Page 81 of Cost of Courting

“I bonded you because I am in love with you. I’m making it forever. You’re not escaping us again.”

I back away from him, remembering all the pain, the fear, the years of loneliness.

“We don’t know each other anymore. It’s been too long.”

“You are the same and more. I love the core of who you are, and every day of exploring more of you is just going to make me even happier.”

“Happier?”

“Yes, Selene. You make me happy. You make all of us happy. We want you. Forever. With us.”

I gulp hard and find my mind fuzzing with panic. Kingston reaches out, but I flinch and stagger back.

They are the only ones who can hurt me. No one else can break through my shield. I don’t like being vulnerable. I hate it.

“I need to think.”

Kingston drops his hands and shrugs. “Sure. Think about it, talk yourself out of it. Run. It’s not going to matter. You are our omega. We’re not giving you up, and we’re not losing you again.”

I look around at Edric, Mael, Bailey. The four of them are in complete agreement. I don’t even need to hear the words to know that they aren’t going to fight Kingston.

They’ll fight me.

To keep me.

To have me.

The fight isn’t for them, though. It’s for me. Do I have a way of getting past the past and getting over my fear, or am I destined to live my sorry life alone?

Chapter twenty

Selene

I walked out ofthere without doing either of the things I had intended on doing. With a shake of my head, I push the pack to the side and focus on the more pressing issue: my sister.

She looks up at me as I walk in, her cheeks bright red, and as soon as she knows she has my attention, she throws a plate at the wall above my head. It’s such a move reminiscent of our father that I’m speechless.

“You can’t just dictate who I talk to!”

“Would that I could, we wouldn’t be in this situation!” I toss the barb back at her.

She flinches like I’ve hit her. “I didn’t know!” she shouts back at me.

I close my eyes, trying to find the calm that I used to have. I don’t want to fight with her.

“I know that, and I’m not,” I exhale roughly. “I’m not blaming you. I don’t blame you for anything, Luna. He was a predator. But you can’t just go around trying to get what you want like that!”

“Like what? Being friendly.” She flicks her hair and rolls her eyes. I try to hold my temper but it’s hard.

“Flirting,” I grind out and bend down to pick up pieces of the plate. It was the last one our mother bought before she died.

She narrows her eyes. “You’re jealous.”

I let out another warning growl. “They are mine. If they belong to anyone, they are mine. You lied to me. You betrayed me. We are not okay right now.”

Luna huffs. “You just want themfor yourself.”

“YES!” I shriek, whirling around to face her. “I do. I always have. That’s what hurts. They hurt me and betrayed me, and instead of siding with me, you were sneaking around behind my back.”

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