Page 22 of Defiance
No doubt word had spread throughout the pack.
As the lift doors slid closed, Aaron leant against the back wall. “Well, that was fun. I’ve never heard the office so fucking quiet.”
“I know.” By the time they’d reached the other side, you could’ve heard a pin drop. No doubt the place erupted into furious chatter as soon as they were out of sight. “We’d be exactly the same in their position.”
Aaron grunted.
“And like Jacob said, it won’t last forever. We have to ride it out and wait for someone else to be the topic of pack gossip.”
“Riiight.” Aaron elbowed him playfully. “Since when did you become the voice of reason?”
Logan joined him at the back of the lift. “Since my best friend suggested we come back to face the music and start a revolution, bringing my newly turned runaway candidate with us.”
“What the fuck did you listen to that idiot for?”
Unexpected laughter burst out of him, and Logan shook his head, turning to look at Aaron. “We’ll be okay.”
“We will.”
They nudged shoulders in a show of solidarity, igniting a tiny flare of hope inside Logan.
We can do this.
* * *
That feeling lastedthrough the night but faltered considerably when they arrived at the executive holding area.
Logan opened the door to Cole’s floor, freezing abruptly as he and Aaron stepped into the corridor.
The scent of shifter filled the small space.
Familiar.
Unwelcome.
“What the fuck?”
“Shit,” Aaron hissed, hurrying after Logan as he rushed to Cole’s door.
It hung slightly ajar, and Logan burst through it, slamming it against the far wall as he marched inside. “Cole?” he yelled. Unnecessarily as he could smell his scent thick and strong amongst the others. The faint scent of fear hung in the air too, and that’s what tugged him further inside. Aaron hot on his heels.
“What the hell are you two doing in here?” Logan came to an abrupt halt just over the threshold, eyes darting from Cole’s head to his feet, checking for injury.
“Calm the fuck down,” Rich grumbled, rolling his eyes. “We just came to talk to Cole about his team.” He couldn’t quite keep the sneer off his face. “Telling him what to expect when he meets the rest of the HRU.” His expression was a mixture of glee, hate, and anticipation. Like his face didn’t know which emotion to go with. “We’re all looking forward to it.” He rubbed his hands, and Logan rolled his eyes.
Can he look any more like a twat?
Smith clearly felt the same. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Fuck off.” Rich gestured to Cole with a tilt of his head. “Tim and the others are dead because of him.”
“I know.” Smith shot a look at the cameras in the room, clearly aware of them. “And as a result, Cole was bitten, probably with little input into the decision.”
“Is that supposed to be a punishment?”
Logan wanted to tell Smith to save his breath. Someone like Rich would never understand what it was like for a lot of humans. That they didn’t want to join a pack and become shifters. Smith seemed to get it, though. With a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Look. Our people died trying to get Cole back, nothing will change that. But Michael has given him a second chance. Ouralphawants Cole to be a functioning member of this pack. Of the HRU. So that’s what I’m trying to achieve here. Okay?”
Rich scowled but wisely didn’t say anything else about their alpha’s decision. “Yeah, fine. But I don’t like it.”
