Chapter 362 Ideals
Ella
The cool evening air was a welcome relief from the almost stuffy warmth of the opulent hotel. I hated to admit it, but I was glad that we decided to go out after all. My wolf purred happily in the back of my mind, her obsession with our fated mate having grown over the recent weeks and only made worse by our flight together.
But I was happy too, although I would never have admitted to that. I liked having Logan by my side, even just as a friend to confide in. And being home was a comfort in and of itself, to be able to walk freely in my home city without the thought of being harassed or pickpocketed. For the first time in a while, I felt as though I could breathe properly.
Fall leaves swirled around our feet as we walked down a cozy street lined with shops made of brick facades. Here, in my home city, it seemed as though there was a shop for everything: a hair salon, a jewelry store, an antique shop, a French cafe. And that was just to name a few; we were only walking along a tiny strip of this huge city.
The sidewalk was neatly paved, with flower planters dripping with fresh water and the occasional cat blinking lazily from apartment windows. The sounds of happy families and new couples filled the air, the sound of laughter, soft music, and conversation melting together into a sweet symphony of pleasant noises.
Here, on this street, no cars were allowed, which created a peaceful and quiet atmosphere free from the sounds of blaring horns and loud music blasting from speakers.
It was so unlike the city where I had decided to make my home over the past couple of years, where trash and Rogues lined the streets like permanent fixtures. And ever since Moana and my father had begun the trend of humanitarianism here, that gap had only widened even more.
“Man. This place is like a postcard or something out of a movie,” Logan said, his eyes scanning the picture-perfect scene that laid before us as we strolled along. “Everything is so clean, and not a Rogue in sight. It’s nice not having to worry about being pickpocketed.”
I smiled at his observation, my heart swelling with pride for my hometown. “I know,” I said. “It’s nice. Wasn’t always like this, though.”
As we walked, Logan cocked his head to the side. “Really?”
I nodded. “I mean, it was always nice. But there was also a stark divide between the three main classes: werewolves, humans, and Rogues. Not to mention the inner workings of werewolves, too.”
Logan listened for a moment. “So it’s gotten better here recently?”
“Thanks to humanitarian efforts, yes,” I said, blushing a bit. “The Golden Wolf, you know. And it helps to have a billionaire as her advocate. It started a trend of philanthropy in this city. The Rogue district was cleaned up, and a lot of the Rogues were actually reintegrated into society thanks to community programs. The local government started cracking down on employers who treated human workers unfairly, too.”
“That’s great,” Logan said, sounding genuinely appreciative of the efforts. “I can’t wait to meet Moana. She sounds like a wonderful woman.”
“She is. And I hope the trend continues, spreads out to more cities.” I paused. Just then, the entrance to a park I used to frequent as a kid caught my eye. Wanting to take a trip down memory lane, I decided to lead Logan through the park.
The air was different here, cooler and filled with the scent of rich, damp soil and leaves. Thick oak trees and towering pines formed a kind of green kingdom, their branches interlocking high above us. The sun was setting, and its golden rays filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the gravel path we were walking along.
“I used to come to this park a lot as a kid, actually,” I said, taking in the serenity of a nearby duck pond. “And ever since I moved to our city, I’ve always kept this place in mind as a goal in my efforts to make the city a better place. To make it a place where people would actually want to live, you know?”
He shot me a sideways glance as a wry smile tugged at his lips. “That’s a lovely dream, Ella, but isn’t it a bit idealistic? Our city has a long way to go.”
I shrugged, watching as a squirrel darted up a nearby tree. “I’ve always been of the belief that if you really set your mind to something, you can achieve it no matter what the obstacles are.”
Logan chuckled, a low, gravelly sound that somehow fit perfectly with the hushed ambiance of the park. “No offense, but that was spoken like a true cliche rich girl with doting
parents.”
My cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson at Logan’s observation. I couldn’t deny the privilege of my upbringing, but his comment hit a nerve.
“Maybe I am all those things,” I said after a beat of hesitation, “but I believe in hard work. If enough people put in the effort, we can always change things for the better. Even in our city.”
Logan cocked his head, taking me in with a seriousness in his blue eyes that seemed at odds with his typically casual demeanor. “Hard work and the right connections,” he said, pointing to himself. “I happen to have a fair bit of sway in our city, you know. With enough money and influence, making positive changes could be as easy as snapping my fingers.”
Curious, I turned to face him fully. The setting sun caught his eyes, turning them into a color that was not all that much unlike the color of the sky on a sunny day. “If that’s true, then why haven’t you done something already? What’s stopping you?”
His gaze shifted away from mine, settling on a fallen leaf that had been caught in a low- hanging branch. “Because it’s… complicated, I guess,” he sighed, his voice tinged with a rare hint of vulnerability. “The mafia-my dad- controls more than anyone cares to admit. Especially this new ‘W’ drug trade. That’s going to be a plague on our city, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. We need to take them down first.”
I was momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of reassurance wash over me. Until this moment, I had harbored doubts about whether Logan was fully committed to our mission, whether he would actually stick around to dismantle the mafia’s chokehold on our city, just as he had said he would.
He caught my wide-eyed expression and raised an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”
I shrugged and glanced down at the ground, my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans. “I don’t know. I guess I just… I guess I didn’t really think you’d have a plan like that after all.”
Logan fell silent for a moment before he spoke up. “So you thought I was lying?”
I paused, swallowing. “No, I-”
He stopped in his tracks, the silence between us punctuated only by the sounds of the park around us.
“You know, Ella,” he said, his tone darkening slightly, “I have to say… I’m a bit offended that you’d think I would lie to you like that.”
