ELIANO #9
The words request denied echo in my head with an unpleasant ring.
I stare at his small face behind those oversized glasses, unmoving, indifferent.
What does such a refusal cost him? I am nothing, a grain of sand. He runs corporations, half the pharmaceutical industry. What can I even say?
"And why isn’t it within your scope of interest?" I blurt out suddenly, foolishly, without thinking it through, probably just to buy myself time to process this and maybe come up with a new argument.
But something unexpected happens.
That last sentence makes Blue Lowen fall silent.
The room goes quiet too. Mr. Lowen turns slightly to the side, his gaze drifting toward an indistinct point on the wall. Subtle flickers appear across his glasses, as if he’s reviewing something in that very moment.
I assume they’re connected to the internet or some database. I’ve seen models like that before, and this one is top-tier, if not custom-made for him.
The glasses seem to project a faint outline of a keyboard onto the table in front of him, along with a pale circle marking the touchpad area. Blue’s slender fingers move lightly over it.
After a short pause, during which everyone stares at Lowen, he turns his head back toward us and speaks.
"That is a valid question. There are very few alpha-beta TM cases like yours, so the existing research base is extremely limited.
Your case holds certain research potential.
Analyzing these mechanisms, even if they diverge from the established models, could provide new insights into aspects of beta fertility that remain insufficiently understood. "
Silence reigns. No one interrupts Blue, who seems lost in thought, as if his mind is working at full speed.
"I am willing to consider your petition. However, as the Follow-Up medical team remains incomplete, I cannot yet determine whether we will have the capacity to examine your case in a manner that would yield meaningful results. I should have an answer within six weeks."
I let out a breath I was probably holding the whole time. Damn. That’s a surprise. I was already starting to accept, in my head, that our only alternative would be living in the woods of North Carolina, defenseless against Rocco.
I exchange a look with Salt, who stands beside me, motionless and stiff, his fingers clenched tightly around mine.
"Thank you. Your approach truly reflects that of a thorough, inquisitive scientist," I offer a compliment, which is clearly not well received.
"I’ve already agreed. Flattery isn’t necessary."
I swallow.
"That was sincere. But there’s one more thing. Couples who are expecting a child are usually removed from the island within a few weeks, so our stay would have to be extended while we wait for your decision."
"I believe Mr. Gomez will take care of that."
Blue looks over at Gomez.
Gomez flinches slightly. He clearly did not expect to be pulled into the conversation at this stage.
"Of course, of course, that won’t be a problem. However, I would like to emphasize, Mr. Lowen, that I was not aware this particular couple were True Mates. We would have handled it better if I had known all the facts—"
"That’s enough explanation! A simple ‘yes, I’ll take care of it’ would have been entirely sufficient, Mr. Gomez," Blue says coolly. Dear Fate, this man must be a nightmare to work for. I glance at Gabriel, who seems completely unfazed by his boss’s boorish behavior.
"Of course, I’ll take care of it," Gomez replies quickly.
"I also suggest that you focus on a necessary increase in security on the island. Mr. Drax should never have been able to get here. This is a serious breach of all protocols."
"I will handle that as well. I would only like to point out that we were not informed that Mr. Drax remained at large after his interrogation by the supervisory committee.
Had we known, we would have approached the situation differently," Gomez adds unexpectedly, his tone slightly defiant, he’s clearly unwilling to accept any share of the blame. "He should be behind bars."
From across the room, Blue’s expression hardens even further.
"I’ll let that comment pass, since you’re unaware of how the investigation into Mr. Drax has developed.
He submitted verified recordings of meetings with Sidorov showing he repeatedly questioned the betas’ consent and whether it was genuine.
Sidorov assured him everything was legal.
Mr. Drax considers himself a victim of our program. "
Completely unexpectedly, Salt straightens up and interrupts the discussion.
"Sure, he might’ve flipped the script and played the victim, but that doesn’t let him off the hook for coming back to the island and trying to kill four people!" he snorts, looking pretty outraged, which is understandable, since Drax really got away a bit too easily.
Blue Lowen tilts his head and replies calmly.
"Mr. Einarson, are you not the person who actually killed four people in a moment of emotional turmoil? Not merely attempted to?"
A heavy silence falls.
Blue is clearly impossible to argue with.
