GABRIEL #8
I notice how delicate his fingers are, his nails neatly trimmed, unpainted but polished and well cared for.
I also catch his profile.
Damn, he really does look a lot like Marcel.
What the fuck? Fate has a seriously twisted sense of humor. He has the same refined, clean, beautifully shaped nose, and those full, sweet lips.
A slight shiver runs through me. I remember reading about imprint theory. The more someone resembles your True Mate, the more attractive they seem.
Is it possible Blue is my High Mate? That would be funny. Almost twisted.
Unfortunately, I don’t detect any trace of anything that could be recognized with certainty as his Allure scent.
But that would be something if, because of his similarities to Marcel, I grew some weird attraction toward him, haha…
Eventually, Blue finishes his email, closes the laptop, and slides it back under the desk. He picks up his transparent tablet and stands, and only then does he turn toward me.
Our eyes meet, and he says,
"You’re late. I was expecting you two hours ago."
What a warm welcome, I think, but I don’t say it out loud. I just shrug slightly.
"I don’t like being late, Mr. Lowen, but that wasn’t up to me. It depended on how long the prosecutor’s office took with the paperwork. They brought me here twenty minutes ago, and I came up right away."
He doesn’t comment on that, just turns and walks toward the door, but when I don’t move, he stops and says,
"What part of being my personal bodyguard do you not understand? When I leave, you leave with me."
Charming.
I’ve heard the rumors that he’s unpleasant, arrogant, and sharp-tongued. So far the description seems accurate.
I follow him, grabbing my suitcases. Outside the office, near the assistants’ desks, Hector and Ruben are waiting, talking with Blue’s PAs, but they immediately fall into step with us.
We enter the elevator, and suddenly it feels cramped. Everyone stands in a different corner. Blue looks at his tablet while the elevator climbs two more floors.
When the doors open, we step into a corridor where Hector and Ruben stay behind. Blue and I move toward a heavy door where he presses his hand against a biometric scanner. The entrance looks reinforced, and it closes automatically behind us the moment we walk through.
So this is it.
Blue’s kingdom.
A penthouse on top of a skyscraper.
The place is clearly at least two levels. I can already see stairs leading upstairs, with a metal-and-glass railing.
We walk through a huge open space that I assume is the living room.
There are massive modern sofas, a long glass table, large abstract paintings, even a fireplace.
Then we move down a wide hallway with doors lining both sides, all of them closed, probably guest rooms or something like that, though I have no idea. We enter a room near the end.
"This will be your room. It has its own bathroom and a walk-in closet."
I look around. It’s a fairly large space with a single bed, a big desk with a laptop, a wardrobe for clothes, and books. The style is minimal, like everything here, but it all looks very refined, both the furniture and the two paintings on the wall depicting a soft, abstract watercolor landscape.
I set my suitcases down and straighten up, looking at him. I meet his light sapphire gaze, but I can’t read it.
"I have another meeting soon, this time in the city, at the AO Cultural Center.
Normally I would have additional security whenever I go somewhere unfamiliar.
I have a separate team that goes ahead and checks whether everything is safe, but since I have you, I decided that may no longer be necessary," he says, giving me a strange, almost mechanical parody of a smile. "We’ll see."
"Wait… you want me there alone with you?" I say slowly, carefully. "That’s a lot of trust you’re putting in me, which is… interesting."
"I always weigh potential gains against risks, and I see an opportunity here to reduce the cost of my security. I’m a wealthy man, but I’m not wasteful. I prefer spending money on things that make more sense," he replies vaguely.
"We’ll see how that works out, because seeing a few seconds ahead won’t stop a bigger bomb you can’t escape from in under five seconds. I assume you understand that." I keep my face neutral.
"I account for different scenarios. The last person who tried to blow me up, Anzo Ferro, is in prison. There are others who might want to put a bullet in my head, like NFH or NeverTrue, but for now I’m willing to take the risk, since I’m not an announced guest. If I were, it would be different."
I don’t comment on that.
"I’d like to change. I have a few suits with me, and I’m hoping they’ll look appropriate on a bodyguard."
"Of course," Blue says. "I’ll be in the living room."
When he leaves, I open my suitcase and unpack. The suits are folded, but thankfully not wrinkled. I put on a shirt and one of them. I’ve never felt comfortable dressed like this, but I guess this is my life now.
