Page 161 of Psycho Pack

"Yes," the queen confirms quietly. "Though I don't believe Adiir knew the full extent of his father's plans. He was a pawn, just as you were. A willing pawn, but a pawn nonetheless."

Plague lets out a shaky breath. "It doesn't change what I did," he says quietly.

"No," the queen agrees. "But it might change how you see it. How you see yourself."

I watch as Plague struggles with this, his usual mask of cold detachment cracking further with each passing second. It's like watching a dam break in slow motion, years of carefully buried emotion finally bursting free.

"When you fled," the queen continues, her voice thick with emotion, "I thought... I thought it was because you were ashamed. Because you feared your father's reaction to your attraction to alphas."

Plague's head snaps up, his eyes wide with shock. "You knew about that before?"

The queen's laugh is soft, tinged with sadness. "I've known since you were small. The way you looked at Adiir... it was the same way I looked at your father."

I feel everyone else at the table shifting uncomfortably around me, clearly unsure if they should be hearing this. But Ican't look away. This is a side of Plague—of Hamsa—that I never thought I'd see. Raw and vulnerable and so… human.

"I didn't..." Plague starts, then stops, swallowing hard. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I just... I couldn't stay. Not after what I'd done. Not when I thought..."

"When you thought we'd reject you," the queen finishes for him.

Plague nods, unable to meet her eyes.

The queen squeezes Plague's hand. He flinches at first, then covers her hand with his. "I could never reject you," she continues. "Not for who you love. Not for anything." Her gaze flicks to Whiskey with an approving smile. "And I like this alpha, anyway. He appreciates our cuisine, and perhaps he can get you to loosen up a bit."

Whiskey gives her a grin. This one's authentic. "Damn right."

I watch as Plague processes this, years of guilt and shame warring with this new information. "But Father..."

"You don't need to fear your father anymore," the queen says firmly. "When he died and I took full control, I made changes. Starting with the laws about alpha relationships."

Plague's eyes widen. "You... what?"

The queen's smile is gentle but firm. "I decreed that alphas were allowed to be together in Surhiira. Openly. Without shame."

The silence that falls over the dining hall is deafening.

I can practically hear the gears turning in everyone's heads as they process this bombshell, even if it's old news to the attendants. Whiskey's mouth hangs open in shock, while Thane's brow is furrowed in deep thought. Even Valek looks taken aback, his usual smirk replaced by genuine surprise. Wraith is silent, as usual, but I can tell he's wondering what the big deal is in the first place.

But it's Plague I can't take my eyes off of.

He looks... shattered.

Like everything he's ever believed about himself, about his past, is crumbling around him.

"Why?" he asks, his voice cracking. "Why would you do that?"

The queen's eyes shine. "Because I hoped... Iprayed... that if you ever came home, you'd know you were loved. Accepted. That there was a place for you here." She takes a deep breath. "And if you can come up with an army that wants to change the world, we'll be right there with you."

"So, what?" Whiskey's voice, such a stark contrast to the emotional conversation unfolding before us, makes me jump. "We're starting a whole ass revolution?"

"About damn time," I mutter, unable to stop myself.

"Wait," Thane's voice rings out through the room, strong and sober as ever.

We all turn to look at him, even the queen.

But he's looking right at me.

"We've all been doing this so long that it's autopilot," Thane continues, his voice lowering. "Always moving on to the next mission, the next contingency. But we need to stop and think about something. This is the first time—maybe the only time—we're ever going to have the chance to do something different. To giveIvysomething different."

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