Page 34 of Cost of Courting (When it Raines Omegaverse #6)

Chapter thirty-two

Edric

I don’t like the way our omega is egging his alpha on; I don’t like the way neither of them seems to be thinking clearly. With a tight chest, I briefly recognise the intense scent of Selene’s heat. It’s not even full-blown yet, and I’m losing my mind.

Why is it this strong? Surely, this isn’t normal?

I turn back to race into the house, hoping to find Selene to put reason in their heads, but when I get to the door, I catch the sharper notes in the blueberry cobbler scent, and I realise one thing with crystal clear clarity.

Our omega is really going into heat, and if we don’t finish this now, we might not be able to keep her safe through it. That thought is what sways me.

If they catch us helpless while we’re in the nest, it’s going to be all over.

I back away, fighting every single instinct in me.

“We should call it in,” I whisper to Kingston. “Get more help.”

Kingston’s head snaps up. “We can’t do that.”

“We need help,” I stress. “We won’t be able to just walk in and kill him and walk out.”

“Stealth. If we go in quickly and quietly, we can get him before he realises,” Kingston says with a growl.

He’s as gone as the other two.

I consider it. I don’t like the feeling I have inside. Everything feels wrong about this.

“Let's go,” Bailey demands, running his fingers through his hair and looking towards the car.

Still, I hesitate, even though my head is foggy with the scent of Selene’s heat. “We should call or leave a note for Selene, at least let her know.”

“No time,” Bailey says with a smile that would scare small children. “We’ve got this.”

Despite my better judgement, the desire to have her safe overwhelms all other thoughts. I fight it, but with Bailey whispering heat-drugged words into the air and the rage growing, the need to protect Mael, Selene, and Bailey, I’m fighting a losing battle.

“We should leave a note,” I protest one last time.

“And say what?” Kingston asks. “Sorry, I went to kill someone. But, don’t worry, I’ll be back for breakfast.”

I snarl at him but don’t stop walking towards the car.

We pile in, and I finally ask the question I’ve been dying to ask. “What is our plan?”

“Sneak in, assassinate him, and sneak out,” Bailey says darkly. “It’s not like we all haven’t done things like this before.”

I groan at the complete lack of thought put into this.

I search my pockets, but I don’t even have my phone.

This is ridiculous. My head throbs, and I realise just how deceptively in control we all are.

Omegas are ruled by their heats, but alphas can be brought to their knees by their instincts or one pheromone-filled room.

“We’re going to die,” I warn. “We need a plan.”

Bailey snorts. “Don’t be like that, Edric.”

I like the way he says my name. I like the way we are together. But this, I don’t want to go.

The conviction grows so big so fast that I almost lean between the seats and grab the steering wheel, running us off the side of the road, but when I lean forward, Selene’s scent is all over Bailey’s clothes.

“How are we going to do it?” I try again, but I’m struggling to hold on to reason and thought.

“With a knife,” Mael growls. “I want to watch him bleed out. For everything he put her through. Put us through. He needs to pay.”

I sit back and don’t ask anymore questions. The thought that this bastard sat here tormenting these people for years because he wanted to finish the job has me in a mild panic.

I think of the connection between the five of us.

Octavia.

She would have sold Selene out in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t have even batted an eye.

“I think…” I pause, watching Bailey out of the corner of my eye. He’s restless but strangely focused. “Octavia might have had something to do with this, not you, Mael.”

Mael spits out several curses .

“Octavia Sand? As in the bitch I fucked?” Bailey asks with a growl.

I do not like thinking about people he’s fucked. At all.

“You knew her?” I ask, shocked.

“Yeah, she’s a real piece of work. Helped get a whole heap of women I’d slept with to show it to the world, trying to discredit my family’s name,” Bailey mutters. “Wait, it’s the same omega?”

“It’s a small world,” I murmur.

We park the car blocks from the warehouse. The sun is bright, and we look like anyone else. Kingston opens the trunk and reveals a weapon stash. I grab a couple of knives and a gun.

Go back!

I start to sweat. “Let’s just think about this. We don’t know how many people are in there.”

