2
As I was being escorted from the interrogation room, I could hear chanting coming from the cells.
"Conlan! Conlan! Conlan!" I heard them. My eyes widened as I saw none other than Billy Conlan walking into the station. Billy Conlan is a Scottish American professional kick boxer who is very well known for his victories in numerous countries and he was my best friend. We met during a AntiDom meeting a few months back. He was a major supporter to Albert. He had a tall, muscular build and dark vicious eyes. He was in a black suit looking very professional. Behind him were a few guys, I assumed were his lawyers and trainers. He had a beta years back, but she died…
When he saw me his eyes came to life and he made a straight line for me.
Normal POV
Rafael was confident that a judge would hear out his deal under the circumstances. Most judges were alphas and would not deny another alpha their beta. He knew he would have to go to a higher power if it didn't work. Det. Fin Tutuola was at his desk when he saw Rafael with a victorious smirk on his face.
"You look like you just won a case, counselor." he said putting down his pen. Rafael smirked.
"Might as well have," he said in a cocky tone, "I found my beta and plan to have her in my home in a matter of days." Fin looked at him with a big smile.
"Well would you look at that. Congratulations man. Who is she?" he asked.
"Amara." A thick accented man called before Rafael could say his beta's name. His attention was immediately caught and now both the ADA and Fin looked up. Fin's eyes widened.
"Is that heavyweight champion, Billy Conlan?" he asked. The athlete was standing in front of Amara with worry in his eyes and he took hold of her cheeks. Rafael's body froze, and his eyes began to widen as he watched the heavyweight champion lean down and embrace his beta. His beta. He almost dropped the file he was holding he was so disturbed. Cameras were going off around them and cops were trying to lead paparazzi out, but reporters were in there as well. Rafael could tell Conlan was asking Amara if she was okay. She looked so happy to see him.
"Yes and he's comforting my beta." Barba replied heatedly. Fin's eyes widened and he just looked at the ADA then the crowd then Rafael again.
"Oh shit." he said.
"Whatever my friend is in here for, I guarantee it's a mistake. AntiDom is a peaceful group of which the government and its false propaganda has made them seem like a terrorist group." Billy said to a reporter. "Amara will be out of here by tomorrow and that I can guarantee." Olivia and Amanda were staring at the small crowd in shock.
"I guess he's against alphas too." Amanda said. Olivia just shook her head moving over to get the reporters and everyone else out. It took a bit of force, but she managed to clear the room.
Amara's POV
Billy's arm was protectively around me as he made his little announcement about getting me out. The same female cop from before was demanding everyone leave.
"Ms. O'Neal, what do you say to your supporters of AntiDom and other betas who do not wish to have alphas?" a reporter asked. A cop was trying to lead me away and split Billy from.
"I say be strong my friends. Soon we will ALL have the right to choose who we fall in love with. Everyone should have the right to choose not just one group!" I called out before being placed in my cell.
Normal POV
Rafael was just standing there now almost in a daze. Olivia was in front of him.
"Hey you okay?" she asked, and now he began to turn and leave the room with Olivia following.
"How would you feel if your beta was in a warm embrace someone else, especially another man?" he asked acidly and swiftly. Olivia nodded.
"Look I know it's hard to see a beta taken by another, but he's not her alpha. You have all rights to her." she said. Rafael scoffed and looked at her with stress in his eyes.
"Yeah and telling her that will make her resent this relationship even more." he said. "We all know what happened to Conlan's beta. She died in a "drowning" accident. Some say he killed her just so he could be with whoever he wanted obviously my beta, Olivia my beta." Olivia nodded.
"No one can prove her death wasn't an accident, the trial was very long. But you are her alpha, Rafael, you. There is no competition or competing for her. She is yours by law and by right. Billy Conlan can do nothing about that. So if I were you, then I would make things very clear to that girl that if this agreement happens, then whatever she has with Conlan stops."
