Page 47 of Rook

“And let’s not forget who’s calling the shots,” Inari adds, her voice smooth as silk, dangerous as a loaded gun. “An omega with enough cunning to lead alphas? That’s not mere survival, Aisling. That’s ascension.”

The room spins a little, and I have to grip the edge of the table to steady myself. They see right through me—to the core of my being—and it’s both terrifying and exhilarating.

“Maybe,” I allow, pressing my lips together. “But that doesn’t mean I want any part in this fantasy of yours.”

“Fantasy?” Inari leans back in her chair, a crooked smile playing on her lips. “Oh, my dear Stargazer, this is no fantasy. This is the future. And whether you like it or not, you’re already shaping it.”

My stomach churns, and I can’t tell if it’s dread or something darker curling in the pit of my belly. “Gunnar thinks I’m manipulating them,” I confess, my voice barely above a whisper, but it cuts through the thick air between us like a knife.

“Perhaps,” Inari says, her eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion. “But manipulation is just a tool. It all comes down to what you do with it.”

“Tool or not, it makes me feel like crap.” The words tumble out, raw and honest.

Inari’s laughter is a soft sound, not mocking, but knowing. “And yet here you are, holding more power than most omegas dare dream of.”

“Power I never asked for,” I counter, my hands clenching into fists under the desk.

“Then consider this.” Inari leans forward, elbows on the table, the picture of casual authority. “I’m offering you something beyond the scraps of autonomy you’ve fought for. I want to make a deal with you, Aisling. I want you to become the mafia queen of Pacific City.”

“Queen?” The word tastes like poison on my tongue. “You think I want to rule over that mess of a city? From the outset, the plan was to help the omegas there, and now…”

Now what? I don’t know what I’m doing in the city; I saved the girls from Dreamland, but then there was Cassie, and what happened to me and Luka…it could happen to anyone in that glittering hellscape on the coast.

And Vance doesn’t care to help. Caius Rossi is actively hurting people like me.

Maybe…

“Want has little to do with it,” Inari replies smoothly. “It’s about need. And Pacific City needs someone like you. Someone who understands both the brutality and the beauty of being an omega. You’ve already proven your worth. Now it’s time to claim your throne.”

Her words hit me like a freight train, and for a moment, I can’t speak. Can’t think. Then, slowly, I start to see the twisted shape of the path she’s laying before me. It’s not about desire; it’s about duty. A chance to turn the tide, to make a difference for omegas everywhere.

Inari leans forward, her eyes glinting like shards of twilight. “Aisling, darling, you’ve got the ear of Vance. Oberon, Rook, Luka—they’re not just your allies, they’re pillars you can lean on. And Nero? He’s wrapped around your finger, whether he admits it or not.”

“Funny way of saying he asked me for a lap dance once upon a time, but sure,” I echo, a bitter laugh escaping me. “And Gunnar? He’s…fuck, even after what we’ve been through, he’s the one I really care about.”

“Ah, Gunnar Finch,” Inari says with a half-smile. “He’s a good man, Aisling. With him by your side, you could bring a new dawn to Pacific City.”

I feel my resolve wavering, like a skyscraper in a gale-force wind. It’s one thing to be caught in the currents of their world; it’s another entirely to steer the ship.

“Changing Pacific City…that’s a pipe dream,” I murmur. “Since I got there, it’s always been the Angels and the Eclipse. For years that’s been the lay of the land. And I’m not anything, I just came in and…”

I trail off—because the seed of hope Inari planted starts to take root despite my doubt.

“Pipe dream or not, it’s within reach,” Isla chimes in. “With the support of the Bluestockings, you’d have safehouses at your disposal. We’re setting them up all over the west coast for omegas in need. And not only that, but we’ve got trained and armed omegas who would be loyal only to you—not the Eclipse or the Angels. Just you.”

The Bluestockings—vigilantes turned guardians. Their name alone conjures images of safety and sanctuary, something every omega dreams of but rarely finds. Could I really turn down an offer backed by such promise?

“That’s…that’s not nothing.”

“Far from nothing,” Isla agrees, her grin sharp enough to cut through the haze of my indecision. “It’s everything. A network. A foundation. A beginning.”

A beginning. A beginning for Pacific City, for the omegas, for me.

But then I stop in my tracks-because they said Gunnar was a good man, that he would help me.

And I know Gunnar’s not a good man at all…if that assassin was to be believed.

“I’m not sure if I’m being as sneaky as you thought,” I murmur. “Got into some trouble on the way—assassins. They claimed Gunnar and Nero sent them, and if that’s the case…well, they may already know you want to help me make a move.”

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