Chapter 4 Alpha Logan

"Is it possible?" Serena stammered, trying to mask her nervous under his searching gaze. "After all, I spent more than five years in the human world..." Her voice wavered, as if she were making excuses for herself. Logan's smile remained, as if he had no intention of delving further into the matter. He simply watched her quietly, waiting to see what she would do next. Serena shifted her weight from one leg to the other, searching for some semblance of stability. “Can I help you with that box?” Logan asked, reaching out to take it from her. Instinctively, Serena pulled away, and Logan took a half step back. She sighed, finally snapping out of her daze. “Yes, thank you,” she said. Logan stepped forward again and took the box from her. Serena hastened up the front porch and checked inside to make sure the kids were still upstairs. She could hear them giggling in one of their rooms, probably making a mess of something. Better that than have them wander down. She didn‘t know if Logan was the man she‘d slept with, though she was almost positive. if she recognized his scent, he might recognize her. She didn‘t know how drunk her was that night or how inhibited his senses had been. Even if he didn‘t let on, that didn‘t mean he didn‘t recognize her. Because if she recognized his scent, he might recognize her. She didn‘t know how drunk her was that night or how inhibited his senses had been. She didn‘t want him to see the kids yet, just in case. She wasn‘t ready to explain! Logan followed her up the steps, and Serena turned to take the box from him again. She set it inside and shut the door quickly. “Thank you, Logan,” she said. “You seem to have everything under control with settling in,” he commented, eyeing the closed door oddly. Serena smiled. “Being a medical school student means I didn‘t have much to bring along with me,” she admitted, smiling despite herself. She couldn‘t help the way she felt in his presence, her mind feeling tingly suddenly around him. Serena knew she wasn‘t thinking straight! She was still panicking slightly at running into the man she‘d slept with so soon after arriving at Night Sky, but there was something else that was almost putting her at ease around him. “That‘s right,” Logan said with a nod. “Adriana said you‘d been living in the human world. What was that like?” Serena considered his question carefully. Logan had crossed his arms and was leaning casually against her front door frame. Serena faced him, trying to keep her eyes on his rather than trying to imagine what his body looked like without clothes. She wasn‘t fantasizing about him, but she seemed to remember him naked more than she did his physical features. “AS Alpha, I am qualified to show interest,” he said, grinning at her. Serena cleared her throat. “Oh, I didn‘t realize you were the Alpha,” she said, dropping her head slightly in respect. Logan scoffed: “Yes, I‘m easily confused with the sunshine welcoming committee,” he told her sarcastically. Serena laughed, quickly covering her mouth to stifle the sound. She didn‘t want the kids to come downstairs and hear her talking to someone else. They would get too curious. “Life in the human world was…well, I was away from the pack and my family,” she said. She hadn‘t paused much to think about it in the past five years. “I was always busy with classes and my…my studies. I guess it was a little lonely.” “You missed being part of a pack?” he asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Serena nodded. “I did,” she admitted. “There is a lot to do and see in the human world, so I never lacked for entertainment, or even human friends I met in my classes. It…wasn‘t the same though.” “I imagine that to be true,” Logan said with a nod. “Have you ever been away from your pack?” she asked. Logan sighed, looking thoughtful. “I was away for my studies now and then,” he said. “I was never gone as long as you though. Adriana said this was a big change for you, I did pry a little into your history.” He winked at her. Serena‘s breath caught in her throat. He was flirting with her! Or was he? She didn‘t think she could trust her own thoughts in her interactions with him. “As Alpha, it is understandable that you‘d need to check on anyone coming into your pack,” she said, rubbing her hands on her thighs nervously. It was a convenient excuse, one she hoped he corroborated. “That is true,” he said. “Though I had some interest in why you were away from the pack so long.” Serena smiled mirthlessly, casting her green eyes to the porch. “I had a lot of things to work through,” she said as ambiguously as possible. “It was better for me to be on my own for a while.” Logan nodded; Serena caught the gesture from the corner of her eyes. She looked up at his face again. He wasn‘t looking at her anymore. “Does coming back mean that you worked through what you needed to?” Logan asked, his question seemed like an attempt to keep the conversation going. Serena wondered what it is he was trying to get from her. Did he want an admission that she recognized him? He hadn‘t made any indication that he recognized her! Serena didn‘t want to be the first to break the silence. “Um…for the most part,” Serena said, creasing her brow. “Either way, it is good to be back.” “It is good to have you here,” Logan said. They shared another friendly smile. “Do you have any objections to getting a tour of the rest of the territory?” “Right now?” Serena asked, eyes darting to the door again. She‘d have to come up with an excuse to not leave her children alone without telling Logan about them. Logan chuckled. “I‘m sure you have more unpacking to do,” he said, waving his suggestion away. “I can come by tomorrow morning and we can go then. There is a lot in the village I‘d like to show you.” “That would be nice,” Serena said with a nod. “Thank you, Alpha.” “Great, I will see you then,” Logan said, standing straight. Serena turned to head back to her car. She needed to shut the trunk and lock it up. Just as she turned, Logan stepped forward. Their bodies collided, and Serena stepped back so quickly she nearly tripped over her own feet. Logan grabbed her arm, preventing her from completely losing her balance and falling. “I‘m sorry,” she hastened to apologize as she stood on her feet again and pulled her arm from his grip. “No, that was my fault,” Logan said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I‘ll see you tomorrow.” Serena nodded. She didn‘t move and neither. did Logan. He stared at her for a moment, and she looked anywhere but at him. Finally, Logan left her front porch. Serena sighed with relief. She waited until he was out of sight before she went to her car, closing up the trunk and locking the doors. Quickly, she went back inside to make sure the twins weren‘t getting into too much trouble. Thankfully, she found them in the room Olivia had claimed, attempting to rearrange furniture. Serena smiled at them, bringing the bags into Olivia‘s room that had her toys and clothes. “Careful with the furniture,” she admonished. “Olivia, why don‘t you unpack your clothes and toys. Oliver, your bags are in your room, you should go unpack too.” “Okay, okay.” Oliver consented, skipping out of Olivia‘s room. “I want this over there,” Olivia insisted, pointing at the children‘s bookshelf and the wall she wanted it against. Serena nodded, picking the shelf up with ease and placing it where directed. “Let‘s get unpacked before trying to rearrange anything else?” she asked. Olivia nodded and went to her suitcases. Serena headed downstairs one last time to get her own bags and bring them to the corner bedroom that was officially hers. Her skin was buzzing with heat and anxiety, all at the same time. Seeing Logan, smelling him, being in contact with him for such a short moment…it was all too much! She was certain now that Logan was the man she‘d hooked up with. It was too mind–boggling. Not only had she run into him within hours of arriving at her new home, but he was Alpha! She couldn‘t remember if Logan had been Alpha of Night Sky when they had met at the party, but she didn‘t think so. He‘d been far too young then, even now he seemed young to have the title. Serena started to unpack her clothes, folding them into the dresser in her room. The house was spacious and roomy. In no time at all, she knew it would feel like home. The twins finally had enough space to stretch their legs and run around. Serena hoped the larger house would mean they‘d be able to get more of their energy out. She smiled to herself at the thought, happy with the circumstances, even if Logan‘s presence and authority was certain to cause complications. Serena didn‘t want to think about that. She just wanted the chance to enjoy her new home with her children.