Chapter 305

Chapter 305 A Familiar Face

Ella

The evening was unusually cool, and the air held the crispness of an impending storm. As I

walked along the periphery of the yacht, the cool breeze gently teased my hair, whispering

secrets of the sea into my ears.

The yacht itself was magnificent, a true. testament to wealth and extravagance. Every inch

sparkled, reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight.

Pulling my jacket tighter around me, I inhaled deeply, allowing the salty air to soothe my

frazzled nerves. The party below deck had long since gone quiet, but the lavish bedroom I

shared with Logan was no respite, either. I needed a break, some time alone to collect my

thoughts..

The sky was painted with the inky blue of dusk, and the horizon seemed to stretch endlessly

before me. I walked to the edge of the yacht, leaning on the railing, and felt the coolness seep

through the metal into my palms. Below, the ocean waves kissed the side of the boat,

whispering its secrets to anyone who would be willing to listen.

As I looked into the depths, I felt the familiar stir of my wolf. We had been one for so long now

that her presence was like a second heartbeat. In the quiet moments, when the world around

faded, she was my confidante, my mirror.

“Ella,” her voice, a gentle murmur in my mind, began. “Why do you resist the pull with Logan?

The connection?”

I sighed, a slow exhale that carried with it the weight of a thousand unspoken words. “I’m not

sure what you’re talking about, Ema.”

There was a playful nudge in my mind. “You’re lying to yourself if you think you can hide anything from

me. Logan… there’s something between you two, isn’t there? You’re starting to… feel differently about

him.”

Shaking my head, I tried to push away the memories of our recent encounters-the brief touches, the

lingering glances, the shared bed. “There’s nothing. Just a temporary alliance. Nothing more.”

The silence between us stretched for what felt like hours. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft

but probing. “I live within you, Ella. I feel what you feel. There’s a spark, a tether that pulls you two

together, beyond the primal pull of a fated mate. Deny it all you want, but it’s there.”

I bit my lip, the salty taste of the sea wind merging with my own emotions. “Yes, sometimes I do feel…

something. But it’s impossible. He’s my fated mate, sure, but it’s not like the fairytales. Our worlds are

so different. He’s a creature of the shadows, and I… I belong to the light. The two just don’t merge.”

“Love isn’t about merging, Ella. It’s about complementing, balancing each other out.”

“I never said anything about love,” I responded, stifling a wry chuckle. “But even if that were the case,

my family would never understand. Our traditions, our beliefs… they clash with everything Logan

stands for.”

She chuckled, a sound that reverberated through my very soul. “Do you remember your father and

Moana’s story? A love story that defied all odds, broke barriers. They didn’t have it easy, but they found

their way. And now look at them.”

I laughed bitterly, the sound more of a scoff than genuine mirth. “This isn’t anything like my father and

Moana. Logan and I are too different, from entirely different walks of life. It would never work, and once

our business arrangement ends in a year, that’s it. We’ll go our separate ways.”

“Well, if it’s so simple,” she mused, her tone dripping with skepticism, “why haven’t you rejected him as

your mate? You’ve had multiple opportunities, yet here you are, still tethered to him. Maybe, deep

down, you actually might care about him more than you let yourself believe.”

Her words rang true, a clarity that cut through my self-imposed fog. I didn’t have an answer, not one

that I was ready to admit. Instead, I continued to gaze out at the vast expanse of the ocean for a while

longer, letting its soothing waves lull my turbulent thoughts.

“It still doesn’t change anything,” I finally said. “We can’t be together. I… I hate him. I hate this world

that he’s a part of.”

“And yet… you’ve been having the time of your life, Ella.”

My wolf’s words almost made a growl rumble in the back of my throat. As my claws began to

instinctively come out, I gripped the railing more tightly, quelling my anger.

“Enough,” I whispered out loud, swallowing. “I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.”

At my orders, my wolf fell silent. I felt her presence fade, as though she was curling up and drifting off

to sleep. Once again, I was alone with my thoughts and the sounds of the ocean.

Feeling the urge to keep moving, I let out a soft sigh and pushed myself away from the railing.

But I had barely taken a few steps when muted voices caught my attention. Curiosity piqued, I followed

the sound, moving stealthily so as not to alert anyone of my presence.

“…you really think he would just sell us out like that, Harry?” one voice, rough and slightly anxious,

questioned. Harry’s voice, unmistakable in its cold authority,

responded, “In our line of work, everyone’s got a price.”

Pressing myself against a wall behind some potted plants, I dared to peek around the corner. Harry, still

wearing his suit from the party, was talking to a group of men. Among them was his massive

bodyguard, whose very presence sent chills down my spine as I watched.

“But ‘W’? Why would he mess with that? It’s not just another street drug,” the same voice from before

said, laced with genuine confusion.

I recalled overhearing bits and pieces about this ‘W’ drug at the party, which Logan explained to me-a

new, highly potent substance causing ripples in the underworld. It made people’s wolves more

powerful. That was all I knew, at least.

Harry’s involvement didn’t surprise me, given his reputation, but the gravity of the conversation

between the group of men weighed heavily on me.

Harry’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, making it hard for me to catch every word. “It

doesn’t matter. Traitors get one treatment, and he’s about to get his.”

My heart raced as another figure was shoved into view. Bound and gagged, his eyes were wide

with fear.

The man fell to his knees, shoved in the back by Harry’s bodyguard. Even from where I

crouched, I could hear the sound of his muffled cries for help behind his gag.

“Should I intervene?” I asked Ema, reaching out for her in my mind. “This looks… dangerous.”

“You know I’d love to crush that bastard’s skull between my jaws,” Ema replied. “But there are

too many of them. Three with guns standing right there, and probably more hiding in the

shadows. We can’t take them all on.”

I cursed silently, swallowing my fear. My trembling hand reached for my phone, but it wasn’t

there.

“Dammit,” I thought. “I left my phone in the bedroom.”

Suddenly, before I could process what was happening, Harry’s bodyguard acted. The sharp

sound of a gunshot pierced the night, echoing my own horrified gasp. The man on his knees

crumpled, lifeless, before his limp body was then unceremoniously disposed of overboard.

Adrenaline took over. I needed to escape, to distance myself from this nightmarish scene.

Turning abruptly, I ran blindly, praying that my panic-stricken flight would go unnoticed.

Lost in my panicked flight, I didn’t see the figure approaching until I collided with him. My

immediate reaction was to scream, but a strong hand clamped over my mouth, pulling me into

the shadows.

My heart raced, threatening to burst from my chest. I struggled, preparing to fight for my life.

But when the grip loosened and I was finally able to see my captor, shock replaced fear.

I looked up into a pair of familiar eyes.