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Selene stands up and spits in disgust. “Let him go, he’s just a lowlife piece of shit who turns on people who help him for coin.”

The man blinks at Selene. “Help me, Selene, help me, please.”

Bailey lands down hard and kicks out, snapping the man’s knee cap backwards.

The scream is loud.

I put my hands in my pocket and watch as Bailey systematically rips into the guy until he’s just a bleeding floppy body that has no willpower or fight left in him.

Edric and Kingston watch with the same hunger that I feel in me. He is a thing of beauty.

I risk a glance at Selene and find her almost quivering. Her lips are parted, her fingers clench the edges of her blue leather jacket with a death grip.

I look away before she can see me watching.

Bailey lets the guy crash to the ground and stalks past all of us and up to Selene.

She tilts her head back, but I can see she’s lost for words.

“Are you okay?”

I see the moment she melts. She tries not to, she fights to hold onto her anger, but it’s gone. Selene has always been like this. Show her a little bit of attention, and she is devoted to you.

I cock my head, considering the situation. Is that what we need to do? Helping her with the neighbourhood hasn’t worked. Helping Luna out hasn’t worked. Perhaps we need to reach her by showing her we see her.

I glance at Edric and back at her. Kingston moves in closer to our omegas, his eyes flaring as Bailey’s scent switches to a familiar and rich, sweet vanilla and apple.

It’s a lightning strike of a moment where I can see our future in ten, twenty, thirty years. I can see our lives unfold, the highs and lows. I’ve never wanted anything more.

Edric shackles her wrist. “Time to go home.”

Selene resists looking at the kid, but Bailey sweeps Henry up in his wake, removing any inclination for her to protest. Without a reason to stay, she grudgingly stops fighting his pull and falls into step with us.

“Where are we dropping you, kid?”

He looks up at Bailey, and I see the beginnings of hero worship.

Selene glances at Edric. I don’t think she would want anyone to see the way she’s looking at him. How many times did I see that look but fail to discern what it meant?

We need to win them both over. Bailey would be gone, bonds or not, if Selene wasn’t holding him here. I don’t know what the attraction is between the two of them, but I approve. Instead of feeling jealous, it makes me feel deeply satisfied.

We drop Henry at his house and continue to Selene’s place, where she does her absolute best to ignore us as she starts cooking.

I lean against the cheap cupboards with their plastic handles and peeling paint. The laminate is peeling on the counters. The inside hasn’t seen a lick of paint since the house was built.

It doesn’t matter how cheap the house is or what setting she’s in, she never looks anything less than a queen. Even now, with an apron tied around her waist and flour on her cheek, she still looks beautiful.

“We need to talk.”

She flicks me a glance and returns her unconcerned gaze to the bowl of batter she’s stirring. Anyone else would think she’s unconcerned, but I can tell that she’s struggling.

“About what?”

“About us.”

She forces a laugh. “There is no us.”

“I’m hurt, love,” Kingston purrs, which is accompanied by a meow from Shade, who is sitting on his shoulders.