Page 46 of Defiance
They arrivedat Cole’s flat early the next morning, and he greeted them with a frown in place. “Am I missing something?” He shot a pointed glance at the clock on the wall. “I thought we weren’t due at training until ten?”
It was only a little past nine, so Logan didn’t blame him for being curious.
Cole gave them both a quick once over. “You think you’ll be joining in today?”
“No.” After the other morning, both Logan and Aaron had worn their training gear. “But we thought we’d be prepared, just in case.” They didn’t want to give Paul any excuse to separate them again. But of course he couldn’t say that.
Cole’s eyebrows rose slightly, but his gaze flicked to the cameras in the corner and he said nothing. “Okay.” He gestured towards the kitchen area. “Want a coffee before you tell me why you’re here so early?”
Aaron nodded and eased past them to sit on the sofa. “That’d be great, thanks.”
While Cole made drinks, Logan took the seat next to Aaron and pulled out the appointment card from his pocket. He wasn’t quite sure what bit of news to go with first. As far as Cole was concerned, it was probably bad and worse news. Neither would be well received.
“So...” Cole said, setting two mugs on the coffee table. He looked at Logan, expectant.
Here we go.
“We met with Jacob yesterday.” He glanced up at the cameras, hoping Cole would take it as a reminder they weren’t alone. “Michael will more than likely come to watch one of the training sessions soon. To see how you’re getting on.”
“Okaaay.” Cole frowned again.
“He’s keen to give you his bite. Make you officially part of the McKillan pack.”
Cole slumped back against the sofa with a sigh. “I figured that’d be happening soon. I imagine me having been bitten by another pack isn’t ideal.”
“No.” He was taking this far better than Logan had anticipated. “Even if it was under extenuating circumstances.”
Cole drew his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying it. “Will he do it in front of everyone?”
“Um...” Logan faltered, glancing at Aaron for help. Normally the successful candidates were bitten in front of their new unit, at least, sometimes the whole pack if there were a lot of them. But Cole’s situation wasn’t normal. “I’m not sure.”
Aaron set his coffee down on the table. “I suspect it might depend on what he sees in training. If the resentment in Paul’s team hasn’t diminished any, then he might bite you in private. No point in making it worse.” He shrugged. “But that’s just my opinion.”
“I’m sorry,” Logan offered, a little frustrated that he couldn’t give Cole more of a definite answer. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Cole sighed again but seemed to accept the situation readily enough. Wasn’t like he had much choice in the matter. “Is that all?”
“No.” Logan placed the card Jacob had given him on the table and slid it in front of Cole. “You have an appointment set up to get the pack tattoo.”
Cole swallowed, reached for the card, and studied it like it was a complex maths equation. “Day after tomorrow, then.”
“Yeah.”
“That doesn’t give me much time.”
It was Logan’s turn to frown. “For what?”
“To design it.” He pointed at Logan’s tattoo, then at Aaron’s. “They’re not identical, right?”
“No, but they’re all pretty similar.” The McKillan pack tattoo was a wolf howling up to a blood-red moon. Not much scope for individuality.
“I know, but if I’m going to have something permanently etched onto my skin, I want it to be amazing.”
“Can you draw?” Aaron asked, rubbing a hand over the tattoo that covered the whole of his upper arm. “Because West is pretty awesome at designing them.”
“West?”
Aaron smiled and tapped the card. “The guy who’ll be doing your tattoo. He drew mine and Logan’s.”
