Strolling into the break room of the daycare center the next morning, Bree frowned. Because the only other omega present was Dani. The primary had texted her half an hour ago, summoning her to the center, despite Bree being at work. Usually, all omegas were required to attend meetings—no excuses. So this, yeah, it was highly unusual.
“Good afternoon, Bree,” greeted Dani, seeming incredibly official. There was no emotion in her voice or expression. “Please sit.”
Uneasy, Bree took the seat opposite her. Her cat was tense, perturbed by the break in protocol. “All right, so what gives?”
“I received a complaint about you.”
An unnatural stillness struck Bree’s body. Her cat bared a fang. “A complaint? Are you serious right now?”
“Sadly, I am.” Dani crossed one leg over the other. “Drina turned up at my house yesterday evening in tears.”
The little bitch had apparently also spent time at The Tavern last night getting shitfaced and declaring that she’d see Bree “dead” one day soon—it was a hot topic among the pride. The bartender had apparently had to walk Drina home in the early hours of the morning, she’d been so out of it.
“And what exactly was she upset about?” asked Bree.
“She was upset that she went to you for help last night, confided in you, told you things she hadn’t admitted to anyone else, and that you laughed at her.”
Bree felt her eyelid twitch. “Laughed?”
“Yes. She also claimed you threatened to kill her if she went near Alex ever again. Worse, she alleged that you tried to infuse negative energy into her—she believes your intent was to worsen her depression.”
Oh, what a precious little story spinner. “And you believe her?”
“I don’t believe you did the latter. You watched your mother spiral into a state of such deep depression that she was unable to dig her way out of it. I don’t believe you would visit that fate upon another person.”
Well that vote of confidence was a shocker.
“But can I imagine you laughing at or threatening her? Yes. Some would even consider it understandable. No female would find it easy to overlook another woman trying to make moves on her man. I don’t believe you’re the sort of person who would.”
Bree totally wouldn’t have overlooked it if it weren’t for the sad fact that Drina was in terrible pain right now. But Bree had fully intended to have words with the female if she didn’t seek help and leave Alex be.
“Well, not that you’ll care about what the truth actually is, I didn’t laugh at her. I also didn’t threaten to kill her, despite that she’d only come to me for two reasons—one, to make me doubt Alex; two, to get his attention. But after the session was over and Alex appeared, she started in on him. He ordered her to go. She wouldn’t. When she unsheathed her claws and went to swipe at him, I intervened and insisted she leave. If you can honestly tell me you wouldn’t have reacted in the defense of someone you cared for, I’ll be very surprised.”
“In what sense did you intervene?” asked Dani, still reserved and formal.
“I didn’t use my gifts, if that’s what you’re asking. I pinned her arms behind her back and kept them there until she sheathed her claws. I could have quite easily hurt her, but I didn’t.”
Dani sighed and clasped her hands together. “The problem here, Bree, isn’t that you acted in anyone’s defense. It’s that you did so during a session.”
“I told you, the session was over. At that moment, she was simply someone who wasn’t welcome in my home but refused to leave. Someone who also might have tried to hurt Alex.”
“He didn’t require you to intervene—we both know that. He could have easily subdued her himself.”
“So, you wouldn’t have complained to me if Alex had manhandled her? You wouldn’t have then told me that I should have intervened?”
Dani’s gaze briefly darted to the wall.
“We both know you wouldn’t have liked the situation, whatever way it went down. I’m not going to justify what I did, because it doesn’t need justifying. I didn’t act whatsoever inappropriately. If you disagree with that, complain to Vinnie. It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?” Bree clipped. “Maybe you could even request that I have some of my omega duties stripped from me. Again.”
Dani exhaled heavily. “I didn’t want to do that. My request to Vinnie wasn’t personal, Bree. If any of the other omegas had threatened to force an emotion into someone, I’d have reamed their ass for it and then reported it to our Alpha.”
“Well, since the other omegas don’t have that ability, I guess we’ll never know how true that is. But you have to know I wouldn’t do something like that unless it’s a matter of self-defense.”
Dani shrugged. “I’d like to believe that, Bree, but some of the things you do … I sometimes wonder if your gift asks too much of you. I mean, you rose in power very fast—that alone would be hard. Your ability to read thoughts can’t be easy, and then you also have the gift to induce emotions into people. Some omegas would find it difficult to cope. Especially when they don’t have someone to compare notes with about those extra little abilities. I worry for you. I truly do.”
The hairs on the back of Bree’s neck stood up, because she sensed where this was going. “Don’t you dare.”
Dani’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Don’t you dare put a little case together to suggest I’m ‘overwhelmed’ or ‘going bad’ or some shit like that just to get me out of the way.”
“You don’t often feel overwhelmed? Your shields aren’t weakening? They don’t fall in your sleep?”
“No, no, and no.” Bree raked a hand through her hair. “God, I can’t believe you’d actually stoop so low as to try and build a bullshit case like this.” Her cat was livid.
“I’m not conspiring against you, Bree, I’m just concerned for you.”
“You can’t honestly think I’d buy that.” Laughing a humorless laugh, Bree slanted her head. “What happened to you? You weren’t always like this. It’s almost like you lost a piece of yourself somewhere along the way.”
Dani’s face hardened. “I’m who I’ve always been.”
“No, you’re not. I get no support, no help, and you’re actively working against me. I wish I could go home knowing you’d think hard on that and try to change. But you won’t, and that just makes the whole thing sadder.” Bree pushed to her feet and skirted the table.
Dani rose from her chair. “We’re not finished here.” She grabbed Bree’s arm.
Bree shook her off and hissed in her face. “You going to make me stay? Try it.”
Cheeks reddening, Dani jutted out her chin. “You will stay because, as your primary, I’m ordering you to stay. You’ll show me the respect I’m due.”
“And what have you ever done to earn it?” Before the other omega could in any way respond, Bree stalked out of the room. Whatever the daycare workers saw on her face made them part like the red sea as she marched out of the center.