LOGINEdited Chapter 12
Elliot POVThe medical monitor by my bed made a clean beep. Dr. Cole took the sensor off my finger. Turned to Sebastian."The test results are good," Dr. Cole said. He put his tools away in a leather case. "The gas did not hurt the baby or me. The medicine. Stopped the bad stuff. The baby is okay. My contractions are gone."I sat up in bed. Leaned against the wooden headboard. The cabin was like a house hidden deep in the valley with stone walls and guards all around."See?" I said to Sebastian. "I told you I am fine."Sebastian did not look happy. He stood by the bed holding the rail. His shirt was still torn from the stuff that happened at the hospital. "You almost had the baby too early, Elliot. Devereux used a trick in a public place. You need to stay in this bed.""Devereux wants to scare me," I said. My voice got louder as I swung my legs out of the blankets. My feet hit the floor. "If I hide in this cabin and let my team lose, he wins. I am not going to let that bad guy take th
Sebastian POVThe gym went dark for a second as the white gas hit my face. I blinked hard, my throat burning from the taste of copper and artificial vanilla. I didn't care about the burn. I pulled Elliot's body close to my chest as he shook from the first wave of weird muscle spasms."Don't breathe," I growled, my voice rough.I grabbed my wool coat from the floor next to the blue exercise ball. I quickly pulled it over Elliot's head and shoulders, tucking the edges under his chin to block the vapor. He gasped against my chest, his fingers gripping my shirt tightly."Sebastian," he choked out under the wool. "My back... it's locked.""I've got you, baby," I said.I hooked my arm behind his knees and my left arm under his shoulders. I lifted his frame off the floor in one smooth motion. Even though Elliot is an athlete with a muscular build, he didn't feel heavy in my arms. My instincts made his weight feel like nothing as I held him close.Elliot hid his face in the crook of my neck,
Sebastain POVThe wellness room was super peaceful. I was still really nervous. I stood with my back flat against the wall, holding Elliot securely against me from behind as his back rested against my chest. My left arm was wrapped around his waist, my large hand flat on his warm belly, while my eyes scanned the rows of exercise mats. I watched Elliot move gently on the blue exercise ball. He looked amazing. The pregnancy made him look strong and gentle at the same time, and everyone in the room was staring at him. I felt a burn in my chest whenever someone else looked at him, but I kept my eyes on the doors.The big wooden door opened a minute ago. A man in a hospital uniform was pushing a cart inside.At first, it looked like he was there to clean.The cart wheels squeaked on the floor.Then I looked at his feet.He was wearing shoes, but the way he walked was totally off. A guy pushing a cart should lean forward and dig his heels into the floor. This guy was gliding. His weight was
Elliot POV It took fifteen minutes of chaos for Black Shield to break into the side ambulance bay. Sebastian held his thick wool coat tightly over my head until the hospital walls finally blocked out the crowd and flashing cameras outside.The main lobby was a mess. Patients and hospital staff panicked as armed guards entered. Director Brown, a woman in a grey suit, stopped us near the elevators. Her face was red with anger."Mr. Wolfe, you can't just bring guards into a public hospital!" she shouted. Her voice shook as she blocked our path. "This is a place to heal, not a base. You're disrupting our patients."Sebastian stopped moving toward the elevators for a second. He stepped forward, towering over Director Brown. His golden eyes were cold."My mate is having a phase of his third trimester, Director." His voice was low and hard. "His blood pressure is spiking because your strike forced us out of our clinic. I'm not here to negotiate.""That doesn't give you the right to break ou
Elliot POVThe heavy sliding doors of the entrance closed behind us, cutting off some of the noise from the street. As Sebastian's team moved past the security lines inside the bright building, my mind drifted back to the journey that brought us here.Just twenty minutes ago, the rain came down hard. It covered the windows of the SUV we were in. The tires made a humming sound on the road. I put my cheek against the window.The city was a blur as we drove by. We left the part of town where all the big banks are and got into the main streets. I looked at the sidewalks.A big yellow bus drove through a puddle and splashed water everywhere. A woman with an umbrella got mad at the bus driver. A man in an apron was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his bakery. Some college kids were sharing a cigarette under a roof.I smiled because it all seemed normal.My life has been really weird for a few months. I have been in cars and waiting rooms that feel like hospitals. I missed smelling the side
Elliot POVThe heavy silver trophy felt cold against my palm. I put it down on the metal desk with a clank. Dr. Cole didn't look at the award. He kept his eyes on his tablet screen, his face pale under the fluorescent lights of the tunnel office."What do you mean by a strike?" I asked, my hand on my stomach."It is a shutdown, Elliot," Dr. Cole said. He tapped the screen, showing a map of the city's medical districts. "The union stopped all healthcare staff at midnight. Private birthing pavilions, luxury wellness centers, and high-security clinics are all closed. The nurses and specialists walked out."Sebastian moved closer, his arm tight around my shoulder. His open black shirt rustled against my suit jacket. "My people own the St. Jude facility. The security guards report to me.""The guards can hold the doors, Sebastian, but there are no teams inside," Dr. Cole said, looking up with a serious expression. "No obstetricians, no surgical tech staff, nothing. The facility is empty."
Sebastian POV The buzzer at the front door cut through the quiet kitchen. I set the coffee pot down, my muscles stiffening. My hand instinctively went to the heavy marble counter, my body shifting into a defensive stance before I even realized I was doing it. The fresh bond in my blood was still
Elliot POV The words hung in the air like smoke from an explosion.I sat frozen on the leather couch, the cool material doing nothing to soothe the wildfire spreading beneath my skin. My mind raced through every exit strategy I had ever planned during my six years in the league—fake passports, pri
Sebastian POV The cold night air hit my face the moment we pushed through the heavy glass doors of Bistro Lumière.Elliot leaned into my side, his shoulder brushing my arm as we moved across the concrete pavement toward the private lane where my SUV sat idling. His skin burned through the black si
Elliot POVThe flash of a camera lens caught the edge of my vision through the restaurant window.I didn't flinch. I kept my chin up, my jaw set in a relaxed, easy smile that felt like cardboard against my teeth. The atmosphere inside Bistro Lumière was a dense mix of expensive perfume, roasting ga







