Logan's team had barely caught their breath from their last encounter when they stumbled upon another group by the riverbank. The sunlight filtered through the trees, reflecting off the water, casting a golden hue over the area.
Standing by the river, Amara Salvador and her team turned as Logan and his squad approached.
A smirk spread across Amara's lips. "Well, well, look who we have here."
Logan remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Amara crossed her arms. "You know, my brother Julian told me something interesting."
Jessica and William exchanged glances, sensing the shift in energy.
Amara continued, her voice laced with amusement. "He said that while you were out here playing survival games, Elsa was having a romantic dinner with him in Moscow. Fancy restaurant, candlelight, the whole vibe."
Logan's jaw tightened.
Amara watched him closely, expecting a reaction—anger, jealousy, anything.
Instead, Logan just stared at her blankly. No twitch of emotion, no sharp retort. But inside, he felt something twist in his chest.
Matthew noticed and decided to steer the conversation. "You done talking about other people's business, or are we gonna discuss this survival exam?"
Amara chuckled, shifting her gaze to Matthew. "Oh? And here I thought you'd jump in with some flirtatious nonsense like before."
Matthew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I realized something." He leaned forward slightly. "You're not all that."
Amara's smirk faltered.
Logan smirked internally—he had to admit, Matthew's timing was impeccable.
Matthew continued, "I wasted time chasing someone who didn't even acknowledge me. Meanwhile, I found someone way cooler without all the attitude. You should try it sometime."
Amara's jaw clenched. For the first time, she looked caught off guard.
Jessica, catching on, nudged Matthew playfully. "Aww, look at you being all mature."
Matthew shrugged with a smirk. "Gotta grow up sometime."
William chuckled. "Damn, Amara, I think you just took an L."
Amara scowled. "Whatever."
Logan finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. "We're done here."
With that, he turned and walked past Amara's team without another glance.
His squad followed, leaving Amara standing there, gripping her wrist tightly.
For the first time, she felt like she had lost.
The tension from the encounter with Amara still hung in the air as Logan and his team made their way through the forest. The leaves rustled above them, and the distant sound of a river flowing filled the silence.
Jessica, sensing that Logan wasn't in a good place, decided to lighten the mood.
She walked up beside him, her tone soft but playful. "You know, you don't have to act all mysterious and brooding all the time. It's okay to talk about things."
Logan didn't even glance at her.
Jessica tried again, "Look, I get it—whatever that thing with the Elsa girl was must've stung. But shutting people out isn't—"
Logan suddenly stopped, his voice cold and sharp.
"You're not my friend, Jessica."
Jessica blinked in surprise.
Logan turned to her, his gray eyes unreadable. "If not for this wilderness program, we wouldn't have met. So stop trying to be nice to me like we're something more than just teammates."
The weight of his words settled heavily between them.
Jessica's expression shifted from surprise to hurt, but she quickly masked it with a scoff. "Wow. You really are an asshole, huh?"
Matthew, who had been quietly observing, suddenly stepped forward. "Hey, what the hell is your problem?" His mechanical left hand clenched into a fist. "She's just trying to help, man."
Logan didn't react. His face was unreadable, cold.
William sighed, stepping in between them. He placed a hand on Matthew's shoulder. "Chill, man. Not worth it."
Matthew scoffed but backed off, shaking his head. "You know, Logan, for someone who's supposed to be this badass, you sure suck at dealing with people."
Jessica, still standing there, exhaled sharply before turning away. "Forget it."
William glanced at Logan before walking up to Jessica and Matthew. "Give him space. He's dealing with his own shit."
Jessica crossed her arms, still annoyed. "Yeah, well, he doesn't have to be a dick about it."
Matthew grumbled under his breath but let it go.
Logan, now standing alone, exhaled quietly.
He knew he had pushed them away—on purpose.
The team had gathered around the campfire, preparing for the next phase of their wilderness survival test. Logan, carrying a young steppe eagle he rescued from an hyena who killed the eagle's mother,made his way back to them, his face hard, and his movements deliberate despite the gnawing pain in his side from his earlier injuries. His jacket was smeared with blood—his own and the hyena's—but he kept his focus on the small eagle he had rescued.
