LOGAN: Alliance of Shadows, Book 2

Bloodline Secrets

Paul chewed his bottom lip, his eyes narrowing slightly as though trying to summon the courage to speak. Beside him, Jake kept his gaze fixed firmly on the floor, avoiding my eyes at all costs. Their hesitation wasn’t lost on me—it was clear they’d been mulling over their question for a while.

Finally, Paul broke the silence, his words tumbling out with a mix of determination and uncertainty. “Can you teach us how to speak Spanish and French? That way, you don’t have to keep trans-whatever it is for the rest of us.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Translating? Sure, but are you actually going to pay attention?”

Paul raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching in mock seriousness as he fired back, “Man, if I paid attention, I’d have to borrow money from my older brothers and sister.” His tone oozed sarcasm, the kind of playful sharpness he’d been honing over time.

I smirked, shaking my head. Paul really was getting good at speaking sarcasm—maybe too good.

We were laughing and having fun, like always, when I felt Maria jab me sharply in the ribs.

“Your dad is here,” she whispered softly, her voice low enough that no one else could hear.

A shiver coursed down my spine, but I didn’t tell her that I had already felt the oppressive weight of his presence long before she pointed him out. It was impossible to ignore—the familiar darkness that seemed to follow him like a shadow. The short hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I turned my head slightly, stealing a glance over my shoulder.

There he was, lurking in the shadows of the hallway, his sneering face half-hidden by the dim light. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto mine, and my stomach churned with unease.

Luna Izzy strode confidently into the dining hall, her presence commanding attention as she moved closer to us. My heart sank as I instinctively glanced toward the hallway shadows, searching for his sinister gaze—but he was gone.

A flicker of hope lit up inside me: maybe he had truly left. My thoughts immediately shifted to Madre. I prayed he wouldn’t go near her. I didn’t care if he vanished from our lives forever; all I wanted was for him to leave Madre alone.

A soft whimper broke my train of thought, drawing my attention back to the table. Ember was staring down at her plate, her guilty eyes clouded with regret. Her small shoulders trembled slightly as she whispered, “Alpha, I’m sorry.”

My jaw dropped, realization hitting me all at once. “Ember, did you tell someone about my father?”

Her little head bobbed with a nod, and her nose twitched as she fought the tears welling up in her eyes. She was clearly upset, and that told me everything I needed to know—even my youngest friends understood the danger he posed. Ember was scared for me, and that spoke volumes about the monster my father had become in their eyes.

Paul frowned, his concern spilling into his words. “Em, who did you tell?”

“Stop glaring at her,” Maria snapped, her scolding voice sharp. “She’s only small.”

“Yeah, Paul, stop scaring Ember,” Jake teased, mimicking Maria’s tone in playful solidarity. The lightness of his teasing was cut short as his eyes darted upward, and his face went pale. “Uh-oh,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he stared at something behind me.

I tensed, fully aware that forming a pack within a pack wasn’t likely to go unnoticed. The thought of being reprimanded or worse hung heavy in my mind, but the bond we’d created felt too important to abandon.

“It was me she told, Logan,” Luna Izzy said softly, her voice gentle but steady. As she stooped down to our level, her warm smile softened the weight of her words. “Did you guys form your own little pack to protect each other?”

Turning to face her, I nodded in response, hesitant but honest.

“Words, Logan,” she said with a small shake of her head, her tone both firm and encouraging.

Swallowing the lump of pride and fear in my throat, I stood up straighter. “Yes, we did, Luna Izzy.”

Her smile widened, a hint of admiration dancing in her eyes. “That’s really sweet of you to include some toddlers in your pack. Which of you is the Alpha?”

“I am,” I answered quietly, my gaze dropping to the floor rather than meeting hers. “Paul is my Beta, and Maria is my Gamma.”

She bit down gently on her lip, stifling a laugh that betrayed her amusement. “Logan, about your father. You know you can always come to me for help if you need it, don’t you?”

