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I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Candice looks past me toward Selena, but she doesn't come any closer. Good. She believed me when I told her what would happen if she touched Selena or her baby. She needs me alive to lure Darian here, and if she hurts either of them, I'll make damn sure I'm useless as bait before my mate ever arrives.

Apparently, Selena notices her hesitation too. Oh, no. I know that look. “What's wrong, Candice?” Selena asks.

Candice's eyes narrow. “Nothing.”

“You're staying awfully far away.”

“I have no reason to come near you.”

“Of course you don't.”

Candice takes a step toward her before stopping. Selena smiles wider and leans back against the wall behind the cot. “You think I'm afraid of you?” Candice asks.

Selena glances down at her stomach. “I can't shift. I'm pregnant and sitting on a cot. You tell me.”

Candice's jaw tightens as I fight another smile. Selena is enjoying this way too much. Candice turns her attention to me instead. “Your little Beta can't protect you forever.”

“She's doing a pretty good job so far.”

“Little?” I ask.

Candice turns fully toward me. Much better. She walks closer to the cell while I stay exactly where I am. My wolf stirs faintly inside me.

Threat.

"I see her."

“You think you're tough because you killed a few rogues?” Candice asks.

“Sixteen.”

Selena snorts behind me. Candice's face tightens. “You're still the same pathetic bitch you were before. You couldn't protect your family then, and you won't protect them now.”

My fingers curl loosely at my sides as she takes another step toward me. Almost. I don't move. Candice comes closer to the bars. There you go. I shoot my arm between them and grab her wrist. Her scream barely leaves her mouth before I yank her forward, slamming her body into the bars hard enough to rattle them. I grab a fistful of her hair and slam her face against them again.

“What the fuck!”

I pull her back and slam her into the bars a second time before my fist connects with her mouth.

“Get her off me!”

The guards stare at us. I hit her again. “Are you idiots just going to stand there?”

Selena laughs from the back of the cell. “I think they want to see who wins.”

I laugh and slam Candice into the bars again. One guard finally grabs her around the waist while the other catches her arm, trying to pull her out of my reach. I tighten my grip on her hair.

“Let me go!” Candice screams.

“No.”

“Arlene!”

“Fine.”

I release her. Candice flies backward with the guards and nearly takes all three of them to the floor. Selena loses it behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find her laughing on the cot with both hands wrapped around her stomach. “Don't make yourself go into labor.”

That only makes her laugh harder. Candice gets back to her feet with blood running from her nose and lip. “You fucking bitch.”