“It’s a club, according to the information we’ve received, we should be able to slip in unnoticed.”

I’ve run out of excuses to stop their forward momentum. As we walk along the footpath, I try to think of something else to say, but only blind panic and the aggression of the three alphas walking with me throbs around me.

I see the door and mentally ready myself for this. We’ve done shit like this before. It should be easy. A quick in, get the job done, and get out.

We walk into darkness. I can’t see anything, but I can feel people in here. Instantly, I know this is wrong. All wrong. The throb of the music is too loud. It makes my teeth ache.

This is wrong. We’ve just fucked up so bad.

Selene’s scent finally vanishes from my mind, peeling back and leaving me with this hollow feeling. We fucked up.

I’m shoved in the back from behind, and I feel us stumble forward, deeper into the club.

The music that was so loud it was making my ears throb cuts off, and I hear the people around us shifting. There are a lot.

What the fuck is this? I grab my gun and hold it in my hand while I inhale the toxic combination of scents around us.

The lights come on, and I find that we’re surrounded, not by a couple of people but easily maybe fifty or sixty alphas.

Enough that we don’t have a hope in hell of fighting them off .

“Mael? Holy fucking hell, Mael. I can’t believe it’s you. I had no idea you were back.” Benson turns and nudges Hammer. “Look, it’s our old friend, Mael. He’s back for seconds.”

He was involved? I’m so shocked I almost can’t think of anything else.

Maybe I can get Bailey out. I yank Bailey behind us and turn, but our way is blocked off.

Fuck!

FUCK!

“I’m here to kill you,” Mael says monotonously. His fingers are twitching, and there’s a dangerous, musky edge to his scent.

“Well, I’d love to let you try, but, sadly, I’m not going to let you do that, Mael. You’re going to need to behave under my roof.” Benson laughs, this hideous, deep chuckle that ends with a snort and a wheeze.

Benson’s eyes are dilated, and I notice that his fingers tremble.

Great, they’re high, too.

I glance back at Bailey, who clenches his jaw and looks around. I wish I’d ignored them or stopped them.

I wish I’d called for help.

Selene, I’m sorry.

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.

How stupid can we get? Why did that potent scent of her heat and Mael’s rage erase all sense and reason from us?

“I’ll be sure to send Anderson photos of what we do to you, Bailey, and pretty pics of his favourite dogs brought to heel. Speaking of, someone has been so looking forward to catching up with you, Mael. You really were his favourite bitch.”

Benson smiles widely. The most evil smile I’ve ever seen. Mael takes a step towards him and growls, but a machete suddenly appears at his throat. I reach out, grab his arm, and pull him back.

“Take Bailey to my bedroom.”

Bailey lashes out at the alphas who grab at him, but he’s quickly overpowered .

Mael takes a step, but Benson casually slaps Luna, sending her careening to the concrete with a weak sob.

I grab Mael and hold him back, trying to keep Bailey in sight as he’s dragged into a dark corridor.

“You three march over that way. I’ve got the perfect place for pieces of shit like you.”

We go, reluctantly.

In the corner of the warehouse, there are cages with all sorts of animals inside. We’re beaten and shoved into a cage.

“Clothes off.”

I calmly peel my clothes off and kick them out of the cage. Mael and Kingston follow a second later.

Benson whistles. “Hammer, we created artwork with this alpha. Look at how fucking ugly he is. I’m surprised she even wants to touch you.”

Hammer? Mael is looking between them, but I can tell he can’t figure out which one is his tormentor.

I grind my teeth, hoping and praying that Mael doesn’t respond to their taunts.

The door is slammed shut.

“Have a good sleep, my pets, don’t die because, tomorrow, the fun begins. A certain tiger has been dying to be let out to play.”

I watch him walk away, wishing for so many things, but, above all, that Selene wasn’t sitting at home alone wondering where we are.

“Edric, we have a problem.”

I turn really slowly.

Mael is breathing hard, his eyes unfocused, and his teeth bared, and he’s gone completely and hopelessly feral. I throw myself at him and pray to the universe that I have the strength to bring him back.