Chapter 42: Chapter 43

Fred and Roaxana exchanged glances, their attention shifting to Hope, as Logan’s jaw was visibly tightened. It seemed Henry was privy to information beyond the expected, leaving an unspoken tension lingering in the air.

“Is it tue, Hope?” Roaxana asked with a slight furrow.

Hope fiddled with her fingers, wondering what she should answer; given the fact that she could not utter anything in front of them.

“You are right, Henry.” Logan brought their attention to him. “Daniel was Hope’s mate. However, he cheated on her with Hope’s stepsister,” he asserted.

“That’s so bad,” Roaxana remarked and asked Hope if she didn’t slap them for cheating on you.

“| did on my wife’s behalf,” Logan stated and brought the wine glass close to his mouth.

Hope felt relieved as Logan handled everything well. She peered at him, who enjoyed the wine.

“Is that the reason why Hope’s family wasn’t present in the reception?” Fred queried.

“Yep. They all treated my wife badly. | didn’t want such people to be in our reception and ruin Hope’s mood,” Logan explained to them.

Henry felt that Daniel did hide a lot of things from him. Logan seemed to know Hope for a while and there was nothing like a contract marriage between them. He wanted to ask about it from Logan, but he felt that it would escalate a tension between them.

“Well, we are happy for our brother. He got the best woman and he’s happy with her,” Fred said with a smile.

Roaxana agreed with him. She asked Hope if she wanted to drink more.

“Yes.

“No.”

Hope and Logan responded at the same time. She glanced at her husband, thinking why he refused for her to drink.

“She cannot hold more wine. One glass is enough for her,” Logan asserted. Hope pouted her lips as she wanted to drink more.

“But Hope wants to drink,” Henry opined. “Let her drink. It’s not like anyone will take advantage of her if she gets drunk,” he muttered.

128 Tue, 27 Feb “Yes. It's such a nice wine, made of the grapes from this vineyard. Let me drink, please,” Hope requested and peered at him with her doe eyes.

“Let's go. Logan pulled her up by arm and told his cousins he would see them later in the evening.

“Where are we going?” Hope asked as Logan dragged her along with him.

“Those two are so in love,” Roaxana said as she joined her both hands together.

“| don’t think so,” Henry chuckled and poured another glass of wine for himself.

“Slow down. | cannot walk fast,” Hope said and finally Logan slowed. “Why did you stop me from drinking?” She complained.

“Because you become a different person after drinking. Last time, you threw yourself on me. I’m a gentleman, who held myself back,” Logan proclaimed as he let go her hand.

“You are lying.” Hope didn’t trust his statement. She would never throw herself on him.

“| have no reason to lie from you,” Logan stated. “I'll show you a unique place here,” he changed the topic of their conversation.

“This place is beautiful- filled with greenary and fresh air from the tree,” Hope asserted with a smile. “Grandpa loves gardening |

believe,” she added.

“Yeah, he does,” Logan stated.

“Your cousins are quite nice,” Hope affirmed.

“Yeah, they are. However, Henry is not that good. So, don’t trust his words. He is kind of jealous of me and has always been interested knowing my life. But that’s another issue. He is kind of a player.” Logan wanted Hope to make him aware of Henry.

Judging by his looks, everyone thought him to be a gentleman, but he wasn’t.

“Do you mean he plays with the women’s hearts?” Hope asked for more clarification.

“Yes. He h ooks up, sleeps with any beautiful woman he sees and then just shifts to another one,” Logan affirmed.

“| understand,” Hope replied. “I didn’t know he would also be a jerk,” she muttered.

Logan ended up smiling to hear her comment. “Why did you never attend a ball before?” he inquired her.

“| couldn’t miss my part-time job,” Hope answered. “Also, what would | even done in the ball? No one would have danced with me. | asked Daniel once and he said he was busy |

Tue, 27 Feb at work. I’m sure he must be having fun with some woman.” She scoffed at her foolishness.

“Go this time,” Logan replied.

“Will you come as my partner? Well, you are husband, so you should,” Hope stated.

“| cannot tell you now. If | have work, | may not come,” Logan asserted.

“Oh. Then, what will | even do in the ball? | don’t wish to stand alone,” Hope murmured.

“You are young, Hope. You should enjoy every moment of your life,” Logan suggested to her. Hope slowed down while he walked ahead of her. That one statement deeply hit Hope as she felt she never enjoyed such events in her life.

Running after him, she held his hand and smiled at him. “What about you? You aren’t old either,” she murmured.

“| have done a lot of fun during my university days,” Logan truthfully told her.

“With Olivia?” Hope arched her eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Logan didn’t remained quiet this time and accepted it.

“You call me your present, yet you stop yourself from opening up to me. | mean, you could have ditched your work for me to come to ball with me. But | understand. You are a businessman and an ambitious person,” Hope stated.

That comment in itself sounded like a taunt to him. However, he wanted to surprise her on her college ball.

“I'll definitely have fun this time in the ball then,” Hope said with a determined tone. She didn’t care whether Logan would come or not.

Suddenly, her feet came to halt as Logan stopped walking too. She looked ahead and saw a treehouse. “Oh my G od! A tree house!” This was her first time witnessing it and she ran toward it.

Logan chuckled and asked her to slow down. But Hope didn’t listen to him and reached up at the treehouse. “Wow! Everything appears so beautiful here,” Hope proclaimed, looking as far as she could. Logan also reached up and stood next to her.

“Can you see the lake over there?” Logan pointed at his right. Hope gazed in that direction and nodded at him.

“Yeah, | can,” Hope replied. A smile carved on her lips. “Who built this treehouse?” she queried.

[e)

$70%Hi “| built it with my Dad on my 11th birthday,” Logan answered. “I started transforming into a Lycan beast at that time. So, during my rut, | wanted a place in nature to calm myself,” he added.

“The rut disappears after you mate,” Hope replied.

“Not in case of Lycans. It comes appearing frequently. However, | got a control over it within two years,” Logan answered.

“Then, | don’t affect you. | mean, if you undergo rut, you will just control yourself!?” Hope inquired.

“| think | don’t have a reason to control my rut near you since you are my wife. However, | don’t wish to harm you during rut. The pheromones are quite high during the rut period, Logan stated.

Hope held his hands and inched closer to him. “Logan, don’t hold yourself from the next time. If you experience rut, you can show me your extreme,” she proclaimed. A thought rushed in her mind if he ever mated with Olivia. Though, his past should not matter to him, but she could not help to think about it.

“| never did it with Olivia. | wanted do everything with her after we would get married,” Logan responded to her. Hope met his gaze and felt kind of relieved to hear him.

She wrapped her arms around him. “Logan. | don’t wish to leave your life after a year. | just want to be with you. | truly want you to fall in love with me, Hope couldn’t hold her feelings, which had a certain fear.

Logan knitted his brows together. “I do like you. | cannot guarantee what will happen in the future,” he truthfully told Hope.

“Moon Goddess will not separate us. She has brought us closer for a reason,” Hope said with a positive response. She withdrew from him and smiled at him. “You know you are the best thing that has happened to me. My salvation and my fate,” Hope pronounced.

Logan felt something strange in his heart to hear her. He couldn’t believe in Hope’s life. his importance had increased this much.

Hope tip-toed and kissed him on his lips. “I never felt this way before. | think I’m falling in love with you,” she confessed.

Logan didn’t stop himself from kissing her and claimed her lips. They nibbled each other's lips slowly, their bodies connecting close to each other.

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