Gabriel glances at Salt in surprise. I get the impression he shifts slightly forward, as if trying to shield Blue from Salt’s gaze alone. His devotion to ensuring the security of a tiny scientist borders on amusing.
"Surely you’re not defending Drax," I blurt out. "He riddled Salt with bullets."
"I’m not defending him. Nothing excuses what he did.
However, Mr. Drax worked here in good faith, believing the operation was legal.
He was then interrogated, accused, and publicly condemned.
But all his assigned cases ended in pregnancies, so despite ethical concerns, his pheromones proved highly effective.
For that reason, we offered him participation in clinical testing at one of our closed laboratories.
He will be studied under proper scientific supervision. "
"You’re still going to use this freak, this… criminal?" I ask in disbelief.
"We are scientists, not judges. The court has already decided his fate."
Suddenly, I understand why Blue, for all his brilliance, can be viewed so negatively by the public, and why he has so many enemies who believe science should be ethical.
"Good luck with that. He’s a purple alpha, which puts him in the volatile alpha category. If something doesn’t sit right with him, he’ll just kill whoever gets in his way," I mutter.
"Thank you for that… enlightening input," Blue replies, his voice sharp as a whip once more.
"Just as you gave a criminal a chance, we gave one to Mr. Drax.
Time will tell whether it was the right decision.
" He steeples his thin fingers. "For now, you may leave.
Mr. Gomez will handle the rest and inform you of my decision regarding the Follow-Up Program within one to one-and-a-half months. "
"Thank you for considering our request," I say, because I want to part on civil terms.
He answers with silence.
The audience with a god is over.
I leave, still holding Salt’s hand, and Gabriel follows behind me.
When the door closes, a brief silence settles between us.
"Don’t do this, Gabriel. Don’t get involved with him," I say, because I have to. "He’ll break your heart."
Gabriel’s face is pale, his lips pressed tight.
"You don’t understand anything," he snaps through clenched teeth.
"That man is twice your age. For all his genius, I think he’s completely ruthless."
Gabriel’s nostrils flare.
"You saw him for ten minutes. You don’t know what he does, who he is, or how many people he’s helped, how many requests he’s granted to people who had no other options.
He’s saved the lives and health of thousands.
Don’t judge him so easily, because it’s incredibly easy to write someone off based on a first impression. "
He steps closer, and we are face-to-face now.
"You walk in there and essentially throw it in his face that you resent the program that you’re not even eligible to, and that all the traumatic stuff happened to you in it, and then you demand compensation in the form of a house worth a million dollars and free care for life.
Don’t you hear how you started that conversation?
With demands and accusations, not with an appeal for goodwill. "
I take a deep breath.
"Okay, I can see how it looks that way. But he still wants to employ Drax. That’s the man who attacked us!"
"Employ? He’ll be a lab rat. Blue can see potential where others don’t. That’s where his brilliance and his medical genius come from. Understanding a mind like that is clearly beyond your mental capacity," he says through clenched teeth.
We lock gazes; his heart is racing.
"Wow. You’re infatuated with him."
Gabriel’s face goes pale, and he looks away.
"You fell in love with a man who killed four people. How are you any better than me?"
I stay silent for a moment.
"Because I saw more in him than just that," I say quietly.
"My point exactly."
I lift my hand and rest it on his shoulder.
"Fair. I won’t lecture you. Good luck, Gabriel. But there’s one thing I want to say: thank you for standing up for us. I truly appreciate it. I owe you."
We walk away, leaving him standing alone in the corridor light.
I have no intention of judging him anymore. His path is not my path, but maybe, on some level, I understand him. Life is more gray than we would like it to be.
Memories of how I once imagined my True Mate come back to me: a law-abiding, sweet omega. Now, I wouldn’t trade my Alpha Slayer, my convict beta, for any omega in the world!
Salt’s eyes search for my face as soon as we reach the far end of the hallway. They’re shining like bright gray crystals.
"Thank you. You fought for us, Eliano… Now everything’s in his hands!"
"I’ll fight for you to the very end. And if this doesn’t work, I’ll figure something else out. I won’t give up."
Salt’s face lights up with a smile. I respond with a wide grin.
"I know. We’re going to have our happily ever after. I’m sure of it!"
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