The SUV pulled off the main road and headed toward a secured airstrip. The tarmac stretched out ahead, the private jet already visible under a hangar’s shadow. Almost there.
But Emery felt it before she saw it.
The road curved toward the runway, but another car blocked the path. A ck sedan sat dead center, unmoving. No signal, no warning. Just there. Waiting.
Logan leaned forward slightly.
“Keep the engine running,” he said to the driver. Then he turned to Emery. “Stay in the car. Do not move.”
“But-”
“Don’t worry,” he said.
His eyes flicked to her belly.
Emery said nothing. She was already holding onto the door handle, but she let it go.
Logan stepped out.
The air outside was colder and heavier. Emery couldn’t hear what was being said yet, but she watched through the tinted ss as Logan walked toward the other car.
The sedan’s door opened. A man got out from the passenger seat and then opened the rear door.
An older man stepped out next. His coat was tailored ck wool. His hat sat low over his eyes. A cigar was wedged between his lips, lit and smoking.
Emery squinted. She couldn’t hear it, but she could tell the man was smiling.
“An honor,” the man said, tipping his head slightly. “To be visited by the Rogue King himself. Though I must say–your visit was… unannounced.”
Logan stopped a few feet away. His hands were rxed at his sides, but his presence wasn’t. The stillness around him didn’t feel calm. It felt coiled, like something waiting to snap.
He said nothing.
The old man puffed once on his cigar.
“You didn’t inform us, Logan. Not even a courtesy call. This is Los Angeles. Our turf.”
“Alpha Adolfo,” Logan said finally. “Is this your wee? Blocking my path?”
Adolfo chuckled, the sound light but thin.
<b>45 </b>
<b>55 </b>vouchers
“You’re forgetting tradition. When an Alpha arrives, it is customary to meet with the Alpha of the territory. You’re in a rush, I see. But customs are not optional.”
Logan took one more step forward. Emery couldn’t hear the words that followed, but she could feel the temperature in the air shift.
“I am not my brother,” Logan said. “I do not rule as he does. I do not ask for permission, and I don’t need to exin myself.”
Adolfo’s expression ttened slightly.
“That’s dangerous talk.”
“Then listen carefully,” Logan said. “I am not the Alpha King. I have no court. No crown. And no need for your politics. I left that world for a reason.”
Adolfo looked past him, toward the SUV.
Logan didn’t move. A werewolf’s eyes could see more than a human’s–but not through walls.
“You want to know what the others call me now?” Logan continued. “Rogue. No pack. Now. That makes me a problem, doesn’t it?”
Adolfo said nothing.
“So let me ask you again,” Logan said, eyes sharp. “Is this your wee? Because if it is, I can assure you it won’t end the way you think.”
The man with Adolfo shifted uneasily.
Adolfo took the cigar out of his mouth. He looked down at the ash, then flicked it off with one finger.
“No need for threats,” Adolfo said. “If you wanted to leave the old world behind, you could have said so without the theatrics.”
Logan didn’t blink.
“Then move your car.”
Adolfo finally nodded to his man, but instead of moving the car, his attendant just moved to the other side of the car and opened the door.
The moment Adolfo’s man opened the door, a woman stepped out.
She wore a ck tank top and dark cargo pants tucked intobat boots. Her hair was tied back in a no- nonsense braid, and her posture was sharper than any soldier Emery had seen in her life.
The woman bowed deeply–not to Adolfo, but to Logan.
“Ya’er greets the Rogue King,” she said, head still lowered.
Logan raised an eyebrow.
Adolfo stepped forward.
<b>45 </b>
55 vouchers
“This is my eldest daughter, Sanya. Blood of an Alpha. Strengthened through training and inheritance. She holds status equal to any male heir.”
Logan didn’t look at Sanya. His gaze stayed on Adolfo.
“So what is this? A proposal wrapped in tradition?”
Adolfo smiled thinly.
“Of course not. I would merely like to speak with you. In the car. Briefly.”
Logan chuckled once.
“I’ve never met anyone who thought marrying off their daughter to a rogue was a clever strategy. Has the Crimson Pack lost their marbles?”
Sanya’s eyes red. She stepped forward.