Rafael stared at her for a moment as they were now in the hall. She was right. Now that the bond existed, she was his and he would have to claim her so other men would know that. But it was better said than done. He had heard from alphas, when they spoke, that when they claim their betas for the first time, their entire system changes, like the betas are coded with the essence of the alpha. Deep down, Rafael hoped that was true. As he walked to a part of the precinct, he looked through Amara's file to find any emergency contacts. He three names on there, the first was Johnathon O'Neal, her father, Leanna O'Neal, her mother and… Billy Conlan… other. His jaw tightened and he looked away trying to calm himself down. He didn't realize how close their bond was that she had him as an emergency contact. That meant more than Rafael wanted to admit. Maybe her parents could talk some sense into her. The had to be an alpha and beta pair.
Amara's POV
The cells were emptying and soon only a few people were left. My cell was empty, and I had no idea how late or early it was. I remained in the corner not wanting to be seen by anyone. I know I slept some. Someone came to the cell, and I looked up to see Rafael Barba standing there in a new suit. He just stared at me with friendly eyes as if trying to come off as an old friend. He then pulled out some paper work from his briefcase and held it up to the bars.
"I spoke to a judge, and they agreed to have your record expunged. You can walk out of here today, if you agree to the terms we discussed yesterday. You will be completely free, but if you violate this agreement then you will be back in here. You will sign this." he said shaking the pages in front of the bars. I gave a soft chuckle ignoring my growling stomach.
"So I am not really free then. Freedom is not real if the captor just plans to have me moved somewhere else. The U.S. did that to the Native Americans, moved to them to reservations where they were free, but not really free. You know African slaves were free, but they weren't really free since they were oppressed for hundreds of more years to lynchings, police brutality, and segregation. There's a large list, I could go on." I told, and he nodded continuing to stare at me.
"You've been fed half truths about alphas and betas. Yes, some can be abusive, but most of us are not like that. You do realize that 25% of spousal abuse is committed by betas, but I guess Albert Nottingham didn't tell you that." he said.
I glared at him getting up and moving over to the bars.
"And what about alphas? What are their percentages?" I asked. He stared at me for a moment not speaking, instead he just observed my face which made me look away uncomfortable of his stare.
"This precinct is here to protect anyone being abused or hurt… betas included. If you agree to the terms, then I will show you how nice it can be… to be with me." he said awkwardly. I stared at him for a moment.
"You're an old man." I said. He cleared his throat and nodded some looking down with mild discouragement.
"Yeah, forty-three is not that old, but I can see how that could be uncomfortable to you seeing as you are twenty-three." he said lowly. I stared at him for a moment before looking away as if hiding my embarrassment.
"I don't mind older men." I said. Rafael looked up at me, and he looked almost hopeful.
"Good." he said now looking up at me firmly. "If you accept this deal, you know you will have to break up whatever it is you have with Billy Conlan." I tensed and looked at him.
"Why?" I asked. He looked stunned now and gave an exhale.
"Because you are not his." he said almost with annoyance. I nodded scowling.
"That's right, I belong to you." I stated.
"No you don't- Look. This is the way things are. You don' belong to me… if anything you are just paired to me. When I first saw you yesterday, I felt depressed… depressed that everything I achieved in my life did not give me the satisfaction I felt when I saw you. I never achieved my other half, and when I did, I felt fulfilled. I felt alive looking at you. I take note of every little thing you do." he said motioning my tapping foot. "You tap your right foot when you are agitated. You did it yesterday when we interrogated you." I looked down at my feet realizing I was indeed tapping my foot, so I stopped, and he sighed some.
"When an alpha finds his beta, it's a beautiful thing and feeling. I am happy I found you and that life chose us to be together." he said. I thought about his words for a moment before looking at him with strong eyes.
"And when I first saw you, I felt nothing. Because that is how humans should live. One person should not get to look at another human and feel the things you feel. It's not fair. You get to look at me and feel this the things you feel, yet I don't get to feel that. I feel anything for you and if alphas didn't exist then you would not feel anything for me." I said, my voice breaking, and his eyes slowly began to express pain at my words. I shook my head. "Why do you get to have that much power over me and in return I am just supposed to submit and be bent to your will? Even alphas are not free to their own minds, their own instincts." I said. He just stared at me for a while, his mouth parting a bit as if to answer and tell me the answer. He then looked down as if finally defeated.
"That's just the way the world works." he finally said. I felt a bitter scowl play on my face at his generic words.
