Page 95 of The Wronged Omega

“I had hoped this would be a civilized discussion on your execution, but if that’s the way—” The door opening behind us cut off his words.

We all swiveled in our chairs, eyeing the well-known faces that came into view as each of them stepped into the room.

“Well, come in, and join us. We’ve been expecting you.” Bernard welcomed them in.

First, Odie and Sloane walked in with Cy, Leona, Iker, and Alastor on their heels, their bodies ridged and eyes darting around the room, taking in every detail. I knew they were trained for this, but seeing them in action, the cold calmness they portrayed, was something else entirely. They all lined up behind us for a moment, having been chastised for trying to get too close. Bernard’s power washed through the room, keeping most of them in place. Iker, Leona, and Alastor moved closer, ignoring his commands.

“Kill us or don’t. Stop with your games,” Leona said before leaning down next to my ear. “Are you okay?”

I nodded with a shrug. Her lips thinned as she nodded back, understanding that I meant the situation sucks, but I’m not hurt. She turned and asked Ellie the same question and received nearly the same response. We were all in this shitty situation, and there wasn’t a thing we could do to stop it unless someone came in guns ready and massacred everyone in this room to save us.

I didn’t hold my breath on that option and wanted this little show to carry on.

Leona and Iker stepped back but were closer to us than the others since Bernard’s power didn’t work on them. The small amount of sweat on Leona’s brow and tensing of her muscles told me he was having some effect, but she was fighting it off. Iker didn’t seem to have any issues at all.

“Let’s continue, shall we? Not only have you endangered the entire Primarchy community by harboring Carmine, you have also harmed a council member, Oliver, and many others in your haste to get up here, have you not?” Boohoo was all I thought. “That all adds up rather nicely for no one to dig into your disappearance. Thank you for that.” Bernard stood up, raising his head high. “Onto the verdict. No need for a true trial. Is everyone in agreement?” Bernard looked around, and all thirteen of the remaining council members nodded.

I eyed each of them. It was a near even split between male and female Omegas with their ages seeming to range from late twenties to retirement age. No one was familiar to me, and when I held their gaze, there was no level of kinship residing in their dead eyes.

This wasn’t a council fit to reign over anyone. This was a dictatorship filled with psychopaths. Born or made, I wasn’t sure.

“That settles it. Their execution will happen within the hour, and we can all make our brunch appointments.” Brunch? Had we really been out that long?

Panic shot through me, but there was nothing I could do to stop this. We were all frozen in some way with nothing and no one on our side.

“Wait!” Gerard’s voice boomed out. “There has to be another way. Isn’t our silence enough? Sneak Mine into the databases as if she’s always been here. That’s easy enough for you. Let us keep our lives, and it will be as if this never happened. We will all retire, living humble lives without as much of a peep of what happened here. I’ve seen you do it before, brush issues under the rug as if they never existed. Why not now? That’s the least you could do for me.” Gerard wasn’t begging, although his words sounded as much. His voice was steady with anger, catching Bernard and the others off guard.

“Oh, you expect us to do something for you? The one who couldn’t even tell his own sister was a traitor?”

“Either you didn’t know about her, or you did and let her continue. That’s no better or perhaps worse, depending on which one it is,” Gerard countered.

Bernard closed his eyes for a moment, then beamed down on Gerard. “How dare you speak to me this way after all I have given you.” His eye twitched, but he schooled his features quickly when one of the other members spoke up. Maybe I had counted them out too quickly.

Perhaps one of them wasn’t some pompous fuck who was high on power. I closed my eyes, hoping that was the case.

Chapter 47

Mine

“He does have a point, though, Bernard.” It was one of the older male Omegas to my left. “They pose no threat if they keep the information to themselves. We have let others go, and they have not spoken a word out of fear of our punishment. What has changed?”

“Arthur, this isn’t a one off where we snuff out a single person or a couple; this is nearly a brigade, a brigade of well-trained and hardheaded Primarchs. Do you really think it’s that simple?” Bernard’s face turned red at someone questioning his logic.

Everyone behind me stayed silent. I didn’t know what they were thinking, but I was tired of this. Did I want to lie to the world about my origins? No. But was I willing to lock it down to keep them all safe? Of course. I hoped they were on the same page, but their need to serve and protect was higher than mine.

I had always wanted to help people. That’s why I was in this situation, the good and the bad parts of it, and although I never truly had a second thought about how it would affect my life, I wouldn’t do anything that ensured harm would come to my mates and the family we had created recently. This secret wasn’t worth the battle.

My shoulders slumped as I stared at Bernard. His jaw was set, and I doubted he would give in to Arthur’s suggestion.

“And how do you know it isn’t? Who’s to say they wouldn’t choose freedom and their loved ones with a heavy secret on their shoulders over death, a massacre at this point really. You may be our leader in some aspects, but you do not decide these things for yourself. Your anger says you are too close to this to make a rational decision. Now, I won’t question why and have you explain in front of the captives, but you will sit down and let us discuss this matter.” The other members adjusted awkwardly in their seats. While some looked nervous, others rolled their eyes as if this wasn’t the first time these two had verbal battles. “I said sit, Bernard.”

“One day, Father, your time on this council will come to its end.” I didn’t think Bernard had intended for us to hear that, but Arthur was right. He seemed too close to this situation for some reason.

I glanced to the side, but Ellie and Gerard didn’t seem surprised that Arthur was Bernard’s father. Once again, I was the odd man out, knowing very little about the Primarchy. I was nearly set on the mating side, but nothing else was set in stone.

I still didn’t have control over my pheromones. Actually, that wasn’t true. I had too much subconscious control over them. I failed to use them before we were kidnapped, and I couldn’t pull them out of the depths inside me to fight Bernard’s hold, not that I thought I’d be able to any way. Gerard and Iker couldn’t do a thing against him, and I had seen firsthand how powerful they were.

As the council discussed this new point of view, I tried to tap into it, not necessarily to do anything to anyone, but I needed the distraction. They called on my mates and friends to get their side, forgoing Bernard’s initial appeal to wipe this case and have us sent to be slaughtered without a true trial.

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