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Edric covers Kingston’s hand and takes over the story.

“And then the pain started. Through our bonds, we could feel him hurting, we could feel his agony. For days that bled into weeks, we searched. We made a deal with some scary people who turned out to be friends, who helped us, and, eventually, we discovered his whereabouts and broke in and rescued him.”

Edric speaks tonelessly, but his knuckles are white, his leg won’t stop bouncing, and he can’t hold eye contact, all signs he’s struggling.

“The man who did this was a big man who didn’t speak often, when he did, he was cold, cruel, and arrogant. The only thing I know about him is that he had a tattoo of a red and black tiger on his chest. He enjoyed seeing me in pain. He didn’t want anything from me, just to see me hurt. I got lucky that they got to me in time. But, for the next few months, I don’t remember much of anything.”

Mael squeezes my hand.

“Do you understand me, Selene? I wasn’t human when they pulled me out.”

“When did you realise she wasn’t your scent-matched omega?”

“About the minute we got to the hotel room, but we needed to know where she’d gotten that dress,” Edric says.

“You should have listened to me!” I hiss.

“Yes,” Mael says with pain, sincerity, and eyes that burn into me. “We should have listened, we should have stayed, it all went wrong, and we paid for it.”

“How did he get you from the hotel room?”

“She gave me a bottle of water. I drank it and passed out within minutes. When I woke up, she was gone, and I was strapped to a chair.”

I can’t do this. I’m going to kill someone, anyone.

I pull away from Mael and rush to the front door, only to be caught by Edric.

“Sel, always hiding. One day, you’re going to step into the light, and no one is going to know what to do with all the dazzle.” He leans in, putting his face in my hair. “Please stop running.”

Kingston glides closer, reaching out with one hand. I want so badly to lean into his palm, but I stop him at the last possible moment.

I turn back to Edric. I watch as his grey eyes get dark, and he closes his hand into a fist and just as slowly removes it. It feels like he’s left a cold void inside me.

Don’t go.

Don’t leave me alone.

I remember screaming those words so loud I couldn’t talk for a week. It didn’t make a difference then.

Would it make a difference now?

I stop in the front yard because a single thought goes through my head. I thought I would never see them again, and it almost killed me, but there was always hope. What if I never saw them again? What if they were gone forever? Could I throw it away?

Tears well in my eyes, tears I’ve hidden and fought back for years. I don’t know what to do. I’m stuck. I can’t move a foot in either direction.

I look up at the steel grey sky with its storm clouds looming. A single drop of rain hits my cheek. It’s icy cold and sends a shock to my system.

I let out a sob and spin around as the skies open. Kingston, Edric, Mael, and Bailey stand on my porch. I’m drenched, the rain washing away the fear.

I don’t care what they did.

I don’t care what happened.

“If you leave me again, I’ll make you suffer. Worse than anything. You’ll never, ever recover.”

Kingston smiles that rare and wondrous smile. It’s the one he reserves for me. The smile I loved so much. They know my mind. They always have and probably always will.

And Bailey, watching. Taking it all in.