“You’re supposed to turn them off,” Nick whispered when Cole lost the battle and started to pull his phone out from his pocket. Nick pointed to a sign on the wall indicating all phones should remain turned off while in the clinic.
Cole rolled his eyes but dutifully turned his off.
There was no clock on the wall, not that they could see from the waiting room anyway, and with no other way to check the passing of time, it could have been minutes or hours before his name was called.
The nurse stood in front of those who remained, clipboard in hand and expression neutral as he called out Cole’s name.
“Good luck,” Nick murmured as Cole stood to go.
“Thanks.”
Cole was pretty sure they had opposite ideas as to what that actually meant.
He followed the nurse down a long corridor, taking the opportunity to admire the way his work trousers clung to his arse, using anything to distract himself from what was about to happen. The nurse stopped abruptly and turned, catching Cole in the act. Fortunately, he smirked and gave Cole a quick once over, making him blush.
Gesturing to the unmarked door in front of them, he said, “They’re waiting for you in there,” and then left before Cole managed to voice a reply. Probably for the best. He wasn’t sure he’d have anything to say anyway.
The packs were permitted to have a member present while the tests were carried out. Professor Damien said they drew lots to see who got which candidate.
Cole stared at the door, dread pooling in his belly as he reached out and knocked.
I wonder who got me?
The door was yanked open, startling him, and Cole instinctively took a step back.
“Hey.” The guy standing in front of him smiled, warm and welcoming, and some of the tension in Cole’s shoulders began to ease. “You must be Cole.” Grey-blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and the guy held out a hand. “I’m Logan.”
No last name; shifter then. Not that there was any doubt with that build.
Cole took the offered hand to shake, but the smile froze on his lips when he saw the tattoo on Logan’s forearm. A wolf howling up to a red moon—the McKillan pack.
Fuck.
It could be a coincidence.
Luck of the draw?
Or all of Cole’s worst fears come to fruition.
Logan frowned. “Everything okay?” He studied Cole’s face, and Cole hurried to school his expression into something hopefully less horrified.
“Yeah, just nervous, I guess.” Not a lie, but not the complete truth. Could Logan tell?
If he could, he gave nothing away. His smile remained, but Cole didn’t find it half as relaxing as moments before. “There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
Cole swallowed the burst of hysterical laughter threatening to escape.
There’s everything to worry about.
Logan stepped back, opening the door wider. “Come in, and let’s get started.”
Cole followed him inside, where two other people waited to greet him.
“Good morning, Mr Moreton. I’m Doctor Meena, and this is staff nurse Lucas.” The two women smiled at him and Cole politely smiled back, noting the nurse was the only one to use a last name. She was older than Cole by maybe ten years or so—he wasn’t great at guessing ages—either she’d been too old for pack affiliation or failed the test.
Either way, Cole envied her.
Doctor Meena gestured for him to take a seat on the bed. “Nurse Lucas and I will carry out several health and fitness tests over the next hour or so along with a blood test.” She glanced over at where Logan leant against the far wall. “Logan is here purely for observation.”
