose-like state.

We move away from the ambulance, helping her towards the car. She takes one last look at the destroyed home, diary and locket in hand, before getting inside of the car, allowing me to drive her away from the devastation.