Chapter 27
GAbrIEL
Because the trip to Japan has been rescheduled, Blue decides to rearrange his plans. He moves the visit to Calsing Island, where the Beta Activation facility is located, to the next day instead of postponing it until after he returns from Japan.
When we get ready in the morning and head to the elevator with Simon, I ask Blue,
"The facility where Fenn Drax used to work seems to be a constant source of problems. What’s the issue now, Mr. Lowen?"
Calling him ‘Mr. Lowen’ feels strange, but I’m still holding on to my official role by his side.
Our conversation from yesterday never continued.
I remain his bodyguard, not his mate. I still stay in the shadows, and…
strangely enough, that suits me for now.
It’s bittersweet, but that’s simply how I feel at the moment, and I’m not trying to push things further.
Blue seems to understand that too, which is why he smoothly continues our little act whenever other people are around.
"There was another incident there, a drone attack."
"Really? That seems like something straight from a movie!"
Blue sighs with a dose of irritation. "Correct. A drone hit one of the units. What’s interesting is that the unit was housing that young Ferro, the one who ran from the family."
"Damn, Eliano Ferro? I know him, my last fight ever in the cages was with him! Is he alive?"
"Yes. It looks like Rocco Ferro is trying to clean up his business with brothers who refused to pledge him loyalty after Anzo’s imprisonment."
"Seriously? The guy’s a piece of work. I remember him walking around the underground club like he was a god there, and the fighters hated him so much."
Neither Blue nor Simon responds. Blue has a frown on his forehead.
"I hope somebody finally deals with Rocco," I mutter, looking away.
"In any case, that BA facility is becoming a liability. I need to reconsider how it operates, because the number of participants there keeps dropping."
"Mr. Lowen," I say suddenly, remembering my duties, "if there’s already been an attack there, we should go back to the idea of bringing in the external security team…"
Blue gives me a brief, measuring look, then replies,
"Simon already called the agency and asked if Hector, Ruben, Lionel, and Rolf are available to join us. They agreed and are waiting for us in the parking lot."
"Oh, well. Good."
I swallow hard. On one hand, I was the one pushing for extra security whenever we go outside the building with Blue. On the other, I can’t say I’m entirely pleased about seeing them again.
It just irritates me for some reason. I guess my testosterone is spiking.
Simon and Blue start to talk about some details of the schedule, bending over their tablets, but my attention is already fixed on the metal doors.
A soft chime signals that we’ve arrived.
The elevator doors slide open and we step out into the underground garage. The first thing I register is the distinct scent of adult alphas. I move half a step ahead of Blue and Simon, sweeping my gaze across the space, following the trail of that scent, and then I see them.
They’re gathered near the limousine in a loose cluster that only looks casual at first glance.
Hector stands at the front, upright, his body language making it immediately clear who controls the space.
Ruben is right beside him, leaning slightly in his direction, while the other two, Rolf and Lionel, are propped against the car, wearing the kind of dull, heavy expressions you’d expect from a pair of blunt instruments.
Their attention shifts almost in unison, locking onto me. Alphas always spot another alpha first. Omegas and betas don’t register as danger automatically.
The hostility isn’t obvious on their neutral faces, but it saturates their energy. In their eyes, I’m the reason they lost their place here, along with a steady, well-paying position. Whatever company they work for now definitely doesn’t pay like Blue does.
Blue steps past me, moving forward.
Hector gives him a polite nod.
"Good morning, Mr. Lowen."
"Good morning, Hector. We’re heading to Hallwell Port," he says. "The ferry will take us to the island, to the BA facility. We need to be there by ten."
Hector nods, a faint smile touching his face.
"Of course, Mr. Lowen. There’s traffic on the eastern route at this hour, so we’ll take the bypass." His gaze shifts to the limousine. "Ruben will ride with you. We’ll follow behind."
I feel the shift in myself immediately. His confident tone, the way he takes control of the situation and positions himself as the leader, grates against something in me.
"No," I say, stepping forward as if I’m physically cutting through his plan. "No one rides in the limousine with Mr. Lowen except me."
