“Until I come get you.” Logan sighed. “I know it’s probably not the way you’d like to do this, but if you don’t know a definite date and time, then you can’t let it slip to anyone. If we get caught doing this, you’ll possibly get a warning, a hefty fine, or light jail time. But those helping you to escape face either life in jail or the death penalty if they’re shifters.”
“Of course,” his mum said, looking a little pale. “We understand. And we’ll be ready for whenever you come to get us.”
Feeling a little chastised and a lot guilty, Cole wasn’t really thinking when he asked, “Will you be going with us?” When Logan met his gaze, expression hard to read, Cole realised that he desperately wanted the answer to be yes. He’d come to trust Logan over the past couple of weeks, and he didn’t want to say goodbye to him yet. Eventually they’d part ways for good—and that thought brought a lump to his throat, though so did a lot of things these days—but he wanted a little more time.
Logan nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be with you until the handover point.”
And how far is that? Cole wanted to ask but figured that would make him sound desperate at this point. Whether his mum could read him like a book or just needed the reassurance, she asked for him.
“How far is the handover point, and what happens to you after? Won’t your pack be suspicious if another of your candidates ends up dead?” She winced, as did Cole, because Logan’s expression went from calm to stricken in a heartbeat.
“Unfortunately, losing candidates this close to affiliation day isn’t all that uncommon. Some are accidents, as far as we can tell, but others not so much. We try to get to them first, but it’s not always possible.”
The mood in the room threatened to reach sombre levels, but Cole’s mum walked over to Logan and wrapped him in a hug. “You can’t save everyone. As much as I know you and your friends would like to.”
To Cole surprise—he’d expected Logan to shrug her off or offer a polite hug in return—Logan buried his head in the crook of her neck and hugged her back hard.
“Thank you,” Logan whispered, voice rough. When he pulled back, his eyes looked wet, but Cole kept that observation to himself. “I have to go, but I’ll see you soon.”
Cole walked him to the door again. The fact that this would be one of the last times he did this left an ache in his chest. He rubbed at his solar plexus with the heel of his hand, willing it away. His and Logan’s lives were on different paths; he didn’t need stupid feelings making things worse than they already were.
They reached the door, and Logan turned to face him. “In case I don’t get to say this when I come for you, I hope your new life brings you everything you want.” The raw emotion in his voice tugged at Cole’s heart, and when he met his gaze, Cole’s breath hitched at the longing in his eyes. “I would’ve loved to have you join my pack, but I know you would’ve hated every second. I’m just glad I can help you find a life that’ll make you happy.”
Cole had no words, no idea how to respond to that. The silence between them felt weighted, covering them in a blanket of tension that set Cole’s skin alight. The only sound in the dark hall was that of their breathing, the ache inside Cole growing with each exhale.
Fuck it.
Cole pushed Logan up against the wall, hands cupping his jaw, and kissed him.
If this was the last time they got to talk like this, to be like this, then Cole was going to make the most of it. There were a lot of things he might regret not doing, butdamn it, kissing Logan wasn’t going to be one of them.
Logan froze for a split second, long enough for Cole to back off, but then strong hands gripped his waist, gently pulling him closer, and Cole melted into it. Their bodies were flush from chest to thigh. The firm planes of Logan’s chest and stomach pressed against him, and the unmistakable hardness up against his hip had Cole’s pulse racing.
The teasing flick of Logan’s tongue had him opening his mouth, deepening the kiss, and the light stubble he’d fantasised about now tickled his palms and brushed against his lips with just enough roughness to make his toes curl. He slid his hands into Logan’s hair, holding on for dear life as electric heat danced up his spine and set his nerves alight.Jesus Christ, if he’d known the kiss was going to be this good, he would never have done it.
Fuck, realising this was the only time he’d get to do it hurt more than he expected, and he clung to Logan, hips pushed against his as he wrung everything out of it. Logan moaned, the sound deep and guttural, and Cole felt it in his bones.
When he eventually pulled back, Logan stroked a thumb across his bottom lip, then kissed him again, soft and quick. Neither of them spoke, but Cole saw the regret he felt—of what they were possibly missing out on—mirrored in Logan’s eyes.
He left quietly and Cole shut and locked the door behind him, resting his head against the wood.
Remember what he is Cole. It would never have worked out anyway.
If his body wasn’t still on fire from Logan’s touch, he might have believed that.
CHAPTER TEN
Logan took the seat opposite Jacob’s desk, one knee already jiggling with nerves.
Jacob shot him a stern look. “Calm the fuck down, you’re supposed to be updating me on your candidates. Nothing about that should make you nervous.”
Taking a deep breath in, Logan then let it out slowly and forced himself to relax. Jacob was right to be irritated. Acting like this, he was bound to encourage curious glances, and they didn’t need any scrutiny, especially now. Thank fuck no one could hear them. Logan glanced out into the main office area, spotted Aaron at his desk, and smiled. Movement over to the left caught his eye and he turned his head to— “Bollocks.”
“What?” Jacob followed Logan’s line of sight and cursed.
Michael McKillan was walking through the office, both of his betas in tow. “He never comes out here,” Logan muttered, as though Jacob wasn’t already aware of that. “Maybe they’ve come to see Paul?”
“Maybe.” Jacob’s tone was grim, and they both held their breath as the others neared the offices along the back wall.
