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A smile came to Avery’s lips. “You’d allow me to continue pretending I’m a beta?”
“Allow you? You should have the right to choose who you are, right?” Wilder smiled. “I fear you being found out, though. We’ll have to be careful.” He winced. “I hate the thought of not being able to show affection publicly, but it’s probably best that we don’t. For various reasons.”
Avery nodded, the desire to scream with happiness nearly taking over. Had he the strength, he’d be on his feet, jumping around the room with glee.
A knock came at the outer door.
Wilder frowned. “Well,thatwas fast.” He dragged on a robe and marched out of the bedroom.
Moments later, Avery heard shouting and voices.
Panic slammed into him as he dragged the top sheet over his body and walked toward the door to see what the uproar was. Before he could get far, several members of the Red Guard burst into the bedroom and snatched him on either side.
“Let me go!”
“Abraham Norcross, you’re charged with the impersonation of a beta and escaping the Omega Quadrant. You’re being reprimanded into the custody of the Red Guard.”
Oh no oh no oooh noooooo!
Icy dread washed over his weakened body as they dragged him through Wilder’s darkened apartment. He saw Wilder being held down by three other members of the Guard, screaming for the men to release him. Avery watched it all in slow motion, barely hearing the screams coming from Wilder’s lips. Static filled his ears, a low thrush of chilled blood running through his numb limbs.
Naked, they dragged him from the apartment and marched down the hallway. Some apartment doors were open, neighbors curious about what was going on. Avery lowered his head, shame filling him.
How had they known?
15
Wilder scrambled toward the door as soon as the Guard released him. Another blocked the path and refused to let him pass. Searching over his shoulder, Wilder watched them dragging his mate away.
“Where are you taking him?!”
“To stand before the judge and hear the charges,” the man who appeared to be the leader answered.
“Alone? Does he not get someone to represent him?”
“Not initially. There’s no attorneys present. The judge will simply hear the charges and arrange for him to be transported to surrogacy prison awaiting a full trial—where he has the right to his attorney present. There’s nothing you can do for him tonight.”
The Guard left Wilder with that last thought.
Nothing you can do for him.
All Wilder could imagine was the terror Avery felt. Searching for his phone, he stumbled on it and then called the only person he could think of for help—Rohan.
“It’s been days,” Rohan said, his voice terse. “We’ve been calling you both—for days.Where. Is. Abraham?”
“I sent you a text—”
“You told me you weren’t going to touch him!”
“Rohan! The Red Guard just arrested him,” Wilder cried.
“What?!”
“He needs our help. Meet me at the courthouse as soon as you can and I’ll explain everything.”
Less than an hour later, Wilder paced under a lamp post outside the courthouse, awaiting Rohan’s arrival. Finally, his best friend marched in, looking angry, at best.
“What the hell, Wild? We’ve been worried sick.”
