Page 85 of Harley & Her Ferals

“Do I sound like I’m joking?”

I squirm out of Laurent’s hold, sitting up in shock. “I warned you what happened to Vinnie’s Omega.”

“And I’m sorry for him.” Laurent sits up, smoothing down his shirt. “But we’re not blindly escaping in a panic. No one will know that we have the codes. Your dad will think that you’ve ruthlessly fought to become his heir. Meanwhile, we’ll be one step closer to bringing down this entire Underworld and leading every single person who wants to follow us back into the light.”

What the hell has he just said?

Laurent has worked out a way to secretly gain the codes for the main door in a way that I’ve never been able to on my own.

He wants to help save everybody.

My heart is beating wildly.

Hope surges through me.

This plan could work.

It could fucking work.

But does Laurent have any idea how dangerous this is?

The image of Laurent being dragged out of the birdcage in the pits and then being thrown into the octagon with Vinnie and Harbinger to be slowly taken apart, when he can’t fight at all to defend himself, makes bile rush up my throat.

Yet I’ve told him the risks.

I have to let Laurent make his own choice, otherwise how am I better than Dad, treating him like a weak pet?

I reach for Laurent’s hand, entwining my fingers with his. “Who the hell are you?”

He arches his brow. “Winner of the Omega You’d Most Want to Knot, according toAlphas Todaymagazine.”

“Eww.” I wrinkle my nose. “Is that real?”

“Unfortunately. But I also came second in Ass of the Decade.”

“Who won?”

“Falcon Knight, an Alpha and the youngest senator in America.”

“Seriously?”

Laurent laughs. “Seriously. More surprisingly, Senator Knight isn’t an Alphahole. He’s a liberal and…” He struggles for a moment, as if he’s not certain how to tell me something. It’s not like him. He chooses his words carefully. “In the world that you call Above, there is also inequality. Omegas don’t have the rights that they should. In fact, all the dynamics struggle to break free from expectations. Of course, some brave liberals fight against the Traditionalists who are trying to impose these controls on society. There is also a secret, illegal resistance, who rescue abused Omegas and plot missions to shake up society and bring lasting reforms in politics, sport, music, for Companions, and in the dance worlds.And we’re winning.”

My eyes widen. “We’re…?”

“I’m trusting you.” Laurent’s voice is hushed. He searches out my gaze. His expression is earnest. “In fact, I’m trusting you with mylife. You wanted to know what was under the mask. I hate that I’ve been captured because I swore to dedicate my life to a resistance that will make sure all Omegas are heard. But Above, the President has issued an executive order that makes resistance membersterrorists. If caught, I could be executed orsent to an Omega Institute, where I’ll be conditioned to act like aproperOmega and then auctioned to a pack.”

I shake, clutching onto his hands.

I risk my life in every fight. Laurent has also been risking his life, however, when I thought that he’d come from a life of safety, ease, and luxury.

I’ve been so wrong about him. He’s as much of a badass as Feral is.

No wonder the two of them get on so well.

“You’re fucking brave,” I whisper.

“So are you.” Laurent wraps his arm around my neck, stroking his fingers through my hair. “I will save you, Harley. This is my mission. I won’t let you down.”

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