Dark Moon Falls: Logan, page 2
“Will you at least get your dog to go lie down?” Dara said with a sigh. “I don’t need his fur in this woman’s wounds before I can finish the poultice. He can love on her later.”
“Come, Dax,” Logan said, and Madison heard the whine of a dog as they pulled it away from her side, its nails scraping along the wood floor. “Let Dara work.”
Madison tried to relax as she felt fingers push on her flesh, felt her shirt moved upward as the woman pushed on Madison’s stomach, examining the wound. Madison felt the twinge of pain as the woman pressed and prodded her body, felt the blood ooze from her wound as the other woman—was she a doctor?—pushed on her, examining her.
“Your pack needs to stop calling on us whenever they need a Band Aid,” Dara scolded Logan as she worked on Madison’s wound. “And you need to get over your past. What happened was not your fault. Get over it.”
Madison wondered what had happened that Logan blamed himself for. Obviously, it wasn’t a secret. Then the word “pack” hit her, and she felt fear once again fill her. A wolf had found her. What if he was just as bad as the ones who attacked her? But then again, why would he call someone to heal her unless Dara had been right with her statement of female companionship? Had Madison escaped one nightmare only to land in another?
She felt warmth radiating over her abdomen as her flesh tightened, forcing her to wince as her eyes popped open at the sensation.
Standing over her was a robust blond, her hands on Madison’s stomach, stitching the wounds together, as she smiled down at her. “I was wondering how long you were going to lie there pretending to still be unconscious,” she said, her lips twisted up in a smirk. Then, the woman winked at Madison. “Don’t fret it, dearie. If I was you, I’d be still as a dead mouse, too, until I found out where I was and who was talking around me.” She gestured to a man standing behind her with dark hair and shoulders that begged to be massaged. Or at least held onto tightly. “Logan here isn’t as intuitive as I am. You could have laid there for weeks, and he never would have known you were awake.”
The man behind the woman—Logan—just rolled his dark green eyes as he slid his strong hands to his hips, drawing Madison’s gaze to follow the gesture. Her eyes settled on the slight bulge in the man’s crotch, which was almost at eye-level with her. Realizing where her gaze had landed, she quickly jerked her attention away, but not before she noticed another smirk on Dara’s face. The blond woman winked at her.
“I knew she was awake,” Logan said with a shake of his head. “I’m not as clueless as you think.” He offered Madison a forced smile. “I was just giving the lady here time to trust us and open her eyes on her own, instead of using magical tricks to rush her.”
Dara gave a soft laugh. “You keep telling yourself that. And, I don’t do magical tricks, and you know it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called me.”
Madison almost laughed when she saw the look Logan shot the witch, but the jarring shot pain throughout her torso again, and she stopped. The German Shepherd must have felt her pain as he moved over and draped his head over her waist as he looked up at her with his sympathetic eyes.
Dara just grinned down at her. “Well, that’s a good sign. The wolf attack hasn’t left you without a sense of humor. Now, mind telling us who you are and how you got these gashes?” The witch’s expression turned serious as she sat back away from Madison, her hands covered in blood—Madison’s blood.
Madison felt herself pale, her eyes locked on the other woman’s hands. “Madison,” she said. “Madison Cross. I stumbled across some rogues attacking a campsite while I was out walking.” Her voice was weak, distant even to her ears as she pictured the scene she came across in the dim evening. “I’m staying…” She took a deep breath. “I was staying out at Dark Moon Mountain Park, just needing to get away from the city for a bit.” She sighed, resting back into her pillows. “That was a mistake. There were four of them, and they were just toying with the campers.” She glanced up into Dara’s light blue eyes. “Like a cat will toy with a mouse before killing it. I heard the people screaming and went to see what it was or if I could help. Then, I just froze as I saw the massacre in front of me. Two of the campers—both male—had already been killed, ripped open at the necks. One of the rogues kept stabbing the man he held while the other two men shoved the girl around the campsite, laughing every time she screamed.” Madison swallowed as she saw the scene again in her mind, the panic she felt making her shake. “Suddenly, another one appeared in front of me, leering as if a fresh toy had arrived. I tried to get away, but one shifted and started chasing me. I stumbled over a rock or a branch or my own two feet, I don’t know. I hit my head when I hit the ground. I found a branch next to me and shoved upward, stabbing the wolf, but not before I felt his claws ripping into my side and stomach.” She closed her eyes, the vision of the wolf’s paw swinging toward her as the man stood there in mid-shift. “I got back up and started running.” She shook her head. “I’m not even sure how I made it to wherever you found me or how long I laid there.”
