In Between The Alphas
Chapter 31

"Relax Diana," Jake began, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullsh!t," she spat, "I'm not blind so why don't you stop trying to change the subject and start explaining."

"Diana please," I began but she cut me off with a hard look.

"No," she said, "You're not going to say a word right now," she then turned to Jake, "No one is leaving here until I get some answers."

"It's not what you think." Jake tried to explain but Samantha cut him off.

"Maybe, maybe not," she said with a shrug, "But Logan is on his way and he'll be the judge of that."

Jake's eyes shot over to mine and I saw the thinly veiled anger and threat in his eyes. if I didn't find a way to get him out of this I was going to regret it.

'Why do you have to help him?' my subconscious asked, 'You could let everyone know the truth and you'll be free of him.'

'Yeah but where will I go?' I thought, 'Logan has made it very clear that he won't protect me when the time comes. Like it or not, Jake is my only option right now. Even Greg can't help more than he already has. If push comes to shove I'm on my own!

I pushed my despair down when I felt Logan's presence. He looked stoic and unaffected and also dare I say it, bored. He looked like he would rather be anywhere but here at the moment.

"Someone better be dying, kidnapped or being held at gunpoint by a traitor," he spoke in a lazy drawl as he walked in, "Because I can't imagine what kind of emergency would be taking place here of all places."

His eyes ran across the length of the room before finally coming to settle on Samantha, "You asked me to be here."

"She's hurt," it was Diana who spoke, "She has a cut on her neck; it's not deep but it's there."

Logan took his time walking over to me and when he stood in front of me he held my chin in his hands and lifted it up so my neck was bared to him and in spite of the horrible situation I couldn't help but bask in the calming feeling I felt as he held me and the sparks that seemed to come alive on my skin.

I tried to keep my eyes away from his the entire time and instead cast them to the floor.

"Look at me," he said and I tried to ignore the command laced in those two words, "Charlotte look at me." I forced my eyes up to his and almost gasped at the way his eyes seemed to hold mine in place, "Who hurt you?"

"No one," I forced the lie out of my lips, "It isn't what you think."

"I don't do well with liars Charlotte," Logan warned and I shivered albeit not in fear, "Your cheek is darker, almost as if you were hit and there is a cut on your neck."

"It's honestly not what you think," I began, "No one is hurting me."

"Then pray tell what actually happened to you."

"I can't," I said and his eyes narrowed.

"You have two choices here Charlotte," he said as he freed my chin from his grasp, "Either you tell me what exactly happened to you or I act based on the evidence in front of me." He continued, "And you wouldn't want an innocent person to be punished just because you didn't speak up."

I swallowed but kept my eyes to the ground as I spoke, "It- we were just," I stammered wondering how I was going to get out of this hole I dug myself into, "Jake did it last night- but it isn't in the way you think, He didn't do it to hurt me."

Everyone looked vividly upset and it was Diana who spoke, "What do you mean he didn't do it to hurt you?" she yelled, "He cut you."

"It was in the bedroom," I blurted out and everyone froze.

Diana flushed a crimson color and Samantha looked vividly uncomfortable. I saw Jake let out a relieved breath from the corner of my eye but it was only Logan who didn't look the slightest bit convinced.

"I told you it wasn't what you thought," Jake said after composing himself.

"Well you could've just said so from the beginning," Diana said with a huff then she turned to me, "I'm really sorry for forcing you into that position."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I waved her off

"It really is nothing to be ashamed of," she said and she looked visibly pained to utter the next words, "Everyone has their kinks I guess." Then she turned to Logan, "I'm really sorry for dragging you here for no reason."

"You didn't," he said, "You thought someone was in trouble and you called me; I cannot hold it against you for looking out for someone."

"Now that the problem has been settled," Jake said, "Can we go now?"

I moved out of Logan's proximity and I hadn't gotten far when his hand snaked out and grabbed my wrist. I looked up at him in shock and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"I'm not a fool Charlotte," he began, "And I know you have your reasons for lying- whatever they might be. But know this; it doesn't matter if he is my Beta or my father, abuse of any kind is not tolerated here," he continued, "I will always have your back should you ever decide to come forward. You know where to find me."

He released me and I stood frozen for a second before nodding and walking over to Jake who immediately grabbed that same wrist in a grip that promised punishment later.

"And Jake," Logan called out, "You may be the Beta but you can't keep dragging my workers away before the end of the day." He continued in a teasing tone, "If you keep that up then Diana might choose to run away from work one day and then you'll have to take care of the children."

His tone of voice made it seem like he was joking but I knew otherwise.

"Duly noted." Jake said with a smile of his own and pulled me out of the room.

He didn't say a word until we had gotten into the car and driven for at least five minutes. I was already dreading what he was going to say and a part of me prayed he wouldn't say anything at all.

"You should have taken more care in hiding the cut," he said

"I did hide it," I said, "It came off by accident; nobody planned for it."

"Well you should have handled it without letting it escalate that far."

"I already handled it," I said softly, "No one suspects a thing."

"Yet; they don't suspect a thing yet." He corrected, "But like it or not they will subconsciously be looking into things I do and they might start connecting dots that they aren't supposed to. We don't want anyone calling me an abuser now do we?" "Of course, not."

"Good," he said with a smile, "Now we are going to go home and I am going to show you what happens when you don't handle things on time."