By the time Chase pauses it Lukas has heard everything he needs to hear.
"The bakery incident," Chase says. "Marie provoked her and Vee responded physically. She drew blood in a public setting with witnesses."
"What happened after?" Lukas asks.
"Ragon punished Vee," I say. "Made her kneel in the living room for hours."
Chase hits play.
The audio picks up inside the house later. Voices muffled at first then coming clear.
Drake. Angry."This is bullshit. You're punishing her for defending herself."
"She drew blood. In public." Ragon.
"Marie called her second-hand. She provoked her."
Eli, quieter but firm."Drake's right. Marie said something deliberately cruel. Vee reacted. The punishment should fit both actions."
"Marie didn't attack anyone."
"Marie attacked her with words. You know how loaded that is for Vee. You know what being returned does to an omega."
Silence.
Then Eli, measured."You're punishing Vee with hours of kneeling but Marie gets nothing. Not even a conversation about why what she said was wrong. You're showing clear favoritism, Ragon."
"Marie is scared. She's new—"
"She's our scent match,"Drake cuts in."We know it. But that doesn't mean Vee is disposable when she makes a mistake and Marie gets a pass for causing it."
"I'm not giving Marie a free pass."
"You are. You have been since she arrived. Vee sees it. We all see it."
Ragon's voice. Strained."What would you have me do?"
"Talk to Marie. Give her a consequence. Make it clear that kind of language doesn't belong in this pack. Then let Vee up before you do permanent damage to what's left of her trust." Eli.
"She's been kneeling for three hours already."
"Please let her up."
Silence.
Footsteps.
The recording ends.
Lukas is quiet. "Drake and Eli pushed back."
"Yes."
"And he ignored them."
"He left her kneeling for another three hours after that conversation." My voice comes out flat. I've heard this recording too many times for it to land like it did the first time. Now it’s just noise I listen to. "He never addressed what Marie said. Never."
"How long total?"
