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“And that’s when our merry band took off, isn’t it, babycakes?” Pember flinched, gaze flicking to the door as it slowly creaked open.

“Maya,” he whispered, holding Ru tighter. “Maya, what have you done?”

She smiled, lips curling back, making her teeth protrude.

“What have I done? ” She spat out a laugh and stopped a few feet from them.

“Something that every other omega in this shithole wants, Pem. Perhaps not what your little covert team wants to hear from their white van at the end of the street, hm? Or the guy sitting in the bar?”

Pember’s eyes widened.

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid?”

“Maya, I?—”

“You must do,” she chuckled, shaking her head. Licking her bottom lip, she stepped to the right and put her hands in her pockets, looking relaxed, almost casual. Pember’s eyes drifted to them as he pushed Ru behind him.

Maya laughed. “What? You think I’m gonna hurt ya or something?”

“Aren’t you?” he snapped back.

She dragged her hands out, pulling out the pockets. Empty. Pember let out a breath.

“Why would I? What’s done is done. You aren’t my enemy. I know it’s over. I know that. I just wanted to see the look on your face when you knew for certain. I wanted to know if you got it, even just a little bit. I can see that you do.”

She gave him a little smile, one that was almost childlike as she twirled her braid around a finger.

“You understand , don’t you? You may not agree with it. You may not like it, but you understand it. Don’t you, Pem?”

Pember walked him and Ru backwards, stepping out of Maya’s reach. “I’ll never agree with murder. Never.”

Maya smiled. “But you understand it , don’t you? We all do.” She raised both hands as though speaking to an audience.

Pember’s eyes flicked to the door again. He fucking hoped Blake’s team was about to burst through at any moment. “Who’s we ?” he said, trying to keep her talking.

Maya sucked her teeth. “Don’t play dumb, Pem.

You know who. Us. Omegas. Every fucking victim to suffer at the hands of an alpha.

I told you when we had sushi that it wasn’t a job interview.

I lied. I wanted you to join us, you were ripe for the fucking picking, but then you fucked an alpha and suddenly you had stars in your eyes. ”

Pember’s nostrils flared as his back hit the hand dryer. “You’re angry. I get that, but?—”

“But what? But killing isn’t the answer? Murder won’t solve anything? Well, it solved something for Ru, didn’t it? And Leo. And Sal. And—” Maya’s dark eyes darted away and she licked the side of her mouth. “Anyway, do you see? The alphas are learning. They understand now what we’re capable of.”

“You wanted hysteria,” Pember said, tucking Ru tight against his back.

Maya snapped forward, both hands balled into fists at her side.

“Yes, I wanted them scared! I wanted them fucking terrified to go out at night. I wanted them to think twice before they snatch omega kids from the fucking care system, before they hurt us, abuse us, treat us like fucking objects! I wanted them paralysed with fear.” Something flickered across her eyes, the dark brown of her irises turning amber.

Her wolf. Her fucking wolf was about to burst out.

Letting out a long breath, Maya flexed her neck and let her face relax.

“To what end, May?” Pember said, clenching his teeth. “To—what—end? Look who you’re hurting. Look at Ru, for God's sake. He trusted you.” Ru whimpered at the sound of his name.

Maya’s gaze slid to him, expression turning hard. “Do you know how many rape kits I’ve processed over the last five years, Pem? One hundred? Two hundred? Hm?”

Shaking his head, Pember slowly stepped to the left. There was a path between Maya and the door, but it would put Ru within grabbing reach. “I-I don’t know, Maya. I don’t?—”

“Try two thousand ,” she growled. “You think Ru’s is a sad story? His is one of so many. So you’re damned right I’m angry. And now my anger will be buried with their bodies forever.”

Her words bounced off the walls, making the metal hand dryer vibrate. The earpiece crackled, Caitlin’s broken words buzzing in his ear. “ Inter-fer-ence… com-ing… three… minutes. ” Pember fought the urge to press his finger to his ear.

Maya straightened, tipping her chin up in an expression that looked close to vindication.

Pember glanced up at the ceiling, trying to remember Caitlin’s instructions. “What about Sal? And Leo? Where do they factor into all this? Don’t tell me you met them at clinics too?”

“No,” another voice sounded from behind the door. It was Sal. She smiled as she slipped into the bathroom, arms winding around Maya’s waist. They kissed before pressing their foreheads together. “They’re coming,” she whispered. “I left Leo downstairs.”

Maya nodded and kissed her hands. Pressing her lips together, Sal tugged at her top. A fading red welt marred the crook of her shoulder, and Pember’s jaw dropped.

“A bite,” he said, covering his mouth. “You were bitten by an alpha?”

Sal grimaced and smoothed down her clothing. “Yep. Robert fucking Green, solicitor, school governor, paragon of family values. Fucking philanderer that thought he was God’s gift to omegas.”

Pember’s fingers twitched, and he flinched when one of the toilet’s automatic flushing mechanisms went off. He used the distraction to inch closer to the door, but Maya and Sal stood their ground. “He had a family, Sal. A wife, children.”

Sal grinned. “I know. Twins, Teddy and Ava. Both alphas, like their daddy. He showed me a picture of them right before he fucking bit me on a work night out. Do you know what it’s like to be bitten by force?”

Pember shook his head.

“It destroys your ability to think. Makes you believe you want the alpha that did it. Makes you go into heat even when you don’t want it. Makes your scent gland smell like shit to your actual mate.” Sal’s mouth trembled and tears welled in her eyes.

Maya pulled her close, nuzzling her neck.

