THE NORD BROTHERS

CHAPTER 16

Mariana.

The car door slammed with a bang. Her figure sunk into the fine leather of passenger seat of a familiar and once dreaded sports car and a pouty huff tumbled from her lips like a five cent coin. Her eyes held sharpness as they glared at the front panel. Her imagination run rampant with all the ways she could smear Caleb's handsome face against it.

The violent fantasy trip was interrupted by a strained, low growl coming from the driver's seat.

"Don't slam the door." Logan seethed, looking like he was seconds away from petting his beloved pet Lamborghini and apologizing for his mate's explosive actions.

Mariana gave him a side-long glance, mumbling something akin to an apology that sounded more like baby gurgling, before her stare was directed at the view outside the window. She felt him staring at her with an intensity of a shark that has smelled blood, and the five year old in her wished to snap with a lame "whatcha lookin' at?!", but instead she pursed her lips and pretended not to notice the two dagger like eyes burning a hole in her skull.

For once she was thankful for Logan's silent personality and strict no prying policy unless it was a pack matter.

The powerful engine roaring to life was the only sound that filled the car as they set off to god knows where. Mariana kept her stare pinned for her surroundings. Neither of the broached the subject of her sour mood. The trees swooshed past the sleek black car and the silence eventually grew far too awkward for anyone to bear.

"Who pissed in your litter box?" Surprisingly it wasn't her that broke the heavy silence. Logan kept his eyes on the road, his sexy profile all hers to admire.

"No one." Mariana cut back, knowing full well how bitchy that came out. She could particularly feel his face scrunch up into a nasty frown. "It was Caleb." She found herself spilling the beans before he pulled at Alpha card on her which most certainly would piss her off even more.

"I see." Logan didn't look too shocked. Of course his younger brother would be the reason for any woman's bad mood. "For once it's not me."

"Was that an attempt at a joke?" She chuckled, feeling her mood lift somewhat. Surprise, surprise Mr. Grumpy could actually make her feel better instead of worse for once.

"Not an attempt if you laughed." Logan grumbled, stopping the car on the side of a dirt rode. "We're almost there."

"Where is there, exactly?"

"You'll see."

The unlikely pair got out from the car, Mariana making a point to close the door gently under the strict supervision of his warning filled gaze.

"You finally decided that I'm a pain in the ass and killing me in the woods is for the best, huh?" Mariana teased, trudging a short distance behind him. "Where's the rope and shovel?"

"Do you always have to spoil the mood?" Logan groaned, fixing her with an irritated glare.

She shrugged. "Do we have a mood to spoil?"

"Just zip it."

Mariana felt her body jerk awkwardly as his large, warm hand wrapped around her own, tugging her forwards so she was walking besides him. It made their height difference all that more apparent. Her heart jumped to her throat. He didn't say anything more, but she was sure he could sense her pulse quicken.

"We're here." Logan announced after a short walk.

Mariana was far too occupied analyzing how his big, rough fingers felt wrapped around her own to notice that they had made it to a clearing besides a lake. Honestly, it was an image spit out from a fairy tale. The calm water gleamed in the setting sun and birds chirped their happy song.