LOGAN: Alliance of Shadows, Book 2

Revelations

Theresa’s tone softened as she delved deeper into the story. “When she died unexpectedly after giving birth to their daughter, Raymundo was overcome with grief. He went into a deep sleep—one that would last until his only daughter’s male heir appeared.”

The weight of the revelation pressed down on me, and I couldn’t help but feel the enormity of the expectations tied to my lineage. Still, Theresa was quick to clarify. Only a handful of women and their Mates were my direct blood relatives. The rest were simply members of the Red River pack, bound by loyalty rather than blood. Try as I might, I felt no instinctive connection to them, no familial pull linking us together.

Theresa paused, her gaze unwavering, as if she were measuring the significance of her next words. “You are the only male descendant of Annabella’s bloodline,” she said solemnly. “Her daughter Sarah... she was furious with her uncle. He forced her into a marriage she didn’t want, and as the story goes, she cursed him for it.”

Curiosity sparked within me, cutting through the tension. “What kind of curse?”

Theresa hesitated, her brow furrowing as if the memory evaded her grasp. “I’m afraid I don’t know,” she admitted softly. “But the curse has lingered in whispers for generations.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, broken only by the sound of approaching footsteps. My attention shifted as a man walked into the room, his movement commanding. Following closely behind him was a woman and a small, shy toddler gripping her mother’s skirts.

The man’s eyes locked onto me, and I barely had time to process his expression before he was standing directly in front of me. His gaze roamed over my features, studying me with intensity that almost bordered on disbelief.

He’d been scared for a fleeting second—it was subtle, but I caught it. His confidence returned quickly, masking his unease with a sneer. “So, she did have a boy. Interesting,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Back off,” I hissed, my tone sharp, unyielding.

Before the tension could escalate, the woman made her way over to us, her movements fluid and deliberate. “Be at ease, young one,” she said, her voice calm yet laced with an underlying current I couldn’t quite place. “I am Dorcas Valencia. This little girl is my daughter, Andrast, and my husband, Nikolai.”

As her words lingered in the air, a chill ran down my spine. I felt it—an invisible thread of power she was attempting to weave around us. My growl tore through the space between us, low and warning. She only laughed, the sound light but hollow, as she extended her hand toward me.

Her eyes glimmered with something—something she tried to hide, but I saw it. The pretense in her smile couldn’t fool me, nor could the fleeting, nervous glances she cast toward Nikolai. A sense of unease settled over me. If even his own wife was wary around him, it was clear that trusting him could be a grave mistake. I knew I had to stay on my guard.

Still frowning, I gave her a wary glance. “I’m Logan Pierce,” I said, my voice steady despite the undercurrent of tension.

Nikolai’s smirk widened as he leaned slightly closer, his tone dripping with false curiosity. “Are you here to stay?”

“No, I’m just visiting,” I replied curtly, the dismissiveness in my words deliberate. My gaze didn’t waver as I added, “I have no desire to stay in your presence that long anyway.”

For a moment, his expression faltered, the smirk slipping from his face. But it wasn’t long before a new, carefully crafted smile curved his lips. “It’s nice that your adoptive parents were willing to let you visit,” he said, his words laced with veiled condescension.

I brushed off the glares that followed when I mentioned Mom and Dad had been good to me. The weight of those stares lingered, their judgment palpable. My patience wore thin as I noticed others in the room still watching me with suspicion. My gaze sharpened, and a low growl escaped my throat, cutting through the tense air.

“If calling my adoptive parents Mom and Dad is going to be a problem, I won’t be staying,” I said firmly, my voice cold and commanding. “The kids with me are from my pack, and I am their Alpha. If anyone hurts or threatens them, I will take it personally—and I will retaliate.”

Nikolai straightened, his shoulders taut and brows drawn together. “What of the others? The men?” he asked, his tone sharp and probing.

“The adults are members of the Shadow Storm pack,” I snapped, my anger bubbling closer to the surface. “My adoptive brother, the Alpha, won’t waste time coming here to avenge them if he has to, so tread cautiously.”

