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My eyes fall to my Mate. My beautiful Mate, who's struggling for each breath and sweating like she’s trying to fight off an internal attack her instincts are convinced exists.

The sight fucking wrecks me.

And it makes me hate this asshole even more. Especially when he begins to fucking protest.

“I—I tried to stop it. You weren’t there. It was Silas⁠—”

“It was all of you!”

I grunt in agreement, but I doubt they hear me. She’s right, though. What happened today was torture, plain and simple.

She shakes her head, like she can’t believe she has to explain this to someone, let alone an Alpha.

“You Alphas strut around as if the Fates themselves handed you everything on a fucking silver platter. Strength, power, stealth, enhanced physical capabilities. Well, I’ve got news for you. There’s a reason for that.”

“I—”

“To protect Omegas. To protect those physically weaker than you.” She points a shaking finger at Idril again and hisses. “Instead, you lot used it to interrogate an Omega until her nervous system CRASHED. I can’t believe I have to explain this to the same males who claim to dedicate their lives to saving Omegas. What you did today was so wildly fucked up, I can’t even look at you all the same anymore. You disgust me. All of you.

Well.

I wasn’t expecting this Beta to be my new favorite person when she walked in, but I can’t say I’m disappointed in this turn of events.

Lenora takes a measured step away from Daxen and exhales deeply. She swipes her palms down the front of her scrubs, pulling herself back together until that expressionless mask is back in place.

“The Omega’s blood pressure and heart rate are unstable. She has a low-grade fever, her adrenal system is in free fall, and her nervous system is fried. That’s what’s causing her limbs to tremor and spasm. Her body has shut down what it can to repair the neurological crash when her brain short-circuited.”

She turns on her heel, attention falling on me. “Keep her bundled up. I'll have one of the trainees bring more blankets down, because she needs them.”

She studies the cell with clear distaste and turns back to Daxen.

“She needs an actual Nest. Safety. Comfort. This is the opposite of that. If you keep her here, she will take longer to heal. There’s nothing I can do to speed that up. You sent her Omega instincts into a tailspin, and having her Mate will help with that more than anything.”

I exhale a relieved breath. Thank the Mother. At least I can do something to help her.

“Skin-to-skin contact would be best.” She eyes me clinically from head to toe. “It’s freezing down here, so if they make you stay, try to create your best proximity to a Nest with the materials I can find. And stay close to the Omega at all times. Either myself or one of my nurses will be here every hour or so until her heart rate and blood pressure stabilize.”

I nod. “Got it.”

She turns to Dax. “Let Gavran know I’ll be up to discuss the implications of this morning’s torture session shortly. Unfortunately, I don’t trust you to pass on my concerns.”

The Beta does another quick check on my Mate, jots down a few notes on her clipboard, and, flipping through the pages, disappears the way she arrived.

Once she’s gone, I grip the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head.

“Save the strip show ’til I’m gone, yeah?” Daxen mutters. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He’d be the perfect picture of nonchalance, if I hadn’t seen the way his hands were shaking the split second before hiding them from sight. Or the way his hair is standing on end, like he’s been running his fingers through it anxiously.

I want to punch his fucking teeth out.

“If you have a problem with nudity, look away,” I suggest, pulling down the zipper of my jeans. “I don’t give a fuck about your sensibilities. If the Doc says skin to skin helps, then I’ll glue myself to her body, and you can go fuck yourself while I do it.”

I hesitate, thumbs tucked in the side of my jeans, letting my lips curl into a taunting smirk. “Unless, of course, you’re jealous. In which case, by all means, feel free to stay.”

He scoffs. I finish stripping, throwing my jeans, shirt, and socks into a pile in the corner furthest from the built-in toilet. The muscle ticking in his jaw makes me believe I might have hit the mark.

Not even an absolute shit for brains like Daxen can deny how fucking perfect my Omega is—like a creature born in another world. More importantly, she’s kind. Patient. She cares about others—even at the expense of her own comfort.

For fucks sake, just last night she stepped into a terrifying situation to help rescue an Omega she’d never met. She refuses to leave her prison, where she’s been abused for weeks, because this is where her injured Mate is.