Chapter 15 #2
“And after the speech,” Quincy picked up where I’d left off, “we’ll confront him with our ultimatum and get his word that he’ll let Jack break away from him.”
“If that’s how you want to play it,” German said.
“Really, should I be writing all this down?” Schubert whispered again. “We’ve got a schedule now and all.”
“I think I can remember this,” German said. He nodded at me, then said, “We’ll see you down there.”
That was it. We all knew what we had to do. All that remained now was to just do it.
Quincy and I waited by the pool for a few more minutes to give German and his assistant time to go down and blend in with the crowd. When we finally headed downstairs as well, both of us were nervous and excited.
“Do you think this will really work?” Quincy asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet as the elevator swooshed down.
“It was your idea,” I chuckled, giving his hand a squeeze.
We stepped apart and pretended we weren’t madly in love as the elevator opened into the busy lobby.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” Quincy said.
“You do that,” I said, wishing I could kiss him. “I’m just going to stroll around the exhibits and burn some time before the keynote.”
“See you then.” Quincy waved, then winked, then walked off.
I felt a little…less without him. But there was a lot to see at the expo, and I could practically taste the freedom I was about to have.
All I needed to do for the next three hours was to blend into the crowd.
That was surprisingly easy. The various conference rooms of the expo grew more and more crowded with every second.
The noise of chatter surrounded me, and I didn’t see my dad anywhere.
Probably because my dad was only interested in technology if it could benefit him and make him richer.
I, on the other hand, was actually curious about all the things people could do these days.
The three hours dragged, but not as much as they could have.
I checked out a whole room full of new advances in gaming, which was one of the most popular rooms at the entire expo.
There were entire exhibits about technological advances in the home, too.
I was particularly fascinated by the room where learning tools and other academic advancements were being showcased and demonstrated.
It wasn’t until I wandered through the large conference room holding exhibits about medical advances that my heart really started to race.
I was drawn in, or maybe stunned is a better word, when I saw a banner across one portion of the space for Bangers & Mash Labs that read “New Hope for Severed Bonds”.
It couldn’t be. Quincy had said it was impossible. His doctors had told him the condition was permanent.
That didn’t stop me from making a beeline for the booth.
“—greatest advancement for the last fifty years,” the alpha in a lab coat standing inside the display was in the middle of explaining to an older alpha and omega couple.
“Broken bonds have always been a death sentence, or worse, but with the research Bangers & Mash is doing, we may be able to extend the life of the severed and give them a happy future.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I want to stick around much longer after Avery is gone,” the alpha said, sliding his arm around the omega’s waist.
It was touching to see them, but I had other questions.
“What about in the case of a younger omega who had his bond with an alpha severed surgically?” I got right to the point.
The older couple looked on with mild interest as the scientist alpha turned to me.
“Our new ReBond procedure is specifically designed to help anyone who has had a bond severed surgically to recover and thrive,” the man said.
“Really?” I couldn’t believe it. Someone was working on something that might help Quincy.
The alpha smiled and extended his hand to me. “Dr. Holden Fletcher,” he introduced himself. “I take it you know an omega who was severed?”
“I do,” I said in a rush. “He accidentally bonded with a childhood friend when they were young, but the alpha didn’t want the bond after all. The alpha forced him to undergo the severing procedure, and it’s had vast, negative effects on his mental health.”
The older couple made sounds of pity and revulsion.
“I’m sorry your friend has gone through that,” Dr. Fletcher said.
“But yes, that’s exactly what ReBond is being developed for.
My own omega, Arlo, who assists in my research, is passionate about omega rights.
When he learned about how omegas are disproportionately damaged by the severing procedure, he urged me and my team to do something about it. ”
The older alpha, who was still listening, chuckled. “We wouldn’t get anywhere without our omegas, would we, Avery?” He smiled adoringly at his partner.
“We certainly wouldn’t,” Dr. Fletcher said.
“Can this new…ReBond make it possible for an omega to bond again?” I asked.
I was about three milliseconds away from holding my breath as I waited for an answer when the question, “Yeah, can it?” sounded from behind me.
I turned to find Chester sauntering up to the booth.
Like they had the other time I’d met the asshole, my hands twitched with the need to ball into fists so I could flatten him.
“That’s precisely what we’re aiming for,” Dr. Fletcher asked, his manner suddenly tighter.
The older couple took a step back, then moved on to the next booth. Even they sensed the crackling tension and hatred between me and Chester.
