“Don’t be like that. I know all of this is a fucking test. I know that there’s probably worse to come when I meet the rest of the HRU team. And I also know that we’re doing all this to stop shit like that from happening, but none of that makes it any easier to see someone you care about being treated like that.” He pulled his T-shirt over his head so violently, Logan fully expected to hear the material tear.

“I’m sorry.” None of this was what Logan had wanted for him. Looking at him now, even though the thought of losing him cut deep, Logan wished Cole had never been bitten, wished he’d made it to Jersey unscathed to live free and far from all of this with his parents. Like the plan had been all along.

Cole sighed, some of the fight draining out of him. “No, I’m sorry. None of this is your fault. You tried to stop me coming back. This is all on me.” He sighed again, then offered Logan a small smile. “Did I just make things worse?”

“No. I suspect you reacted as expected. But you do need to watch it all the way through.”

Logan could tell Cole would rather do anything than that, but he nodded anyway.

Uncrossing his arms, Logan finally reached for Cole, entwining their fingers. As their skin touched, heat coursed through Logan’s body. That one small connection was enough to make his heart race and blood pound through his veins. Quickly letting go before his restraint crumbled, Logan reached for the door. “Give it a minute before you come out.”

Then he turned and headed into the bathroom, flushing the toilet before returning to Aaron in the living room.

The one raised eyebrow he got as he sat down told him he looked as unsettled as he felt. “Feeling a bit off,” he said, in case anyone was monitoring this. He rubbed a hand over his face. “I hate making mistakes and letting the pack down.”Well, the first half was true anyway. “The next couple of months are going to suck.” In so many ways.

“Yep.” Aaron raised his mug in commiseration. “They certainly are.”