Page 87 of Cost of Courting

One of them attempts to throw a punch, but Kingston grabs the fist as it swings at her face and squeezes.

The guy drops to his knees, howling in pain.

“You don’t touch my omega,” Kingston hisses.

“Fuck this. He’s not worth it,” one of them shouts, shoving the other.

Selene lets out a growl, but Edric picks her up and passes her to Bailey, who is almost vibrating with rage.

“You held me back!” Bailey snarls at Kingston and Edric.

“You’re our omega, we were-”

Bailey sets Selene down and throws a punch right into Kingston’s gut.

“Do it again, I fucking dare you,” he growls, enraged.

Kingston wheezes and starts to laugh because he’s a dumbass. Selene shakes her head at us and simply walks off.

I follow her as she approaches the kid and puts an arm over his shoulders.

Part of me doesn’t like her touching him. I don’t see him as a threat, but she won’t let us touch her, and she will let him? Not fair.

I realise that I’m behaving like a child and refuse to follow any impulse that goes through my head, still, I do kill him viciously a time or two in my mind.

“What happened?”

The kid scowls. “Same as usual.”

Selene sighs.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

I half expect her to tell us to go away, but she just removes her arm and scowls.

“Henry won a scholarship to a school out of this area.”

Ah, that explains it. Nothing's changed, has it?

Bailey shouts out. I don’t even hesitate. I sweep them both down to the ground just as something explodes behind us.

The kid lets out a terrified scream, but Selene holds him tight, refusing to let go.

“Don’t move, don’t run!” she says. “The Pack has this.”

And just like that, I’m reminded vividly that this is our Selene, the one we grew up with. Of course, she knows who we are. Deep down, where it counts, she trusts us.

I hear Kingston laugh and lift my head, looking back. Bailey is standing on the bonnet of a car, swinging a chain in the air around him. Where did he get the chain from?

I don’t know this omega well.

I really don’t, but I want to. I push up so I’m standing, watching as he puts the chain through the front window.

Kingston yanks open the driver’s door and pulls a terrified man who could be about twenty-five out. He’s got long brown hair, and his fear has leached him of colour.

Edric pulls a knife out of his pocket and walks up to the guy, grabbing his throat and stabbing the knife towards him.

“No! Please, don’t!” he shouts.

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