Page 42 of For All My Effort

It was Jackson who spoke up next, “Alphas are demanding betas be blocked from joining packs, claiming they don’t have the necessary protective gene and could harm their omegas. Betas are split, demanding packs should be a choice and wanting their own separate community away from the emotions of the other designations. There are protests, government meetings being called—it’s beyond you now.”

Even then, even with the spark of something in the air, no one seemed to be focusing on the real issue. Alphas and betas arguing with each other while omegas had no say. Still, we were being cast aside while change was unfolding before our eyes. We were the center of the issue and being danced around by a push and pull out of our reach.

“They’re using me,” I growled, pointing at the screen in case my mates weren’t aware. “If I told my side of the story, they’d be forced to stop.”

“No, you’d give them ammunition,” Han said. “I know you want to do good, Hannah, but your heart is too much in the right place.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you don’t see the potential they’ll have to twist your own words.”

Sebastian added, “You tell them you’re an omega who goes to protests, they’ll talk about how you broke a law—”

“An unjust law—”

“Not all alphas are like us,” Jackson said, speaking up. “They see an omega breaking the rules and they will tighten their own hold over their omegas.”

I was shaking my head, wanting to argue, but I couldn’t. My anger was welling up inside me, my hands curling into fists like I was figuratively holding onto something to keep myself from exploding.

Sebastian continued, “If you admit to breaking a law, to going out by yourself, you’ll be forced back to the compound, away from us, potentially forever.”

My heart broke just at the words. Not only because I didn’t want to be pulled from my mates, but because I didn’t want to abandon my own kind to the crazed rules of alphas.

“So, I can’t do anything?” Tears were falling down my cheeks and I wasn’t sure if they came from my anger at doing nothing or my fear of being pulled from my mates. “Omegas will never have rights and I might have made our entire society worse?”

“No,” Jackson snapped. “You didn’t do anything. You have the heart of a warrior, rebel. Do not let the fact that you’ve lost this battle make you give up the fight.”

“But there’s nothing I can do.”

It was Zeke who pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me seconds before I broke out into tears. They came from the guilt, from the worry, from the anger of doing nothing.

When I finally managed to control my sobs, it was Zeke who spoke first, just barely whispering, although I knew the others could hear him. “Do you remember what Han and I told you yesterday? About how we had to come to terms with being two alphas together?”

“Yes.” The single word was all I could muster.

“It was our love for each other that taught us designations were biological, not social. We had to unlearn everything we were taught, everything we thought we knew. Sure, we had knots, but we didn’t have to use them. Yes, we’re protective and possessive, but not just toward an omega, toward each other.”

I sniffled, grateful when a hand offered me a tissue.

“That was the catalyst for us, but also for our pack. Seb and Jackson weren’t romantically involved with us, yet they had to learn the same lessons as we did. What’s happening to the world outside these walls is the same thing. You’re the catalyst, but everyone else has to learn how this change affects them.”

“What if it’s worse?” That was my fear. That I would be the cause of stricter omega rulings.

“We’re not done fighting,” Jackson said. I lifted my head from Zeke’s chest so I could meet my first alpha’s gaze. “We might never be done. But we won’t stop until we’re happy with the progress.”

I nodded, silently agreeing. “What do we do now?”

“We stay under the radar as much as possible. There’s nothing to do until someone else makes a move.”

****

Breakfast had a morose vibe. I was handed around to all my mates, sitting on their laps as we ate in what I thought was an attempt to comfort me. None of them seemed to be in a rush to get into work today, and I didn’t know if this was going to become a common morning routine.

At least I’d managed to get my emotions under control. I was going to try to listen to my alphas’ advice and not feel guilty. Mostly because I didn’t want to cry and be sad anymore. Also, because I could recognize the truth in their words.

It didn’t matter that it was me that got hurt. It didn’t matter how or by whom. I was just being used.

And that pissed me off. I held onto that anger with all my might, using it to help me straighten my back, to lift my chin, to stop feeling defeated.

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