Matthew was the first to notice. His brow furrowed as he saw the eagle nestled gently against Logan's chest.
"You've got a new pet now?" Matthew teased, his tone light but edged with his usual cockiness. "I thought you were too cool for all that 'nature bonding' stuff."
Logan didn't acknowledge Matthew's jab, his eyes focused on the eagle that was now eyeing the group with cautious curiosity. The bird had already begun following him earlier, even when Logan tried to give it space. It was almost as if the young eagle had decided that Logan—who had saved its life—was its new protector.
Jessica, still standing a little away from the group, shot Logan a sharp look. The tension from their earlier confrontation still lingered in the air, and she wasn't about to let Logan off easy just yet.
"Really, Logan?" she scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're rescuing wildlife now? Do you have to make everything a heroic moment?" Her voice was thick with bitterness.
Logan glanced up at her for a brief moment but didn't offer an explanation. Instead, he gently set the eagle down near a large rock and began tending to its injuries, ignoring the sting of Jessica's words.
William, for his part, just stood quietly, his usual neutral expression intact. He wasn't one to get involved in petty quarrels, and though he found the situation amusing in a quiet way, he didn't comment. He had seen Logan in a lot of intense situations, and the bond between him and the eagle seemed oddly fitting. "Looks like the bird's decided to stick with you," he observed after a moment, speaking matter-of-factly.
Logan didn't look up, but the faintest trace of a smirk tugged at his lips. "I guess it thinks I'm the only one who can keep it safe."
Matthew chuckled, though it was more of a sarcastic snicker. "Yeah, I'm sure you're a great guy to have around if you're into being everyone's hero."
Logan ignored him again, his attention solely on the eagle now as he tended to its wounds. The bond between them was silent but undeniable—the bird was dependent on him, and Logan had no intention of leaving it behind.
As Logan wrapped a small cloth around the eagle's wing, he could feel the weight of the group's gaze, but he refused to acknowledge it. It didn't matter what they thought. The eagle needed him, and right now, that was all that mattered.
Jessica's cold expression softened for a split second, but she quickly masked it again, her pride taking over. "Don't think that makes you a good guy, Logan," she muttered, though there was a hint of something unspoken in her words. Maybe jealousy? Or was it something deeper?
Matthew caught the shift in the air, recognizing the undercurrent of tension that was still between Logan and Jessica. He decided to take another jab, albeit with a bit more humor. "Well, at least the bird seems to know who the real leader of the group is." He pointed to Logan with a teasing grin. "A wild animal's more loyal than some people."
Logan didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he simply watched the eagle, who was now hopping closer to him, its small form vulnerable but unwavering in its attachment to him.
"Maybe it's not about loyalty," Logan muttered under his breath, but the words were more for himself than anyone else.
William observed the exchange between the team members, but he didn't interfere. He knew that Logan was a solitary person, but he was also a natural leader in his own right. He would handle the tension in his own way.
After a few moments of silence, William finally broke the quiet. "The bird's not going anywhere," he stated simply, shifting his gaze to Logan. "And neither are we. Let's just finish what we started."
Logan gave him a brief nod, standing and adjusting his stance. He cast one last glance at the eagle before turning back to the group. Despite everything—despite the conflict, the jabs, and the strange dynamics that were beginning to form—there was something oddly comforting about having the eagle's quiet presence.
The team continued their preparations for the wilderness program, but the tension from earlier hadn't quite dissipated. Logan knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy—especially with his team now more fractured than ever. But he also knew one thing for certain: He had the eagle. And for now, that was enough to keep him going.
As the group moved to pack up their gear, the eagle hopped after Logan again, keeping a few paces behind him. It was an unspoken bond, one that neither Logan nor the bird had expected—but they both seemed to understand it.
For the first time in a long while, Logan felt like he wasn't quite as alone as he had once believed.