tighter on Indigo’s shirt, and the sound of ripping fabric filled the otherwise silent room. “I—don’t want you to walk away.”
Indigo closed his eyes. If he could travel back in time and beat the shit out of himself, he would. Fuck, how self-absorbed he’d been and how stupid. He’d thought he’d spared his mate any grief, but in fact, he’d hurt him deeper than he could have ever imagined.
“I won’t walk away. I can’t,” Indigo said honestly. He tried again to get Logan to look at him.
“Come on, Bean,” Indigo coaxed, using a pet name that fit Logan perfectly.
Indigo wasn’t sure if it was the use of the pet name or his soft touches, but Logan finally pulled back, his eyes red and puffy but a little more focused. He blinked slowly up at Indigo, and the realization that Indigo wasn’t a figment of his imagination had him pulling back farther, but Indigo wasn’t letting Logan go just yet.
“There you are,” Indigo breathed, looking into Logan’s eyes.
“Wha—” Logan licked his dry lips. “What are you doing here?”
Indigo wiped away the remaining tears on Logan, cradling his face in his hands.
“I’m here to bring you home,” Indigo said.
Logan tried to shake his head, but Indigo kept him steady and brought their foreheads together. He contained the shudder that tried to take over him. He breathed in Logan’s scent. He needed a shower, but there was still the scent of coffee that was all Logan.
“I can’t. It’s not a good idea,” Logan weakly pleaded.
“I won’t let you stay here alone,” Indigo said. “Either you move back into the pride house, or I move here.”
Logan was silent, chewing on his bottom lip. “It’s not a good idea,” he tried again.
Indigo pulled back just a little, locking gazes with Logan. He couldn’t think of anything to convince Logan. Saying he would stay away and give Logan space just didn’t feel right. And the thought of leaving Logan to the others to take over made his panther angry.
He pulled Logan to his chest and closed his eyes. “Please, Bean,” Indigo said. He let every emotion he was feeling at that moment bleed into his words. “I know I fucked up, and I can’t fathom how to make it up, if it’s even possible. But I can’t leave you here.”
Silence answered him, and Indigo’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t leave his mate there. Everything in him wanted to take care of the man in his arms.
Logan blew out a breath. “Okay.”
Indigo sighed. His body sagged a little, but he wasn’t ready to let Logan go, so he lay there for another few minutes as they held each other. There was a soft knock at the door and Logan tensed.
“It’s Cole,” Indigo said. But he still grabbed the blanket and pulled it around Logan, who seemed to glue himself to Indigo’s side.
Cole walked in, and his worried gaze instantly went to Logan.
“He’s coming back with us,” Indigo said.
Logan clenched tighter to him.
“Good. I’ll let everyone know,” Cole said, walking back out of the bedroom. He gave a faint smile to Indigo before he left.
It was just the two of them again, and Indigo was content to wait till Logan said he was ready.
“I should shower before we go,” Logan whispered.
His breath warmed Indigo’s chest. But even as he said it, he made no move to leave Indigo’s embrace. Indigo swallowed.
“Okay, do you want some help?” Indigo asked.
Logan huffed out a laugh. It wasn’t nearly close enough to his usual one, but still, the sound filled Indigo with hope.
“What could go wrong there?” Logan asked sarcastically.
Indigo breathed out a sigh of relief as Logan being sarcastic was a step in the right direction. He placed a kiss on Logan’s forehead.
“Hmm, well, the offer still stands,” Indigo said.
Logan shook his head as he pulled out from under Indigo and slowly sat up. His shoulders slipped forward even as he swung his legs to hang off the bed.
Indigo reached out to him, and Logan leaned back against his hand.
“You don’t have to do everything on your own. Would it help if I promise to keep my touches strictly platonic?” Indigo asked.
Logan looked over his shoulder and, for a split second, there was heat and desire in his brown eyes.
“I’m not helpless,” Logan said. But he still continued to sit on the bed. Indigo sat up and wrapped himself around Logan’s back.