I know before he speaks. I can see it in the set of his shoulders; in the expression he's trying to keep neutral and not quite managing. I've watched Chase deliver hard news before and he does it with professional steadiness, but this is different. This one is costing him something.
He looks at Alex first.
Alex stands.
"I tried everything," Chase says. "Every angle. Every argument. I called in every favor I had and then I went back and called in more." There's something raw underneath his voice. "They said no."
The word hits hard. No.
The flag.
I hear myself make a sound, small and involuntary. Rhys's hand finds my arm.
"They're embarrassed," Chase continues. "The whole situation—Vee, Marie, what came out at the hearing. That they let Vee stay in Ragon’s custody unclaimed for so long and then handed him a scent match like that was ever going to work out. They don't want anything else coming back on them right now so they're protecting themselves." His jaw tightens. "Alex has done everything right. His record since the incident is spotless. The therapy, the work, everything. They know that. They just don't care right now."
Alex doesn't speak.
His face has gone very still in a way that suggests he’s containing something enormous.
"The flag stays," Chase says. "For now."
The sun is still warm. The grass is still green. The listing with the apple tree and the overgrown garden beds is still on the table in front of me.
"They think I'm with your pack," I say. My voice comes out strange. "What happens when they find out I'm not?"
Chase looks at me.
"They're already moving," he says. "They've been patient, but they're going to want to place you somewhere permanent." He exhales. "They want to help you heal. That's what they're claiming anyway. They think the best thing for an omega who's experienced what you experienced is to be bonded and claimed into a stable pack as soon as possible." He pauses. "They have packs lined up already. They'll start pushing for paperwork within a few days."
"Random packs," I say.
"Yes."
The cold has spread through my whole body now.
"We have a few days," Malcolm says.
"A few days," Chase confirms. "Maybe less."
He crosses the grass toward me and crouches down in front of my chair. His hands find mine like they did in the cabin when he asked me what I wanted—warm and steady, that inexplicable safety he carries.
"You don't have to go to a random pack," he says. "I want you to know that. My pack… we can take you, Vee. You'd be safe with us. You'd be cared for. I know it's not—" He stops. Starts again. "I know it's not what you want. But it's not nothing. It's a real option."
I look at him.
His eyes are warm and serious and genuinely offering me something real.
I shake my head.
"I wantthispack," I say. My voice breaks on the last word. "I need them. They're right for me. All of them." Tears are coming and I can't stop them. "I chose them. They’re mine, Chase. I already chose them."
"I know," Chase says. "I know you did."
"Then fix it," I say. "Pleasefixit." It comes out small and broken and not like me at all.
"I'm trying to figure out if there's another way," he says. "I'm not giving up. But right now I needed you to know where things stand." He squeezes my hands once and stands. Looks at Alex. "I'll keep working. But prepare for the possibility that we have very little time."
Alex nods once.