Logan shuffled his feet where he stood as he blew a disgusted breath, crossing his thick arms over his chest, a chest Madison found herself very much wanting to lay her head on. “They’re getting bolder,” he said, referring to the rogues, Madison was sure. “People are enjoying the fall weather, and the rogues are taking full advantage of unwary travelers. I’ll call Sheriff Templeton and let him know about the attack. He’ll inform Elias, I’m sure. And the park rangers. I’m sure they’ll send someone out to investigate.” He glanced at Madison, his brows pinched. “Could you tell if they were all wolves? Any humans or witches among them?” Rogues could be anyone. The only thing they had in common, really, was the fact they didn’t like following the laws of the land.
Madison shook her head. “I saw one wolf. I couldn’t tell what the others were.”
Dara turned to Logan, her hands held out in front of her so she didn’t get Madison’s blood on anything. Madison wished the woman would just go wash her hands. “You still have an issue,” Dara said.
Logan nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared at Madison.
Madison bounced her gaze back and forth between the others. “I’m the issue, aren’t I?”
The others nodded. “You’re the only witness,” Logan said. “They’ll want to silence you before you can identify them.”
Madison laid her head back on the pillow, closing her eyes. “Great. Just fucking great.”
Three
Logan made all the necessary calls while Dara finished tending to Madison’s wounds, covering the gashes in her stomach with a poultice after stitching them up. Dax never left Madison’s side, whining whenever Dara tried to shoo him away to give her more room to tend to her patient. Sheriff Templeton said he’d have some guys look around, and Elias put the pack on alert, telling Logan that he’d call Levi Gunner, leader of the Pack Hunters, and have him keep an eye out as well. Logan was glad for that. He hadn’t spoken to Levi since…well, since he left the Hunters. There were still some things he just didn’t want to face. Not yet. Maybe never.
He slid his phone back into his back pocket as he walked down the hall and entered his guest bedroom. The woman he found on his front porch—Madison—was sound asleep, her breathing seeming shallow, but steady. Logan stood in the doorway a moment before going all the way inside, staring at the woman on his guest bed. She seemed so peaceful, unlike the almost dead woman he discovered sprawled on his porch earlier. Her blond hair framed her oval face, bringing out the softness of her complexion, her full red lips parted slightly as she slept. Her ample breasts rose and fell with her steady breathing, drawing his eyes as parts of him stirred that had laid dormant for too long. Even her scent had permeated the cabin, making Logan’s wolf restless with pent-up desire.
Logan shook the thoughts he shouldn’t be having about a woman he didn’t even know out of his head as he moved further into the room. “How is she?” he asked as he walked over to the bed, glancing at Dax sprawled out on the bedspread, his thin legs draped over the woman’s lower legs.
Dara stood, wiping her hands with a towel she picked up from the nightstand. She glared at the German Shepherd on the bed, the dog not looking at all apologetic. With a sigh, she shook her head and turned back to Logan. “She’ll be fine. Sore, of course, but the poultice should work. It’ll need to be replaced, the wound cleaned. I’ll leave you some supplies.” She glanced back at Dax. “I gave her something to make her sleep, so she should be out for quite a while. Try to keep dog hair from getting into the wound.”
Logan nodded. “Dax tends to have a mind of his own, but I’ll do my best.” He glanced over at Madison, still not sure what to do with the woman. Something about her called to him, made him want to take care of her even though he knew he didn’t need the hassle. His life was better when he was alone. “Thanks for coming out. I appreciate it.”
