Deviant Games (The Controllers #8) - L.V. Lane Page 0,3

are known for their shocking memories where disciplining errant Omegas is concerned.”

She did have a point.

Her laughter followed me into my room.

I had come to understand that a person only truly appreciated something when they experienced its loss. The viral research program had been my life before I revealed as an Omega.

For the next three years, my life spiraled ever more out of control.

Tsing took control of the program. I was relegated to a junior role, and became the subject of invasive testing as he explored my unique singularity in ethically questionable ways.

Looking back, it felt like I had been embroiled in an episode of madness.

The spacious corner office with a small conference table on one side and a grand sweeping desk offering pleasant views over the research center gardens, was once more mine. The bold artwork Tsing favored had been replaced by a collection of smaller pieces by an up-and-coming Mu artist.

I appreciated all the aspects of my life.

Chimera.

My office.

My place, once more, as Director of the Viral Program.

And my Alphas, I appreciated them the most.

Even if they were scheming my delayed discipline.

I didn’t have long to wait before my first appointment arrived. The tiny redhead was as sweet as she was gorgeous.

“Lucian, I’d like to talk to Doctor Brach alone, please.”

My gaze shifted from Madelyn to the Alpha at her side. Lucian Banner was the epitome of sophistication. Though he came from Lyus, like Ethan, the two Alphas were as different as night and day.

No, not entirely different; they were Alphas, after all.

I raised an eyebrow when he leveled me with a glare like I was somehow responsible for this request. I expected his refusal, but he surprised me by smiling. “Bad fucking influence,” he muttered before kissing his Omega on the temple. “I’ll collect you in an hour, Pet.”

Madelyn sighed as the door closed behind him.

Rising from my chair, I indicated the informal seating arrangement before the window. Taking the seat opposite, Madelyn pushed her long red hair over her shoulder. I set the recording cube in the center of the low table. This was her fifth visit, so she was comfortable that I recorded our conversations.

Pregnancy suited her—she glowed with it. “He’s grouchy about the charity ball tonight—like there might be trouble.” Bright blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she blew a little puff of breath. “I told him he was an overbearing asshole, and it all went downhill from there.”

I chuckled because knowing Madelyn as I had come to over recent weeks, she had a colorful way with words that might be considered sassy by an Alpha—by everyone. She also had an impressive repertoire of expletives that I knew had gotten her spanked as much as her attitude.

Dressed in the designer clothing that bespoke her Alpha’s wealth, it was easy to forget that she had come from a humble beginning and a non-dynamic family.

“Do you have any new events of note?” I asked. The Copper virus had created all the dynamics, but the program had made aggressive moves to bolster Omega numbers under Erison Tsing’s watch. Had I known what the now-deceased Theta was up to, I would have notified my father. Young adults of seventeen and eighteen with an Omega appearance had been administered high doses of a new viral strain.

Madelyn was one such Omega.

The records relating to these Omegas were sketchy. Information such as date of birth had been falsified, and many of the Omegas treated subsequently disappeared. Fearing for these young women and men, it was my new mission to try and trace them. I didn’t like the thought of them falling under government control, but it was preferable to the alternative.

“I did,” Madelyn nodded. “I can pick up the emotional state of several people now. Lucian doesn’t want me to go for psychic training. We’re negotiating.” Her impish grin suggested she was giving her Alpha a hard time.

“I might have an unofficial way,” I said. “I have a friend who’s a psychic Omega. We could set it up as a casual meeting and slip a little advice and training in.”

Her eyes gleamed. “Oh, sneaky. I like it! You’ve been so kind to me, Lilly.”

My face softened, and I reached over to squeeze her hand. It had been a bumpy road when we first met. Her opinion of the viral program wasn’t good. The actions of my predecessor had, in many ways, destroyed her life and forced her down a dangerous road of hiding and suppressing what she was.

I felt guilty by