Page 152 of Cost of Courting

I let out a fierce growl and resist the urge to tell her to slow down or stop.

“I know where she’s going,” Mael says. “She’s gone to my house.”

My mind stumbles over it. She’s going to Mael’s place? But why?

We run as a unit, following her with less urgency. When we get to Mael’s old house, the dark and stark home with its corrugated iron fencing and overgrown yard has me with doubts, but he just leads us in.

The spare key is where it always lives. Mael opens the door and walks in.

At first, all I can see is dark. The old wood creaks as we make our way in.

Mael goes for the stairs, but I shake my head.

“Basement.”

Mael pauses, no doubt remembering all the times we spent hiding down in the basement while his mother was working. It was a place where we felt safe.

Halfway down the stairs, the light gives away that I was right. It’s a blue light that dances, and I smile as memories slam into me.

Sure enough, I step into the room. She’s bent over a pillow, hiding something.

“What are you doing, Omega?”

“Stashing weapons,” she murmurs and then jumps up, and I follow her gaze to the chandelier made of knives.

“Oh, that’s pretty.”

She throws me an approving look.

“Can we come into your nest?”

She pauses, thinks about it. I almost expect her to say no. But she gives a reluctant nod.

“Fine, but stay over there.”

Bailey chuckles and moves to where she points and leans against the wall.

“You have a beautiful nest, Omega,” Kingston purrs.

She stops. “Where’s our cat?”

Kingston blinks, and I think I see emotion in his eyes before he swallows hard. “Moria and Rain are going to look after him.”

She nods and returns to sorting her pillows. “Okay.”

“How do you know about this place?”

Selene glances over her shoulder. “Your mother and I still talk. She said I could use this place for my heat if it got close and I needed to hide.”

Mael stumbles. “You speak to my mother?”

“Of course. She practically raised the four of us. Why would I stop speaking to her?”

Selene is honestly baffled, but I think Mael is almost beyond words.

“It’s not that you shouldn’t. It’s more that she didn’t tell us you were.”

“Why should Doreen tell you? It’s got nothing to do with you.”

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