Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Audrey
“What happens if they say no?” Ansel’s words cut through the silence that hung between us.
“We saved their asses,” Rydell said, refusing to accept that as a possibility. “There’s nothing they can do about it. They have to let us go. This is just a bullshit formality.”
“You know how rich people are,” Ledger added, shaking his head. “They love their red tape and performances.”
Ares walked in. Things were still a little awkward between us after his outburst, though he’d apologized, and I could tell he was trying hard to be more aware of himself.
“Do you know how much longer?” Ledger asked, clearly as annoyed as I was with the wait.
None of us had voiced it out loud, but there was a lingering fear that maybe some of us would be released while others stayed behind.
“They’re still tied up in meetings,” Ares said. “I think they’re just avoiding all of this. But again, somebody leaked that they were starting, so they can’t back out now.”
Ares froze, his hand going to his ear before pointing to Rydell. “Someone’s here to see you.”
“Me?” Rydell asked, frowning. “If it’s my fathers, you can tell them to fuck right off.”
“No,” Ares said. “Actually, it’s the girl you bonded to.”
My heart sank while Rydell gave me a worried look.
“We all need closure, right?” I asked softly, trying to show support.
“Of course,” Ares agreed. “She’s right outside. Let’s get this over with while we wait. It’s just a conversation. If you’re uncomfortable, you are free to leave at any time.”
Ares led the way. They were holding the board meetings in the dining hall, which meant the conference room was empty again.
“She couldn’t have picked a worse day to come,” Rydell muttered.
“For once, I disagree,” I said quietly. “This is probably the best time. Maybe you can finally put some of your past behind you.”
He took a breath and nodded before Ares led us in.
There was a petite omega waiting inside the conference room. She was pretty, and I was relieved to note that we looked nothing alike.
“Rydell,” she said, standing. The omega shifted awkwardly, rocking on her feet. “Look, I’m sorry for coming, but I heard about what was going on and… I just wanted to talk to you.”
“How did you even know I was here?” Rydell asked.
She let out a shaky breath. “My legal team reached out for me. A few years have passed and I guess I just wanted to see if you were as fucked up as I was. I don’t know.
” She laughed, the sound hollow and broken as she started pacing.
“They medically separated the bond. It shouldn’t affect me, and yet I still have nightmares. ”
Rydell hadn’t said much. He looked dazed, lost in a fog of memories.
I pressed myself into his side, fingers wrapping around his wrist. The omega noticed, her eyes flickering to me as if just realizing I was there.
“I found a mate,” Rydell said finally. His voice was rough, like he had to force the words through something jagged.
“Oh,” the omega breathed out in shock.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“What do you expect me to say?” she sighed. “I’m not even sure. I just… I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this happened to you. I’m sorry that I played any part in your pain. I’m sorry that you got locked up here with no way out while I was fine. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“We actually have a hearing today to see if we’re fit to leave,” I spoke up for him. “Everyone was quick to call Rydell a monster because of his dominant status.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s why you’re here?”
“Yes,” Rydell confirmed.
“But neither one of us wanted that,” she argued. “I pushed you away because you were a reminder of the worst time of my life. I bit you. I took your consent away.” She was sobbing now.
“It was never your fault, either,” Rydell said firmly.
“You don’t blame me?” she asked, her watery eyes wide.
He shook his head. “Of course not. I blame those assholes.”
“It sounds like neither of you were to blame,” I said gently. “It’s okay to let it go. But if you can, then give us a chance to get out of here. Tell them he wasn’t dangerous. That he was one of the few alphas from that school who was normal.”
“He was,” she agreed.
“Wait,” I interrupted, realizing she never should have been there. “I thought it was an alpha-only program. Dominant alphas only.”
“It was,” she said. “But they had an outreach program. A way to safely allow them to interact with omegas. To desensitize them to our scent.” She put air quotes around the word safely.
“Seems that backfired,” I muttered.
“My uncle was the dean,” she continued. “He thought I’d be perfect.
I was patient and calm. They assumed their instincts wouldn’t kick in and they wouldn’t hurt me.
That day, I was waiting for him. He’d left me with a professor, but something happened in the hallway.
A fight maybe? One of the alphas stormed in and grabbed me while he was distracted.
They didn’t find me until everything was over and I’d already bitten Rydell. ”
“I’m so sorry,” I told her, meaning it. How could anyone blame her knowing the details?
“I’m starting to work past it,” she said, but glanced at Rydell. “Not sure how it can help you, though?”
“All of that should help us,” I reassured her. “We just need a witness to say that his behavior wasn’t unpredictable.”
I rushed out of the room, searching for Ares. He was chatting with a few guards nearby.
“She wants to speak on Rydell’s behalf,” I said quickly. “She was a witness, proof that he’s not dangerous.”
“I just managed to get word that they already started questioning,” Ares said. “They’ve pulled in Kane and Caspian. Ledger’s next, but his dad just showed up and is causing a scene.”
“What?” I gasped. It was truly one of those days.
Rydell was already behind me. I grabbed his hand and we rushed toward the cafeteria, trusting that Ares would make sure our new witness would help. It seemed we were out of time.
The yelling was loud enough it echoed down the hall.
“I can make all this go away, son.”
I nearly threw up in my mouth. Rydell’s father had the creepiest voice I’d ever heard.
“I don’t want your help,” Rydell snapped. “You left me here to fucking rot, and you have a lot of balls walking into this place with a reputation like yours. Don’t worry, I already promised to hand every fucking secret I know over to these people. I can’t wait to watch your world burn.”
