“Then what? What’s got you so riled up you can’t sit still for five seconds?” At Logan’s raised eyebrows, Aaron sighed. “Yeah, I know going back to London is going to suck for a while, but I don’t think that’s all of what’s bothering you.”
“Don’t you think that’s enough?”
Aaron gave him a look, and Logan caved, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. “I like him.”
“I gathered.” Aaron’s dry tone had him looking up.
“If things were different, I think...” He couldn’t say the words, didn’t want to acknowledge what he was going to lose out on.
Aaron scooted closer and slung an arm around his shoulders, his familiar scent wrapping around Logan like a blanket. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you shouldn’t come back with me.”
“Then they’d point the finger at you and Jacob.” He shook his head. “No. I won’t jeopardise your lives like that.”
“What about if—” Aaron held his hands up. “Hear me out before you say anything. But what if Cole came back with us? We could say we found him injured, dying, and offered him the bite in exchange for joining our pack?”
Logan stared at him as though he’d grown a second head. “No. Not only would Cole rather actually be dead than join our pack, they’d punish him for running away in the first place. His life would be hell. I would never wish that on him. No.”
“Yeah, sorry. It was just a thought.”
“A shitty one.” But now Aaron had put it in his head, Logan couldn’t get it out.
Fuck.
No, it would never happen. They’d have their first and last full moon together, and then Cole would join whichever pack he chose, and Logan would return to London.
There was no other way.
AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK that night, Logan made his way downstairs to Cole’s room.
The door was half-closed, so he knocked softly.
“Come in.”
Cole sat on the bed, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. “I knew it was you before you knocked. Recognised your scent. How weird is that?”
Logan grinned. “Weird.”
Rolling his eyes, Cole sighed. “I know you’re used to shit like that, but it’s all new to me. And it’s weird.”
“Sorry. I imagine a lot of stuff’s weird at the moment.”
“And about to get a whole lot weirder, right?”
“Yes.” There was no point in lying. Changing into a wolf for the first time was probably going to freak Cole out. “But it’s also amazing.” He sat down on the bed and reached for Cole’s hand, loosely twining their fingers. “How did it go with your parents?”
Cole blew out a long breath and glanced up at the ceiling for a second before answering. “Good. I should’ve known they’d take it all in their stride. They’re just happy I’m alive and out of London.”
Logan hid his flinch as Aaron’s words came back to him. He’d known it was a ridiculous idea, but it wouldn’t go away. “That’s good. Do they want you to go to Jersey with them?”
“They said they want me to do whatever makes me happy. Which I thought was a little odd, because leaving this place and its horrendous fucking laws is all I’ve thought about for the last few weeks. Maybe years even. “But I guess it won’t be the same now. If I go with them, I won’t be living where they are.”
“No, but you won’t be far. Jersey’s not that big,” Logan said, smiling despite the tightness in his chest.
Cole nudged him with his elbow. “I know that. But it won’t be the same. I’m one ofthemnow.”
Logan flinched again, and Cole saw it this time.
“Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean—”