Hector turns toward me slowly, one brow raised, as if I were some spoiled kid who had just materialized and started interrupting a conversation between adults.
"That’s not how this works," he says calmly, though there’s a thread of contempt in his voice.
"It does now," I reply, keeping my tone seemingly level, but right after that, letting a low, rough, growling edge slip into it, the kind alphas use when they challenge each other for dominance.
The air thickens. Every alpha reacts in small but telling ways. Hector’s brow furrows as he studies me with intense focus.
Finally, he exhales.
"Using AO language in a professional setting falls outside standard protocol, but I’m not surprised you’re not aware of that," he says lightly, though his tone stays cold, his eyes fixed on me.
Then he tilts his head slightly toward Blue.
"But that’s your decision."
To my surprise, Blue doesn’t even hesitate.
"Gabriel is responsible for internal security. That includes the vehicle. You’ll drive behind us."
For a moment, Hector’s upper lip twitching as if he’s about to bare his teeth at having his authority so directly undermined, but he reins it in and nods. He glances at his team.
"You heard him."
They head toward their car. Ruben throws me an irritated look over his shoulder, but I hold his gaze until he’s the one who looks away first.
I open the limousine door for Blue, though my attention keeps drifting back to the others as they get into their vehicle. Their irritation hangs in the air. It’s obvious they’re used to having full control, but my own discontent runs just as deep.
The drive to the port passes in silence.
The frustration in me sits just beneath the surface, building with every mile.
Damn, I’m starting to think I’m not cut out for this job.
My aggression toward alphas increases significantly when Blue is around.
I can already guess what might happen once we get there.
We finally reach Hallwell Port, and I step out first, alert, braced for what comes next in this silly power struggle.
Is my awakening alpha nature a liability?
Causing more trouble than it’s worth? That constant, instinctive need to compete with others, duh!
It’s unsettling to feel it this strongly, something I never showed around other omegas, not even Marcel.
I used to let other alphas, like Edgar, walk all over me without saying a word…
but here? I act like a dog obsessively guarding its territory, barking and showing my teeth.
I can’t stand the thought of anybody being too close to my omega. Yes, mine, mine! It just raises this absurd wave of aggression in me, at the very thought of somebody touching him, even standing too close.
Near the ferry entrance, a facility employee is waiting, Pip Jones. He stands unnaturally straight, smiling too wide, stress practically radiating off him like it’s his first day on the job. His green hair is neatly styled.
He approaches Blue, bowing almost to the ground, and immediately starts talking.
First, he assures Blue that security measures are in place at the facility and that the route Blue will take has been secured. Then he moves on to the recent management changes and the issues on site, but I only catch fragments. My attention keeps drifting.
Then Hector steps in, cutting into the conversation as if it doesn’t bother him at all that someone else is already speaking.
"We’ll check the deck," he says, already turning away as if the decision has been made. "Standard procedure," he adds with a pointed tone, like he wants to make it clear it’s something I didn’t order them to do and he has to step out.
I hesitate a second too long, caught off guard, and Blue nods before I can react.
"All right, but make it quick. We’re running short on time. We have a flight to Japan coming up."
They split up immediately, moving across the deck with the coordination of a typical VIP security team, speaking into comms, checking angles, securing the space. Exactly how it should look. It almost feels deliberate, like they’re putting on a show for the one "unprofessional" in the room.
By the time we board the ferry, my tension has only gotten worse.
Blue takes a seat in the passenger area, still talking with Pip. Simon stands nearby, making notes on his tablet. I position myself slightly behind and to the side, with a clear view of the entrance and the movement on deck.
At first, everything seems normal. Then I start noticing something off. Several crew members pass by without a second glance, but one of them keeps looking back.
An older, overweight omega. He circles back, pretending to clean part of the railing. He comes and goes a little too often, shifts position without a clear reason, and his attention returns to Blue too many times. It’s subtle, but it makes me uneasy.
And I feel it again, that pressure at the back of my mind, dull but fairly intense.