I look at myself in the mirror.
My usual style is T-shirts, hoodies, loose sweatpants or baggy jeans. I’ve never worn suits.
But I have to admit, I look better in one. It adds seriousness, maybe even a bit of elegance. My boyish, nerdy look shifts slightly because of it.
Even that strange black mesh mask doesn’t take much away from the overall look.
I run a hand through my hair, then head toward the living room.
Blue is waiting on the couch, talking to someone on the phone, but the moment he sees me, he stands up.
I catch the brief, assessing look he gives me.
I wonder if he also thinks I look better in a suit than in a T-shirt…
Then again, it doesn’t matter. Our relationship isn’t the kind where I need to care about his opinion of my looks.
Soon we leave together and take the elevator down two floors.
Blue opens the door and says, "Hector, Ruben, please stay in the security room. I’m going with Gabriel."
Hector raises an eyebrow slightly. "Mr. Lowen, are you sure that’s wise?"
"Yes," Blue says, then presses the close button. Just like that.
Both bodyguards stay behind, looking a bit stunned.
So now I’m alone in the elevator with Blue.
"Wow, you really surprise me," I say. "For someone who’s survived twenty-three assassination attempts, you’re sending your bodyguards away to ride with a guy who was involved in one of them. That’s… a little quirky. Call me crazy, but it doesn’t make much sense."
A subtle smile appears on Blue’s face.
"I like thinking outside the box. That’s what my entire scientific career is built on. I think differently than most people. I look at things from unexpected angles. When I notice potential, I follow it, and I see it here."
He says all of this while still holding his tablet, tapping something on it with a stylus. His ability to split his attention is impressive.
We ride down toward the lobby, getting closer to the first floor. I deliberately focus on activating my ability. It takes effort, some level of concentration, but I decide to do it anyway. I don’t use it this way in everyday life, so it feels foreign.
My talent always activates on its own if tense or threatening situations are about to happen to me, but now I may need to be even more cautious.
Blue expects me to take this seriously, and maybe I actually do. Perhaps I really am approaching this job with full commitment? Well, at least I’m willing to try, even if just as a test.
"Where are we going?"
"Parking G, spot 3A."
I notice the elevator doesn’t stop at the first floor. It keeps going down.
We step out into a small underground parking garage.
I walk slightly ahead, scanning carefully, but nothing happens.
It’s a separate area, a private parking section for upper management. The exit is right by the building wall, with a guard booth nearby.
We approach a black limousine with a driver already inside, an older beta who tips his cap when he sees Blue.
"Good morning, Gerard," Blue says.
"Good morning, Mr. Lowen. Where are we headed today?"
"The AO Cultural Center."
"Of course."
We step into the limousine. The interior is sleek and understated, with leather seats along the sides facing each other.
A subtle built-in minibar glows softly in the corner behind frosted glass.
The floor is polished dark wood, and dim LED lighting runs along the edges of the ceiling, giving the cabin an elegant atmosphere.
The windows are tinted, and everything about it feels almost intimate.
Blue sits down with his transparent tablet on his lap.
I have a general idea where the cultural center is, so I know the drive will take a little while.
Since I’m sitting across from him, I can watch him the entire time. I can’t stop marveling at how much younger he looks than his age. My internet security professor was around that age and looked like he could be Blue’s father. Mr. Lowen truly looks about twenty-five.
His skin is smooth, soft-looking, very youthful, as if his collagen production is still operating at peak levels.
Why am I even staring at him like this?
Is it really because he looks so much like Marcel? That nose, those lips, they could be brothers. I need to stop constantly comparing them, but it’s driving me crazy!
Still… Blue’s eyes are even more striking, light sapphire, framed by thick, dark navy lashes.
His attractiveness is somewhat hidden by those large electronic glasses and the heavy fringe falling over his face, strands brushing against his cheeks, but I can still see it.
He’s, in fact, a very pretty omega. The nerdy aura tones it down, but underneath, there’s something else entirely.
Funny, am I the same way? People always say my nerdy aura hides my good features.
Slowly, out of those chaotic thoughts, one conclusion emerges.
I’m realizing something strange. I’m actually attracted to him. But in what way? Physically? Sexually?
Damn.