Page 69 of Defiance
Chapter 11
Cole paced the living room in his flat, alternating between glancing towards the door and out the window at the darkening sky. The moon called to him, the pull a deep sensation he felt in his bones.
He’d been excited at the prospect of getting out of his flat and being able to run for hours without any restrictions, but that was when he’d thought he’d have Logan by his side.
Like the first time he’d shifted.
This was going to be nothing like that, and nerves had already begun to creep in.
What if I can’t shift?
He couldn’t see any of his new team bending over backwards to help him out. Granted, they’d been more amenable to him over the last few days, ever since he’d excelled in the weapons training, but none of them were his friends. Fletcher was okay, and Smith to an extent, but he’d interrogated Cole when he first got here. No way was he putting any trust in him.
In any of them.
Despite the fact he felt less on guard with them lately, he had to remember that this was the team responsible for rounding up humans considered to be a danger to shifter rule. They spied on them, interrogated them when necessary, and if it came to it, were responsible for putting them in prison.
Or worse.
He wasn’t stupid, not everyone in the HRU was like Tim and the others at Carnglaze. They weren’t all bad. But what they represented was. He couldn’t allow himself to be lulled into a false sense of security by the odd kind word and friendly smile.
In the end he was going to betray all of them.
And wasn’t that a useful thought to have when just about to go on a full-moon run with them.
Fuck.
He resumed his pacing, hands tangled in his hair, struggling to cope with the excess energy coursing through his body.
He heard voices outside before the knock on his door. For a minute his heart stuttered; Logan was the only one who knocked. Before his smile had a chance to appear, the door swung open and Smith walked in, followed by Fletcher.
Cole hid his disappointment and tried not to get pissed off at them just walking in. They all did it.
Except Logan and Aaron. They waited until he told them to come in.
Cole shook himself. He couldn’t afford to think of them right now. Especially not Logan.
“You look ready to burst out of your skin.” Fletcher grinned at him, practically bouncing on the spot. “It’s mad, right?” He gestured through the window where the clouds had parted, showing off the moon in all her glory. “Thank fuck we only feel like this once a month. Can you imagine?”
Cole shook his head. “No.”
Smith was as reserved as usual. He gave Cole a slow once over. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” Cole wore pack issue T-shirt and joggers, no underwear, no shoes. As instructed.
“Less stuff to lose,”Fletcher had informed him earlier at lunch.
The idea of walking barefoot out of his flat felt foreign. Shoes served a purpose.
Neither Smith nor Fletcher wore any though, so at least he knew they hadn’t been having him on.
“Let’s go meet the others.” Smith turned back towards the door but stopped as he opened it, fixing Cole with a piercing gaze. “The grounds are enclosed by a ten-foot electric fence. If you try and escape, you’ll fail and more than likely be put in jail.”
Cole swallowed at the sudden tension surrounding them. “I’m not going to do that.”
“Good.” Smith nodded, seemingly satisfied, as though that was the end of that now he’d said his piece.
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