The air felt heavy, her words stirring the emotions I tried to bury. “If I say anything to anyone, he makes me sound like a liar,” I admitted, the weight of the truth pressing down on me.

“Lo-Lo, you okay?” Heaven asked when the Luna left us alone, her big, curious eyes fixed on me.

I gave her a tight, strained smile. “Guys, I’ll understand if you don’t want to be friends with me anymore.”

Maria’s eyes darkened, and she sneered at me. “Don’t even think about it, Pierce. You can’t leave us now.”

“I know, Maria,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I just don’t want you guys to get caught in the crossfire of my dad’s temper. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Maria folded her arms, her gaze piercing through my defenses. “Living in fear isn’t fair to you and your mom, either,” she countered, her tone unwavering.

I wanted to glare at her, to push back against the truth of her words, but I couldn’t. I didn’t have the heart to hurt them. After all, they were my friends. And, as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. Living in fear wasn’t fair to mi Madre, either.

So far, I’d been invited to all of their birthday parties—Paul’s, Maria’s, Wynter’s, the twins’. It felt like birthdays were all anyone talked about lately. Paul and Maria had turned eight, just a few months older than me. Wynter and the twins had celebrated their birthdays two weeks apart, all three turning four within the same month. Heaven and Ember wouldn’t have their birthdays until August, when they would both turn three.

Today was Jacob’s day, his sixth birthday the highlight of conversation for the past month.

My biggest fear about Austin wasn’t that he’d hurt Madre while I was around, but that he’d do it when I was off playing happily with my friends—when I couldn’t stop him. Or worse, that he’d kill her.

“Guys,” I said as we stacked our dishes on the trolley by the door, the chatter around me fading. “I want to figure out what’s going on with me. No one else here can do what I can. Not even Mami.”

Maria paused thoughtfully, her expression unreadable, while Paul shifted in his place, ready to speak. Before either of them could say anything, Ember grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the library. Without hesitation, we followed her to a part of the library we’d been explicitly told not to enter.

Em kept pulling on my arm until we reached a section filled with old books. Her tiny hands reached for a heavy, leather-bound tome at the top of a dusty shelf. “That one,” she said, her voice steady despite the effort.

With a final pull, Ember fell backward as the book came loose. It hit the floor with a loud, echoing bang that made us all freeze.

“I don’t think we’re allowed in here,” Jake whispered, his eyes darting around the room nervously.

“If anyone comes in, I’ll take the blame,” I said, straightening up. “What’s in here, Ember?”

“A picture like you, Lo-Lo,” she replied, her voice soft but certain.

Opening the book, my eyes locked onto the picture immediately—it was impossible to miss. I looked identical to the man in the photograph. From the way my hair fell around my face to the contours of my features, every detail mirrored his appearance. The very same features of the man I’d been sketching for weeks. The image was black-and-white, so I couldn’t discern the color of his hair, though I felt certain it wasn’t red.

My heart pounded as I read the words beneath the photo, my blood running cold with every sentence. I didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence in front of me left no room for doubt—the picture was real, and so was the book. Could it truly be possible? Was I a descendant of the Vampire Lord, Raymundo Valencia?

I frowned, shaking my head as I tried to make sense of it. “Well, he does look like me, but I’m not a Vampire. Both my mom and dad are Werewolves.” My voice sounded steadier than I felt. “Ember, how did you even know this was here?”

Ember tilted her head to the side, her lips curving into a frustrated scowl. “I don’t know,” she muttered, her tone as baffled as I felt.

I nodded slowly, gripping the book tightly as I tried to push the questions swirling in my mind to the back of my thoughts. “Come on, guys. We have to get to Aunt Liz’s place for supper.”

“Yay! I almost forgot about my birthday dinner!” Jake exclaimed, springing to his feet with the enthusiasm only a child could muster. Without waiting for anyone, he bolted to the door, his excitement echoing through the room.