Page 80 of Defiance
Logan looked up at him, eyes struggling to focus, but Cole caught the slight nod of his head.
“What do you think of Paul?”
Logan’s lip curled around his fangs. “Wanker.”
Smith and a couple of the others laughed. “We didn’t need the serum for that.”
Paul just rolled his eyes. “And the feeling’s mutual.” He waved Cole on. “Again.”
“Why did you want to be a candidate liaison?”
Logan mumbled something and Paul was quick to yank his head up again. “Answer the fucking question.” He flicked one of Logan’s fangs, making him whimper, and Cole bit back a growl.
His fingers twitched, the urge to grab Paul and throw him across the room hard to ignore.
Cole stumbled through the most boring questions he could think of, each one earning a huff from Paul until he nudged Cole out of the way.
“You have the shifter who stopped you from escaping at your mercy, and there’s nothing you want to ask him about it?” Paul gave him an incredulous look.
Cole frowned, not sure how he was expected to behave.
What are they expecting? Is this a test?
He couldn’t ask Logan for help, or Aaron.
Instinct told him it was definitely a fucking test, and Logan always followed his instincts. So Cole did too.
“No, there’s nothing I want to ask him about that. I want to be a member of this pack, of this team, and rehashing that isn’t going to help in any way. I want to put it behind me and move forward.”
Paul nodded, satisfied, and Cole tried not to look as relieved as he felt. He snapped his fingers at Smith. “Get him the antidote.”
Thank fuck.
Ignoring that Logan was in so much pain was fucking hard, and Cole was at his limit.
As soon as Smith injected him, Logan’s fangs and claws retracted and he slumped back in the chair with a heavy sigh. Cole wanted to rush to him, hold him up, and check for himself that Logan was okay. Instead he stepped back as Aaron did exactly that.
He held Logan’s jaw, waiting until Logan opened his eyes. “All right?” Aaron asked, voice tight.
Cole gritted his teeth, desperate to touch him.
Logan swallowed a couple of times before nodding. “Yeah.” He sat up straighter, licking his lips and flexing his fingers. He shot a glare at Paul before focusing on Aaron. “Not something I want to repeat anytime soon, but I’m fine.”
Aaron stood, but before he had a chance to say whatever was on his mind, the door burst open and Jacob marched in, followed by Michael.
The room immediately fell silent, the tension in the room ratcheting up. Neither Jacob nor Michael looked especially pleased, and Cole glanced from Aaron to Paul, wondering who was about to get bollocked. His money was on Paul.
Michael strode across the room, taking in the scene before him, alpha power radiating outwards. Cole felt it in his bones, and it wasn’t especially pleasant when Michael was so clearly pissed off.
“Take those cuffs off him. You’re done here.”
Cole expected Paul to obey straightaway, but he didn’t move.
When Smith went to do it instead, Paul rounded on him. “Stay where you are.”
Smith froze, worried gaze darting from Paul to Michael. “Um...”
“It’s fine.” Michael smiled at Smith, his expression changing so suddenly when he faced Paul that Cole flinched. His eyes turned cold, lips bared in a snarl, and when he spoke, Cole felt the weight of it pressing down on him. “I gave you an order.”
