36. Aria

36

ARIA

The lawyer’s office feels like a pressure cooker, all polished mahogany and supple leather that can’t quite mask the acrid stench of anxiety rolling off everyone. I’m practically fused to this fancy chair, my fingers twisted together so tightly my knuckles throb with each heartbeat. Malachi’s next to me, his scent of cedarwood and earth the only anchor keeping me from bolting.

Sarah Goldstein, our beta lawyer, peers at us over her sleek titanium frames. Her scent is neutral, a crisp blend of linen and paper, but there’s a hint of something sour underneath, like overripe fruit. My stomach clenches. Bad news incoming.

“I’m afraid the situation is more complicated than we initially thought,” she says. The antique clock on her desk seems to tick louder, each click a countdown to doomsday.

Malachi tenses beside me, the muscle in his jaw twitching, but his voice stays steady, deep and reassuring. “Explain the situation in detail please. We need all the facts to make an informed decision.”

Sarah sighs. “The mayor is using Aria’s unregistered status as leverage. He’s threatening to make it public if you don’t back down on Omega Guardians.”

The room erupts. Growls and curses fill the air, and alpha pheromones spike so sharply I can taste them. I sit here, stunned, as reality crashes down. My past, my choices, are putting everything we built at risk.

Quinn’s playful demeanor vanishes, his amber eyes now sharp as flint. “Well, isn’t this a pickle wrapped in a dilemma? What, exactly, are we dealing with here? What kind of time frame before this ticking time bomb goes off?”

Sarah’s nails tap a nervous rhythm on the desk. “It isn’t clear. The mayor’s playing this close to the chest, but I’d say we have days, maybe a week at most before he makes good on his threat. He’s making an example out of Aria.” She glances at me with sympathetic eyes.

Zane’s scent darkens, filling the room with ozone and rain-soaked earth. “We were blind. I should have anticipated this move. Every moment we waste puts Aria in more danger.”

“Hey, ease up there, stormy,” Dash cuts in, his laid-back attitude tinged with steel. His scent of sun-warmed citrus sharpens with determination. “Nobody has a crystal ball here. What matters is how we handle it now. Let’s put our thinking caps on and brainstorm our way out of this mess.”

I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. My heart races, but I refuse to let them see me falter. “Alright, let’s cut to the chase. What are our options? Don’t sugarcoat it. I need the truth, no matter how ugly.”

Sarah’s face contorts like she tasted something bitter. The sour note in her scent intensifies. “We could register you now, but…”

“But what?” Zane cuts in, all coiled tension and flashing eyes. The leather armrests creak under his grip.

“But registering now could be seen as admitting guilt,” Sarah explains, her scent souring further. “It opens up a whole new legal can of worms.”

Quinn leans forward, his usual quirky energy replaced by laser focus. “And if we don’t register her? What’s behind door number two in this game show of horrors?”

Sarah’s expression darkens, shadows deepening under her eyes. “Then we risk the mayor exposing Aria’s status. Penalties could include imprisonment and separation from the pack.”

The words hit like a physical blow, leaving a cold, hollow feeling in my gut. Separation. My omega brain recoils, and a soft whine escapes my throat, but beneath the fear, there’s something else—a spark of the old me, the one who survived on her own for so long.

“There has to be another way,” Dash says, his carefree attitude nowhere in sight. His fingers drum restlessly on the arm of his chair. “We aren’t exactly short on brainpower here. There has to be a third option we’re not seeing.”

Malachi’s hand finds mine, his touch warm and grounding. The calluses on his palm rasp against my skin. “We’ll figure this out, Aria. We always do.” His eyes meet mine, filled with a mix of concern and determination, but I catch a flicker of something else—a hint of internal struggle. He’s torn between his alpha instincts to protect me and his respect for my autonomy. It’s a battle I can see playing out behind his eyes.

As they debate strategies, their voices rising and falling like ocean waves, my mind races. I think of all the omegas I’ve met through Omega Guardians, all the stories of pain and injustice. I think of my own journey and the fear that kept me hiding for so long, but I also remember the strength I found and the fire that kept me going.

Suddenly, it’s crystal clear.

“I want to go public,” I announce, my voice cutting through the noise like a knife.

The room goes dead silent, a mix of shock and confusion. All eyes are on me, and the air feels thick and heavy with unspoken questions.

“Aria,” Malachi starts, his voice gentle but worried. I can see the conflict raging in his eyes, the alpha in him wanting to shield me from danger warring with his respect for my choices.

I shake my head, the soft swish of my hair against my neck grounding me in the moment. “No, listen. The mayor thinks he can use my status to shut us up, but what if we take that power away from him?”

I stand, feeling stronger with each word. The leather chair squeaks as I push it back, the sound oddly final. “What if I come forward voluntarily and we challenge these bullshit laws, making my case public? We could turn this from a scandal into a fucking movement.”

The words leave my mouth, and for a moment, I feel lightheaded. Am I really doing this? The omega in me quivers with fear, but another part, the part that survived on my own for so long, surges with a fierce pride. This is me, Aria, making a choice. I’m not hiding or running, but standing up and fighting back. The realization settles in my chest, warm and empowering.

The silence stretches, then understanding dawns on their faces one by one. I can almost hear the gears turning in their minds.

Quinn’s the first to speak, his eyes lighting up with that spark of genius I’ve come to love. The scents of lavender and old books intensifiy with his excitement. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! That’s genius, Aria. We could spin this faster than a DJ at a rave and turn this whole mess into a rallying cry for omega rights.”