Dara just nodded as she started to gather her supplies. “You know, whoever is after her will trace her to your doorstep.” She stood, her bag held with both hands in front of her. “I know you’re this badass former Hunter and all, but you’re out here alone, and according to her, there are at least four men who could be after her if she killed the one who injured her. Perhaps, you should think about moving her to the hospital or at least into town where you have backup. These men have already killed others without remorse if what this woman said is true.” She sighed. “You need help, Logan.”
He gave her a weak smile. “I’ll think about it,” he assured her. “As soon as she’s able to move, I’ll convince her to go to the sheriff for protection.” All he had to do was get her to Barnett, and then, the woman and her past would be his problem, instead of Logan’s. He glanced back at Madison, now sleeping peacefully. He didn’t see her as a problem, however, even though he should. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
Dara moved past him, her bag in her hand. As soon as she left, he moved to the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee. It would be a long night. Whoever hunted Madison could very well be lurking outside, waiting for the cabin to go dark so they could finish what their friend started.
Once the coffee was finished, he poured a cup and moved to his chair, which faced out the front window to the inky night outside. How far behind Madison her attackers were, he had no idea. Should he start setting traps now? Should he rush her to the sheriff, getting her out of his cabin, out of his life? He glanced back to the hallway as if he could see her lying in the bed, sleeping. Did he want her out of his life?
He turned back around in his chair as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips. Yes. Yes, he did want her out of his life. He sipped his coffee, the hot liquid burning his lips as it passed. He preferred his solitude, preferred not being responsible for people. As long as this woman was in his cabin, he must take care of her, see to her safety. He didn’t need to be saddled with that burden. A sigh escaped him as he stared out into the night. The truth was, he didn’t know if he could protect her, not after he had failed so miserably before.
He took another sip of his coffee, this one just a tad cooler than the last. Or had his tastebuds just become used to the heat? As he pulled the cup away from his mouth, he stared into the dark liquid in the cup, but he didn’t see it. Instead, he saw a day a couple of years ago when the Hunters went after a rogue who had been killing indiscriminately, leaving a path of dead bodies all throughout Dark Moon Falls and the surrounding towns. The Pack Hunters had set a trap, using The Wolf Inn as the setting for their snare. However, being the hot spot of the town, the night drew more of a crowd than they expected.
But they should have.
“This is ridiculous,” Dusker spat. “What is Levi thinking? There’s too many people in here. I can’t even take a deep breath without bumping into someone.”
Logan chuckled as he lifted his empty beer bottle to his lips. “Well, you have been putting on a little extra padding. You should lay off the Ho-Hos.”
Dusker just laughed as he shook his head. “Says the man who can eat a twelve-inch pizza by himself. Brother dear, I hate to tell you, but you’re a little rounder around the middle than I am.”
Logan shrugged. “I blame our father’s side of the family.”
Dusker laughed even harder. “Yeah, don’t blame those late-night binges of Rocky Road ice cream.” He glanced around, shaking his head as he held his own empty beer bottle in front of him, pretending to be ready to take a drink. “I still say there’s too many people in here to take down Doyle and his rogues. Someone’s going to get hurt.”
“You know I can hear you, right?” Levi said through the earwigs they wore. “And your objection has been duly noted. That doesn’t change the fact that the intel says Doyle will be here. We’re not giving up this chance to take him down. Luca and Teri have the back, Kit’s behind the bar, and Sam is running the tech tonight. I got the front door. You two keep the patrons from getting in the way. As soon as we see Doyle walk in, we take him down, quick and quiet. Got it?”
Logan looked over and gave his brother a smirk, doing his best not to laugh.
Dusker sighed. “Yes, sir. Understood.”
“Oh, and Dusker,” Levi said, his tone casual, light. “I can eat a fourteen-inch pizza by myself. What are you trying to say?”
