A week later, Logan hopped up the stairs to the gym floor of the coven house, following Kearran and Nathaniel as the two led the way. The coven commander and Vanguard Shadow of the English coven continued to discuss household dynamics and strategy for the next time Grand Elder Seren Winslow arrived back in England.

Logan smirked, listening to Kearran as she complained when Nathaniel mentioned that perhaps Kendall would be joining her brother. Kearran and Marcius were the female grand elder's only fledges and were dutiful in whatever she demanded of them. But playing along with the woman's dramatic requests could often leave both blood siblings irritated.

"Are you saying you would rather deal with Thorne?" Nathaniel asked with a light laugh when the blonde groaned for a third time.

"No, of course not. You know my thoughts on the man. He's hardly a hair better than Hadrian was. And I only say that because the man does have a sense of humor," she retorted. "I'm simply saying dealing with both of them and their bloody drama is exhausting."

"Trust me, my dear, I know," Nathaniel chuckled as he reached the correct floor. He pushed open the door to the facilities level that was equipped with a gym, armory, and infirmary. "I spent twenty years with the man before you came along to keep me distracted." He scanned his badge at the secondary door and held it wide for her.

Kearran's lavender eyes rolled as she headed for the large room at the end of the hall. "I don't know how you didn't put a stake through your own heart before then, dealing with all four of them at once."

Nathaniel glanced at Logan and smirked. "The thought was tempting," he joked as he held the door for the Blood Warrior.

Logan shook his head. "But when have we all not had that thought before?"

"Some of us more than others, I'm sure," Kearran said as she scanned her badge to open the gym's door. She pulled it open and walked inside, happy no one else was around. She immediately headed for the large black mat that took up the majority of the floor for sparring. She then reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing the sports bra beneath. "Alright, Blood Warrior," she announced, "let's see what you've got. You've been with us for nearly a year and I've yet to get you in the ring."

Nathaniel chuckled as he moved off to the side and found hand wraps that hung from a towel bar. He took two sets, tossing one pair to Kearran before beginning to work on binding his own wrists. "Go easy on him, Kearran. The man's been up past sunrise every night this week."

The blonde whipped around to face Logan, her eyebrows rising. "Oh?"

"I've heard him pacing a time or two above my head," Nathaniel added.

Logan smirked and nodded, giving into the ragging. "It's been a trying time," he answered. "But don't think that will stop me from kicking your sorry hide," he warned the woman teasingly. He slipped out of his shirt and removed his shoes.

"I wonder what on earth could have the Blood Warrior sleepless," Nathaniel said as he sat in a chair and began to wrap his opposite wrist.

"I guarantee you it has something to do with another," Kearran said, grinning at Logan slyly. "Why else would a man lose sleep?"

The Dracula fledge nodded again. He finished taking off his socks and moved onto the wrestling mat to join Kearran. He rolled his neck back and forth until it popped, letting her continue to tease with him. He then cracked his fingers one by one and rolled his shoulders. "This isn't going to distract me from winning," he warned.

She gave him a sweeter smile and batted her lashes in one of the few feminine actions Logan had ever seen her perform. "I'm not worried," she replied. She waited until he was ready before beginning to circle to the right.

Logan shadowed her movements, keeping in line with her body as they circled one another. When she rushed him to lock up, he gripped her oncoming wrist and opposite shoulder. He brought up his knee to knock her back, but the blonde female moved quicker, shoving her weight into his so he would be forced to move backwards in order to stay balanced. He withdrew his hand from her shoulder and used it to strike.

Kearran ducked, forced to back up so she wouldn't be struck across the face. She dropped down to sweep her leg across his ankles.

Logan jumped up to tuck his feet just in time, dropping forward into a roll as he somersaulted across the mat. As soon as he turned to face her, he blocked a side kick. "You've become faster with your age," he complimented.

"Last time we sparred, I was still fairly new at this," she said, blocking his return punches.

"True. I can tell you remained dedicated to training," Logan said, throwing another combination of punches to see if she could keep up.

"How else do you think she deals with her frustration?" Nathaniel chuckled.

"Nathan, I'm not above giving you a beating either," Kearran warned as she ducked another attack. She leapt up in a powerful kick, knocking Logan back three paces with its force. She waited for the Blood Warrior to get back within striking range before she began an onslaught of punches, switching between both her right and left in a combination of jabs.

Logan dodged each hit, impressed with her technique. Despite being shorter and lighter in weight, she knew how to use her height and momentum to direct her power. He used his forearm to block a sweeping blow and turned his body with the momentum, his foot connecting with her left hip and side.

