“They’re pretty much just as bad as the Designation Government,” Poppy said, her voice growing louder.
Josie scrunched her nose. “I mean… I guess this government isn’t forcing us to go to the Designation Academy where they can abuse us and test mind control devices on us…” She trailed off and we all burst out laughing, the tension in the room broken.
“Yeah, there’s that,” I said with a snort. “The bar is in hell.”
“Okay, fine, they’re better than the Designation Government. But for fuck’s sake, more things need to change,” Poppy said. “We have another meeting in a couple of weeks, and I think we need to keep pushing against their policies. We’re still in the same situation with alphas legislating for omegas.”
I nodded my agreement, but exhaustion swept through me. I had been so excited to join the ORC, but I was so fucking tired. My heart clenched thinking about the meeting, hating myself for allowing myself to get my hopes up about my future, even briefly. Life had been such a disappointment, and I just needed to accept things as they were.
“Wait,” Charlie said, rolling her chair closer to the edge of the mat. “In better news, did you all see the newest vigilante exposé?”
I raised my brows. I hadn’t been paying close attention to the news lately, but two weeks ago, an anonymous source leaked a report on a prominent alpha business owner. It revealed evidence that he had committed crimes under the former Designation Government, including funding a series of facilities where kidnapped omegas were held and abused. The District Attorney, who had been slow to prosecute alphas with previous ties to the Designation Government, had been forced to arrest the alpha. I had to admit it was pretty fucking satisfyingto see a video of him being arrested online. So many alphas who participated in the abuse of omegas under the former government had escaped prosecution.
“No, I totally missed it.” Poppy started typing furiously on her phone. “Holy shit, the new exposé was on Marshall Whiteburn?”
I leaned over to see her phone screen, a photo of the former Designation Center Director at the top of the page. Bile rose in my throat.
“It was brutal.” Charlie grinned. “He was only sentenced to four years originally, but the crimes outlined in the report would potentially mean a life sentence.”
Poppy glanced up from her phone. “It has to be an omega releasing these reports, right? I mean, their signature is a flower petal.”
“I thought it might be the Alliance,” Clementine said, furrowing her brow as she turned towards Josie. “Does Ben know anything about it?”
Josie’s alpha had done some hacking for the anti-government Alliance, although it was hard for me to imagine the chipper bakery owner as a hacker.
Josie shook her head. “No, he doesn’t. I don’t think the Alliance is behind it.” There was a flash of something on her face before she schooled her expression into a smile. “It’s great that it’s happening, though.”
I wasn’t sure if I would read the report. I tried so hard to forget my life under the Designation Government, and this would force me to think about it. I grew quiet, lost in my thoughts until a sweet scent met my nose. I turned towards Poppy, my nose scrunched. “I swear to god, if you’re perfuming while looking at Marshall’s photo…”
“Eww!” she squealed, shoving my shoulder. “Now I’m going to have to burn my eyeballs. I’m sexting my guys.” Her tone carried an unsaidduh.
“Wait,” Josie said, her eyes lighting up. “I need you to teach me. My guys sext me all the time and I’m so freaking awkward.”
“Oh, I want to learn, too,” Charlie said. “Two of my alphas are out of town, and I want to torture them a bit.”
“How about you, Westin?” Poppy asked. “Anyone you’d like to sext?”
My mind went immediately to Nox and Bear. I couldn’t stop my grin when I thought of how fun it would be to sext with them, not that I ever would. I wouldn’t want to lead them on when we couldn’t be together.
“Oh my god,” Josie gasped. “What is that smile about?”
I bit my lip. “I might have met someone,” I finally conceded, my cheeks pink. “But it’s not going to go anywhere, so...” I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders.
Poppy pouted. “That’s no fun. Why can’t it go anywhere?”
I shifted on the mat, unsure of what to say. My friends knew I’d been ineligible for a pack before the fall of the Designation Government, but I hadn’t been clear that I still couldn’t join a pack now. Hot shame burned my cheeks at the thought of admitting I was still too defective to participate in the interview process.
Charlie cleared her throat. “So, how do you start sexting?” she asked, changing the subject. I threw her a grateful look, and she winked at me.
Thankfully, Poppy dropped her line of questioning, turning towards Charlie and Josie. “It’s easy to get it started. Josie, give it a try now.”
Josie’s eyes widened. “Now?”
“Yes,” Charlie said with an excited clap, “While we’re all here and can figure it out together.”
“Fine.” Josie huffed, pulling out her phone. “How do I start it?”
“Hmm,” Poppy said, looking thoughtful. “Start with something like ‘I’m so empty, I need something to fill me up.’”
