Chapter 11
Chapter eleven
Camelia
Camelia smoothed her hands over the skirt of her black dress, her shoulders relaxing as she followed her dad into the banquet hall. He was dressed in a sharply tailored suit, his gray-streaked hair brushed neatly back, and he offered her a smile as he held his arm out for her to rest her hand on.
Camelia leaned close, whispering as they passed a few well-dressed attendants in white suits. "What's this one for?"
He chuckled. "Fundraiser for children's cancer research, or so they say. Mostly just an excuse for everyone to rub elbows and show off how much money they have."
Camelia nodded; this wasn't the first time that her father had brought her along to fundraising events and she was sure that it wouldn't be the last, but there was something thrilling about it now that she was almost done with college.
She wanted to do stuff like this. Make a difference in the world, use her skills for connecting with other people to evoke change where it seemed impossible.
Getting to know some of these people was the first step to that.
"Carson, so nice to see you!" A older lady draped in glittering green fabric turned away from her companions, lifting a champagne glass to toast them as Carson inclined his head, changing course and bringing Camelia along with.
The woman looked at Camelia, her expression warm.
"And your lovely daughter. How are you, dear? "
Camelia wracked her brain, desperately trying to remember the woman's name even as she smiled. "Thank you, I'm well."
Carson patted her hand, smoothly taking over the conversation. "How is the foundation, Dolores? I heard that you had some troubles with embezzlement a few months ago..."
Camelia stood by as her father made small talk, committing as many details about these people to memory as she could.
Dolores Magnum, owner and founder of a foundation intended to eradicate medical debt.
Harry Johnson, assistant to state Senator Martines, who was currently in the midst of bringing legislation to the floor to eradicate the wage gap between men and women in government positions.
Ursula Irving, United States senator to Michigan, who was a staunch advocate for single-payer healthcare and improving access to prescription medication for the disenfranchised.
She knew that she wouldn't remember all of them, but if she was going to work with some of them in the future, she knew that this was a good time to make an impression.
Politicians came and go, the same as diplomats, but everyone had an equal opportunity to make a difference during their short time in power.
It wasn't until a well-dressed older woman stepped up to the podium that Camelia forced herself to stop eavesdropping on the conversation that her father was having with a senator whose name she hadn't quite caught.
A gentle tapping on glass was magnified by the microphone, and Carson offered Camelia an easy smile as he said farewell to his conversational companion and steered the two of them towards a table near the front.
"Honored guests, if you'll take your seats, we're about to eat dinner. Thank you."
The woman's voice was smooth and professional, but Camelia couldn't help rolling her eyes a little as her father pulled out her seat for her.
"How many pills do you think she's on to sound that calm all the time, do you think?
" she muttered, leaning close to her father so that he could still hear her even as the other seats at the table filled up.
He shook his head, chuckling a little at her comment, and he turned to the gentleman on his left, striking up a conversation as each table was surrounded by waiters and the food was served.
Camelia tuned in an out of the conversation, though she knew that she should be paying closer attention.
She couldn't help the way the hairs on the back of her neck raised every time a slightly louder peal of laugher rose above the respectfully low murmur of conversation, and she focused on the meal that was being served as if that would stop her from feeling overscrutinized.
You need to get a hold of yourself. You're not going to have Dad around to hide behind forever. Your status cannot be your eternal liability...
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that the conversation happening across the table barely registered, but when her mind caught the words omega and legislation, she snapped to attention, her gaze focusing in on the two older gentlemen dressed to the nines.
"You simple would not believe some of the arguments that these advocate groups are coming up with to lobby some of the more vulnerable senators," the man on the right was saying.
He looked to be in his mid-to-late sixties, white, dressed in a charcoal suit with a bright red tie as if he were waving a conversational red flag.
He took a sip from his wine glass, swirling the red inside around, and the man to the left chuckled.
"They had to refocus their efforts after successfully conquering the gun lobby, you know.
Nobody is ever happy with taking away rights from law-abiding citizens, they simply look for the next cause they can latch onto and make life more difficult for the rest of us.
" He shrugged. Camelia's eyes narrowed a little, committing his face to memory.
This man was a little younger, n his forties, probably, with dark hair and blue eyes that were hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses.
His suit was a black on black tuxedo, and a silver ring with a red gem glimmered on his left pinky finger.
The sight of him unnerved Camelia, though she didn't outwardly show her emotions other than to stab a little more viciously at her salad. She pretended that she was absorbed in her food, so much so that her hands barely trembled at the next words that were said.
"The bill that's passing through committee should ensure that they're not a problem, anymore.
After all, Alphas and Omegas are meant to exist in harmony with each other.
