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Chapter 13
The heavy oak door slams against the wall as I storm into my father’s office, my boots echoing on the polished marble floor.
I shouldn’t be here.
Technically, I’m breaking three laws just coming here without his permission.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
But it’s been a little over two weeks since Ivy came to us, and it’s the first day Plague declared her condition stable, so it’s the first chance I’ve had to confront my father about her treatment at the hands of the Refinement Center. The first moment I’ve been able to tear myself away from her bedside for more than occasionally sleeping or fulfilling my duties around the Chateau, and even then, half my inner demons are raging at me for it.
The rest want blood.
‘What the hell is this?’ I demand, the words tearing from my throat like gravel.
General Hargrove levels a steely gaze at me from behind his massive desk, his eyes narrowing. The men seated around him, high-ranking officers judging by their insignias, shift uncomfortably in the sudden tension.
‘Thane,’ my father says, his voice a controlled rumble. ‘We’re in the middle of a meeting. Whatever this is, it can wait.’
‘No, it can’t.’ I plant my hands on the desk, leaning forward, my eyes locked with his. ‘You lied to me. The Refinement Center? It’s a fucking torture chamber.’
A flicker of annoyance crosses his face before he smooths it into an unreadable mask. With a curt nod to the others, he dismisses them. They file out, the door closing with a soft click that does nothing to ease the fury pounding in my veins.
‘You’re being dramatic,’ he says once we’re alone, leaning back in his chair, the leather creaking. ‘The Center is a necessary institution. It maintains order, ensures omegas know their place.’
A harsh laugh escapes me, the sound devoid of humor. ‘Their place? You mean beaten and starved? Scarred and broken?’ I reach into my pocket, pulling out the pictures Plague took of Ivy’s battered body, the evidence of so much abuse. I throw them onto the desk, watching as they scatter across the polished surface. ‘Is this what you call order?’
He glances at the pictures, his expression unchanging, but I can see it in his eyes. The faintest hint of disgust. Of the humanity I remember in the man who raised me. Humanity I’ve suspected on more than one occasion was buried with my mother.
It’s gone as quickly as it appeared. He drops it like it’s nothing, along with the photos. ‘Thane, you don’t understand the complexities of running a society. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.’
‘Sacrifices?’ I snarl, my hand curling into a fist. ‘She’s a person, not a fucking pawn in your twisted games. How can you justify this? How can you sit there and tell me this is right?’
‘Right and wrong are luxuries we can’t afford,’ he replies, his tone infuriatingly calm. ‘Omegas are a necessary cog in the machine of our society, but when left to their own devices, they bring chaos. They need to be controlled—by any means necessary.’
I stare at him, a cold realization settling in my gut. ‘You knew,’ I mutter. My voice doesn’t sound like my own. ‘All this time, you knew what was happening there.’
He meets my gaze unflinchingly. ‘I didn’t know about her specifically, but yes, I knew the administration can be heavy handed with its more challenging cases. It’s my job to know.’
Disgust rises in my throat, bitter and acidic. ‘Your job? What about your duty as a human being? An alpha? What about basic decency?’
‘Decency is a privilege of the weak,’ he snaps, a hint of anger finally cracking his composure. ‘We are alphas, Thane. We bear the burden of leadership, of making the hard choices. If a few omegas must suffer for the stability of our society, so be it.’
I step back, shaking my head, a hollow laugh escaping me. ‘You’re a coward.’
‘I’m a realist,’ he counters, standing, his imposing frame looming over the desk.
‘You expect me to just let this stand?’ I demand. ‘You’re the one who pushed a fucking omega on us, and now you want me to what, act like some beta bitch who doesn’t give a damn?’
‘I expect you to act like a leader,’ he counters, smoothing down his uniform as he collects himself. As if anger is his greatest vice and not his apathy and cowardice that have made him little more than a leashed dog under the Council’s command.
Then again, what does that make me?
‘If you care for this omega’s wellbeing, then the Council was right. She’s already doing her job,’ he continues in an even tone. ‘And she’s no longer in the hands of the Center. Be grateful for that.’
Anyone else might miss those words being a veiled threat, but I know the General better than anyone. Much better than he wants to admit.
‘Fuck you,’ I mutter, pushing back from his desk.
His eyes show no further hint of irritation. Of decency. ‘One day, when you’re in my position, you’ll understand. You’ll see the necessity of what we do.’
‘No,’ I say, my voice low and fierce. ‘I will never be like you. I will never condone this… this perversion. If that’s what it means to be your kind of leader, then you and the Council can all go to hell.’
I turn, striding toward the door, my heart pounding in my ears.
‘Thane,’ my father calls after me, his voice sharp. ‘Don’t be a fool. You can’t change the system. You’ll only destroy yourself trying.’
I pause, my hand on the doorknob, glancing back over my shoulder. ‘Maybe. But at least I’ll be able to live with myself. Can you say the same?’
Without waiting for a response, I wrench open the door and walk out, leaving the man I once admired, the father I thought I knew, behind in the suffocating confines of his office.