Page 38 of The Gift
“I’ll take your comments on board,” I reply, and there was a lot of bitch in that bite back at Henley’s tart statement. “I assume there’s another reason besides your concern about my health for you bringing this up?”
It’s easier to stare down Henley than it is Ashton, so that’s exactly what I do. Although staring down an alpha is a bit like a game of chicken. In every case they win.
“We think you’re the next victim of the person or persons going around harming the omegas from the Regalo Project.”
Bailey
Iwonder if this is one of those mic drop moments. Henley’s delivery certainly lends itself to be. As does the way they both zip up after, waiting for my reaction before they react themselves.
And there’s a part of me that is relieved to know what I’m dealing with. Being outed is one thing, although we’ve been playing a complicated game since the start. Their comments about Regalo Project, along with the information or disclosure of omegas being injured, are more of a concern.
Omegas might be treasured and rare, but there are natural occurrences of them reappearing, not at the levels we saw previously. The Regalo side of things is a dark blight in my past, which is almost contradictory to me being involved in a show about it, but I’m a work in progress. A messy but necessary work in progress. And since it’s my life I can pretty much justify any shit to suit.
Henley shuffles on his seat. I’m not sure whether it’s in discomfort or if he wants to say more, but as I pull my gaze off my cup to his face, it’s clear he’s got more to say.
“I want to make it clear, so there is no way you can mistake or misinterpret what I’m saying; only my pack knows of your results. Bailey, I wish I could appease your worries and tell you emphatically to trust us, but even I understand the way the world works. So the only way to do that is to prove to you, every day, that we are worthy of your trust.”
I flick my eyebrows up as an answer and catch the small drop of acceptance in his. Perhaps he expected me to blabber immediately and endlessly that I did trust him impeccably but I’m not the kind of person to blow smoke up someone’s ass to make them feel good.
“Time will tell.” I take a sip of my drink, hopefully being clear that I want him to continue.
“The new spate of omegas being taken and harmed has been on the radar of the Alpha Alliance I’m a part of, though we’ve been very selective of what we’ve shared with the government. And that’s for a variety of reasons.”
“What kind of reasons?”
“We don’t have much faith in the government. And thewein that regard can be interpreted as both the Alliance and my pack.”
He does get rewarded by a small hum of my appreciation there. Because the government did let a lot of people down, they still do, but that’s a bit too political a discussion to be having first thing in the morning.
“What does this have to do with Jenna?” I ask, hoping to steer the conversation away from how wonderful the A-team are.
“Jenna raises a couple of different but relevant issues. I mean she’s an omega, and she’s also shared with us that she was part of Regalo, so there is that. And during our discussions her small pack haven’t mentioned any threatening calls or messages, but the whole afternoon changed pretty quickly after you showed up. We will be investigating that further, but they are currently predisposed with her heat. Sadly, somehow some members of the government along with certain packs have also heard that Jenna is there and are demanding access to her for genetic testing.”
I shake my head, both unsurprised and disgusted at the news of the testing, which only reinforces my comments at our first meeting. There is still a lot of divide about omegas in society, and until that changes no one should feel safe.
“So why do you think I’m the next target?”
“You don’t want to talk about being an omega, Bailey?”
“No, not at this stage.” I smile tightly at Ashton.
“It’s a big part of this,” Henley adds, his voice still tight, his eyes still full of emotion.
“Is it?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Of course.”
“Well, I guess I need a few minutes to deal first. Why aren’t Reno and Koda here?” I really am keen to hear why they are missing, they talk about how much I can trust their pack, I’m wondering why half the pack is missing.
“It’s not really pack related, so there’s no issue for them to be involved in our initial discussion. After or later, most certainly, I want to bring them in, but I’m not sure when.”
“How do you see this working?” I ask.
“In a perfect world, I’d ask you to go straight to the same place Jenna is. Realistically, it’s the safest place which gives us the chance to focus on tracking down and eliminating the risk,” Ashton adds, his hands spreading across the table as if he needs something to do besides talk.
“You know it’s not an ideal world,” I add softly, holding his eye while I speak so he hears what I’m saying without me saying it.
“We do. Which is why we’re not discussing it. Like I said, it’s the preferred scenario but completely irrelevant.” He drops one of his smiles at me.
