"I suspected," I said quietly.
The word archaic was almost too polite for what that kind of hatred actually was. I had lived inside that hatred. I had worn it like a second skin, had it pressed into my bones by Andrew's fists and the Forest Pack's silence. I knew what it felt like to be looked at like you were less than human. Like your existence was an offense that needed to be corrected.
"It's absolutely mortifying," Elio said, his voice hardening again. "And I am happy I didn't offer to help him. He can burn in hell for all I care."
"Yeah, he should," I agreed. The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't take them back. "You can't come to a summit in a pack like Novaterra and talk shit about omegas. Especially with packs who have an alliance with Novaterra. That's suicide."
"Right?" Elio leaned forward, his eyes bright with agreement. "It made no sense. I think he made one slip-up, and it just spread like wildfire to everyone there."
