I almost drop the tablet, almost shove it back at Marshall, and leave this interview. I know whatever they’re about to show me is something I do not want to see.
But then its playing and I can’t look away.
Forsythe sits at the head of the table, arms folded. The other alphas around the table look uneasy. Piers is notably absent, though I have the feeling he’s out of range of the camera, but still present.
“We have to make a decision before the next ceremony.”
“You mean someone to cut,” Courtland scoffs.
“Someone to cut,” the prince agrees. “We all know that’s how this works. We’ve been doing this for long enough.”
Thayer leans forward, brows drawn. “You already have someone in mind.”
There’s a long pause. One long enough, weighty enough that Court starts shaking his head. “No. No, fuck no.”
“Florence,” Forsythe insists. “She’s… complicated, yes. But she already knows how this is going to end. She’s handled herself well, but she’s not right for the long term. It’s unfair-”
“It’s unfair to blindside her with this!” Grieves growls. “We can’t just-”
“You know we can’t warn her,” Forsythe cuts in voice calm and collected, while his packmates seem to be simmering with frustration. “It's in the contract.”
I frown at that little bit of information, I didn’t realize that was the case. But I suppose it makes sense. Why allow the pack to give the omegas a heads up and avoid the drama of the rejection ceremony? “We have to treat her just like we would any other omega who isn’t our chosen mate.”
Ouch, that fucking hurts.
A weighted pause.
Forsythe fists his hands on the table. “If we keep her, we’ll look like we’re playing favorites. The public will start to suspect-”
“Good. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?” Courtland asks. “Playing favorites? Choosing our omega?”
Thayer leans back in his chair, looking wrecked. “If we send her home, we look like we’re following the queen’s orders.”
No one answers.
Finally Forsythe says quietly, “We don’t have a choice. We’ve known this since the beginning. Florence goes.”
When the video stops, I swallow thickly and look up at Marshall and Lulu. “When was this?”
“Does it matter?”
Of course it matters.Of courseit does. If it was this morning then… well, I don’t want to consider the implications. But if this was earlier in the game, before I let them touch me, before they made me promises, well, then I can’t really blame them, can I? They were upfront about how this was going to go. How they would have to pick someone whoisn’tme to be their omega.
But they told me last night they’d at least keep me until the scenting ceremony, and I have this hope… no, this bone deepknowingthat once we scent each other, that’ll be it. We’ll know. And once we know…
Well, the queen wouldn’t stand in the way of a scent match would she? Especially if that scent matching is recorded and televised in over ten countries to millions of people. She would have to bow to fate then, right?
This video must be from earlier in the season and the changed their minds for one reason or another and kept me. It must be.
I’m keenly aware of the camera pointed directly at me, recording my every reaction.
This is just production wanting to stir up more drama, more conflict.
“I suppose it doesn’t,” I say, handing the tablet back and this time Marshall takes it. I give them a tight smile. “Did you have any other questions for me? Anything else you want to talk about?”
Lulu leans back in her chair, considering. “I really am on your side, Ren,” she says softly. “We both are. Cameras notwithstanding, we don’t want to see you get hurt. We know omegas are sensitive, that you can get attached when an alpha or a pack shows you affection. That’s why we make a point of identifying the omegas that we know will not be picked and warn them to keep their distance to some degree. To keep feelings out of it as much as you can. It’s also why we suppress scents and designations. All of that is to protectyouand other omegas like you.”
Tears prick my eyes, because everything she’s saying sounds right, sounds like she really does care about me.