“I don’t think an omega who was forced to be severed would have any interest at all in bonding with the same alpha again,” I told Chester, standing taller.
“It makes sense that rebonding with that same alpha would make him happier, more complete,” Chester said, using his words as a threat.
Dr. Fletcher hummed slightly as he glanced between the two of us.
“The research we’ve done and the procedure that we’ve been developing is concerned primarily with healing the broken part of the omega,” he said, his words guarded.
“The potential to form another bond is part of what we’re aiming for, but my team’s primary concern is with healing and helping the omega’s brain chemistry to regulate and balance again.
What he or she does with their life after that should be their decision alone. ”
“But omegas are better when they’re in a relationship with an alpha,” Chester said.
I hated the implication of his words.
“Omegas are their own people,” Dr. Fletcher said, making me like him even more. “And a large portion of omegas live perfectly happy, productive lives without ever bonding, even within a marriage.”
Part of me wanted to scoff at that. My parents had been married for over thirty years and they’d never bonded.
But I wouldn’t have called them happy at all.
At least they were proof that omegas didn’t have to bond with an alpha to be fully functioning members of society.
My mom was one of the sharpest and most competent omegas I knew.
She just wasn’t very emotional or affectionate.
“How far along are you with your research?” Chester asked, crossing his arms and asking the question like he was challenging Dr. Fletcher to a fight.
“Quite far along, actually,” Dr. Fletcher responded with scientific grace, not taking the argument bait.
He looked at me as he went on with, “We should be at a point where we can begin trials soon. We will be putting out a call for omegas who would like to participate, if your friend might be interested.”
“He’d love—”
“I doubt he would be,” Chester cut me off. “Besides, he made his choice, he should stick to it.”
“His choice was made for him,” I said, peeking at Dr. Fletcher and trying not to punch Chester. “I’m sure a lot of omegas end up in that same position.”
“It’s more common than you might think,” Dr. Fletcher said.
“What about alphas?” Chester asked, chin tilted up. “Shouldn’t you put your research efforts into making alphas whole and being able to bond again first?”
Seriously, I was going to kneecap the guy at any second.
“Well, the severing procedures that exist right now tend to be massively, disproportionately in favor of preserving the alphas’ abilities as much as possible,” Dr. Fletcher said.
“I’m sure we’ll work on that in the future, but right now, the greater need lies with the omegas who have undergone the barbaric severing procedure. ”
I definitely liked Dr. Fletcher.
“Who’s funding this research?” Chester demanded. “Sounds like I need to have a talk with them.”
“All of Bangers & Mash Labs’ funding comes from private donors who wish to remain anonymous,” Dr. Fletcher said.
“What are you doing?” I growled at the man. “This research could help people. It could help Quincy.”
“And why do you care about my omega?”
I nearly exploded.
“He’s not your omega anymore,” I said, turning to face him with so much fury that he backed up a few steps. “You forced him to undergo the severing procedure. He begged you not to.”
“That’s a lie,” Chester insisted, breaking into a sweat. “Did he tell you that?”
“Leave Quincy alone,” I warned him. “I don’t know why you’re going anywhere near him now anyhow. He told me about you showing up at his office, and at his parents’ house.”
“He told you that?”
I would have expected Chester to look angry about another alpha encroaching on what he saw as his territory, but Chester looked nervous instead.
“Leave. Quincy. Alone,” I said. I would have poked him hard in the chest with each word, too, but I didn’t want to touch the bastard.
“I saw him first,” Chester snapped back with the lamest argument known to man.
“You don’t even want him,” I said.
“You don’t know that,” he stammered. “Yes, I do.”
“You don’t,” I insisted. “I do.”
“You…you can’t,” Chester said. “You’re high society. You have to be with someone more worthy of the Salisbury name.”
My dad was behind this. I knew it in an instant. My dad had put Chester up to approaching Quincy again, whether he wanted to or not. He was obviously trying to get Quincy to give up his interest in me and go back to his ex.
I didn’t get a chance to confront the bastard with that, though.
“Mr. Monk, there you are,” Miss Miniver, Quincy’s boss strode up to the booth, wearing a headset. “Your presentation starts in five minutes.”
Miss Miniver noticed me and nodded.
“I have a keynote presentation to make,” Chester said, as superior as possible, then turned away from me and marched out of the room.
He could march all he wanted, but I followed. I followed with a smile. Because I knew something else now that would help unravel my dad’s plans to keep me under his thumb. He was bribing the same man he needed to be on his side.
He wasn’t going to get away with anything now.