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Rhen asks a few more questions about Tal and what she knows about Corbin. Her story remains the same, matching what Thane already told us. I start to feel sluggish, and I can tell Rhen is also exhausted. He keeps shaking himself awake and yawning, which makes me yawn too.

I’m fighting sleep as Scarlett unlatches, and I tuck my boob away. Rhen holds his hands out for her, and I give her to him, nearly busting with my need to pee.

I race to the bathroom downstairs and empty my bladder. As I wash my hands, I feel an intense wave of vertigo. I can’t stop yawning as I trudge back up the stairs. Extreme fatigue washes over me. When I get to the top, I blink, wondering why Rhen is on the ground. My mind feels sluggish, and it takes me a few seconds to catch up.

“Scarlett?” I call, like I expect her to answer me. I blink, trying to work out what’s wrong. Confusion smashes into me.

“Rhen? Rhen!” I screech, running over to him in panic. I push at him, thinking he’s crushing our daughter. When I roll him over, however, I find his arms empty. I see feet walk up next to me, and I look up to find Bree, standing there with my daughter in her arms.

“I could have been you, you know,” she says, looking around the room. “I could have had this. A family. A pack. But nope, I had to be born a defect,” she says, smiling down at Scarlett. My eyes lock on to my daughter in her arms as Bree’s eyes flit to mine.

“He’s not dead. I drugged his coffee. He’s just taking a nap,” she says so casually. My heart races in my chest at the sight of my daughter in her arms. I stand up, my mate at my feet.

“Bree?” I hold my arms out for Scarlett, my hands trembling, but Bree pulls away from me.

“Alphas. You just gotta pull out the tears, bat your lashes, and smile and their instincts kick in. And they think Omegas are weak,” she laughs.

Chapter Twenty-Four

ONE HOUR EARLIER

Thane

The security at the facility thinks nothing of it as Leo buzzes us in. They don’t question him about the purpose of his sudden visit or the unexpected company he brings with him.

It feels a little weird to me. Personally, I wouldn’t let shit like this slide, but it isn’t my place to voice opinions. At this point, I’m just glad we get in without raising any suspicions.

Getting out of the car, I glance around the underground parking lot. I have a strange feeling in my gut, as if someone is watching us, so I want to ensure our surroundings are clear.

It’s dark down here, without much lighting. Not that I would expect there to be a lot of lights on this late at night, but perhaps one or two extra lights wouldn’t hurt them. If they have any security cameras down here, I bet the video quality is shit.

Leo’s door opens, and I peer over the roof of the car as he leans in. He’s talking to Emily, his daughter, who is trying to get out of the car.

She did not appreciate being ripped from her bed in the middle of the night. I understand. She’s frightened and wants to stay near her father. Any child, especially one her age who’s already bloomed, would act the same. We should be thankful she didn’t throw a fit about us taking her to an Omega ‘Sanctuary.’ These places are far from what I would call sanctuary.

I wait for Leo, who is scolding her as she tries to open the door. He slams it on her, giving me an apologetic look. Yeah, never mind my previous statement. This behavior very much reminds me of a temper tantrum.

“Stay in the car and lock the damn doors. We won’t be long,” he says, trying to sound stern. The sigh that leaves his lips makes it sound like he is at the end of his rope. He shakes his head as his shoulders slump. “Just try to sleep. We’ll be back soon,” he tells her.

The girl must notice how defeated her father appears because she finally gives in . She nods and lays down in the back of the car. At least the little Omega understands that we have to keep a low profile.

“This way,” Leo nods to the doors opposite where I think the main entrance is.

I follow him to the reinforced glass door, which I never would have guessed can be used to get inside. My eyes follow him as he unlocks the door with a set of keys and pushes it open.

As soon as we’re in, Leo quickly clears the alarm that had started going off.

He closes the panel and glances over his shoulder at me. At least this is more proof that he didn’t lie to me. He seems to know this place, as if he spent his entire childhood here.

Leo leads me through the huge corridors. I would have gotten lost very quickly if I had to find my way around here without any help.

The place reminds me of a school. We pass a lot of classrooms, yet they don’t look like the classrooms I remember. The more I see, the more clearly I recall what Harlow told me about growing up here. She didn’t exaggerate. In fact, it is much worse than what she described.

We stop at one of the doors, and I feel sick to my stomach. Like I will actually purge my previous meal all over the dirty floor.

The walls inside the room are covered in various posters, each worse than the last. It’s every sick dream of the worst degenerate. There are pictures of sex, with various poses, suggestions of vile acts, and even diagrams.

I almost laugh at one that describes how to give the best blowjobs. It’s so damn laughable, but I can’t find it in me to even chuckle at the fucking irony. How goddamn sick does someone have to be to stick these things all over the walls?