Maria appeared by my side in an instant, her presence a steadying force. Her voice was calm but carried a warning edge. “Don’t push his temper,” she said, planting a hand on her hip in defiance. “Logan never leaves a job undone. If we don’t return in two weeks or less, Shadow Storm will come looking—and they won’t come quietly.”

Dorcas stood a little farther off, but her subtle unease didn’t escape me. Her darting eyes betrayed the anxiety she was working hard to conceal as they flicked nervously toward her husband. “Nikolai, darling,” she said softly, her voice holding a forced gentleness, “he’s only a child. His adoptive parents could have kept Logan’s existence a secret, but they allowed him to meet us. I’ll take them to another room so they can eat in peace and rest.”

Nikolai curled his lip ever so slightly, his smile more a show of teeth than warmth. “Yes, of course, mi querida,” he said, his tone polite but laced with disdain.

I didn’t miss the tension between them, nor the glances Dorcas was throwing in his direction. It was clear she was uneasy, and if even his wife was wary around him, there was no telling what kind of man Nikolai truly was.

He didn’t like me—of that much, I was certain—but I didn’t care. All that mattered in that moment was keeping my friends safe.

A young girl rushed over to us as the others entered the room first. “Mistress, the High Master is asking for the boy.”

I looked up at Colton, and he seemed to understand what I was trying to say. He nodded, “No worries, Alpha Logan. We’ll keep an eye on your pack while you're gone.”

“Thanks, Beta Colton,” I replied before I followed the women down a flight of stairs. Nikolai, of course, followed us down the winding stairs to the underground rooms. This area was where the Vampires slept.

The younger girl suddenly took a sharp right turn into a large chamber room. Taking the child from Dorcas's arms, she excused herself.

I looked around the room. Candles lit everything in a soft golden glow. The ancient-looking furniture threw me back in time, roughly two to three hundred years, as my eyes found the man who had requested my presence.

“Come closer, child. I have waited a long time for you,” he said, his voice gravelly yet commanding, the weight of centuries pressing behind each word.

“Raymundo,” I whispered, the name slipping from my lips as recognition dawned. I reached beneath my shirt and pulled out the amulet, its familiar weight resting in my palm. “Did you leave this for me to find?”

“Sí,” he rasped, his gaze fixed on the object. “Many generations have passed since I felt a power that could rival mine.”

I narrowed my eyes, the skepticism rising unbidden. “Why me? Why not one of your sons’ children?”

His expression remained calm, unfazed by my questioning. “His children are strong, yes, but not like you,” he said with quiet certainty. “My only daughter’s male heir is the one I have waited centuries for.”

The absurdity of the situation tugged at the corners of my mind. It felt like the setup for one of those over-the-top vampire movies where the hero meets their end in some ridiculous twist. My instincts screamed to look around for hidden cameras, but I held my ground, determined to keep my focus sharp.

“So, you’re telling me that I’m some kind of hybrid?” I asked, disbelief lacing my tone as I stared at him.

Raymundo chuckled, a low, knowing sound that felt as ancient as the room we stood in. “Of sorts, yes,” he said, his voice calm but cryptic.

Before I could press him further, Nikolai spoke for the first time, his sharp voice cutting through the air. “My brother, Maximus, met his end in seventeen twenty-two. Father, what if my sons feel shunned by this child’s Ascension?”

Raymundo’s expression hardened, his tone turning cross. “Then explain it to them, Nikolai. I know your mother passed when you were a boy, and you didn’t like Avalon, but it is him I have chosen to gift my remaining power.”

“Lo-Lo!” A familiar voice rang out, and my jaw dropped as Wynter and Ember peeked their heads around the corner. Ember held a glowing Locator Crystal in her hand, its light catching the mischievous grin on her face and making her dimples all the more pronounced.

Not good.

My eyes went wide as the realization hit me. I’d made a mistake—a rookie mistake. Without an Alpha command or at least a direct order, they’d had the freedom to follow their instincts and check on me. “Darn it,” I muttered, irritation seeping into my voice. “I never told you to stay top-side.”