Chapter 78

My heart raced as I stared at the blank television screen, hands clammy with nervous sweat. Any moment now, Ines would appear, ready to reveal the painful truths that had been kept hidden for so long. Beside me on the plush sofa, Elroy's leg bounced with barely contained anxiety.

We were both terrified. This interview was going to kick off the changes Eclipse needed, but it would cause a lot of social unrest and political drama. Were we really ready for the backlash?

No. The answer was no, but we’d have to figure it out fast. Eclipse depended on us.

I wondered how badly this would shake people. Not on a grand social scale, but the personal ways; would they all have to look at the world differently after this? How many people would outright deny it, unwilling to face reality, and how many people would be so filled with rage that they threw the nearest object at the wall?

Would there be riots? Of course, we’d minimized the possibility as best we could, hoping that quick action could keep the worst of it from bubbling up, but people were going to lose a lot of faith in us. How could they trust people who allowed such horrors to happen right under their noses?

If they felt half as disgusted with us as I did, we’d be in for a hard, hard road.

I played with Elroy’s fingers mindlessly, my own anxious fidgeting that he didn’t seem to even notice. Frankly, I was scared. The realizations I made in that camp weighed on me heavily, and I knew that it was going to hurt the rest of the pack just as much.

How could we tell them to go to the police for help when the police did this? How could we swear to keep them safe when we’d had no idea? And would they really believe that we would fix it, now that we knew?

I wondered how many of them thought change would be impossible. It felt insurmountable to me, so I could hardly blame them.

And Goddess Above, I was not looking forward to dealing with the council.

"What if we've made a terrible mistake?" I whispered, unable to tear my eyes from the TV. "The council will be furious. We should have told them..."

Elroy's warm hand covered mine. "They would have blocked Ines from being interviewed, and then our whole plan would go up in smoke. Just remember what we planned."

I knew he was right, of course; we’d set this all up in secret, making sure we went to an independent reporting station so Ines’ words couldn’t be called propaganda from another pack, because we knew if the council got word then Ines would never get to speak her truth. That didn’t change the nerves.

I turned to face Elroy, drinking in the sight of his furrowed brow and the tension in his broad shoulders. I could see the worry etched in every line of his handsome face, even as he tried to reassure me.

“The guards are ready to escort Ines back when the broadcast is over, right?” I asked, too anxious not to. I was absolutely terrified for the woman—she’d agreed to be the public face of the abused Omegas, and as soon as the broadcast started she’d officially be a public player. She’d have a target on her back.

“Yes,” Elroy said with certainty. “I put only the most loyal guards on her, they’ll protect her from anyone—even council members.” I just nodded, stomach still roiling.

I knew all of this; I’d been a huge part of the planning, none of this was news to me. But now it wasn’t just logistics and hypotheticals, and the moment thought became action was always a terrifying one.

But what else could we do? Anything less than this and the council would never budge, never change. Part of me was terrified that none of them would be surprised.

I tried hard not to think about that. I had to believe in some level of humanity in all this, or I’d go insane.

Still, this was going to split not just the council, but all of Eclipse—maybe even Lunaris itself. There were going to be two camps now, the ones who thought Omegas were cattle and the ones who had souls. The scary part was not knowing which camp was going to be larger.

As if he could sense my mind spinning, Elroy pulled me close. I instantly buried my face in his chest and inhaled his familiar scent, the smell of snow fields taking just a little of the edge off of my anxiety.

Elroy didn’t try to tell me everything would be fine, because he knew those empty words would mean nothing. He just rubbed circles into my back, his touch grounding me. "Whatever happens, we're in this together."

That was the most comfort he could really give, and I took it with gratitude. A thousand things could go wrong from here, and we’d figure it out together.

As if on cue, the TV flickered to life, the news channel's logo appearing on screen. I clutched Elroy's hand, my breath catching. There was no going back now.

I felt Elroy's fingers tighten around mine as Ines appeared on the screen, her delicate features illuminated by harsh studio lights. Her few age lines seemed pronounced, making her look more tired—and yet, somehow more dignified. Somehow stronger, like she’d seen hell and walked out with her head held high.

"She looks so small," I whispered, my voice barely audible. It was nonsensical, of course, Ines was a fully grown woman no matter how petite her frame was, but she looked too small to be real on that screen. I wondered if they chose that large wingback chair for just that purpose.

After all, the more helpless she looked, the more sympathy she would gain.

Elroy nodded, his jaw clenched. "But look at her eyes, Olivia. She's ready for this."

I focused on Ines' face, noting the determined set of her chin and the sure resolution in her gaze. No matter how small they tried to make her appear, she exuded a quiet strength that made my chest swell with pride.

I still wanted to reach through the television and shield her from what was to come.

The interviewer, a polished Beta woman, started her opening segment. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to The Hour, your place for unfiltered news. Tonight we have the honor of speaking with Ines, one of the Eclipse Omegas recently reunited with her pack. Ines, welcome.”

“Thank you, Marigold,” Ines said levelly.

“First I have to ask, why did you choose our station when Eclipse has larger stations you could speak to?” Marigold asked. It was a well-placed question, one that led directly into what Ines needed to say.

I held my breath, waiting for Ines' response. This was the moment that could change everything.

"Because there are problems in Eclipse," Ines began, her voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands. "Problems that the powerful won’t want getting out.”

“That sounds very serious. Please, Ms. Ines, tell us everything.”

I felt Elroy grasp my hand and I took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back now, and that Ines would have to stand in front of those cameras alone. We couldn't do anything to support her in that moment, so settled into our seats to listen—it was the very least we could do.