Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Emily
By the time the reporter had left, my head was spinning. At every step, Logan surprised me.
He was rumored to be cold and logical. He was supposed to be the kind of businessman who’d ruin others if it brought him up higher. Everyone said so.
The real Logan didn’t live up to the rumors.
He was far more intelligent and open-minded. Despite being generally nonchalant, he made me feel so warm.
I knocked timidly on the door to Logan’s office.
“Come in,” came his voice on the other side. When I stepped in, he laid down the papers he’d been looking at.
“Good morning, Emily,” he said to me, his usual calm demeanor leaving his face impossible to read.
“Good morning,” I said softly. I didn’t know where to begin. I had so much to say, but I didn’t know how to say it.
“What can I help you with?” Logan asked, his metallic eyes going up and down my body.
“Actually, I wanted to thank you,” I said.
“What for?”
“I happened to overhear your conversation with that reporter. I really can’t thank you enough.”
“That’s not necessary. Our goals are aligned, and I’m doing my part,” Logan explained. He seemed so indifferent, so matter-of-fact. To me, it was a big deal.
No one had ever embraced me and my wolf dormancy together. My whole life, I had felt as though it was me against the world.
Now, it’s me and Logan against the world.
I do like the sound of that.
“Since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to run by you,” Logan said. He opened the bottom drawer in his desk and pulled out a manilla folder. He slid it across the desk toward me, so I stepped up to look at it.
When I opened it, I was blown away. Inside was a detailed plan about how to turn the tables with the media, including one that utilized me speaking out about being a dormant wolf. It also included a schedule for press conferences and a proposed budget for starting a charity for disadvantaged wolves.
It was everything I had wanted to do, carefully laid out on paper. It was complete with charts and graphs.
“When did you do all this?” I asked as I brought my gaze back to Logan.
“Last night. Shortly after I read this,” Logan answered. He slid a newspaper clipping across the desk.
It was one of the articles that I had written, the one my editor friend had pushed through. It didn’t have my name on it, so I didn’t expect him to have it.
“How’d you know?” I asked. He flashed a smirk at me.
“I have my sources. And I have to say, it’s a brilliant plan.” I immediately blushed. His compliments made me fly like I could fly.
“Not as brilliant as this,” I said. Logan chuckled.
“That’s my contribution. The rest is entirely up to you,” he said. I looked back down at the file in my hands, and especially at the part that was the budget for the new charity. It nearly brought tears to my eyes.
There was a time where I wouldn’t have thought this was possible. It felt like a dream come true, and it was Logan, a man I had just met, who made it happen.
I brought the file to my chest, practically giving it a hug. For a moment, I wished it was Logan, and that I was hugging him instead.
It felt amazing that he wasn’t abandoning me because of my wolf dormancy.
A couple of days later, I was to host my first press conference. A friend of mine, Ella, had been able to set it up quickly. She was the same friend that had printed my article.
I’d dressed carefully and went for business casual. I had on a canary yellow blouse with a business jacket and a navy blue blazer and pencil skirt. Since I was going to be on my feet all day, I opted for a pair of wedges with a low heel.
When Logan picked me up, I thought I caught him doing a double take. If he did, he didn’t miss a beat.
Still, the idea that I had caught his eye was thrilling.
The press conference was at the media outlet’s main building in the capital. The place was practically a skyscraper, its shimmering windows reflecting the sun’s rays.
We were having the press conference at a soundstage within the building. A stage was set up along with a blank backdrop, stage lights, and a single microphone.
We opted to keep it simple, just me and the issue.
As soon as we got there, Logan made sure everything was set up as it should. He wore a black suit without a tie, and his collared shirt was a lovely shade of burgundy.
I wished he would stand up on the stage with me.
I knew what I was capable of, and this press conference was in my wheelhouse. That being said, having Logan by my side made me feel at ease.
His support had already become invaluable. But beyond that, I wanted to be close to him. And not at the distance of business partners.
I shook my head to get those thoughts out. I shouldn’t be thinking of Logan. I had bigger things ahead of me.
It was time.
I walked out from beyond the backdrop, and I saw the crowd that was waiting for me. It was a decent audience, around twenty people, but the most important part was the cameras that were live-streaming.
All the world, from anywhere, would be able to watch this broadcast.
There was some timid applause before I stood in front of the microphone.
“Hello everyone. Thank you so much for joining me today. There is something important I’d like to address.” I kept my voice steady, but my palms were starting to sweat. I didn’t want to be nervous, but I couldn’t help it.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Logan standing off to the side of the stage. He gave me a single nod, and in that small motion, I felt his encouragement.
I took a breath and continued.
“As you may have heard, I am a wolf in dormancy. All of my life, this has been treated as a weakness. But why should it? In modern society, we have so much technology in the palm of our hand that the world no longer needs the power of the wolves.”
Beside Logan, Ella, my reporter friend, was monitoring public opinion online. There was a small earpiece in my ear that she could talk to me with.
“Great, you’ve got lots of interest,” she said.
“People’s outdated beliefs in wolves are causing injustices for others. And it’s not just dormant wolves. It also affects all kinds of disadvantaged wolves, like those with disabilities. Even Omegas are treated as less than simply because of where they fall in the hierarchy. This kind of thinking is hurting us more than it’s helping us.”
“You’ve got lots of agreement, keep going!” said Ella in my ear.
“I am here today to call attention to these injustices. Our modern world should not be treating our people like this. That’s why I want to start a charity for disadvantaged wolves,” I said, but then I caught sight of Logan out of the corner of my eye.
Logan had said he wanted this moment to be for me. But I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.
I held my hand out to him, requesting that he join me on stage.
“That is, my fiancé and I, will be starting a charity.” Logan stepped onto the stage, and the crowd quickly started to take pictures. Logan placed his hand in mine, and we stood side by side.
“Everyone online loves you!” said Ella in the earpiece.
I grinned, so pleased that this was happening. Logan leaned down and whispered softly to me.
“This is it, Emily. This is what sets you apart from other Lunas. And this is your chance to showcase all of your talents without being held back.”
When he stood up straight again, I turned to look back at him.
There he was, my Alpha, standing tall and proud in the bright lights of the stage. The moment overwhelmed me, and I found myself drawn to him.
I stood up on my tiptoes and, in front of everyone and with all the internet watching, I pressed a kiss to his cheek.