Logan did laugh this time as his brother’s eyes went wide. “Nothing, sir,” Dusker said, shaking his head even though the other man couldn’t see him. “Um, nothing at all. Promise.”
Logan shook his head as he said, “Don’t worry, Levi. I’ll make sure he makes it out all right.”
Dusker just shot his brother a dirty look, letting Logan know there’d be a bill due once this night was over.
They both took fake sips from their empty beer bottles, Dusker obviously deciding it was better to remain quiet while their conversation was being overheard.
The crowd continued to grow, the music getting louder as more drinks were consumed by people who had no idea what was about to happen around them. After a while, Logan thought the intel had been faulty, that Doyle wouldn’t show up.
But he did.
Doyle Carter walked in along with a few of his crew, looking for a good time without even realizing that he walked into a trap. The whole thing seemed so unlike the man, so out of character. Logan had a hard time believing that the rogue they had hunted for seven years could be so careless.
Then Doyle turned, looking Logan right in the eye, and grinned. The trap was itself a trap, Logan realized. “He knows we’re here,” he said as he started to rise, but before he could stand completely up, small bursts happened near the bar and the back door, near the bathrooms, and in the middle of the room. The Hunters had been set up.
With each minor explosion, the crowd started to scream, rushing to get outside. Dusker and Logan, both, sprinted out of their chairs and headed for Doyle and his men, but the crowd was too much, the chaos too overwhelming. Bodies pressed in from every side, and it was everything Logan could do to keep on his feet. When he got separated from his brother, he had no idea, but once he realized it, he was frantic to locate him.
The others were screaming in his ear, people shouting around him as they shoved others out of their way, each one desperate to get outside and away from the explosions. The fireworks were merely a distraction, however, not causing any real damage, just mayhem inside the inn.
“Dusker!” Logan shouted, his wolf howling within, but it was impossible to be heard over the madness happening around him. He searched frantically for his brother, trying to find the rogues who had caused the chaos to take them down. However, when some of the smoke cleared, he saw Doyle standing on the other side of the bar, Dusker pinned against the wall in front of the rogue. Doyle stared at Logan, sneering at him.
Logan shoved people out of the way, but there were too many to push through. He screamed his brother’s name again, reaching out for him, just as Doyle shoved his blade upward into Dusker’s chin and up through his skull.
Logan screamed as people shoved at him in their mad escape, anguish boiling up inside of him as his heart felt as if it exploded in his chest. “No!”
Doyle shoved Dusker’s body to the side as he turned and vanished in the crowd. All Logan saw was his brother’s body slide downward along the wall as the crowd kept trampling anything in its path.
Four
Madison eased her eyes open, grogginess fighting her to remain still and go back to sleep. She didn’t know how long she had slept, but daylight peeked through the curtains off to her right telling her night was over at least. A weight kept her legs from moving too much and glancing down, she saw the German Shepherd that found her last night sound asleep, his head laying on her thighs. She gave a weak smile as she reached down and scratched the top of the dog’s head lightly. “Thank you, boy,” she whispered as Dax pressed into her hand, eyes closed, relishing the head scratch.
As Madison continued to scratch the dog’s head, she took the chance to glance around the room. The decorations were sparse, not even photographs of family dotted the bare dresser and tables. The curtains over the window were plain brown and a simple area rug covered a small portion of the wooden floor. A plain brown bedspread covered the bed she laid on and the room lacked any frills such as throw pillows or anything with a ruffle on it. There is definitely not a woman in this house.
She tried to move, Dax lifting his head to watch her, but the sharp pain in her abdomen screamed at her, bringing her to an abrupt halt. Glancing down, she eased her ripped shirt up and peered at the towel covering her wounds. She remembered the man who found her, and she thought she remembered a woman as well, a witch maybe? Yes, a witch, Dara, or something like that. And the man’s name was Logan. Lifting the towel, she noticed the poultice covering where the wolf had clawed her stomach. The dark green plants were smeared in a square patch, still moist, which meant one of her rescuers had to have replaced it recently.
