Page 149 of Cost of Courting

“Yes. It’s for you guys, but it’s for me, too.”

A bike rides up and parks beside us, and I see Bailey stand up and swing his leg over the metal beast.

Bailey yanks open the back, and, together, we get the two of them hanging from giant hooks from the ceiling. Benson wakes up first.

Selene watches him, her gaze icy. Her heat and perfume are muted at the moment. But there is something deep and sad in her scent that has me wondering what else happened.

I’m scared to ask and destroy her control.

She lifts her chin and approaches him.

“Ah, Selene, I knew you couldn’t resist.”

She cocks her head to the side.

“You hurt my sister. I warned you not to touch her.”

Benson laughs.

She nods like she’s thinking deeply. “You killed my friend.”

Benson stops smiling.

She turns and looks at us; her gaze crystal clear. “Make him suffer.”

I crack my knuckles and move towards him. “My pleasure.”

Blood drips from myfingertips, and I turn and look at my omega. My pack is equally covered in blood.

“Is this to your satisfaction, my omega?”

She sighs. “I’m satisfied.”

I turn back. Now, it’s my turn.

Chapter thirty-eight

Edric

The sun is justturning the world orange and gold when we drive home. We’re all clean in new clothes, and while I’m going to deeply miss the dress Selene was wearing, the memory of her covered in our enemies’ blood is going to keep me getting hard for a lifetime.

We park our borrowed car at the community center and climb out.

“Selene, are you sure you want to do this?”

She glances back, giving Kingston one of those looks that has him biting his tongue.

“Sorry.”

I glance at my hands again, making sure they’re clean. Satisfied, I follow Mael and Bailey into the building. I was worried about Mael, I could see him fighting, but every time I thought he lost it, he managed to pull himself back from the brink and hold it together.

I asked him last night what helped him stop from going over the edge completely, and he said Selene and Bailey, Kingston and I. Our pack kept him sane.

I’d hugged him for a long time then, ignoring the blood and dead bodies behind us. Just grateful that we were in time all those years ago and that it’s finally all over.

The interior of the community centre is lit in dim lighting. There is food and drink up one end and a photo surrounded by candles.

I inhale sharply as the face in the photo comes into view.

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