Logan (Chosen Champions #1) - Macy Blake Page 0,33

of commando or something, but why was he there?”

“Because something was going on that’s bigger than this,” Heather said. “We need to find out what.”

“And why hasn’t anyone tried to find out what I was drugged with?” Ashley asked. “I mean, shouldn’t that have been first on the list? Can’t they trace batches or something? I don’t know. I’ve watched way too many episodes of NCIS, but I’d think that would be important.”

“Whatever it was made it so you don’t remember,” Bailey said. “And they weren’t at all surprised by that. I mean, how hard did the detective even push us to get details?”

“They never even questioned me,” Will pointed out. “Not that I saw anything, but still.”

“What freaks me out the most,” Ashley said softly, “is that I don’t even know if I could have gotten away if I did remember. I think about what happened to Rebecca and…”

None of them spoke for a long minute.

“We need self-defense lessons,” Bailey said. “All of us. And if a certain someone wants to be big, gorgeous, and mysterious while bragging about how they’re experts in hand-to-hand combat, well then, that someone can teach the rest of us how to defend ourselves.”

11

Logan

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Gideon asked.

Logan stood at the top of the stairs leading into the break room. He leaned against the railing and stared down at the fake walls and alleys he’d arranged for their earlier training session with Vice.

No one outside of their team and a few hellhounds had been inside the warehouse. This was their space, provided by the oracle but designed by Logan to mimic the security training he’d received in the military. Logan had built his team here. It had everything they needed to train and learn the techniques most shifters were never taught. He glanced at the vampire, trying to read Gideon’s expression. Of course, Gideon had mastered the art of the blank face almost as well as Logan had.

“No,” Logan finally answered.

Because to be honest, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to agree to train Bailey and his human friends. But when he’d gotten the text from Bailey the night before, he’d understood their feelings of powerlessness. Even with his enhanced shifter abilities, there had been times when Logan had felt the same way. He tried hard not to think about those days, but memories still haunted him.

“The oracle approved?” Gideon asked.

“Yes.”

Which had been the biggest surprise of all. Before Logan had replied to the message, the oracle’s voice had appeared in his ear—“It’s a good idea.”

And that was it. The only bit of wisdom he’d gotten from their mysterious benefactor. From outside, Logan picked up the sound of Aleron’s sleek black vehicle of the week arriving. The griffin opened the door a minute later, yawning, stretching, and still wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing the night before.

“Another one?” Gideon asked with a laugh.

“What? I have needs, and they were met. Over and over and over again.”

If griffins could purr, Aleron would be doing it. He strolled up the stairs with a small leather bag in his hand, then walked right past them to the bathroom down the hall.

“Good God, you reek,” Logan complained.

“That’s why I’m showering,” Aleron singsonged out the door before shutting it.

The water started, and Logan shook his head and returned his attention to the sounds from outside. Scout and Coal arrived within minutes of each other, and by the time Aleron finished getting cleaned up, Logan’s team was ready.

He went over his plan, making sure each of them could safely work with Bailey and his human friends without hurting them. He didn’t get any more questions from the team, either, which surprised him. Hell, he was still trying to figure out why he’d agreed to teach them some self-defense moves.

Of course, from the knowing smirks he received when he heard Bailey’s car approaching, he realized they’d all drawn a similar conclusion as to why he’d said yes to Bailey’s request.

Logan hurried downstairs, ignoring the snickering he heard behind him. He’d make them all pay later. He’d already cooked up a devious training session that would kick their asses. They needed it, mainly because their failure at the bar had shaken their confidence.

Bailey parked near Aleron’s car, but left far too much distance between them, like he was afraid his car would give the other one some dread disease if it sat too close. Logan had the same reaction the first few times he’d