Page 31 of Petals and Strings (Broken Melodies #1)
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rydell
“ Y ou’re getting out of here,” Cross said as he walked into my room with a grin. Something about him was off. His eyes were tired, his words holding a bit of tension.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, not bothering to move off the bed yet. “What aren’t you saying?”
My body was itching to move, muscles protesting the amount of sitting I’ve had to do here lately.
“Nothing. Let’s go then you can head to the conservatory. It’s your group’s turn,” he said. His hand was in his pocket, fidgeting with something.
This wasn’t right. I could sense it in his air, the change in his demeanor and sour scent a dead giveaway.
But sitting here any longer wasn’t an option.
I followed him through the halls of ARC, feeling like I was in a dream or something. Nine days in isolation was insane on their part. I guess if I was out of sight, I wasn’t an issue.
Assholes.
When I reached our group, my alpha perked up, ready to see our omega and soak in her scent.
The hallway smelled strange. Different.
It wasn’t home anymore but a jumble of new scents that didn’t fit together the way our group did.
“What is this?” I demanded. He turned to me, eyes cautious.
“We’ve had to make some changes to protect everyone involved,” he said, voice strong but this man was not confident. He looked terrified and I knew it was because he feared my reaction.
“Just fucking spit it out,” I thundered. “Where is my group? My omega?”
“We can’t have scent matches together here, Rydell. She’s safe, just not with you anymore.”
His words hung between us in the air.
“You think I’m unsafe for her?” I asked carefully, my eyes locked onto the man who was crumbling before my eyes.
How dare he. I was the one ensuring she stayed safe here, watching her back to ensure she didn’t end up with more unwanted scars.
Sure… I was the monster. Always the dangerous one. My sarcastic thoughts did nothing to calm my annoyance, but I worked to keep my facade up.
“Look, we have to take precautions. It’s not you, or just you,” he argued. His voice was growing weaker by the second. I stood, statue still, staring. He swallowed hard but squared his shoulders.
My arms flexed, muscles responding to my alpha raging inside of me. It felt like every single part of me swelled, pressing against the fabric on my body and the bracelet locked around my wrist.
I curled my fingers around the shackle on my wrist, refusing to let him sedate me and shove me into that box again. I’d finally reached my breaking point.
“Wh-what are y-you doing?” Cross demanded, almost frantic. More guards stepped forward, coming out of wherever they were hiding nearby. I only saw them in my peripheral, refusing to look away from the director.
“Continue,” I said, letting each thing he said fuel the anger more, adding kindling to the growing flames.
“Ledger revealed that you’re scent matches, and I couldn’t simply keep you together in a group. Not one of you can consent to what that entails,” he said.
He truly believed that, too.
“Are we not all adults? Do we not all have our minds now that the veil has been ripped off this place? Caspian comes out of his stupor every time Malik leaves his medication alone. Ansel spoke for the first time since arriving. Kane is remembering. All things your staff couldn’t be bothered to achieve. Yet, together, we did.”
“We have handled that staff member,” he said, narrowing his eyes. That challenge was yet another reason my alpha pushed my body past its limits, muscles almost inflating under his gaze.
Another creak from my bracelet.
Perfect.
That was the only thing standing between me and my girl and if I kept this calm mask, they wouldn’t sedate me. Not now with all the staff here.
“Yes, the one who tried to sexually assault my mate, in her ‘vulnerable’ state,” I said plainly. The round of gasps that rang out had his eyes frantically bouncing around. “Then you sent in a freshly graduated therapist who didn’t know how to handle us. Two for two on terrible hires, Cross.”
“Are you done?” he demanded. His voice had a bite to it now. Guess my words hit home. “You’ve been given your assignment. That’s the end of this discussion.”
He was pushing harder now, trying to dismiss us. To walk away.
The man that took our mate from us.
Put us in isolation for over a week for defending our mate.
I was so fucking tired of the world acting like my dominant alpha nature was feral. There have been very few times in my life that I’ve lost control and all of them have been when I’ve been backed into a corner.
He paused when I made no move to follow his orders. I wasn’t going to stand here and be a good little patient.
I’d followed every order my entire life; allowed people to tell me that I was a monster.
The truth was, they created one.
And if that was how they wanted to view me, well, then I’d give them a fucking show.
“Put my group back together,” I said. Again, it was an even, calm whisper that confused them all. I watched a few guards shudder, detecting the malice in that demand. My dominance was flooding the room now, despite my mask.
“No, as I to?—”
I cut him off before he could continue.
“One.”
His eyebrows rose in shock. “Are you counting down like I’m a child, Rydell?”
“Odd that you care about that since you view nearly all of us that way,” I said, cocking my head to the side and staring at him. He was shivering. Not as unaffected as he pretended, it seemed.
Cross shifted, but didn’t say another word. I wondered briefly if my words hit home but ignored it, flexing again.
Another creak, this one loud enough he looked around for the source of the noise.
“Wh—?”
“Two,” I interrupted again. The entire group collectively held their breath as they watched Director Cross for orders.
“You won’t push me into changing my mind. This is how it has to be, Rydell. I’m sorry.”
“You’re ‘sorry?’” I laughed, finally breaking the mask of calm. “You’re fucking ‘sorry?’ The man who hired and allowed Theo to break everyone around him piece by piece. The same one who allows our medication to collectively change on Dr. Malik’s whim until we’re all compliant and half-comatose.”
Each word built more anger, until the metal around my wrist snapped with a loud crack that had everyone flinching and cowering down as if gunshots had erupted.
The vile metal hit the ground, bouncing there for a moment before I kicked it to the side. They would never put that on me again.
Blood dripped down where the small probes had been violently ripped away, but I liked to think it just drove my point home more.
Take a good look, assholes. I’m no longer chained up like a dog.
“This will be the last fucking time I demand you give my group back to me. Now!” I barked out the order, voice loud enough it boomed over the crowd. Several guards retreated, and even Cross held up his hands and backed away.
“I’m not letting Audrey walk in here to face you while you’re in this state.”
“What state is that?” I asked, the calm sliding back in place to fully gaslight him. “Outside of one barked order, I believe I’ve been completely calm.”
We were now in a silent standoff. I’ve taken the one tool they use to keep me in line and shattered it.
“I will bring her if you put a new bracelet on,” he countered.
“No. You’ll bring her anyway. And the others.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was not going how he wanted it to and he was at a crossroads of losing the respect of his staff and giving into my demands, or option three… a fucking riot.
This place was doomed the moment Audrey Walker stepped through those doors. She changed everything, not because she was our mate, but because she was the type of person to refuse to step aside when someone was being mistreated.
She called it out. Lifted the curtains and showed every dark and twisted corner of this place. It was time to show her she wasn’t alone in that endeavor. Starting with our pack.
I waited, arms crossed, as he silently deliberated.
This time when he walked away without a word, I stood strong, waiting in my exact spot for him to make the first move.
Because there was no outcome of this where I didn’t win.
I just had to wait.