"I only joined AntiDom, because I believe people should choose the person they are in love with, not go by how we are… mechanically programmed to find a mate." I said. Now he was smiling warmly at me as he stepped closer to the bars, so close his face was gently pressing into the bars.
"I want you to tell me more about why you feel that. I want to know everything you think and everything you feel and why you feel it." he said. I arched a brow and laughed dryly looking away.
"When I first saw you, I expected maybe you would have a beta who is a workaholic, like obviously you are. She'd have brunette hair and high cheek bones with blue maybe green eyes. Maybe with her beside you, you'd look like some white power couple." I told. Now I heard him chuckle as he slowly raised his hands to grip the bars, the papers bending with his hold.
"Yeah, I never expected my beta to be a woman who loves to rebel and being a part of a terrorist group… plus I am Hispanic. But you can't really tell." he said. I glanced at him for a second stepping closer to him now to get a better look at him. His eyes seemed to deepen as I grew closer to him, his orbs moving all over my face to examine me more.
"Yeah you don't look Hispanic." I replied, but sighed heavily and stepped back some looking at him with fearful eyes which made the sadness return to his. Nottingham hasn't come to see me yet and it seemed today was the only day I had to have an answer for my somewhat freedom.
"If I don't agree to this what will happen?" I asked. He looked at me firmly and shrugged.
"You stay here and we charge you with terrorism against the U.S. That means you go away for a very long time." he said. I looked at him now.
"But if I am your beta, you wouldn't let that happen." I assumed. He stared at me for a moment.
"Whether you are my beta or not, I will fight to uphold the law." he said. I looked away feeling trapped once more. I shook my head. If prison meant I could maintain my freedom, then maybe that's what is supposed to happen to me. I looked at him with defiance.
"I will not sign my life away to you." I replied. His body stiffened.
"You'd rather go to jail than be with me?" he asked his tone icy, and I knew if I did this, then my life would be over for something I did not do. My lips quivered as I nodded.
"Yes." I whispered and he just leaned back from the cells as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. He then looked down as if he was betrayed by his best friend. After a few seconds his face tightened up and he looked back up at me.
"Well I'm sorry you feel that way. Since you get one phone call, I made it for you. I'll await your decision." he said quickly and walked away. The second he was out of view; my parents were standing across the precinct next to the female cop from earlier. I stepped up to the bars and gripped them immediately.
"Mom! Dad!" I exclaimed out as they approached swiftly placing their hands over mine.
"Amara, baby are you alright?" Mom asked quickly, and I nodded.
"I'm fine. But I didn't do what they say I did!" I said with panic.
"I told you what being involved with that group could do. It could get you into trouble. Trouble we can't get you out of!" Dad said with pain in his voice.
"You could get me a lawyer. All I did was watch the protest. I didn't start that riot." I replied. Mom looked at my AntiDom shirt.
"Yet you are wearing their clothes, any cop would assume you were a part of it." she said. Dad leaned in toward me now.
"That attorney guy called us and told us what happened…. He also says he is your alpha." he said. I winced and looked at him.
"He could be lying. Albert says some people, stalkers, and rapists can say a person's their betas just to lure them and trap them into servitude." I said. My father's eyes hardened on me as he gently caressed my face.
"No honey, I don't think he's lying. Albert Nottingham is a crackpot! The way that man described his feelings came from feelings of instinct. I know I can tell even after looking at his face." he said. My dad's a deception researcher who went to college and studied the body and mind when it came to alphas to figure out how to find out if someone is lying or not about the bond. He studied facial features of men and women who do find their alphas and figured out how to tell when they truly feel something, versus when they don't. He's so good, he started his own business and helps the police deal with alphas and betas cases to make sure the bond was real and he used his findings to help determine how cases should be handled when it came to issues between the mated pair. He was really good. Mom's a school teacher for one of the elementary schools in the city. She was lucky in this mate-ship. They were childhood sweethearts, grew up in the same neighborhood and everything. So when my father gold older and matured, he saw my mother in a new light and knew he had found his beta in her.
"So you believe him." I said and my father nodded.
"I do." he said. Mother squeezed my hand.
