Chapter BLUE #3
"How do you think my brother and I got onto that ship when we escaped Russia? We walked straight through the walls while I held his hand. Then we slipped between the rooms, stealing food, and nobody could ever catch us."
"Dad… that’s incredible," Gabriel whispers. "You kept something like that secret?"
"One hell of a secret," I say with a smile as I walk closer and experimentally reach toward him myself. My hand passes through without resistance.
The older omega smiles gently.
"I’ll take care of Cyan, Blue. Whenever you need to work or handle important matters, I’ll stay with him. You won’t have to stress about your son being hurt."
I blink in amazement because this is literally the perfect solution, one that lifts all the fear and stress off my shoulders. Cyan really will be safe with his granddad.
"That’s wonderful news. Thank you so much for offering, I truly appreciate it.
Of course I also want to experience what it means to have a family and spend time with Cyan myself, but my life will still call me away sometimes.
There are responsibilities I won’t be able to ignore, even if I try to minimize them… so I’ll really value your help, Dad."
It’s the first time I’ve ever called him that, and he smiles immediately.
"Of course, Blue. You can always count on my help. It would be an honor and a happiness. I’ve always dreamed of having a bunch of grandkids… And Cyan is a perfect start!"
I bite my lip and tilt my head slightly before speaking again.
"Would you allow me to study your genome? I’m curious whether I’ll find the shifter gene."
A shadow passes through the man’s eyes.
"Only if you won’t use it to create more people like me. There are already enough of us, and most of us suffer because of what we can do."
"Of course. You have my discretion. I also want to understand my son’s genetics better, and yours might be the key to that."
The omega nods before handing Cyan back to me. He’s solid again now and lets out a quiet little squawk.
"Ah, I think he’s hungry again," I say with a broad smile.
It’s impossible to express, impossible to convey how much relief I feel, even if I’m not showing it in an overly enthusiastic way, but inside I’m trembling with happiness. A massive weight has been lifted from my heart.
That lingering fear about my child’s safety can finally begin to disappear.
◆◆◆
A few days later, inside my small private laboratory, I finally uncover the secret behind their family.
I compare the genes of Gabriel, his dad, and Cyan.
I discover that both my son and Gabriel’s dad possess a very specific gene in its dominant form, while Gabriel carries it recessively, meaning he’s a carrier of the shifter gene without manifesting it himself.
But our son has it. Which means he’ll be a shifter too.
I take the news with mixed feelings because it comes with additional challenges. But if Fate decided Gabriel is my True Mate and my genetic line was meant to merge with his, then who am I to fight against that? And more importantly… I’ve always been someone who welcomes challenges.
I smile faintly to myself before moving toward the second workstation where a specialized imaging electron microscope stands. My other secret project… the mission of my life is entering its final critical phase.
Soon, maybe within a year, I’ll finally be able to show it to the world.
"Did you read the news today?" I hear Gabriel’s voice behind me.
I turn toward him. As always, he’s standing near the wall, watching me with a smile. He’s still my bodyguard, but I don’t want to limit him to that role forever.
"Of course I did," I reply with a smirk.
"NFH is… they’re pretty much done. Thanks to your nanobots, I assume?"
I grin widely. "Yes. Those I sold to the military were able to multiply and spread between combatants, forming transmitters. Now the army knows where their bases and logistics centers are, and even where individual combatants live."
"Will the massacres stop?" Gabriel asks, a hint of hope in his voice.
"They will. Military interventions have already started, and full-scale operations will begin shortly."
Gabriel stands quietly for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, then lets out a soft sigh.
"I just hope the change reaches people’s hearts too. That takes more than military interventions…"
I slowly nod.
"That’s true. But at least innocent people trying to live their lives won’t keep falling victim to their madness…" I pause before adding, "Changing the subject."
With an unhurried stride, I walk over to the laptop and open two internship applications side by side on a split screen.
I lightly tap the display with my finger.
"Take a look at this."
Gabriel shifts his gaze to the screen, still somewhat lost in thought, then focuses on it. His eyebrows lift slightly…
"I arranged an internship for you in the IT division… and also in our robotics department. You can choose where you want to gain experience."
Gabriel blinks in surprise, then looks at me, his eyes widening. Silence hangs between us for a moment before he lets out a small huff.
"Really?"
"Indeed. Everything’s ready, if you want it."
"If I want it? Of course I do!"
He leans over the screens and studies them for a moment. Then he straightens, and a smile lights up his face.
"Hopefully the schedule is flexible, but I’d love to take the internship. I don’t want to become some billionaire’s kept husband, just a pretty mouth that doesn’t earn a living…"
I burst out laughing and walk over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist before looking into his eyes.
"I honestly wouldn’t mind if you were my kept husband.
I make more than enough money to support an entire army if I wanted to.
But I love you even more for saying that, because a strong work ethic was always important in my family, and I’m happy you want to grow.
With your talent, it would be a waste not to do something with it. "
We stay like that for a moment while Gabriel gently lifts his hands and threads them through my hair.
"You know I love you, right? So much. So insanely, ridiculously much…"
"I love you too…" I hesitate for a second before lifting my hands and placing them over his glands.
With quiet solemnity, I say,
"And I claim you, Gabriel. Forever."