Kearran grunted, dropping and rolling to the right, going with the flow of motion from his kick. She got back to her feet and began to circle again, keeping her shoulders squared to his. "So, what has you up pacing above Nathaniel's head past sunrise?"

Logan sighed, glancing away for a second to look at Nathaniel. The dark-headed Brit was also paying attention, a curious expression on his face. "What I say stays between us, agreed?" he asked before blocking Kearran's next playful jab.

"Agreed," Nathaniel answered as Kearran nodded.

Logan's head bobbed up and down, knowing they would keep the conversation to themselves. "I spoke to Ranelle last week... I've decided my marriage is over. I'm ready to start over with her."

Nathaniel balked, his head jerking with the movement.

Logan took his chance to attack Kearran in return, throwing hits before dropping to sweep her legs. The blonde collapsed onto her back and immediately rolled over her shoulders into a crouch before finding her feet again. He backed up a step so she wouldn't go off the edge of the mat and beckoned her forward. "I want you to call off the search for Loraine."

Nathaniel's eyebrows rose and he glanced at Kearran before looking back at the Blood Warrior.

"You sure you want to do that?" Kearran asked, running forward two steps and throwing a snap-kick in Logan's direction.

The Dracula fledge caught her leg and went to body-slam the woman before she could twist her torso to kick him with her opposite foot. She yanked her knees towards her core, causing him to fall with her as the two hit the carpet. Logan landed just above her, bracing his weight on his forearm while the other held her leg hostage as he tried to pin her. She struggled beneath him, trying to pull her free leg up and between their bodies so she had leverage to knock him off.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said, slightly out of breath.

The Shadow reversed the hold, whipping him onto his back as she attempted to pin him and cause a submission. Her knees hit the mat on either side of his abs, ankles pivoted inward to catch his thighs. She grasped one of his arms and tried to twist it across his chest.

Nathaniel shook his head from the sideline. "You're tempted to let this déjà vu play out again, aren't you?" he asked, his voice completely calm.

Logan pushed his torso against the blonde until he was half-sitting. He grasped her arms tightly and yanked his weight backward, using the momentum to throw Kearran off of him in a forward somersault. The woman landed on her back and quickly rolled away before he could grab her again. "Yes," he repeated, huffing for breath. "I've been foolish for too long."

Kearran shook her head as she balanced in a crouch, catching her breath. "And what does Ranelle say?"

Logan exhaled hard, half between a scoff and a sigh. "She seems open to it. I can't read her like I used to, when we still had some semblance of a blood tie."

"Nearly a year without Hadrian, and she still wears her mask," Nathaniel stated.

"Do you blame her?" Kearran asked him. She glanced at the man over her shoulder.

"She told me to take the time and be certain I want this. And I do. I want to call off all efforts of looking for Loraine," Logan added. He looked up at the two. "I've made Ranelle wait far longer than what's fair. And I know I can't wait any longer. I'm ready for a future with her, no matter how slow it has come to be."

Kearran sighed. "If you're going to do this, then you best be bloody certain about it," she warned.

"I know," Logan replied, his tone calm as he stared down at the mat. "Thorne might suspect me of killing Hadrian to be with her. But I am not afraid to take him—or any of the grand elders—on if I have to." He paused to look up at them again from where his gaze had been on the floor. "She's worth it to me. She always has been."

Nathaniel rubbed his chin absently, taking in the man's words. "Thorne wouldn't need to know," he said after a few moments of silence. "We can continue our charade for Seren for a while longer until Hadrian's death is further from their minds."

Kearran turned to look at him again. "Nathan, if your sire finds out you kept something like this from him, he'll take your head, too."

He nodded again in understanding for her concern, his jaw tight. "We've kept his presence a secret this long. I can talk to Seren privately. He's always been good to us fledges over the many centuries. And he cares for Ranelle like a daughter. He's had a soft spot for her since her human days. He may be willing to aid us."

Logan smiled slightly. "I'd appreciate any help you can suggest."

Kearran sighed again, getting to her feet. She walked over to her coven leader, her arms crossing over her chest. "Let me be the one to talk to him," she said slowly. "I know Seren the best out of all of us, beyond Ranelle. If anyone can speak in his language, it's me."

"You sure you want to do that?"

She nodded. "She's not the only one he's had a soft spot for. Maybe I can convince him to our side of things."

Nathaniel smiled lightly, looking worried still. "You tell me if you change your mind?"

"I will. But I can handle this," she said. She looked up at him, her gaze almost on the same level as his despite not wearing shoes. She leaned in and gave him a kiss, their eyes closing at the exact same moment.