His father laughed. A big, condescending sound that made my skin crawl.
Ledger shoved past but his father’s eyes landed on us as we approached. They were right outside the cafeteria doors, likely drawing in a crowd.
“I heard you had a little plaything here.” His eyes ran up and down me, slow and disgusting.
Rydell moved me behind him. “Watch your fucking mouth,” he snarled. “I’ve had about enough today, and I’m pretty sure Ledger told you no. You have no business being here. You need to leave.”
“Oh, but I have every reason to be here,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve been funding my son’s stay this whole time. I’m his direct guardian.”
“Actually, sir,” a woman’s voice cut in as she stepped from the cafeteria doors. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished floor. Everything about her screamed power. “That will be determined by this meeting.”
He snorted, dismissing her, but she didn’t so much as blink.
“Get your ass in the car!” Ledger’s father barked one final time. His face was nearly purple with anger.
“Actually, Ledger,” she said calmly, “I think your meeting is next. If you’d like to head in, we’ll speak with you.”
The veins in the older man’s neck pulsed. He looked seconds from bursting as she dismissed him entirely.
“You need to leave,” Ares said, stepping forward.
“And who the fuck are you?” the angry alpha sneered. “Do you even know who I am?”
“Actually, I do,” Ares replied coolly. “I’ve got an entire file on you. Unless you want me to open it and bring you in for questioning, I suggest you leave now. Your son won’t be going with you. He’ll be released, and even if he wasn’t, your money isn’t good here any longer.”
“You should listen,” the chief’s voice boomed down the hall. “We have a few people who do want to talk to you. Convenient of you to walk right in.”
For the first time, Ledger’s father faltered.
“I’m going nowhere with you,” he stammered.
David snorted. “That’s okay, it wasn’t a request.”
Guards swarmed in, surrounding him before he could move. Within seconds, he was cuffed and being hauled off, still ranting.
“Where are the others?” I asked, realizing it was just me, Rydell, and Ares. Ledger had already been taken in.
“They were sent back to the wing to wait,” Ares said. “Technically, I’m supposed to bring you one at a time, so you don’t warn the others about the questions.”
He rolled his eyes, clearly unbothered by that rule.
Before we could move, the woman from before walked back out, her gaze landing on Rydell.
“We’ve heard about your witness and they’ve given us the statement,” she said. “We’d like you to come with us now.”
That left me standing with Ares alone. He exhaled and pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“Trust me,” he said quietly. “I’m going to get you out of here.”
I wasn’t sure if he was reassuring me or himself.
“It’s been a stressful day,” I murmured.
He gave me a half-smile. “It’s been stressful since the day I walked in here. Wouldn’t change it for the world, though.”
“Is it just me,” I asked. “Or are things moving way too fast? Are they giving everyone a fair chance?”
“I can assure you we are,” the woman said as she stepped out silently. Whoops. She eyed Ares before gesturing for me to follow. “Come with me, Audrey.”
Ares let me go after one last kiss to my forehead. I forced myself not to look back. The last thing I wanted was to appear weak.
It was intimidating walking into the room. Two long tables were pushed together, several men and women in suits seated behind them. No one stood. The woman who’d guided me simply pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.
“You have quite a history here, Audrey,” a man at the head of the table said, glancing down at his papers. He sounded so casual, like he was discussing the weather.
The man started to recap my file, but another man cut him off with a snarl.
“I’ve had enough of this, Victor. You don’t get to recap everyone’s trauma for them. We’ve read it and they’ve lived it.”
Victor glared, but the other man didn’t back down. I was surprised to realize that he was an omega.
“My name is Omar,” he said to me, voice steady. “And I just want to say, on behalf of… well, everyone, thank you for what you did.”
“She walked into a building we already had under control,” Victor argued, scoffing as if I did nothing for them.
Everyone else stayed silent.
“Excuse me?” I said sharply, refusing to be silent.
“I didn’t simply walk into that building.
I guided them. Because I spent ten goddamn years in that hell.
I was experimented on, assaulted, beaten, and tormented every single day of those ten years.
How dare you minimize that? I’m sure with your pompous title and your expensive suit you’ve never faced a real hardship in your life. Who are you to tell me I did nothing?”
Every word was said with precision, like a harsh slap.
“She has a point, Victor,” a woman said, her tone like steel wrapped in silk. “The patients here have suffered unimaginable pain. We are not here to judge their trauma. We’re here to determine whether they’re ready to function outside this facility.”
“Speaking of which,” Omar interjected. “We have glowing recommendations, from Director Cross, Alice Sharpe, her therapist, and the chief, himself.”
Victor looked like he wanted to argue, but the room had already turned against him.
“We’ve reviewed your case. It’s been approved. Let’s not drag this out.” She slid a folder toward me. “Here is the information you’ll need. Resources, contacts, and an offer of restitution for what you endured here, on behalf of the Omega Network.”
“You’re free to review the terms with a lawyer. We’re simply here to present them to you,” Omar said gently.
“Okay,” I said, taking the papers. I didn’t even look at them. “Does this mean you’re signing off on letting my pack go?”
“We’re not supposed to discuss other patients,” the woman said carefully.
“However… I can assure you that nearly everyone, now that they’ve completed proper therapy and medication, is transitioning out.
In cases like yours, you’ve been deemed eligible to leave on your own terms. You don’t have to go right away, it’s okay to take your time, but you are free to walk through those gates. ”
Her expression softened when I choked back a sob.
“Congratulations, Audrey,” she said quietly. “You’re free.”