Page 27 of Unhinged Alphas

There it is.

The denial, the deflection, couched in the sort of jingoistic rhetoric the Council has been spoon-feeding the masses for decades. I fight back a surge of disgust at the ease with which he spins his lies.

And I know when my father is lying.

I know him better than anyone.

I've just been too blind to see the truth. Until now. Until I hadreasonto look behind the curtain. To question everything.

The rage boils up inside me, scalding and caustic. I want to call him out, to hurl his sins back in his face and watch that imperious mask crumble to ashes.

But I can't. Not yet.

Not until I have undeniable proof. And when that day comes, I will bring the whole rotten edifice crashing down on him.

So I swallow back the vitriol burning in my throat and nod, playing along with his twisted narrative. "Of course. The resistance can't be allowed to spread their poison any further. We'll crush them, once and for all. And with this new connection, we actually have the means to do it."

His expression eases, fading back into the familiar arrogance and self-assurance. "Indeed we will, my son. With you leading the charge, I have no doubt."

He rises from his chair, that broad-shouldered bulk filling the room as he rounds the desk. For an instant, I ready myself to fight. But I shove it down, straightening my spine as he claps a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Speaking of leading the charge," he says slowly, "there's something else I wanted to discuss with you."

My muscles tense beneath his grip, bracing myself for whatever new horror is about to be unveiled. "Oh?"

"This omega you've… acquired." His lips twist as if the very word leaves a sour taste in his mouth. "You took her with you on the mission, yes?"

I tense. But I don't show it. Can't let even a hint of weakness slip through the cracks. So I force myself to relax, to meet his gaze with studied nonchalance. "I can't say I understand why the Council wanted it, but yes. We did."

"And she was compliant?" he presses.

I can tell he's carefully analyzing my every word, to the point where I'm starting to wonder if the idea for her to come along with us actually came from him and he was just using the Council's "desires" as a shield.

With that possibility, I regret showing any resistance. Any sign to make him think Ivy is something he can use against me. He'll take any sliver of vulnerability I show and use it as a weapon against me. So I bury the truth, pack it down deep beneath layers of feigned indifference.

"Yes," I answer. "There were some bumps at first, but she's been compliant since Plague collared her."

"I see." His eyes narrow, that assessing gazesweeping over me with renewed intensity. "And are you managing her properly? I'd hate to see all the time and resources the Center invested in her go to waste."

It's a subtle barb, a jab at my capabilities couched in a veneer of concern for the Council's "assets." I bristle despite my best efforts, my jaw clenching against the urge to lash out.

"Of course," I grit out, the words tasting like acid.

He arches a brow sardonically, clearly skeptical. "Do you? From what I've heard, this one was...problematic, even by the Center's standards. If she's proving too much of a handful, there are other avenues we could explore. Facilities better equipped to handle her unique needs."

A spike of visceral panic lances through me at the unspoken implication. Breeding facilities. They're reserved for omegas deemed too troublesome or uncooperative. The idea of sending omegas there rather than placing them with packs always disgusted me, and that was before I knew the full truth about the Refinement Center being a shithole. I can only wonder what hell on earth the breeding facilities are if that's what the omegas at the Refinement Center arethreatened with.

The thought of Ivy suffering such a fate... it's enough to make me want to put my fist through the nearest wall. But I can't, not here. Not in front of this "alpha" who would be more than happy to consign her to that hell without a second thought.

So I force myself to breathe, to tamp down the raging inferno of my emotions until I can respond with a level of calmness I don't feel.

"That won't be necessary," I say, each word precise and measured. "She was unruly at first, but now, she's tame as a kitten. I don't need people thinking the Ghosts can't bring a little omega to heel."

A rabid kitten with knives for claws, but he doesn't need to know that. He certainly doesn't need to know I like it. Despite my best attempts, I know he won't buy my complete indifference, so the safest bet is to let him think it's a matter of ego.

The lie tastes like ash. Poison on my tongue. But it's speaking to his alpha ego, the only language he understands. And it's safer than letting him think I care about her.

He watches me for a moment before he gives a nod of concession. "Fair enough. "I'll let the Council know the assignment has been a success thus far."