Pack

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Logan met us on his territory line.

He paced in front of the steel gate like a caged animal. Ryan and Bo leaned against the fence, their arms crossed over their chest, while their eyes constantly scanned the road.

Since carrying me out of the woods, Dean hadn't left my side. He'd even insisted I sit in the back with him as Dorian drove. Immediately after climbing in, he'd moved into the middle seat, wrapping his arms around me. I wasn't sure if his neediness was for my benefit or his. Either way, his presence comforted me. I felt safe curled up against his chest, as his strong arms held me tightly to him.

Dorian pulled up to the gates, and hadn't even put our rental car in park, before Logan whipped the door open and had his hands on me, trying to pull me out of the seat.

"Hold on, hold on. Let me undo the seatbelt first," I chided, while fiddling with the clasp. With a yank, Logan ripped the belt in two. I only had a second to stare at the frayed pieces, before he hauled me out of the car and into his arms. As he lifted me off the ground, I wrapped my legs around his waist. Nuzzling his face into my neck, he inhaled deeply. On his exhale, his rigid muscles relax.

"Doll." He sighed, into my hair. "You scared me."

"Scared you?" I pulled back. "Look at my face. He practically beat the features right off it."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "He'll pay for that, Avery. I promise you."

"No kidding, when I go through my first shift, I'm going to kill him."

"You really got a thing for heresy, don't you?" Dorian said from behind me. Logan turned, to face him, shifting me around his body and onto his back.

"Dorian, it's been awhile. Welcome to Colorado," Logan greeted with a head nod.

He smiled. "It's good to see you too, cousin."

"Cousin? What is all that about?" Through the chaos of the last day, I forgot that Stephen had called Logan cousin on the phone last night. It made me queasy to think he could be in any way related to that monster.

Logan glanced over his shoulder at me. "I'll tell you all about it back at my house after we get you cleaned up. Dorian and I have a few things to go over anyway."

"Alright." I nodded and glanced at Dean.

He stood right next to me. I had a feeling that if I'd thought Dean acted overly clingy before all this crap with Stephen, it paled in comparison to how he would behave now. I probably wouldn't be able to go the bathroom without him.

"Dean." Logan lifted his chin in acknowledgement as he put me down. Dean instantly reached out to grab one of my hands. "You look like you've had better days. I have some clothes that will probably fit you better." Dean grunted, looking down at himself as if he just remembered he was wearing clothes.

After we'd left Stephen's territory, I'd been desperate to leave the state, but since Dean was naked, Dorian had stopped at a used clothing store to buy him a pair of khakis, a button up shirt, and shoes. Dorian had obviously guessed his size, and not very well. The khakis went to his mid calf and looked like capris. His biceps had ripped the sleeves of the shirt at the seams, and the shoes, well, he'd taken them off on the airplane and refused to put them back on.

Dean pulled me toward Bo's truck. Ryan jumped into the bed, allowing Dorian shotgun, which left Logan, Dean and I to sit in the extended cab. No one spoke on the car ride. Dean continued to hold my hand, even after Logan pulled me onto his lap. Logan caressed my hair, and gently touched the swollen and bruised parts of my face. I tucked myself in against his chest, breathing in the scent of him, letting the strength of his power roll over me. Closing my eyes, I relaxed. I heard Dorian's cell phone ring, but I ignored it, choosing to concentrate on Logan's breathing instead.