Page 43 of Cost of Courting

I follow them back to our car. Bailey decides to drive and takes us through the drive-thru of a burger joint. I order more burgers than we can eat, fries, and thick shakes.

Bailey sends me a questioning look.

“She likes to eat junk in the middle of the night.”

I don’t need to say more.

We get home, and Edric climbs through the window and lets out a wild howl.

I hear a thump and then Selene swearing at him as I collect the bags of burgers and drinks.

“How many times do I have to tell you if you wake me up howling, I will give you something to howl about?”

“Oh, come on, you missed it.”

Mael opens the door and lets us in. Selene is sitting up in another sports bra and panties. She sees the food, and her eyes light up.

“Is that for me?”

“For us,” I correct and come and drop onto the mattress beside her.

“You need a new bed.”

She ignores me, going through the burgers until she finds one she wants.

I grab a strawberry thick shake and hold it out to her. She looks at it, a wistful expression stealing her joy, and reaches for it.

We all eat in silence. It’s nice.

It’s more than nice, it’s the old days converging with the new, and she’s not kicking us out or trying to kill us.

We’re wearing her down.

Yay for persistence.

Edric takes all the burgers to the fridge and puts them in. Luna always did like her burgers cold.

When he comes back, he walks right up onto the mattress, pushes Bailey onto his back, and straddles his shoulders. There’s no warning.

Bailey struggles, but Edric has him pinned. His scent explodes around us, eliminating the scent of burgers.

“Bailey would like to learn how not to perfume like an omega,” Edric purrs and strokes Bailey’s cheek.

Selene blinks slowly. She looks dazed. “It’s 4 am. I’m not teaching him now.”

“Fine.”

Edric leans back and cups the struggling omega. He strokes the hard length of him and squeezes him through his jeans.

Bailey makes a strangled sound and bucks up, pressing into his hand.

I crawl over to Bailey and stare down at him. “Yes or no?”

“Oh, fuck, yes!” he whines.

Mael rips his jeans down to his knees before I can even turn.

“We’re going to play a game,” I tell her. “You’re going to help or Bailey is going to scream.”

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