I stood there, completely frozen, my eyes running up and down the man's imposing frame.
Sam's threats were not empty – he really did send Darren to get me. And now that I actually saw him standing in front of me, I couldn't help but feel helpless. Darren Daxx was not the man one simply messes with.
"There is nothing to fix here," I tried to sound as calm as possible, though I could literally feel the life draining from my body. "This is just between my husband and me."
Darren's laughter was cold and hollow as he swept his hair backwards, his eyes never leaving mine.
"You see, that would be the case if Samuel Crane weren't helping me run my business without any outside interruption. So when he calls me and tells me someone interrupts his business, I'm afraid I just have to step in." His eyes narrowed, dark with savage authority. "I was planning to punish you properly, but all your husband wants is for you to kneel and apologize for insulting him and his lady. That's it."
I felt fear coiling in my stomach. I didn't have a wolf, nor was I still sure about my powers, but I knew that Darren would not leave me until he brought me to my knees. Even if that meant he would have to break them.
"I think that's enough," Logan's voice rang out, clear and commanding.
I flinch, suddenly remembering that I wasn't alone. He stepped around me, facing Darren head-on, his eyes dark and unwavering, his stance confident and strong. I reached for his arm, not entirely sure why, but he shook off my hand with surprising strength.
"A fancy suit trying to order me around?" Darren scoffed, his tone slightly more arrogant than it had been with me. "Just beat it, alright? I don't mind dealing with you, too, but I don't like wasting my time on those who go down too easily."
Logan took another step forward, absolutely fearless. "Is that so? Take a better look at this face, Darren Daxx. Take a good fucking look at it – is this really the face of someone who goes down easily?"
Darren frowned, clearly annoyed by this strange encounter. But as his eyes focused on Logan's face, something unexpected happened. His expression changed drastically, shifting from irritation to complete shock, then to something I'd never expected to see on the face of our city's most feared criminal.
It was pure terror.
Darren stared at Logan, blinking frantically as if that would help him get rid of the man standing before him.
He turned pallid, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
"Logan... Mr. Grant?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I had no idea... I didn't recognize..."
The transformation was astounding. The man who had confidently threatened me into submission was now cowering like a frightened worm. Behind him, his thugs exchanged confused glances, clearly bewildered by their boss's reaction.
Logan smiled, but there was nothing warm about it now. It was the smile of a predator who had cornered its prey. His wolf was salivating at the thought of devouring such useless scum.
"Well, now that you do recognize me," Logan said coldly, the shadow of his beast gradually fading away. "Care to explain why you are stooping so low as to threaten a woman? And my woman, to boot?"
Darren's face had turned sickly pale now. I'd never seen someone so dangerous look so utterly small and terrified.
My mind reeled. Who exactly was Logan Grant? I knew his family and pack were powerful, but this level of fear from someone like Darren Daxx was overwhelming.
Logan's expression, however, remained chillingly calm. "You're still standing," he growled, and the implication was crystal clear. Without hesitation, Darren dropped to one knee before him, head bowed as if he was in the presence of a king.
His men hastily followed his example.
"I'm sorry, Alpha Grant," Darren rushed to apologize. "I had no idea this woman was under your protection."
"Then you have to apologize to her, too," Logan added, and Darren nodded right away. "Yes! I apologize, Mrs. Gilmore! I am really sorry!"
I don't think this is enough, though, Logan suddenly added coldly, leaning closer to Darren. Then, he reached inside the pocket of the thug's jacket and pulled out a knife, sticking it between the man's fingers.
"You asked her to kneel – how do you propose we fix that?"
Without hesitation, as if enchanted by Logan's voice, Darren squeezed the handle of the knife and drove the blade straight into his thigh, wincing as the blood gushed out.
"I sincerely apologize for being so impudent!" He declared, pushing the knife even further. "I swear to the Goddess, I will never make such a mistake again!"
"Leave," Logan commanded, completely unaffected by this display.
"Thank you, Alpha Grant!" Darren breathed, struggling to his feet, his wounded leg barely supporting his weight. He motioned to his men, who scrambled backwards toward their cars, not turning their backs to us until they reached the gate.
When the last vehicle peeled away, I finally found my voice again. "What the hell just happened here?!"
Logan's expression changed almost instantly. The icy authority that had terrified Darren just seconds ago completely melted away, replaced by the warm, charming man I was beginning to recognize again.
"That was me teaching the Rogue King a lesson," he smirked. "And that means... You owe me one."
"Owe you?" I recoiled, still trying to process what I'd just witnessed.
"I just saved you from having your knees broken!" He remarked in a surprisingly light voice. "I'd accept payment in the form of a home-cooked meal."
The sudden mood shift left me absolutely stunned. One minute, he was a commanding alpha, capable of ruining others with his tone alone. The next minute, he was joking around, warm and playful.
It was... unsettling.
"So?" He pressed on. "Are you going to treat me to a home-cooked meal? I'm actually starving!"