He shook his head as he passed the crumbling remains of what used to be a shopping centre.
They’d lied.
And not just about that.
THE CRESCENT MOON CLINIC was new and shiny—another example that they rebuilt only what they deemed necessary. Staffed with a mix of shifter and human employees, it served as one of the testing facilities for this borough and three neighbouring ones.
Including Cole’s.
It came as no surprise when he saw Nick leant against the wall outside the front. His smile was huge, excitement pouring off him, and Cole wished he could feel that way, just for a moment.
But then Nick didn’t have the same concerns that Cole did.
The packs that would be courting him—if the test was positive—would more than likely be some of the more laid back, peaceful packs.
There was only one pack who’d be courting Cole.
“Hey,” he said, mustering up as much of a smile as he could. “Are the rest of them inside?” There were ten of his classmates due to take the test today. Class would be interesting on Monday.
“Yeah.” Nick pushed off the wall and walked over to him. “Along with a fair few others.” His grin widened. “It’s positively packed in there.” When Cole sighed, Nick nudged him with his shoulder and lowered his voice. “I know you don’t want this, but don’t let them see. Just go in, get it done, and then we can leave.” Nick’s grin had all but vanished now, and Cole felt a stab of guilt.
He shouldn’t be inflicting his shitty mood on everyone else. For those that welcomed this, he hoped it worked out for them, he really did. And Nick was right, the last thing he needed was anyone inside that clinic seeing how much he hated the idea of becoming a shifter. He didn’t need them taking more of an interest in him than they already would if this test turned out to be positive.
Straightening his shoulders, he returned Nick’s nudge, giving it a little extra and knocking him slightly off balance. “Sorry. You’re right. Let’s do this and get out of here. It’s a beautiful day,” he added as they climbed the steps to the automatic doors. “Let’s not waste it.”
The inside of the clinic was both sleek and highly functional. So much nicer than the old GP offices that had stood here before the fighting broke out. The reception desk sat off to the right as they walked in, staffed by two women and a man. From the look of them, they were either all shifters or were human but already affiliated with a pack. The air of superiority and confidence clung to them like a second skin, safe in the knowledge that they had the full force of a solid pack to back them up should anything untoward happen.
As he and Nick approached the desk, the woman on the end looked up, greeting them with a wide smile.
“Can I help you?” she asked, glancing between them. The glint in her eye told Cole she knew exactly why they were there.
Nick stepped forward. “We’re here for the compatibility testing.”
Judging from the way she almost vibrated in her seat and the fact she didn’t look much older than them, Cole was guessing she was a new pack member. He tried to subtly look for her pack tattoo, but nothing caught his eye. Either she hadn’t got it yet or it was some place covered by her clothes. That wasn’t the norm—alphas liked others to know who you belonged to—but not unheard of. Especially for new affiliates. From what Cole had heard, they were encouraged to get a bigger, more prominent tattoo later on.
When Nick kicked his foot, Cole glanced up quickly to find both the woman and Nick staring at him. “Sorry, what?”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Your full name? For the third time.”
“Oh, sorry. It’s Cole Matthew Moreton.”
“Date of birth and first line of your address?” The woman—Louise, according to her name tag—paused with her fingers hovering over the keyboard, looking at him expectantly.
“May fifth, 1997.” He waited as she entered the information and then told her his address.
Her fingers flew over the keys as she typed; then she looked up again with another smile. “If you take a seat over there...” She pointed to the waiting area, where Cole recognised some of the people already sat there. “They’ll call your name when they’re ready for you.”
Wonderful.
“Thank you,” he managed, remembering his manners, and trudged over to join the others.
Nick followed, and after a few murmured greetings, they took the two seats at the end of the first row. Unsurprisingly the seats were far more comfortable than you’d expect for a doctor’s waiting groom, and Cole sank into the cushioned base with a sigh.
Now they just had to wait.
Not something Cole was especially good at.
As the minutes ticked by, he cracked his neck from side to side and tapped his fingers on his knee, trying to resist the temptation to keep checking the time.