Logan paused, his eyebrows rising.

Kearran pulled back with a smile, wiping the touch of demure lipstick off Nathaniel's mouth. She glanced over at the Blood Warrior and smirked. "What? I didn't think you were such a prude."

"He didn't know," Nathaniel supplied before the other man could say anything.

"No, I didn't," Logan said slowly, his green eyes shifting back and forth between them.

Kearran grinned and looked back at Nathaniel. "I thought he'd have figured that out from centuries ago."

"Centuries ago is very different from this day and age," Logan said, still processing the scene before him. He'd remembered the two having flirtations in the 1600s, but that had never seemed like anything beyond frivolity.

Nathaniel chuckled. "It's not something we advertise. It wasn't a favored opinion amongst the grand elders for quite a long time."

"It wasn't a favored opinion of Thorne and Kendall," Kearran corrected. "Seren never cared and neither did Hadrian. But, we keep our lives private from everyone."

"It's only ever obvious when we have Elizabeth with us," Nathaniel said calmly.

"Well, she looks just like you, Nathan. It's quite obvious."

Logan frowned. "You have a child?"

Kearran smiled, her face softening with the gesture, and nodded. "She's only a few months older than Avalon, actually." When he continued to stare at her, surprised, she shook her head.

"I suppose then congratulations are long since in order," Logan said slowly. "I honestly wasn't aware. I've never seen another child here at the coven beyond Avalon."

The two looked back at one another, exchanging a pointed expression of disappointment. It was Nathaniel who spoke first, "We sent her away two years ago when she was a toddler. She's in America with our sire and dam."

"We all sent away our children," Kearran added. "It wasn't safe here anymore once the Moon Worshippers started to attack more and more frequently. We didn't even want to move Avalon here, but Hadrian was insistent. If Seren and Kendall had gotten their way, he would have been in the States with the rest of them."

"It may not have seemed like it, Logan, but we have all tried to keep that boy safe, just like our own," Nathaniel said. "And we'll continue to protect him so long as we're here."

Logan grinned again. "I appreciate it."

"I'll call off the search tomorrow and have our men move their attention to other efforts," Nathaniel added. "Should you change your mind, just say so. But it sounds like you've made your decision."

He nodded. "I have. Thank you for all the help you've given." He glanced up at the clock on the wall, wondering if Ranelle had gotten back to the apartment and put Avalon to bed. It was well after four-in-the-morning and the coven would be settling down for the night before sunrise.

"Go," Kearran said, making Logan look back to the pair. "But promise you won't screw it up this time," she added, as if knowing where his mind had gone.

The Blood Warrior nodded quickly. "Thank you again, both of you. I'll see you come tomorrow evening." He got to his feet quickly and grabbed his shirt, pulling it on over his head. He then retrieved his shoes and headed out the door.

The man all but ran with vampire speed as he rushed down the steps to the Winslow floor. He scanned his badge from his pocket and pushed the door open. He listened hard, tuning out the sound of Vincent and Marcius in their rooms, focusing solely on Ranelle's assigned rooms. Her apartment was quiet, but he could pick up the faint noise of her moving around in her bedroom. He reached her door and touched the red-painted wood hesitantly. His green eyes closed as he steadied himself for a half-moment and then pushed it open.

It was unlocked; she was still awake.

He glanced over to the daybed to find Avalon fast asleep under his comforter. Logan sat his shoes down and discarded his badge on the table just inside the door. He quickly closed it behind him and locked the deadbolt securely, then walked over to her bedroom, listening.

Soft footfalls echoed from the bathroom and closet area then paused halfway across the room. A gentle sigh followed.

Unable to delay another moment, he opened the door.

Ranelle turned around from pulling down the covers of her bed. Her blue eyes were softened, as if she were nearly half-asleep. She was dressed in only a pair of burgundy underwear and a silk-and-lace camisole. Matching shorts lay at the foot of the bed. She frowned, seeing his concentrated expression. "Logan, what's wrong?" she whispered.

He shut the door behind him and advanced on her quickly. "It's done," he breathed as his hands immediately buried themselves in her dark hair. "It's just you and me." He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, his body hurting with the need that had built up within him.

Ranelle inhaled sharply through her nose, her eyes closing. A soft sound escaped her throat. She felt unequivocally naked suddenly, realizing he'd never seen her this bare in hundreds of years. And his words made her muscles melt. She grasped his forearms with her smaller hands, finally letting herself give in to him.

Logan pulled away and began to kiss her neck. "I couldn't wait any longer. I need you..."