LOGAN: Alliance of Shadows, Book 2

Finding Friends

I started getting giddy at the thought of having other kids I could play with—without worrying about hurting them by accident. The unfamiliar feeling bubbled up in my chest, and I couldn’t help but let it linger for a moment.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as I sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at my damp clothes.

She smiled warmly, her expression soft and reassuring. “For starters, my name is Elizabeth Grey, and I’m your mom’s friend. I met her a long time ago, before you were born, but we haven’t seen each other in eight long years. She’s busy helping at the packhouse right now, so I told her I’d come to get you ready. My two youngest boys were curious about you, so they tagged along.”

I stared down at my clothes again, wrinkling my nose at their damp texture. “Was I sick?” I asked, lifting my gaze back to her.

Elizabeth’s smile faltered slightly, not quite reaching her eyes. Her voice was gentle but carried a hint of something deeper, like worry or regret. “I don’t understand why your mother didn’t move back with you long before now.”

I barely knew her, but there was something genuinely good about her. Her voice was gentle, and she spoke kindly about my mom. She never mentioned my father, though, and it made me wonder if they had never gotten along. This was his home pack, after all. Coming here meant that Madre and I would be at their mercy. So far, they seemed nice, but I couldn’t shake the unease in the back of my mind.

Kaden obviously hated my father. It was written all over his face in the porch of our old house, the tension crackling like static in the air. A sudden thought hit me, stopping everything else in its tracks. I didn’t want the answer to be yes, but I already knew it would be. “Was Mami sick too?”

Her brows drew together, casting her expression in a sad shadow. From the door, I saw her two sons peek inside, their interest in me was a little unsettling but amusing at the same time.

“Mariana was a little sick, but she healed already. Little ones like you, who don’t yet have their wolves are different,” she said softly. Once again, Elizabeth held out her hands to me, waiting patiently for me to accept. “Your bath’s probably gone cold by now, so I’ll run some hot water to warm it up for you, all right?”

“Okay,” I answered softly. This time, I allowed her to pick me up, her arms steady and warm as she carried me to the bathroom down the hall.

The first thing I noticed was how different this bathroom was from the one we’d left behind. There were no rust stains marring the porcelain, and everything seemed brighter and more inviting. The room was much larger, with spotless fixtures and clean tiles that reflected the soft light from a nearby window.

I watched as Elizabeth grabbed a few towels and facecloths, her movements careful and efficient. She turned on the tap, and I listened to the soothing sound of water filling the tub. Steam began to rise, curling into the air like soft tendrils, and I found myself momentarily mesmerized by the warmth it seemed to promise.

Still, a sad smile tugged at my lips. Mami and I were in a new place—a better place—but deep down, I couldn’t shake the heavy certainty that our happiness wouldn’t last long.

After my bath, I helped Miss Elizabeth clean up the water mess I had made. Her gentle chuckle and steady presence kept me from feeling too embarrassed. Once we were done, we walked across the enormous field toward the packhouse, where a party was in full swing on the front lawn. The ground was hard with the promise of impending frost, and the air held a subtle chill to it as the sun dipped behind the distant, snow-capped mountains. Yet, the place was alive with laughter, clinking glasses, children’s giggles, chants of good-will, and people dancing to the music.

The two boys had long ago left the house to go with their father after Elizabeth called him. As we walked, I referred to her as “Miss Elizabeth,” which earned me a sharp, scary look – the kind only a mom could pull off. She knelt down, pulling me into her arms with a sigh, her expression softening as she held me at arm’s length. “Logan, things here are very different from what you’re used to. Here, everyone is like family. It’s because your mother and I are friends that our children can call us Aunt or Auntie. That means you can refer to me as Aunt Liz.”

Confused, I tilted my head slightly, trying to process her words. “Um, so, your pups will call Mami Auntie Mariana?”

