"Thank you, sir, but that’s alright. I think we’re all looking forward to correcting her behavior on our own. I have an appropriate punishment in mind."
"Hmm… I hope so, captain. After all, this sort of behavior won’t go unnoticed by Command. If you think they’ll buy that bullshit story you just tried to sell me, think again. She wasn’t stepping outside for fresh air! She was trying to escape! The feral omega is flighty. Don’t insult my intelligence, son."
I hated when my father called me“son.”It sounded foreign coming from his mouth. Being his son was nothing to be proud of, and I suppressed my grimace at the term.
"Sir, I’m not sure what you mean by escape. She simply needed air, that’s all—"
He cut me off. "Yes, I would stick to that story. Because if Command or any of your fellow soldiers found out that your unit, youreliteunit, couldn’t keep tabs on a little omega, couldn’t keep her in-fucking-line and under your tight control, you’d all be the laughingstock of New Arca. I don’t care what you need to do to lock that flighty bitch down; do it. I won’t have my soft sons making a fool of me!"
"Yes, sir. I understand," I said through gritted teeth.
Years of abuse had desensitized me to the callous way my father spoke to both my brother and me, but his crude words regarding Rowan sent my blood pressure spiking. I wanted to smash his smug face against that mahogany desk until his features rearranged.
But I needed to be smart about this.
I had to get him to approve the transfer. Fast. Rowan needed to get out of Falcon City, and away from Dr. Zolkos, as soon as possible. I now knew what he was looking for, even if he didn't. If the obsessive scientist found out what Rowan truly was, I didn't even want to think about what that would mean for her.
Her omega designation was rare enough on its own, but combined with her shifter nature, it became something far more dangerous, something Command would salivate over. They’d see her not as a person, but as a weapon, a test subject, a tool to be dissected and studied. If she thought she lacked freedom now, she had no idea what true captivity looked like.
We’d seen it before, what Arca was capable of. Talon endured years of testing after his enlistment: bloodwork, strength trials, psychological manipulation. They broke him down to catalog what made him different and then rebuilt him in their image. That was the price of being exceptional in New Arca. And Rowan, she was beyond exceptional.
I had to keep her safe, and for the first time, I questioned whether I even could.
My father sighed, grabbed a ballpoint pen from his desk, and raised it as if to sign the transfer. But he paused, the tip of the pen hovered over the signature line as he turned and fixed his gaze on me.
“Why exactly are you requesting this transfer? You’ve been begging me to stay in Falcon City, trying to buy time for your brother’s recovery. What’s changed?”
“The unit’s getting antsy. Talon needs the wild to run and shift. His wolf is barely being contained. Plus, Ryker complains daily about checkpoint rotations, and I’m tired of listening to him whine.”
He considered my words, quietly debating their validity as I sat stoically, trying not to appear too eager. Not that it mattered, because my father knew he had the upper hand. Finally, he spoke.
“Fine. I’ll approve the transfer… on one condition. Rowan will report to the chief science officer at the Border Front Base. From what I’ve heard, her test results concerned Dr. Zolkos. If you’re determined to breed this omega and continue the Green line, I want to be sure she’s healthy and fit to carry my future grandchildren. She’ll attend weekly evaluations until everything’s sorted.”
Fuck.I’d expected conditions because he always had them, but not this. This was the worst-case scenario. We couldn’t afford anyone looking too closely at Rowan, even if it wasn’t Zolkos specifically.
I tried to remember the name of the chief science officer at the Border Front Base. We’d crossed paths once or twice. He’d seemed decent and not obsessive like Zolkos. I could only hope Rowan flew under his radar.
But something was off. Why was my father so interested in her? He didn’t care about her well-being, and he definitely didn’t care about mine. Perhaps it was honesty, rooted in a narcissistic vision of his future bloodline. But something told me his condition wasn’t about concern; it was about control.
There lingered a feeling that he knew something wedidn’t.
Could he have known she’s a shifter?No.If he did, this conversation would be happening in a cell…or worse.
I could argue. Say no. But what excuse would I give? Pushing back now would only make him more suspicious. I needed time to figure out a plan, so I had to agree to his conditions.
“Yes, sir. We’ll make sure she meets with the science officer as soon as we’re settled on base,” I said as nonchalantly as I could.
“Good, captain. You’re dismissed,” he said, signing the transfer order and holding it out for me to take.
I grabbed the folder and stood without hesitation, eager to leave before my father changed his mind. I was almost through the threshold of his office door when his voice cut through the silence.
“Captain. One more thing…”
I stopped.Of course.There was always one more thing. I turned slowly to face him. He didn’t even bother looking up right away, just capped his pen and set it aside with deliberate ease. Then he lifted his cold, unreadable gaze to mine.
“If you can’t keep the omega in line, I can reassign her. There are other units at the border. Ones that may be better suited to... handle her.”
The words hit like a fist.
