Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Emily
Michael drove for longer than I was comfortable with. No matter how many questions I asked, he remained vague.
My need for evidence in my trial against the Crowley family got me to stay in that seat. Even if it shouldn’t have.
Michael drove deeper into the capital city. By the time we got to an old warehouse, night had set in. He pulled into the parking lot where no one was around.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
“We need to be away from prying eyes,” said Michael.
I’m sure he was talking about people who worked for Titanfang pack. The pack’s resources were extensive, and he didn’t want to be caught talking to me and have it get back to Logan.
“Show me the evidence,” I said. The trip here had been unsettling enough, but now it felt truly dangerous. If something were to happen, there was no one around to witness let alone help me.
I made sure to keep my guard up. I wasn’t going to fall for any of Michael’s tricks.
“Soon. But first,” he turned in his seat toward me, “I owe you an apology. I did something terrible. I was weak, but I want to change. I want to be stronger… for you.”
His words made my skin crawl. “I’m not interested. What I am interested in is this evidence you have for me.”
“Please, Emily. If you’ll take me back, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I’ll change, I swear,” Michael said.
“You know that’s not true. You can’t change. And you’ll never stop looking down on me because my wolf is dormant,” I said. The thought of getting back together with Michael was dark and cold.
I want nothing to do with him. It’s not like I’m even angry anymore either. I only want to move on.
“That doesn’t matter anymore. I see now that wolf dormancy can’t stop you, Emily. You’re great as you are, and I love you,” said Michael.
I shook my head. “You never loved me.”
“I did. I always did. And Logan will never love you like I do.”
My breath hitched in my throat. “What does that mean?”
“I know you and Logan have a contract. Neither of you actually love each other. It’s a deal that you’ve created with him, but as soon as he gets what he wants, he’ll abandon you.”
His words rang more true than I wanted them to. After the conversation I overheard between Logan and his father, I was reminded that all we have between us is a contract.
Logan’s thoughtfulness had momentarily made me believe otherwise. In the very least, I thought we might grow to care for one another.
“What I do no longer concerns you.” I wasn’t going to validate anything he said. I need my evidence, and that’s all.
“I actually care about you, so it does. Logan’s ambition will not stop at becoming Alpha, and he’ll use whatever means he can to get it. Sooner or later, you won’t fit into his goals anymore. Then what will you do when he leaves you?”
A sting ran through my bones. Michael was hitting everywhere that hurt. I wasn’t going to show him that though. I took a deep breath and brought up all the strength I had to maintain a straight face.
“What happens between me and Logan is between me and Logan only. You and I are through. I reject—”
He cut me off. “All you want is your inheritance, right? I can get you it.”
How suspicious. He had evidence every time I rejected him.
“How?” I asked.
“Take me back. All you have to do is agree to marry me, Emily. You’ll become my true Luna, and our packs together will be larger and more powerful than Titanfang. We can have everything we’ve ever wanted.”
At a different time, the offer would have been a dream come true. A couple weeks ago, I would have looked at Michael and saw the man I adored. Now, I looked at a pitiful, desperate man who was willing to do anything to get what he wanted.
That included lying.
I doubted he had any real evidence against my father and step-mother. Instead, he would try to rise to power with me at his side, and then he’d probably suggest manipulating and lying to get my inheritance back. And that was assuming we could do that and succeed.
I don’t want to win back my inheritance like that.
Logan’s face flashed through my head. I had a similar promise with him, but his plan was far more fair. He had the power to threaten my family outright, and they would have to bow to his whim and hand over my inheritance.
But where was the justice in that?
Even Logan knew that I wanted to prove I deserved what was supposed to be mine.
Even in the cool wind of the night, a warm and fuzzy feeling washed over me. Thinking about Logan made me feel better than Micahel did.
Although our relationship was cold and contractual, Logan had quietly helped me. That alone deserved praise.
Then I saw the desperate man before me. Maybe I could use this to double check. Once I was sure he had anything on my family, I’d have closure.
“I don’t know, Michael. You really hurt me,” I said. I pretended to waver, hoping he’d give me something to prove he could help.
“Maybe if you show me some kind of proof that you can help me…” I trailed off, my bottom lip sticking out as I tried to look sad.
“Yes, of course!” said Michael eagerly. “Chloe told me a lot. She said the assets from your mother were all transferred to a secret account. Only your father and Hannah have access to it. Tracing the account is the best way to prove that your mother left it to you.”
I didn’t know they had a secret account.
“Anything else?” I asked.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Although Chloe said they spent a lot of the money on her. Even if you manage to prove it’s yours, there probably isn’t all that much left.”
I didn’t know they had been spending my money on Chloe. That’s assuming that anything that Chloe said was true, though I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Is that all?”
“I can’t tell you anything else right now. Not until you promise to marry me.” He reached out to take my hand, but I immediately pulled back.
“No.”
“What?” Michael asked incredulously. “Is Logan’s offer better than mine?”
I decided not to humor him with an answer. I popped open the car door and stepped back. Michael called after me, but I turned and gave him one last look. As I shut the door, I gave him the finger.
I walked through the parking lot to the street, leaving Michael yelling after me.
It felt as though a weight had been lifted off my chance. I was finally free of Michael.
I made my way back to Titanfang’s packhouse. The whole time, I thought about how to reclaim my inheritance. It was time to start a legal dispute.
“Where have you been?” Logan’s voice echoed through the hall, and I almost jumped out of my skin. As soon as I walked in the door, he was questioning me.
He stood at the bottom of the staircase, and I wondered if he had been waiting. His arms were folded across his broad chest, and his eyes were narrowed.
Even angry, he was so handsome.
“I went to celebrate today’s success with a friend,” I answered quickly. I didn’t want him to know that I was out with Micahel. He might get the wrong idea.
Logan’s expression darkened, and this time I felt the pressure of his aura. Even then, it wasn’t enough to make me say anything.
An alarm went off in my head.
He already knows. That meant he’d ask to see what I would say, and he’d caught me in a lie instead.
“I can explain,” I said softly, my eyes turned down to my feet. Shame burned my face. I suddenly felt awful. I thought that by lying to him, I was helping to avoid any misunderstandings. Instead, I had created a greater one.
He thought I had something to hide.
“I’ll listen. It had better be good to be deserving of such a lie,” said Logan, his voice rough. I nearly winced, but I stopped myself.
“Michael came to visit, and I went with him,” I admitted. I needed to be careful with my words here. “He claimed to have evidence against my family for the lawsuit regarding my inheritance. I thought that if there was even the smallest chance he was telling the truth, then I should listen.”
Silence feel between us. I thought for a moment that maybe I couldn’t hear him over the loud beating of my heart in my ears.
Then he spoke.
“Did he have anything worth looking into?” I looked up at him. I was surprised to see that the hard features of his face had softened.
“Not really. He has a few claims, but no solid proof.”
Again, there was a long period of silence. We stood there, watching each other, for what seemed like a long time.
I hope Logan believes me. I don’t intend on breaking our deal, and I don’t want him to either.
Logan let out a long, low sigh. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll need to come to the Alpha office and work as my assistant.”