Chapter 75: Death Is Better Than This.
Oril Pov
I stare at the document in front of me, the one delivered to my studio not long ago by an old, weary‑looking lawyer. I’ve read it multiple times already, after he himself read it aloud to me, and each time the words cut deeper. I sink further into the couch, biting at my nail, disbelief clawing at my chest. I can’t believe this is actually happening. I can’t believe Torin would do this.
Yes, we’ve had our differences, but I don’t deserve this. I haven’t done a single thing I’m being accused of. I don’t understand why Lorali said what she did. All I know is that she’s a liar, and she’s ruined my life.
My eyes drift back to the official document lying on the table. It’s stamped and sealed, signed by Torin and approved by the high court. It declares me deposed as Pack Spade’s second.
I didn’t think Torin would actually sign it. Deep down, I hoped he would come to his senses and believe me when I say that I never told his mother to do anything to Lorali, that he would remember the friendship we shared for so many years. We grew up together. How can he believe this?
I can’t even go home now. It isn’t my home anymore, it’s Torin and Lorali’s playground. The worst part is that my own pack members, the ones with whom I share a mate, doubt me. Their silence is louder than any accusation.
I don’t know what to do other than cry. Unless Lorali admits she lied, or I find evidence to prove my innocence, I am guilty in all their eyes. A perpetrator who should be grateful I haven’t been reported to the council yet.
I fall sideways onto the couch, dragging a blanket over my miserable, pathetic existence. I pray to enter a deep slumber I will never wake up from or maybe I’ll wake up and none of it will be real.
After lying there for what feels like hours, exhaustion finally begins to pull me under. My body aches from too many sleepless nights. Just as my eyes close, a sharp notification pings from my phone on the table beside those dreaded documents.
"Ughhhhh," I groan, rolling to face the inside of the couch, clutching the blanket tighter. Oh moon goddess, what have I done to deserve this? I can’t even get a moment’s rest.
Yes, I was cruel to Lorali, but I never touched her. I was simply following instructions. And it wasn’t just me, everyone but Augi was involved. So why am I the only one being punished?
Why not punish Torin? Or Torin’s father? He is the one that caused all of this. He is just as guilty. And the goddess herself is to blame for making Torin and Oracle fated to Lorali. That bond only made things more complicated for everyone.
And by everyone, I mean me. Just me. Because it’s clear I’m the only one suffering here, even though I did the least damage.
Yurena, the head of the entire operation that happened to Lorali, is probably off somewhere having tea and enjoying her life. These allegations won’t touch her future. They won’t ruin her standing in society if they ever come out. She won’t go to jail, omegas are too sacred and protected, to be thrown into prison. At worst, she’ll end up in a rehabilitation camp, stay there for a month or two, and then be returned to her pack. Omegas can’t be separated from their pack; it’s against the law. They can’t be placed in high emotional situations either, which means she doesn’t even need to go to court. Her main alpha does.
Me, on the other hand, this will ruin me. It will destroy everything I’ve built. If it goes to court, I’ll be sent to jail for a very long time, because Torin will want to pursue the matter. I won’t be able to defend myself in court, let alone afford a lawyer, unless my own brother represents me for free. And even then, I will most certainly lose.
I have no evidence to support my claim. And with how much doubt my packmates already have in me, I know they won’t testify in my favor. They’ll stand against me, even though we once shared loyalty, even though we share a mate.
This is it. My life is no longer mine. It belongs to Torin now, left at his mercy, hoping he doesn’t pursue the matter further or worse, kick me out of the pack entirely.
Death is better than this.
Oracle Pov
"Answer your phone, idiot," I mumble, frustrated, sending Oril yet another message after another one of my calls goes unanswered.
"Is he still not answering?" Augi asks, repeating the same question he asked an hour ago on our way to the hospital. I shake my head, confirming that the man of the hour still hasn’t picked up. Doesn’t he understand how bad this looks? Doesn’t he realize the damage it will do to his brotherhood with Torin if he doesn’t show up, especially after Torin nearly lost his mother? We only found out what happened not so long ago when Miles, Torin’s third father, finally answered the phone and told us.
It took us a whole hour to get here because of the tremendous traffic. And though we all feel conflicted about Torin right now, we’re still showing up for him. But my idiotic brother, the one who needs to be here the most, can’t even answer his damn phone. This man needs to fight for his life instead of drowning in whatever depression he’s stuck in. One case is all it takes, and his life is over. And so is this pack, to some extent, because everything will come to light about what happened to Lorali if any of this goes to the high court.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have worried about any of this. Back then, Torin would never have risked Spade Industries by taking something like this to court. But gone are those days. Torin has a soft spot for Lorali, and I guess it’s because she’s his fucking fated mate! That bond means he’ll throw Oril under the bus without hesitation.
It’s odd to even think about. How could I have been so blind? How did I never notice Lorali and Torin were fated? I must have been too focused on keeping myself in control whenever I was near Lorali, too desperate to avoid repeating the disaster that happened when I bonded with her, that I failed to see the signs. My dumb self thought Torin had simply fallen for her somewhere along the way of acting to care for her and that Lorali was foolish enough to fall in love with a random alpha and grow closer to him than to her actual fated mate. But I was wrong.
Torin has shown me again that this is his world, and we’re all just living in it. He can have everything he wants, and the rules don’t apply to him. I thought we always had to choose what was best for the pack, for Spade Industries. Those were his rules, or so he said. But it’s clear now they only apply to the rest of us. While I chose the pack, he chose Lorali. He chose her as his knight in shining armor, while I was left behind, a relic of the past.
"Uncle Jacob!" Augi calls out as we reach reception.
Jacob turns to face us, and the sight of him makes my chest tighten. He looks nothing like the proud man who once set us up with Lorali. His eyes are shadowed with heavy bags, his shoulders slumped, his whole presence broken. He looks less like a leader and more like a man who has lost everything.
"Son," he calls out, clearly surprised to see the both of us. "What are you doing here? Did Torin go get you guys?" He peers behind us, searching for Torin as if he might appear from the hallway.
We both shake our heads. "No, we didn’t come with Torin. We heard what happened to Aunty and rushed here as soon as we could," I explain quickly, before asking, "Is Torin not here?"
Jacob sucks in his cheek, nodding grimly. "He took off some time ago. I guess he needed some air after hearing about his mother’s condition."
Oril, you lucky bastard. He’s not here. I was already preparing a speech in my head, rehearsing what I would say if Torin confronted me. Relief washes through me, though guilt follows close behind.
"Is Aunty’s condition bad, Uncle?" Augi asks instantly, his voice trembling with worry. The question makes me feel worse for finding relief in a situation like this.
Jacob doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he hangs his head, his shoulders heavy, his whole body sagging as if the weight of the world is pressing down on him. For a moment, I think he’s about to cry.
"S... she’s alive, and that’s all that matters," he finally manages to croak out, his voice breaking. "You can go see her. She’s on the third floor, room 301. She woke up not so long ago."
Augi nods immediately, already making his way toward the staircase near the elevator. Apparently, he doesn’t want to waste time waiting for the lift, his urgency carrying him forward. "Aren’t you coming?" I ask, stopping for a moment to look at Jacob. Why is he here anyway? His mate is awake in her hospital room. He should be with her, not standing here at reception, looking lost.
"No, go ahead. I’ll catch up," he says, forcing the saddest smile I’ve ever seen before turning away. He walks toward the exit, and the automatic doors slide open, closing behind him as he leaves the hospital.
"That’s weird," I mumble under my breath, watching him disappear. "Almost like he can’t face his wife. How bad could her accident have been?"