Page 76 of Petals and Strings
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.
