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I stand and look at the front door, seeing shapes through the frosted glass on either side. Nate comes to stand beside me, Milo on my other side, Arjun at my back. All three are armed in case anything happens, but security is locked down and the ACB agents who have been after me have been taken into custody while we hid here.
I'm never going to be safe--not really.
I have to be brave.
"Are you ready for this?" Nate asks, squeezing my hand. All three of them are dressed in similar black suits we had brought in by the Enclave, preparing to make a stand. Nate looks amazing as always--and it makes me happy that I get to proudly proclaim that he's mine.
That all three of them are.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I murmur. "Are you?"
"We're here for you, Sloane," Arjun says, putting his hand on my shoulder.
Milo nods. "Let's get to work."
I take a step forward and nod at Nate, and then he's reaching out to open the door, shielding me from the press as the cameras start to go crazy. My mom and sister are with me, too, and Van is right behind them as always. We're all dressed to the nines, designed to look like the perfect post-Mutation family.
What the hell does that even look like?
Well...we're about to define it.
I step up to the podium and clear my throat, and even though my pulse pounds, I'm pleased that my voice doesn't tremble or break. In fact, I soundstrong, my hands resting on the papers in front of me as I make eye contact with the dozen or so reporters that were allowed in, the cameras all pointed right at me. The questions start right away, their voices loud and insistent, but my family shields me from it all.
Van steps up to the podium first, staring down the press. "Alright," she says. "This is how we're doing things--Senator Ashford will deliver a statement about the events of this week, andthenyou will get your questions. If anyone tries to interrupt, they will be removed from the press conference. Understood?"
They all nod, waiting on a knife's edge for my statement.
Then I take Van's place...and it begins.
The resolution to this whole horrible ordeal.
"Good morning," I say. "I'm sure you've all seen the news already--thenumerousstories about me this week. First, about the assassination attempt, then the transparently sinister attempt to shame me by releasing compromising footage of me having a private moment with my pack. And now, the perpetrators of all this have been outed as my peers--Senators Westerland, Montgomery, and Wallace."
There's at least one gasp from the audience--so I guess noteveryonehas seen the news. I know it went public thanks to Milo, but maybe the news is still circulating.
"The fact of the matter is that these senators made an attempt on my life over the past week, with the help of disgraced ACB operatives," I continue. "I was forced into an impossibly difficult situation. The only thing standing between me and certain death were three brave Enclave agents who did their due diligence in protecting me when necessary...and helping me through my heat."
Another gasp, this one louder. This part of the statement wasn't in Van's draft, and I hear her shift on her feet, her eyes wide as she stares at the ground.
I turn my papers upside down, unable to see the words now as I gain courage.
"Yes," I say. "I'm an omega. I deal with heats, just likeevery otheromega in the world. The ACB thought that heats meant we were nothing more than animals, but you can see me standing in front of you right now, and look at me. I'ma human being. These men are my pack, and they did what they had to when I lost access to my suppressants."
The crowd murmurs softly, a couple men whispering to each other in the press junket.
"And if you're one of the people listening right now who's more appalledby my heatthan an attempted assassination, you are part of the problem," I say, looking into the camera and leaning forward. "We make up nearly thirty percent of the population--men and woman and others who go through a heat every one to three months. Our world changed after the Great Mutation, andagainafter the revolution...and we're not going to be an ordinary part of society until everyone accepts that humanity isn't the same as it once was."
"But let's move on to the actual issue at hand," I continue, straightening up and regaining my composure. "These senators, who were supposed to be my colleagues, my peers, my friends...they orchestrated a plot to kill me. They thought that because I was an omega, I was weak. They thought that because I was a woman, I was powerless. But they were wrong. They underestimated me and my pack, just as so many people do when they see an omega in power."
I pause, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"But we're not powerless. We're not weak. We are capable, just like any other person, of being leaders, of making decisions, of having a voice in government. And now, as a result of their actions, these senators will be facing justice. They will be held accountable for their crimes."
There's a pause, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest even as my voice gets stronger.
"But this isn't just about justice for me. It's about justice for all omegas, for all of us who have been told they don't belong in positions of power. It's about proving that we can be leaders, that we can make a difference, that we are worthy of respect and protection. And I promise you, as your senator, I will fight every day to ensure that every resident of this city, no matter their background or identity, has the same opportunities and protections under the law."
I take one final breath and look out at the crowd, gathering my courage and my strength for the inevitable storm of questions that will come next. But for this moment, I feel powerful. I feel like I'm standing up not just for myself, but for every omega who has been told they can't lead, who has been told they don't belong.