“That’s right, they can,” she beamed, her grip on my arms gentle yet firm as she continued. “Your Mami also goes by Mari or Ana, so don’t be surprised if her other friends and I call her by those names, okay? We’re all like a big family here, unrelated but working as one to create a better future for pups like you, Jacob, and Paul.”

Family? A better future? Her words sounded nice, and she seemed happy enough to explain how the pack worked to me. But, even as I nodded, I couldn’t stop the hesitation that settled deep in my chest. I wanted to believe her, but my past had taught me to be cautious. To expect the unexpected.

I spotted the boy named Paul, and his face lit up with a grin as our eyes met. He seemed to have been waiting for me because he immediately ran over, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward a table overflowing with delicious-looking treats. As he tugged me along, he started talking excitedly, barely pausing for breath.

“Look! See? I told you! So many treats! And guess what? This isn’t the only table of food, either. We can eat and eat until we burst!”

Aunt Liz laughed lightly behind us, her voice warm with amusement. “Well, Paul, if you get a tummy ache, you’ll have only yourself to blame.”

“I know, Mommy,” Paul replied cheerfully before turning his attention back to me. “Hey, Logan, this is my friend Maria.” Without waiting for her consent, he reached out and pulled a girl with long black hair tied into a neat plait toward us. She wore a pale pink dress cinched with a brown sash, her outfit contrasting with her obvious irritation.

Maria glared at Paul, yanking her arm out of his grasp. “Don’t be a bully, Paul!” she snapped, her voice sharp with annoyance.

“A bully? Maria, I’m not!” Paul responded with a mischievous snicker. “I was just intro-duc-ing you to Logan, silly!” He exaggerated the word as though to soften her irritation, but Maria didn’t seem impressed.

She met my gaze with a shrug, her expression one of mock exasperation as she rolled her eyes. “Yay, another boy wolf. I hope he’s not as wild as you and your brothers.”

I pulled away from the rest of the kids, my steps slowing as I wandered from the tables. A pretty lady in white on the balcony caught my eye, her presence commanding and elegant. Something about her seemed so different, so significant, that I couldn’t look away.

Maria turned to talk to me but paused when she caught me staring. “It’s rude to stare at the Luna and Alpha, Logan,” she said softly, her tone almost scolding but still gentle.

So that pretty lady was our Luna? I blinked, surprised, and turned back to Maria, confusion clouding my expression. “Are you a wolf, too?”

She beamed at me, her face lighting up with a wide grin that revealed a missing front tooth. “Yeah, but like Paul and his siblings, I’m half-Witch. The Gathering is for all the supernatural races to come together and have fun. This is my third one. How many have you been to?”

Taking a deep breath, I replied, “This is my first.”

Maria’s grin wavered for a moment, and though she tried to hide it, I caught the flicker of sadness in her eyes. Despite that, she seemed genuinely nice—friendly, not too loud, and much calmer than Paul, whose boundless energy I still wasn’t quite used to.

I smiled at her, hoping to fill the silence. “I was born a year after my father and mother left the pack to do something important.”

The words weren’t untrue, but they didn’t sit well with me either. Something heavy churned in my chest, a shadow of doubt I couldn’t ignore. Mami had always said Austin left to look for work, and I’d repeated her explanation without question. Yet, now that I’d said it out loud, it felt hollow, leaving me uneasy even though there was no reason to be.

I turned back toward the food table but found my attention pulled to the balcony. The Luna stood there, elegant in her white dress, her presence captivating. This time, I noticed the Alpha beside her. My smile faded as I watched him drape an arm casually around her waist. The gesture was simple, yet it sent a jolt of discomfort through me, sharp and inexplicable.

I looked away, scowling, and started toward the porch. Laughter and chatter from the gathering faded into the background as unease settled deep in my chest. My appetite had vanished, replaced by a low growl rising unbidden in my throat. Setting my half-eaten plate on the nearest table, I let the restless energy inside me guide my steps as I moved toward the Luna, unsure of my intentions but unable to stop myself.