Zane nods slowly, his brooding expression shifting to one of grudging admiration. The storm in his scent calms slightly, replaced by something warmer. “It’s risky as hell, but it could work. We’d need to be ready for the backlash though. This won’t be an easy fight.”

“It’s dangerous,” Sarah warns, but there’s a glimmer of respect in her eyes. The sour note in her scent fades, replaced by something sharper and more invigorating. “You’d be putting a target on your back. The legal ramifications alone…”

“Legal schmeagle!” Dash interjects, his usual grin returning with a fierce edge. The scents of sunshine and citrus burst through the tension like a ray of hope. “We’re writing a new playbook here, folks. Time to color outside the lines! This is bigger than that. This is about changing the game entirely.”

I nod, fear and determination warring in my gut, making my stomach churn. “I know it’s dangerous, but I’m done hiding. If my story can help change things even a little, then isn’t it worth it?”

Malachi pulls me close, his scent wrapping around me like a shield. I breathe him in, letting the familiar notes of cedarwood and rain calm my racing heart. His calm exterior belies the storm raging within him. Every alpha instinct screams at him to protect me, to shield me from the danger I’m willingly walking into, but he also feels pride. This is the Aria he fell for—brave, determined, and willing to fight for what’s right. He takes a deep breath, pushing down his fears. His role isn’t to hold me back, but to stand beside me, come what may.

“Are you absolutely sure about this, love?” he asks, his voice a low rumble against my ear. “Once we do this, there’s no going back.”

I lean into him, drawing strength from his presence. “I’m sure. It’s time we fought back for all of us.”

The energy in the room shifts, determination replacing fear. The air feels lighter and charged with purpose. We quickly outline a strategy, each pack member contributing their strengths.

Quinn’s brilliant mind starts spinning out scenarios, his fingers flying over his phone screen. “We’ll need to get ahead of the narrative and control how the story breaks. I have some contacts in independent media who might be sympathetic to our cause. It’s time to call in every favor and pull every string we have.”

Zane, still pacing, focuses on security measures. “We’ll need to beef up protection, not just for Aria, but for all of us. Once this goes public, we’ll be targets. I won’t let anyone catch us off guard again.”

“I can reach out to some of my old buddies,” Dash offers, cracking his knuckles. “Get some extra muscle, people we can trust. Might as well put my misspent youth to good use, right?”

Malachi nods. “Good. We’ll need all hands on deck for this. Sarah, start preparing the legal groundwork. We need to be ready to challenge these laws head-on. You’ll need whatever resources you have.”

As we prepare to leave, I glance out the window. The late afternoon sun paints the city in hues of gold and amber. There’s a group of omegas protesting on the street, their voices faint but determined through the thick glass. Colorful signs bob up and down, a visual representation of their passion. My heart swells. This is what we’re fighting for. This is why it matters.

I turn back to my pack, my family. The setting sun casts long shadows across their faces, highlighting the determination in their eyes. “Let’s do this,” I say, my voice steady and firm. “Let’s change the fucking world.”

We file out, a mix of excitement and nerves buzzing between us. As we reach the car, Malachi outlines our next steps.

As we pull up to the pack house, the familiar scent of home washing over me, a thought hits me that’s equal parts thrilling and terrifying. This is bigger than all of us now. We aren’t just fighting for our future anymore. We’re fighting for the future of every omega out there.

The weight of it should crush me, but with my pack beside me, their scents wrapping around me like a protective cocoon, I’ve never felt stronger.

We step out of the car, the gravel crunching under our feet. I catch a whiff of a familiar scent—Cayenne. She’s here, probably alerted by one of the pack. Her fiery red hair comes into view as she bursts out of the front door, her face a mix of worry and determination.

“Aria!” she calls, rushing toward me. The sound of her boots on the gravel echoes in the quiet evening air. “What’s going on? Quinn’s text was cryptic as hell.”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and for a moment, doubt creeps in. Am I really ready for this? The consequences, the danger… Then I look at my pack, at Cayenne, and I know this is right.

“We’re going public with my status,” I say, my voice stronger than I feel. “We’re taking the fight to them.”

Cayenne’s eyes widen, then a slow, fierce grin spreads across her face. “Let’s show these assholes what happens when you mess with omegas and their beta besties.”

As we file into the house, our combined scents mingling into something powerful and unique, I can’t help but feel like we’re on the precipice of something monumental.

Cayenne’s arm slips around my waist, her warmth a comforting presence at my side. “So what’s the first move in this revolution of ours?”

Before I can answer, Quinn’s phone chimes. His face pales as he reads the message, his scent spiking with alarm. “Guys, we might have a problem. My contact just spotted Noah on this side of town.”

The name hits me like a punch to the gut, stealing my breath. Noah. Here. The others tense around me, their protective instincts flaring, but beneath the fear, a fierce determination I thought I’d lost long ago stirs.

As the pack erupts into hurried planning, their voices a cacophony of concern and strategy, I find myself oddly calm. This is what we’ve been preparing for, isn’t it? The real test of our strength and unity.

I catch my reflection in the hallway mirror—chin up, eyes blazing with purpose. Gone is the scared omega who once cowered under Noah’s thumb, and in her place is a fighter surrounded by a pack who would move mountains for her.

Noah, the mayor, the whole damn world can try to tear us apart. They have no idea what they are up against.

As the night deepens around us, one thought echoes in my mind, equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. The old Aria died the day I found my pack. Who will I become in this fight, and am I ready for the answer?