Page 15 of Cost of Courting

I growl in response to his accusation, desperately fighting the urge to back up away from this huge, imposing alpha. “You didn’t deserve to know. You left. You left for some bitch who wasn’t even yours. We all knew she was wrong for you. And I clearly told you that dress was mine.”

“And how do you know she wasn’t ours?” Kingston growls in frustration, still cupping his balls. “How do you know we didn’t bond her?”

“If she was yours, she would be here,” I say simply. “You left without looking back. You never saw me. You never thought about me or came back. Why the fuck would I tell you anything?”

I step out of the shower, switch it off, and walk past them, trying to hide the trembling in my legs until I get in my room. I close the door and lean against it, only to let out an enraged shriek when I find Edric loungingon my bed.

“Get out.”

“Not a chance.”

“If you’ve made my bed stink, I’m setting yours on fire.”

He hesitates, no doubt remembering the time I did exactly that when they didn’t listen to me.

“Why are you so angry?”

“I’m a calm person, a very calm and happy person. You three just bring out the worst in me.”

“We used to be best friends, Sel. What happened?”

“You left me here to fend for myself,” I snarl, refusing to pull my punches.

I grab my clothes, ignoring the devastated expression on his face, and stalk out. I go to the kitchen and pull my clothes on, ignoring everyone and the sudden lack of privacy. It’s not the first time I’ve been naked in front of people, it won’t be the last.

Once I’m dressed, I grab my brush and untangle my hair. The three idiots are standing in the kitchen, sorry-looking, looming, overgrown gargoyles. It sets my teeth on edge.

“Are we going to have a conversation about this?” Edric demands.

I pretend to think about it. “Uh, no.”

I grab my bag, sling it over my shoulder, and march out of the house. They can tear my home apart. Anything I had that had value was stolen a long time ago.

I ignore them and head instead to work. The extra hours will come in handy, or I can draw on coasters or something, but I am not hanging around for this shitshow.

Surprisingly, they don’t follow me, which just reinforces that tiny, evil voice in the back of my mind that tells me they don’t really want me around and that they never actually cared.

Hours later, when mostof everyone is in bed and it’s just me left at the pub, as I’m locking up, I come outside and find that strange and sexy alpha waiting for me with his huge Harley.

“Bailey?”

He glances up, and the smile of all smiles transforms his face.

“What are you doing here?”

“Empty house, too many memories. I was trying to think who in the world would be up and free to chat, and the only person I could think of was you closing the pub all alone. Before I knew it, I was here.”

I half smile despite myself. “Thank you, I think?”

He shrugs and gestures to his bike. “Do you want a ride home?”

As much as I would love to, I know better than to lead people back to where I sleep.

“Safety check, and, no, but thank you.”

He ducks his head, nodding again. “Want to go for a walk or a ride? Go get a coffee?”

Is this a date? Is he asking me on a date? I think of Pack Dread waiting for me at home with all their accusations and the horrible past I haven’t been able to think about yet and realise the last place I want to go is home.

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