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Now it’s my turn to cut her off.

“Based on science. Based on facts. If Soren is your Scent-Match, then your claim of a Fated Bond with Caelan isn't simply an impossibility backed by millennia of recorded evidence, irrefutable scientific data, and common fucking sense; it’s a lie that was never going to hold up long-term. You may as well try to convince us that the sky is green. It’s funny, really. The irony of trying to use Fate to sell your deception. Well… I suppose you don’t think it’s funny.”

“Now hold the fuck⁠—”

“I’m not talking to you, wolven,” I snap, refusing to look away from Idril’s bright blue eyes, swimming with tears. “This is the plan moving forward, Omega. Do I have your attention?”

I wait for her nod before I continue.

“You’re going back to the cells. When Caelan wakes up, he’ll tell us the truth of what really happened that night. Once we know exactly what you did to him and the extent of your participation leading up to his attack, we’ll decide your punishment⁠—”

“For what?” Soren demands, leaning so close I can feel the weight of his anger.

“For sabotaging an official Bloodbound mission. For endangering the life of a Bastard. For the near-fatal injury of my fucking Packmate,” I answer, ticking each offense off on my fingers, then return my attention to the Omega. “Until then, as Caelan’s pack, Vae and I will oversee your punishments.”

Soren’s fuming, but Idril doesn’t react. Her eyes are flat. Dead. Then she lifts one hand and curls it into a fist and presses it against her chest, grinding it into her sternum. I have to force my eyes away from her trembling hand to keep speaking.

“You will answer our questions. No more lies. This time, I want the truth. And at the risk of repeating myself, need I remind you that there are still missing Omegas out there, kidnapped by your father? Those are the real victims. And we don’t have time to wait for you to grow a conscience and stop holding back the information we need to find them. So from now on…”

I don’t know why I hesitate. Maybe it’s because nothing I say seems to be getting through to her. Maybe it’s how she keeps fucking grinding her palm into her chest like she’s in pain. Whatever it is, it’s got my Alpha on edge.

Like I’ve suddenly been dropped in the middle of a minefield.

“Dax?” Vae calls out to me, voice thick with tension.

“From now on—” Again, the words break off in my throat, and my throat goes dry; all the moisture evaporates.

Fuck! What the hell is happening?

“From—”

Idril grinds her palm into her sternum even harder. Her face twists in pain, and her vacant eyes stare right through me. I can’t—I can’t⁠—

A hand lands on my shoulder, making me jerk. Gav pushes me behind him, taking my place. I don’t know if I’m relieved or pissed because I can hardly think over my Alpha, who’s shouting and slamming into the bars of his cage.

Then Gavran speaks.

“Tomorrow morning we will begin a new form of interrogation. To be sure we’re getting the truth, we will ask all questions with the assistance of Alpha Command.”

The temperature in the room drops.

Idril’s hand falls from her chest. Her vacant eyes fly to Gav, filling with genuine terror that makes my chest tighten like a fist is squeezing my lungs.

Then, like it was never there to begin with, the fear disappears, replaced by a red-hot fury I’m not expecting. In a rare show of defiance, Idril narrows her eyes, lifts her chin, and straightens in her chair. For half a second I get the strangest feeling… like I’m seeing a version of Idril she could have been.

Should have been.

“You cannot Alpha Command me,” she responds, forcing each word through clenched teeth.

“I don’t like making this decision,” Gav replies. “But we’ve tried doing things the easy way. Now we have to adjust our approach.”

There’s a part of me that wonders if this might be too drastic. Yes, it was my idea, but… gods… I couldn’t even say the words! This all seemed so clear before. It made sense, Fatesdamnit.

Why am I suddenly questioning things now?

I remind myself that this approach is tame compared to how we treat males in her situation, but the argument feels flimsy, like a cop out. I just know I can’t subject her to the kind of physical interrogation I would if she were male. Or not an Omega. Or… anyone else.

I just… can’t.