His Alpha Mate

Safe

Why did my brother try to kill me? Why would my pack betray me? Was this my fault? Had I broken some kind of wolf law that I didn’t know about? Why did I not see this coming? My thoughts swim around in my head driving me crazy because there is no answer.

Thankfully I'm brought out of my musings by a knock on the door and the mouth-watering aroma of baking. A moment later the door swings open and Logan is once again bringing me food. This time I can see a plate of freshly baked scones with jam and cream on the side. Oh yum. My inner turmoil seems to be easily overridden by my grumbling stomach.

“I thought you might want a cup of tea,” he suggests, motioning with his head at the teapot, milk jug and cup sitting delicately on the tray.

“You are an absolute angel. I'm gasping for one.” My sleep has done me the world of good, well physically at least. I've no idea how long I've been out for but my body feels looser and I feel like I'm more in control of my limbs. The bruising on my ribs seems to have also gone down since my shower because I can breathe easier.

As he places the tray down on the bedside table for me, I notice a carrier bag in his hand. Seeing my curiosity, he hands it to me with a smile. “I had a chance to get out while you were asleep so I got you some clothes. I hope they fit okay as I was having to guess and I'm not used to buying clothes for girls, women, I mean.” He pushes his hair out of his eyes in a gesture that I am beginning to understand is nervousness. Though why he would be uneasy around little old me is anyone’s guess.

I dig through the bag and I'm delighted to find underwear and some loose yoga pants. There is also a hoodie and a couple of tops and best of all, a pair of slippers and a pair of trainers. “I think I might just love you, Logan. I can't thank you enough. Really, you saved my life. And now you're cooking and shopping for me. This is just crazy.”

“Well you couldn't leave here in just one of my shirts,” he says gruffly. I wonder if I've embarrassed him somewhat, but I'm just thankful to now actually have some proper clothes to wear. “Anyhow, eat up and if you're up for it, come through after you've got dressed. You can let me know if anything doesn't fit right and I can try and sort it out for you.”

“I will. Thanks again, Logan. I'll be out in a minute.” The moment Logan walks out the door and shuts it behind him, I'm manoeuvring myself out of bed eager to get into some clothes. Amazingly, the bra and panties are a perfect fit, as are the yoga pants and T-shirt. The hoodie is a little bit loose but it's just actually how I like them and when I finally slip on a pair of fluffy socks I feel human again.

I contemplate sitting and having my tea and scones in the bedroom but I'm keen to see where I am. Testing the weight of the tray in my arms, I'm relieved to see that I can carry it with ease, so I take it with me through the door that Logan has exited.

The main living area of the cabin is spacious and homely. In one corner a wood-burning stove is crackling away, emitting a gentle warmth that curls around my body like a cat. A couple of large caramel-coloured leather sofas sit in front of the stove looking comfy and inviting, beckoning me to get lost in the depths. A large scrubbed pine table surrounded by mismatched chairs separates the lounge area from a kitchen that is evidently used a great deal. Copper saucepans hang from the ceiling, bunches of herbs are drying on shelves and fresh vegetables are sitting in soft jute baskets hanging on the far wall.

“You cook?” I blurt out without really thinking.

“Yeah, I studied to be a chef,” Logan says as finishes washing the dish in his hands. Turning towards me he gestures towards the sofa, “Take a seat and I'll come join you. I think it's time for a chat.”

My heart sinks into my stomach as I slowly make my way across the room, the tray in my hands. I know Logan is going to have so many questions and I need to decide how truthful I'm going to be because my very life depends on it.

Logan pours himself a cup of tea from the pot on the stove before helping himself to a scone from the pile sitting on a cooling rack, slathering it with jam and cream. He ambles across the room to where I am finally sitting down and makes himself comfortable on the opposite sofa.

I decide to take the bull by the horns and make the first move. “So where exactly am I, Logan?” I ask calmly.

“This is my cabin. We are currently on my father's estate. You may have heard of Clan Campbell?”

“Um, yeah I've heard of Clan Campbell. I looked up all the clans in this part of Scotland before I came up to run.” I know this is a lie, but until I know where Logan stands concerning the Stewart clan, I don't dare come clean.

“So tell me what happened to you. How did you end up the way you did? I mean, you were damn near dead by the time I found you.”

“I can't tell you for sure. One moment I was running, the next I was being barrelled down the ravine. The wolves were everywhere. I had no idea what had happened. It felt like they were everywhere and then all of a sudden they were gone. Believe me, I thought I was going to die too. If you hadn't found me when you did, I definitely would have.” That is as close to the truth as I dare tell him.

Logan is watching me with curiosity burning in his eyes. I'm not sure I've satisfied him with my answer but it's the best I've got and, truth be told, that is pretty much what happened. Apart from it being my own pack of course.

“So how did you even find me?” I ask trying to steer the conversation back towards neutral ground.

“I caught the scent of your blood whilst I was running with my pack but it wasn't until the moon had waned and I had changed back that I was able to find you. It didn't help, of course, that you were at the bottom of that ravine. The winds that blow through it tend to remove any scent whatsoever, but I think because there was so much blood, I was able to find you.”

“Wow. I was lucky then that you found me.” I don't know why the Fates thought I deserve to be saved, but I'm very grateful that Logan was the one who found me.

I take a sip of my tea allowing myself a moment to gather the rest of my thoughts. I need to figure out how to get out of here and figure out what the hell I'm going to do next. I'm not sure I can even go home. I mean it’s clear that my pack wanted to get rid of me. What have they done with everything I own? It's my bedroom still filled with my stuff?

Logan seems to sense my need for introspection and simply sits quietly eating his scone and drinking his tea. I'm grateful that he seems to be the slightly brooding silent type; I'm not sure I could handle the chatterbox at this point.

“Well, you are safe here, Gilly.” Logan’s words calm me, a soothing balm over my chaotic emotions. I wonder if would change if he knew the truth about who I am but my intuition tells me that it wouldn’t. A little voice in the back of my head tells me that I have been wrong before so I decide to give myself some more time to heal before making any life-threatening confessions. I am safe…for now.