Page 43 of Unhinged Alphas

The words hang in the air between us, heavywith the weight of my past. I immediately regret saying them, exposing a vulnerability I've tried so hard to keep hidden. I brace myself for his reaction, expecting judgment or pity. Or, even worse—indifference.

But Thane's expression softens, his eyes filled with a gentleness I've never seen before. He takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us. I have to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact, his tall frame towering over mine.

"I know," he says, his voice low and strangely soothing. "I don't know exactly what happened to you there, Ivy. But I want you to know that you can tell me. If you ever want to talk about it."

Words that are too good to be true.

I search his face for any hint of deception, any sign that this is just another ploy to manipulate me. But all I see is sincerity, a genuine desire to understand.

I swallow hard, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat. Part of me yearns to unburden myself, to share the horrors that haunt my dreams. But another part, the part that's learned to survive by keeping my secrets close, hesitates.

"Why do you care?" I whisper, my voice barelyaudible over the pounding of my heart. "I'm just an omega. A tool for you to use."

Thane frowns, a flicker of hurt crossing his features. "Is that really what you think of me? Of us?"

I look away, unable to hold his gaze. "It's what I've experienced."

A warm, calloused hand cups my cheek, gently turning my face back to his. I inhale sharply at the contact, my skin tingling where his fingers brush against it.

"I'm not going to pretend that the system is perfect," Thane says, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "And it's broken and cruel in more ways than I ever imagined. But you're more than the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, Ivy. To this pack. You're more than an omega. You're a person. With thoughts and feelings and a past that's shaped you into who you are."

I stare at Thane for a few moments, his words echoing in my mind. They're bizarre, coming from an alpha, and yet... there's a sincerity in his eyes that I can't ignore. It's as if he genuinely cares, as if he sees me as more than just a pawn in this twisted game of hierarchy and power.

But even as a part of me wants to believe him, totrust in the gentleness of his touch and the earnestness of his words, I can't let my guard down fully.

Not after everything I've been through.

And I'm not going to be here forever.

Even if what he's saying is true, nothing good ever lasts. Not for me.

My gaze drifts to the horizon as I gather my thoughts. "They hurt us," I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "That's what they do in that place. What it's made for."

I feel Thane's hand tense against my cheek, his breath hitching slightly. "Who?" he asks, his voice low and dangerous. "Who hurt you, Ivy? Give me a name and I'll make him pay."

I turn back to him, a bewildered look on my face. Does he really not understand? "All of them," I say, my voice flat and emotionless. "The betas, the headmistress, the nightingales... all of them. The Refinement Center... it's not a place of healing or education, no matter what they claim. It's a slaughterhouse run by those who see us as nothing more than cattle to be broken and sold."

I take a deep breath, my chest tight with the weight of the memories. "No omega is unscathed by it. Some are just better at avoiding punishment thanothers. Some... some have never known freedom, so they don't bother to fight it."

The words pour out of me, like a dam finally breaking under the pressure of too much pain held back for too long.

And through it all, Thane listens.

He doesn't interrupt, doesn't try to offer platitudes or false comfort. When he finally speaks, his voice is full of the one thing I didn't think an alpha was capable of as he speaks the last words I ever expected to hear from one.

"I'm sorry," he says softly. His hand twitches at his side, as if he wants to reach out to touch me, but he stops himself. "Ivy, I amsofucking sorry."

I stare at Thane for a long moment, his words hanging in the air between us.

An apology.

From an alpha.

It's so unexpected, so contrary to everything I've ever known, that I'm not sure how to respond. Part of me wants to lash out, to reject his words as nothing more than empty platitudes. But the sincerity in his eyes, the genuine remorse in his voice, gives me pause.

I hug myself, my arms wrapping around my waist as if to hold in the tumultuous emotionsswirling inside me. "It's not your fault," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant even as my heart races in my chest. "You didn't do it. You weren't there."

Thane shakes his head, his jaw clenching with a quiet intensity. "That's not true," he says, his voice low and fervent. "I may not have been the one who hurt you directly, but I am responsible all the same. For everything that happened to you there, and everything that's happened to all the other omegas under the Refinement Center's supposed care."