“Who told you I wanted to marry you?” she snapped. “I wouldn’t touch a rogue with a ten–foot de.”
Logan turned to Adolfo, ignoring her.
“Is this your hospitality? Sending your daughter to insult the brother of the king?”
Adolfo’s jaw tightened.
“You may
be the Alpha King’s brother, Logan, but you are no longer recognized by the High Council. Your blood ties were severed long ago.”
“That’s true,” Logan said. “But your people still whisper about me. And your packs still wait for what I’ll do next. Even your own allies tread lightly. I expected you to be a bit smart and understand what that means.”
Adolfo didn’t argue.
The truth was that Logan Hayes had no official power in the werewolf hierarchy. His brother, the Alpha King, had cut him off years ago. But Logan had never been hunted. Never exiled. Instead, he moved quietly through borders, handling matters no one else wanted to.
When rogue wolves lost control in human cities, it was Logan who disposed of them. When young wolves went feral and risked exposure, Logan cleaned it up. When packs vited human trade agreements or leaked into mortal crimeworks, Logan made sure they disappeared.
He had no title. No pack. But his influence was undeniable.
Adolfo had seen it firsthand. He knew how Logan negotiated treaties in Eastern Europe, how he removed half–blood smugglers from South Africa, and how he destroyed an entire trafficking ring in Colombia without ever alerting a single human authority.
The Alpha King was revered by the supernatural world.
But Logan Hayes? Logan ruled the shadows between both.
“I don’t have time for a conversation,” Logan said. “We’re leaving.”
Adolfo exhaled slowly.
))
45
55 vouchers
“Then allow Sanya to apany you for a few days. She’ll deliver my message. In person.” When Logan said nothing, he added. “It concerns the supernatural world.”
Logan tilted his head.
“You want me to babysit?”
“She is capable of handling herself.”
“I don’t trust myself enough to keep a woman like her alive.”
Adolfo’s nostrils red, but he said nothing.
Everyone knew the Rogue King loathed women. Not out of prejudice, but survival. Women in his circle neversted. Not because he hurt them–but because he refused to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.
But Sanya wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t soft or naive. She was fire–forged–raised with strength, not just
status.
Adolfo believed she was the only one who could stand her ground beside Logan Hayes without being broken by him.
And now<i>, </i>it was time to test that.
Sadly, Logan wasn’t in the mood to indulge him.
“How frivolous.”
Logan’s head tilted ever so slightly. His eyes settled on Sanya–steady, unblinking. There was no warning, no shift in posture<i>, </i>or re of aggression. Just a look.
But Sanya’s breath caught. Her body stiffened. Something coiled deep inside her stomach, and pressure began building in her chest. Within seconds, it was unbearable.
She staggered back a step, her hand flying to her side. Her mouth opened slightly–but no sound came out. Her legs buckled. Then, without any warning, she doubled over and vomited blood onto the asphalt.
Adolfo’s face drained.
“Sanya!”
He was at her side in a sh, catching her before she could fall. His arm braced under her shoulders as he lowered her to the ground. More blood spilled from her lips.
“What did you do?!” he barked at Logan.
Logan hadn’t moved. He simply stood there, hands still loose at his sides.
“Do not unt your Alpha blood before me, Alpha. For mine is the blood of kings.”
Adolfo’s jaw clenched.
“What–what the hell-”
Logan took a step forward, closing the distance. The air thickened.
<b>45 </b>
55 vouchers
“You want this girl to speak on matters that touch the edge of the supernatural world,” he said, eyes hard. “And this is your eldest daughter? This?”
Adolfo didn’t respond.
“The eldest daughter is meant to lead. To withstand. Not copse from a nce. You parade her like she’s an emissary, but she folds like wet paper.”
Sanya coughed again, her blood staining Adolfo’s coat.
The smile vanished from Logan’s face.
“Move the car,” he said.
Adolfo looked up, lips parting in disbelief.
“Move it,” Logan repeated, voice cutting now. “This is thest time I’m saying it. Either your man clears the road, or your daughter bleeds out in front of you. Right here. On your turf.”
The silence that followed wasn’t still–it pulsed. Heavy and suffocating.
Adolfo clenched his jaw, then shouted over his shoulder.
“Move the damn car! Now!”
AD