It doesn't make any sense for Alphas to go without their Omega when it would improve their ability to do their jobs in society so much better. "
Camelia's blood chilled, and she surreptitiously swept her gaze around the room.
Ninety percent of the people in the room were betas; she spotted two Alphas in the security team, and another one seated at a table all the way across this room.
His hand was wrapped firmly around the hand of his companion, though, and she was looking at him with an adoring look in her eye.
None of them made Camelia feel as threatened as the benign looking senator sitting across the table from her. But she knew that if she didn't continue to listen, if she excused herself to go off and hide in the bathroom the way that she really wanted to, she would kick herself later.
So she focused back in on the conversation, taking a small sip of white wine. Her father continued chatting with the man on his left, oblivious to the turmoil that Camelia was feeling, and she tried to ignore the way her hands shook as the older gentleman chuckled.
"I'm sure there will be some backlash from these groups once the vote comes to the floor. You know how they are, insisting that Omegas have rights beyond the gifts that nature granted them."
Camelia's blood ran even colder, and she forced herself to swallow against the lump in her throat as the younger senator nodded, his expression serious.
"There's already whispers of protests, but I'm certain that the votes are there in both the house and the senate.
" He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice as if he didn't want to be heard, but not enough that Camelia couldn't hear what he said.
"The president has already assured me that he'll sign the bill if it comes to his desk.
Between you and me, I think that he's tired of the social friction between Alphas and Omegas.
Requiring Mating for all registered Omegas will make things much simpler, in the grand scheme of things. "
Camelia cleared her throat, unable to stop herself from drawing attention to herself.
She smiled sweetly as both senators looked at her, mild surprise on their faces as if they were genuinely shocked that she had been listening in.
"And have you considered what Alphas or Omegas might have to say about such invasive legislation? "
She spoke loud enough that her voice carried clearly across the table, and the low conversations that had been happening around her halted as all eyes turned to her. It was more attention than she was generally comfortable with, but she couldn't keep quiet.
Not about something so deeply personal to her.
The older gentleman scoffed a little, as if insulted by the very audacity of her to speak up, but the younger man merely took a sip of whiskey, meeting her eyes steadily.
His eyes were smooth and cold, and Camelia suppressed a shiver that wanted to run down her spine.
She didn't like the way he scrutinized her, the way he evaluated her.
But she wasn't going to back down, not on this.
He cocked his head to the side, as if considering what she'd said.
"Surely you can see the benefit of removing a certain level of choice here.
After all, Alphas and Omegas were intended by nature to be together.
The science of heat cycles has proved it time and time again; they need each other, and they make each other better.
Why allow such a rare bond to be wasted, if there's another way? "
Camelia cocked her head to the side, her blood boiling a little.
She forced her expression to stay smooth, though, ignoring her father's hand when it gently touched the top of her knee, as if warning her to keep calm.
"Because some people don't want to be bound to another person without a choice.
That would be a good enough reason for a lot of people. "
The older senator scoffed again. "Most people don't know what's best for them, young lady. The point of Congress is to..."
"Take away people's rights?" Camelia interrupted.
Her voice was sharper than she had intended, and her father squeezed her knee again, warning her for firmly, if silently.
She smiled, continuing to meet the younger senator's gaze even as he smiled coldly at her.
"That's what you're referring to here, right?
Forcing a pair bond between Alphas and Omegas, removing the choice with.
..what, a lottery? Or are Omegas going to be forced to register at eighteen and Alphas will have their pick of the free agents? "
The younger senator opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Carson interrupted smoothly.
"Ah, well. That's enough of that sort of talk over dinner, wouldn't you say, gentlemen?
" He laughed, the sound tight. The younger senator slowly closed his mouth as he cocked his head to the side, not looking away from Camelia as Carson continued, "Apologies for my daughter.
You know how they are in college, these days.
So many strong feelings about the world around them before they've even had the chance to live. "
A few of the people are the table chuckled and nodded, looking at Camelia knowingly as she forced her mouth shut with a snap. She looked up at her father, glaring, but the glint in his eye as he squeezed her knee halted any acidic words in her throat.
He was worried. She had shot her mouth off a little too strongly, and now everybody was looking at her. Eyeing her. Evaluating her.
So she forced herself to look back at the younger senator, who was still watching her with that cold, unnerving smile, and forced herself to smile placidly, picking up her fork again where she had dropped it. "Apologies, good sir. My opinions must have gotten away from me."
He didn't respond, but Camelia could feel his eyes on her for the rest of the night, and she couldn't help the feeling in her gut that somehow, she had just made a powerful enemy.