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“I’m calling them ‘abilities’ as of now,” Evander breaks in. “I agree with both of you. Powers sound like they were bestowed upon the Omegas by some unseen force, but at the same time, none of this is normal. We don’t have an explanation for it that fits in any rational box.”
Gav rolls his shoulders back, cracking his neck. “Alright. So we need to figure out what the hell these Omegas are going on about. Someone needs to start doing some research.” He looks at me. “Dax, this would be the perfect thing to get your mind off our little problem. I suggest you ask Riven nicely for help.”
I give a single nod and pull out my phone to shoot Riven a text.
“And us?” Silas asks.
“You and Vae are in charge of the Omega when you’re home. Check in with the trainee, Cage, nightly. I want you two on interrogation. Find out what she knows, who she knows, and how involved she’s been. Outside of that, you’ll be on regular duties. We still need to be tracking the Severed and figuring out where the hell Varenthrall disappeared to.”
“We’re giving Cage authority over the Omega?” Silas’s brows shoot up to his hairline.
“Hard agree with Silas, Gav.” I cut in, glancing up from my phone. “Cage is a walking ulcer.”
I’m not exactly sure why the words are coming out of my mouth, but my gut is screaming in protest at the thought of allowing Cage around the female.
If Gav wants her hurt, he might as well leave her with me.
That idea makes me frown harder.
“Cage’s dad would like us to start giving him more responsibility,” Gav responds dryly.
Vae lets out an incredulous laugh. “I’m sorry, are these trust fund babies not cutting the cord before they come to us anymore?”
Gav smirks. “That’s actually why I’m assigning him to the Omega. A few weeks of diaper duty might teach him not to go running to daddy when someone makes him cry.”
I still don’t like it, but I understand his thought process. I’ll just have to keep an eye on them. Discreetly, of course, since I’m apparently no longer allowed around the Omega without supervision.
Gav turns his attention back to Silas’s phone, “Evander and Ford, I want you two to stay in Chicago. We need eyes on that Omega. I don’t want to leave Calla to someone outside our immediate command, but I also don’t want to bring her back here. Who knows what might happen if those two are near each other.”
“Understood,” Ford easily agrees.
“I’ll be following up leads and patrols, and looking into shit as well,” Gav concludes.
“How’s Caelan?” Evander asks, and the room falls so silent I can hear my own heartbeat. The oddly normal moment is officially over, and a depressing cloud descends in its place. I get to work packing up my laptops. I don’t need to listen to them go over this again.
I can’t.
“Dax,” Vae calls after me as I stand to leave without waiting to be dismissed. Gav will understand, emotions just aren’t my forte.
“I’m good. I’m just tired.”
The lie burns. I’m not good. I’m the fucking opposite of good.
Truth be told, I’m barely holding it together. And if I stay in this room another second longer and listen to them go on about Caelan like he’s already dead…
I’ll break.
That, or I’ll go into that cell and finish what I started.
Either way, I need to leave.
“I’ve got a lot of shit to do if I want to get a jump start on all this Rings of Power bullshit,” I say, zipping up my bags with fingers that feel too large. “Get some rest, yeah?”
I don’t hang around and wait for a response, beelining for the hall and taking the stairs to the main floor two at a time. I barely remember crossing the training yard toward HQ, but halfway across the front yard, I pause.
On the edge of the drive are paw prints. They look like they belong to a large cat. Not as large as a mountain lion, which used to roam around the Eastern US often, but definitely larger than a house cat. I can clearly see where it stepped in the mud, and the prints left on the concrete like it was pacing back and forth outside HQ.
I briefly recall Vae muttering about a cat from Hell earlier, but I was too tired to pay attention.