“Why didn’t you report it to the police? Forcing a bite on someone, i-it’s illegal, Sal. He would have gone to prison.”

Sal barked out a laugh. “And how fucking long would I have had to wait to remove the bite? It’s still down to the alpha’s discretion whether the bite is removed. Do you really think he’d have signed the papers whilst sitting in a jail cell?”

“N-no, but killing him?” Pember’s nose wrinkled as he glanced at her plaster cast. “Did you even fall off your bike or is that all for show?”

Sal grinned. “Nah. That fucker did it the night we killed him. It turns out taking down a fully grown alpha without sedating him first is a fucking challenge. But we did it.” She smiled, squeezing Maya’s shoulder. “Right, baby?”

Maya nodded. “You can thank your fuck buddy, Pem. Didn’t expect him to follow up with Maginty, so we had to stop using our little cocktail of drugs.

Poetic, don’t you think? Using love dust to control them, just like they controlled all the omega children in the trafficking ring.

Fucking genius, but I’ll give DS Big Balls Blake points for that one. ”

Pember ground his teeth, he would not be drawn in. He took a breath. “And Leo?”

Maya shrugged. “Met him at a screening clinic. He’s a sex worker, goes once a month. Zayne promised him the world. Knotted him, knocked him up, dumped him when he realised his family would never approve.”

Pember’s mind was reeling. Just like with the bite, the impregnating alpha would have to sign the papers for the termination. But if the alpha were to die, and the only remaining parent was the omega… they’d have to allow it.

Maya scoffed. “Our society’s backwards, Pem.

They say we have rights, that we’re on equal footing with the alphas and betas, but are we really?

Sure, sigmas and omegas can have careers, houses, certain protections under law, but how can any of that fucking matter when we still don’t even have autonomy over our own bodies? ”

“And what about Samantha?” Pember yelled, unable to contain his anger. “Did she have fucking autonomy when you killed her? When you bound her, put a bag over her head and slit her throat? Did she have control then?”

Maya grimaced as she toed the grimy bathroom tiles. “Sam was…” When she looked up, her eyes were shining. “Samantha was always sticking her fucking nose where it didn’t belong.”

“P-please,” Ru sobbed, gripping Pember’s shirt. “Please, I don't want to go to prison.”

Sal wrinkled her nose and looked back at Maya. “Bags are packed, right, baby?”

Maya hummed and sucked her lip. “Mm-hmm.”

“So we should go, yeah? That’s the plan?”

Maya let out a breath, peeling Sal away from her neck. “We’re not going anywhere,” Maya said, staring at Pember.

“W-what? But you said. You said you had a plan. The Maldives. The flight’s booked, right?”

Maya sighed and gave Sal a sympathetic look. “No, baby. We’re not going to the Maldives.”

“What do you mean, May? Come on, let’s go!” She tugged at Maya’s shirt, her chin beginning to quiver when the other omega didn’t budge.

“You manipulated them,” Pember said, ears pricking at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. “Every single one of them. You might blame the alphas, but what about you?”

Just then, the door burst open and armed officers poured in. It was all white noise punctuated with “Get down on the ground! Get down on the fucking ground!” as they shouted over one another. Pember shoved Ru to the floor, cradling his head to his chest as water from the sink dampened his shirt.

“Just stay down,” he whispered. “It’s all… it’s all going to be alright.”

“Pem,” he whimpered. “I’m scared.”

“I know, Ru. I know.” There was a wet patch forming against his knee, and Pember realised Ru had wet himself.

The armed officers roughly patted them down, the plastic guards on their gloves catching Pember’s face and neck. Ru was dragged out of his grasp, and the other omega squealed as his face was shoved against the floor.

“Contained!” someone shouted, which was when Blake and the other sergeants strode in.

“Get off him,” Blake snarled, pulling an officer off Pember. “Get the fuck off my mate.”

Caitlin nodded at the officer, quickly getting between them before Blake did something stupid. “He’s our operative,” she said, brushing off Pember’s shoulders.

Blake snatched him away, boxing him in against the corner whilst the other officers restrained Maya, Sal and Ru. Sal screamed and was hauled out of the room first by her arms, but Pember could only look at Ru. Without even thinking, he ducked under Blake’s arm and grabbed Ru by the shoulder.

Pulling him up, he rested him against his body and growled when another officer tried to take him away.

Ru was shaking all over, his eyes bloodshot. “Y-you… you’re police?”

Pember shook his head. “I’m not a police officer, but I’m with them.”

“You tricked me! I-I thought you were my friend! I thought… I thought I could talk to you!”

Pember could do nothing but grit his teeth and hold him. How could he explain? How could he hand Ru over to a bunch of alphas and say he was safe?

He squeezed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Ru, listen to me. I know things are scary right now, but I promise you, you can trust him.”

His eyes flicked up to Blake, a tight smile pinching his lips. Blake nodded, gently peeling Pember’s hand away from Ru’s shoulder.

“You’re going to go to the police station. Tell them everything that’s happened. What you’ve been through. Can you do that for me, Ru? Can you tell them?”

Ru nodded rapidly, tears still spilling down his cheeks. “O-okay. Okay, I’ll tell them.”

Pember looked up at Blake, his own chin starting to tremble. Then he nodded.

“Reuben Atkinson,” Blake said, gently wrapping his fingers around Ru’s arm. “I’m arresting you for conspiracy to commit murder.”

Blake’s words got lost amongst the chaos, and Pember slowly faded back into the corner of the room.

He watched as Ru was taken away, and the other officers carried out a sweep of the restaurant.

There was a high-pitched cackle, followed by a scream, and when Pember looked down at Maya again, she was smiling.