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Oh yeah, Nolan was dead.

“Interesting place to cut the video, Seth,” Nolan seethed. “Shall I get my copy of the whole exchange, so I can show the Conclave and the town how you threatened to force Marlowe onhormone suppressants?”

The females in the crowd gasped in horror, and Elias held a firm grip on my shoulder as I redirected my anger towards thatspineless beta male. “You didwhat?” I bellowed.

I added that slimy asshole to the list of shifters I was killing tonight.

Seth puffed out his chest, unashamed of the backlash. “General Thorne said it himself, her scent is too potent. We all witnessed it—she can even cause a member of the Conclave to go crazy. Nolan, I was only thinking of your omega’s safety, while you only seem to care about having fun during her heats.”

I was about to launch myself at the rat when Elias blocked me again. “What does any of this have to do with your so-called report?”

Seth grinned and cleared his throat. “I’m so glad you brought that up, Elias. I always figured you were the only rational member of Pack Wolcott.”

Grimm snapped his fingers. “Enough of your stupid posturing, beta, just get on with it.”

Seth’s cheeks reddened and he displayed a scanned copy from an old book on the screen. “Here, from the Covenant of the Pack, is The Sanctity of Omega Bonds Act.”

The print was a little blurry but I read through it quickly:

An Omega, being of bond and bearing sacred to her pack, shall not be exposed or shared outside said pack without consent, whether by means of scent, presence, or any claim thereof. Any individual, be they Alpha or Beta, who shall attempt to wield or disseminate an Omega with intent to coerce, manipulate, or otherwise exert undue influence, shall be subject to The Redistribution Act.

The fear that came through the bond from Elias was felt immediately through the whole pack.

“Elias?” Marlowe asked, her voice timid. “What’s The Redistribution Act?”

Before Elias could respond, Senator Hartwell stood and addressed the room. “The Redistribution Act of 1874 states that should an omega be at undue risk through neglect or abuse of her pack, the Conclave reserves the right and duty to seize custody and redistribute her.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. The Conclave had the right to take Marlowe away from us, all because of some obscure law Nolan had broken in trying to protect her.

I was going to fucking kill everyone.

But before I could start my rampage, Marlowe stepped forward. “There’s no way that’s happening. I’m not property, I’m a person! I have rights!”

A few females in the room clapped in agreement, but theSenator just laughed. “Sweetie, the Female Rights Act of 1986 did not include omegas because we thought you were extinct.” Shocked silence fell over us, while Marlowe’s anger threatened to boil over.

“You think I can just be tossed around due to some technicality? I don’t give a flying fuck what your outdated, backward laws say, and I refuse to go along with this farce any longer. My pack has not abused me, and I choose them. We’re done here.”

She turned to leave, but several police officers now gathered in front of the door, blocking our path.

We circled around to protect Marlowe as the Conclave now stood, addressing the crowd. “Good shifters of Maiingan Hollow,” Thorne spoke, his hands raised. “I think we have a clear-cut case here. The omega needs a pack who will not use her for gain, as Mayor Wilk did when he blackmailed a member of his own staff with her scent. And she’s clearly been neglected, seeing as Pack Wolcott has failed to teach her how to show respect to the Conclave and our ways. As such, with the authority vested in our sacred positions, we hereby claim the omega as our own.”

“No!” I bellowed, pushing away the cop that tried to reach for her. Julian fought off several at once, taking the attack on one officer in particular a bit personally. Marlowe grabbed onto the back of my suit jacket and I squared off against another one, dodging his baton and punching him in the gut.

Some of the females in the crowd had become enraged, and fighting had now broken out between them and the other males in the room.

It was utter pandemonium, and the Conclave was slowly making their way towards us, the general readying his bark, when Elias broke free from the melee and ran to the podium, yelling into the microphone, “I invoke the Rite of Dominion!”

19

MARLOWE

The chaos in the room stilled as Roland turned his head towards Elias, a snarl curling his thin lips. “What did you say?”

Elias glared right back, refusing to cower as he repeated himself. “I invoke the Rite of Dominion.” He opened his phone and read the law aloud, “Should more than one pack wish to claim rights to an Omega’s bond, they may nominate a single alpha to represent them in trial by combat. The victor shall claim the omega’s bond on behalf of their pack, thereby securing her welfare by lawful and honorable means.”

These fucking shifters and their stupid goddamn laws. Of course omegas could be fought over like a championship belt. My hands balled into fists and I wanted to rage at the injustice of it all, even if Elias was trying to save me and keep the town from tearing itself apart.

I knew this was a million different shades of fucked, but I also didn’t understand how this was even possible in the first place—I was bonded. Over and over, my pack had assured me that pack bonds were for life. If that was the case, then how could I be handed over from one pack to the next like some kind of community chew toy?