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We’re going to fight. It’s disastrous odds, but we’re going to. I can feel it through the bonds. I hope Selene can’t feel this.

“Bring her.”

Her? Who? No, Selene is safe. There’s no one else we care about enough to–oh, shit.

Luna is beaten black and blue. She’s barely conscious, and she stumbles and almost falls but is held up by the alpha with huge hands wrapped too tightly around her arm.

“I know you were going to fight, so here’s the thing. If you want this one to stay among the living-”

Luna lets out a frightened moan.

“-Then you need to do exactly as you’re told, starting with dropping all your weapons on the ground.”

There’s no choice.

Selene loves Luna beyond all reason. It would hurt Selene more than anything else to lose her sister.

I pull out my weapons and drop them to the ground.

“I know something you don’t know,” Benson singsongs and nudges Hammer. “Look at them all freaking out.”

The crowd is getting restless and starting to laugh along with their insane leader.

“What’s that?” Kingston asks.

I’ve never seen him so cold.

“Oh, no, you know. It’s him that doesn’t.” Benson points a finger straight at Bailey. It takes everything in me not to step in front of him.

I glance at him and find the hatred and rage on his face hasn’t faded. If anything, he looks even more pissed off.

“Bailey Raines. Are you aware that these three are patched members of the Despair MC, rising through the ranks and ready to take over the club?”

Bailey makes a strangled, choking sound. I turn to him and reach out, but he pulls away, glaring at me, his eyes filled with suspicion.

“They would have told me,” Bailey mutters, but he gets a look at my face and pauses. “Is that true?”

He looks between the three of us, and his anger grows and spikes through the bond.

“IS THAT TRUE!” he roars.

Benson laughs in the background of my world falling down.

“It is, but we can explain-”

“Are you aware that Daddy Dearest paid Mael with favours and favouritism to shadow you when you went AWOL?”

“That’s not true!” Bailey hisses. “You wouldn’t have-”

His words fall short as he really takes in the last year and a bit and remembers all the time his ‘stalker’ appeared.

“You followed me to rise in the club? This is for a position and favour from my dad?”

Mael shakes with rage. “No. I followed you so I could get help to follow my plan. He needs to die. I never expected you…”

“It’s going well so far,” Bailey snaps.

I regret so many things but none more so than not being honest with Bailey and leaving Selene tonight.