"He told us about the deal he made with you yesterday. A judge will wipe your record clean if you leave that cult and accept that ADA as your alpha." she said. I frowned.
"Yes." I replied and now she looked at me as if I were crazy.
"And you took that deal?" she assumed, and I looked at her like she was crazy.
"No. I will not sign my life away to that man!" I whispered harshly. My parents frowned.
"This is a get out of jail free card, Amara." Father said.
"And he's a district attorney. He has money, power, and can give you a good life. That is all we really wanted for you and you said it yourself, you wanted a man with a future." she said. I stepped back and threw my hands up.
"Yes, a man I got to choose myself not one who got to choose me!" I said feeling like I was losing my mind. Father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"We've never steered you wrong, baby. We have always done our best to support any decisions you've made with your life, but I will tell you right now, as your father, I think you are wrong, and I think you are making a horrible mistake." he said. I looked at him hurt that he would say that for I never wanted to disappoint my parents, but I didn't think they would be so willing to give up my freedom.
"Dad, I am fighting for my civil rights here!" I said. Mother frowned.
"Girl, you don't even have the slightest clue what we had to do to fight for civil rights for our people!" she said. My lips lightened at her words and I looked down now. I know my parents did the real fighting in their generation for true equality. Alphas existed back then but it didn't mean anything for white America back then. "Look baby, I know from one side it seems like a horrible card to be dealt, but I am not going to let you throw your life away and rot in prison because of a stupid choice you made."
"If you agree to the terms and at least try. If something happens our doors are always open." Dad said, and I felt tears stream down my face. I wiped my tears away and crossed my arms looking to my right at nothing to just think. I didn't want to go to jail either.
"Remember baby," Mother started, and I looked at her. Her eyes looked wise and stern," You are in this cell facing jail time… that Nottingham guy is not." I stared at her with fearful eyes before just moving back up to the cell and leaning into my parents of which they reached around and embraced me. I sighed deeply feeling myself giving up, but I had to get out of this cell. I needed to get back to my life.
"I'll take the deal." I said lowly knowing they heard me. They body leaned back and caressed my cheek and nodded.
"We'll go get the attorney." Mom said, and I watched them walk away and looked back at the numerous police working and doing their jobs. Time was moving forward for them, but in this cell alone, it felt like time had stopped. It hurt to hold my parents from behind the cell bars, and I didn't want anything to take me from them ever. The cell was starting to open and fill with prostitutes. Some of them were looking at me with a scowl. Rafael Barba approached the bars and I turned and looked at him. He was just staring at me luckily with no humor or look of victory. I approached the bars and he took a small step toward.
"You agreed to the deal?" he asked. I just stared at him trying my best not to scowl or frown. I just nodded.
"Yes." I replied.
"And your relationship with Billy Conlan?" he asked.
"I have no relationship with Billy Conlan." I replied. He looked skeptical.
"You sleeping with him?" he pressed.
"No." I replied.
"I'll sleep with him!" a woman with a busted lip and smeared make up yelled out. I rolled my eyes and was happy she didn't see it.
"Do I have to live with you?" I asked. He nodded, but his eyes remained soft.
"That's a part of the deal." he said.
"Do I get my own room?" I pressed and he inhaled some before nodding.
"I can make that arrangement." he said.
"I'll share a room with him if you not!" the woman called out. I sighed and closed my eyes. God, I needed to get out of here.
"I will do it." I replied. He nodded and looked at a policeman who came over and opened the cell door. They slid open and I inhaled with utter happiness and stepped out. The same policeman removed the handcuffs. Rafael looked at me and held up the paper work and a pen.
"If you will sign these now, then they'll get everything processed and we will get you out of here." I looked at the small stack of papers and slowly took them and the pen. I sighed and moved over to the edge of the nearest table. My hand shook a bit as I signed the long lines at the bottom. I was in a daze the entire time as I signed. Still I felt I was giving my life away. Once it was done, I just quickly gave the papers to him not even able to look at him.
"Thank you. Your parents are waiting in the lobby." he said. My eyes brightened at that as he held his hand up toward the lobby and there, they were smiling at me. I smiled with great relief and ran over to them finally embracing them.
