Page 106 of The Rogues

She nods, but her expression still bleeds with restlessness. I hold her hand firmly in mine, hoping to ground her, and she relaxes the tiniest amount with my support. However, when the chill Canadian air hits our skin and we see our tour buses ahead, she starts to shake once more, terrified of the confrontation ahead.

“I’m right here with you,” I remind her in a quiet voice. “We are all going to be with you. We won’t let anything bad happen.”

“I know,” she replies, her voice small and dry. “But… it doesn’t help the feeling that I’m betraying them. That I’m choosing you over them. I don’t want to choose between the two most important groups of people to me.”

“There’s no choosing, I promise. They will come around. Once the truth is out, they will understand.”

My pack mates come into view outside of our bus. Cyrus is helping a roadie with a few suitcases, and Remi is speaking with Izzy near the entrance. Malaki looks up and sees us, waving and smiling like the sunshine he is, and Josie lets out a wet laugh.

“He’s a dork.”

“Yes, he is,” she agrees.

We walk over to them, the push and pull so jarring that our feet actually drag as we close the distance. A tiny omega whine escapes Josie, and I turn to see her bandmates all outside their bus, but they haven’t noticed us yet. Cleo is talking to Tom, a confused look on her face, and then she whips her head to us so hard and fast, I’m surprised she didn’t hurt her neck.

Well, shit. I guess he just told her about the transfer.

She immediately starts to head over, likely unconscious of any paparazzi or onlookers because her steps are powerful and angry as she darts to us, discontent evident all over her face.

I accidentally flinch, the emotional jerk getting sent down both of my bonds and to my alphas. I can feel their response immediately, and then Malaki is there, flanking Josie on her other side as Cleo arrives.

“What the fuck, Josie?” she spits out, her jaw tensing. “I just heard you’re moving onto their bus! What the hell?”

Josie shrinks inward, her mouth gaping but no sounds coming out.

“I don’t think she wants to talk to you right now,” Malaki says.

Cleo’s gaze snaps to him. “I wasn’t talking to you, you blue turd.”

I stifle a laugh, especially when I see the shell-shocked amusement on my mate’s face, his expression the perfect mix of tickled and offended.

“What’s going on?” Lark asks as she and Nicola join us, their brows arched in surprise.

“Did she just say you’re staying on The Rogues’ bus?” Nicola asks. She doesn’t look hurt or angry by that fact, just stunned as she looks to Josie for an explanation.

“Yes,” Josie whispers, still a fraction of her usual self as she curls into my side. “I think it’s for the best right now.”

They all take in the instinctual movement, eyeing where Josie’s and my skin touches, and Cleo explodes.

“For the best right now?!” she screams, and I find myself standing taller at her vicious tone. “Josie, you’re smarter than that.”

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” I tell her firmly, steeling my spine.

She looks at me and laughs. “Or what, Jamie? I thought I told you once before not to mess with my friend, so now all bets are off.”

“You outing Cyrus and I will do more damage to you than it will us,” I remind her, not wanting any harm to come to Josie’s band. “Besides, it would be doing us a favor. We’ve been hiding so long, it doesn’t matter to us.”

Josie’s eyes widen, fire blazing behind them as she turns to her best friend. “Hey, outing people is not okay.”

Cleo rolls her eyes, but there’s a dose of shame in her features when she looks back at us. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” Josie questions. “Because the person I know would never do that. Even the threat of it is out of character for you, and maybe that’s the reason why I need to step away. Because I don’t know who you are anymore.”

She blinks at Josie. “What?”

Nicola’s eyes pass between them. “Maybe we should⁠—”

“No, I want to hear what she has to say. Apparently, she doesn’t know me anymore, so she thinks packing up with literal strangers is better for her.”