Page 71 of The Omega Lesson

“Informed, yes, but only on matters where they have all the facts.” Miller now looks at me like a disappointed parent. “I’m sorry to say, Miss Novak has struggled to find her place here since day one, and I think this matter today just proves how unsuitable she is for a position at Prendiville.”

Even though I knew I was going to hear something like this, I can’t stop my muscles from tensing up, or the stress leaking from my pores. I’m certain Drummond can smell it, because a small smirk pulls at the side of his thin mouth.

“That’s pretty harsh,” Ben says in his mild way. “My dealings with her have always been very professional.”

Miller’s eyes narrow a little. “Unfortunately, that’s not my experience, Mr. Cliff, or the experience of other parents. I have an email right here from Xavier Fraser detailing his concerns about the way she’s managing his son’s education.”

I suppose I should ask to see the hate mail from Darren’s dad, but I really couldn’t give a shit. And then Miller is nodding at the other two men. “Which is why I’ve summoned the members of the probation panel here today. I assume you know Rod and Geoff?” Ben must nod, because Miller turns his attention to me. “While we had this review session scheduled for Friday, it’s probably best we put this matter to bed as soon as possible. Before any unpleasant rumours can leak out.”

“Rumours?”

Miller is now staring at me like I’m dense. “Miss Novak, you may not agree with the core principles of this academy, but I assure you, word will get around as to the reason we had to let you go. If you depart quietly, you may still be able to secure another teaching position. Just in a school better suited to your… nature.”

He lets that settle in for a moment, then gestures to a piece of paper on his desk. Not another email, because I can see the big Prendiville emblem on the top, and the four signatures scrawled across the bottom. “This is notification of the panel’s decision to terminate your employment, based upon a failure to successfully complete your probation period.” Miller holds it out to me. “This is a legal document, so I suggest you take it very seriously.”

“A legal document?” I ask, snatching it from his hand. A quick perusal tells me exactly what I expect, but I point to the closing paragraph. “What does the bottom statement mean?”

“It’s a non-disclosure agreement,” Drummond tells me. “Sign that, and we won’t drag your name through the mud, Miss Novak.”

I feel Ben vibrate at my back and decide I better let him off his leash before he strangles himself. But I’m not ready to show all my cards just yet. “I’m surprised you can say that to me with a straight face, Mr. Drummond. If anyone deserves a letter like this today, it’s you.”

Miller already has a hand in the air. “I’ve heard your allegations, Miss Novak, and they don’t bear repeating…”

“I’m not here to repeat anything. I don’t need to. I have it all on record.” I press a button on my phone, keeping the screen angled towards my lap, and Drummond’s oily voice slithers out of the speakers.

“You here for your lesson. Miss Novak? We were just selecting today’s learning aid. Matthew here picks thin leather over heavy wood every time. Stings more, but bruises less.”

There’s a heavy silence and I remember how Mattie looked at me as he was chained to the wall, shame and frustration written all over his face. And then my alpha command rips through the room. “Get your fucking hands off him!”

There’s more than one sharp intake of breath at the force on my dominance, even as it replays through my cheap phone. I let myself meet each man’s gaze, although I can’t stand to look at Drummond for more than a second. And then his voice sounds again, thick with aggression.“This is not your concern, Miss Novak.”

“Everything about this is my concern. And if you ever hit Matthew again, this recording will go to the police and I’ll have you up on abuse charges.”

There’s a pause and then Drummond’s voice booms, louder than I remember.“Give that to me right now!”

But I sound unshakeable.“Unlock him and back up against the wall, or I will call the headmaster down here right now.”

I watch the headmaster as Drummond snorts with derision.“You think he doesn’t know? Miller’s been in this room more times than he’s had hot lunches.”

The two strangers quickly exchange a loaded glance, but Drummond isn’t finished.“All you’re doing is delaying the boy’s punishment. And putting a bullseye on your back.”

The sound of Mattie being uncuffed rings loudly in the room, and then Drummond sneers at us.“You don’t belong here. Either of you. And I’ll be making that clear at your probation hearing.”

I silence my phone and hold it up. “There’s video to go with the audio, but I’m sure you’ve got a fair grasp of the facts already.”

And then Ben’s voice rolls through the tense silence, loaded with hostility. “I think you all have some explaining to do.”

The two strangers instantly start professing their innocence, but I take a moment just to sit back and breathe. While Drummond and Miller were marshalling their reinforcements and getting ready to throw me out of the school, I talked to Mattie, and we agreed to just release the audio. He’s not averse to using the whole thing if we have to, but I want to protect his privacy as much as possible. To that end, I spent a few minutes talking to the Head of Legal for the Cliff family. Louise DiAngelo is a very helpful, informative alpha who was more than happy to provide some quick legal advice over the phone. In fact, her exact words in parting were“let me know when we can step in and nail their toxic arses to the wall.”

I stand and lean my knuckles on the desk, glaring at the headmaster. “We all know there’s enough evidence here to drag the academy through the mud for tolerating child abuse, promoting designation discrimination, and turning a blind eye to unreasonable use of force when disciplining. But if you act on this today, maybe the school’s reputation can be saved.” I turn my attention to Drummond, who’s looking at me like he wants to leap across the desk and throttle me. “But you’re an embarrassment to our designation, and the sooner you’re banned from ever working at another school, the better.”

Ben’s hand presses lightly on my back and I realise I’m shaking. But I just drop the termination letter on the desk and turn to face him. “Is there anything else we need to say?”

A slow smile warms his eyes, although his cold mask is back in place as he looks over my shoulder. “Just that the Cliff family is cutting all ties with the school and terminating its financial support, effective immediately. Miller, I sent Matthew to you on the understanding that this was a safe space for him, and you betrayed that trust in the worst way.” His gaze sharpens, the dominance leaking from his pores enough to make me clutch his arm. But a thrill still goes through me as he growls, “As for you Drummond, I’d get out of the state as fast as you fucking can. Between the Lyalls and the Cliffs, there’s nowhere you can go where our pack can’t make your life a living misery.”

Ben slides his hand into mine, our fingers linking tightly together, and I doubt anyone misses the subtext. They haven’t just lost the support of two major donors, but they’ve also gone to war with the Lyall-Cliff pack.

My pack.

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