Page 2

PRESENT DAY

"I’ve got this weird feeling that I’m gonna die a virgin," I said, stretching out on the lounge chair and tucking my hands behind my head.

Blue glanced at me over his electronic glasses, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"You say that like it’s some kind of tragedy. I’ve been like this my whole life, and I don’t see the problem. Sex is overrated."

I knew we’d never see eye to eye on this. My uncle couldn’t have kids, and because his mating glands were removed after an accident, he was asexual, at least by his own admission. So, I just sighed.

"I’m just tired of being the odd one out. I wanna be like everyone else."

Blue had his tablet resting on his lap, and when he looked up again, I caught a flicker of irritation cross his face.

"Sariel, you’re overthinking again. What’s with the mood today? Why are we even talking about this?"

I pouted slightly and shut my eyes, so I wouldn’t have to look at his pale face, still marked with three small adhesive bandages and thin scratches, a reminder of the bombing attempt on his life just a few days ago.

"A freak like me has even less chance of finding the perfect mate than most people. Because he’d have to be a misfit too," I muttered, sinking deeper into my sulking mood, feeling bored, discouraged, and just generally bitter.

The past two months had blurred into the same dull haze, and I could barely stand my own presence, let alone expect anyone else to. I craved something to pull me out of it: a purpose, a focus, anything to ignite some energy in my lethargic body.

A change. I wanted it, was ready for it.

"For God’s sake, Sariel, finding the perfect mate is like winning a small-town lottery. Maybe a handful of people in a hundred get that lucky. The rest have to settle for a cheap hot dog from a crowded food stand."

Rolling my eyes, I snorted. "Damn, Blue, you’re never gonna make it as a stand-up comic. Or a poet, for that matter."

"I’m a Nobel laureate and the top scientist in this country. That’s all I need," he shot back with a wry smirk.

His arrogance didn’t bother me, so I just shrugged. It was what had gotten him to the top, the kind of career the rest of us could only dream of. Especially considering what had happened to him as a teenager: an accident, a stray bullet near a shooting range that damaged his reproductive organs so badly that doctors had to remove them.

But Blue never let anything stop him. With relentless effort and pure genius, he climbed his way up, eventually becoming the CEO of the world’s largest pharmaceutical company and earning a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work. If anyone had a right to a little arrogance, it was him.

Another yawn and another stare at the surface of the pool. I just became the embodiment of dullness, the epitome of it.

Blue’s residence was in a pretty unique spot—right on top of a massive skyscraper, one of many owned by our family. The entire rooftop had been turned into a lush garden, and right in the middle sat the most luxurious, most secure house I had ever seen.

It had to be. Blue was a constant target of various groups who weren’t too happy with his scientific breakthroughs or his social initiatives, projects that didn’t exactly align with popular beliefs or mainstream opinions.

The weather was nice. I stretched lazily and looked up at the sky. It was late September; sunny, with a cool, refreshing breeze sweeping across the top of the tower. We were sitting on a kind of fancy wooden deck, partially extending over the edge of the swimming pool.

I closed my eyes for a moment, just soaking in the peaceful setup. I loved it up here. It felt like a quiet little island in the middle of a chaotic city, where I could relax.

Even though Blue was sitting right next to me in his lounge chair, he was still working, as always, fingers gliding over the tablet on his lap, the tiny lights on his glasses blinking as he transferred data.

He was so small, almost like a teen, with that slim, delicate frame, even though he was a bit over forty. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that so many people wanted him dead, considering his ideas ‘dangerous’ simply because he dared to challenge the way people thought.

"I'm gonna dance a bit, if you don’t mind," I said casually, standing up and stretching my arms.

"Sure, be my guest."

Blue didn’t care. He wasn’t my father. My dancing never bothered him, but he never paid much attention to it either, like it was insignificant. Maybe that’s why I never felt shy around him.

After pulling out my phone, I put on a trendy tune. A quick stretch, and that was it. I walked over to the other side of the pool.

One deep breath, and I rolled my shoulders, shaking off the stiffness as I stepped to the center of the wooden deck. The morning sun filtered through the shrubs and trees lining the rooftop, casting messy patches of light across the floor. Behind me, the pool was still, a weird contrast to the restless energy building up inside me. I bounced on my heels, cracked my neck, already feeling the rhythm before I even started moving.

Blue barely glanced at me. He remained stretched out on a lounge chair, scrolling through something on his tablet, lost in work emails or stock numbers. He didn’t care, which was fine. I wasn’t dancing for him.

Shifting my weight, I started slow, easing into the movement. A powerful inhale, a steady exhale, then I let my body take over. My shoulders rolled first, arms following in a loose, easy wave. I stepped forward, then back, feeling out the beat, just getting into it. No pressure, no overthinking. Just motion.

My body picked up the pace, a sharp pop of my chest, a flick of my wrist, a pause, then a side glide, feet barely skimming the deck. I wasn’t aiming for perfection. Hell, I wasn’t even aiming to look good. This was just about letting go, about getting out of my head for a while.

All the crap that weighed me down, the pressure from my father, the nagging voice in my head, I shoved it aside, let it burn off with the movement. A quick twist, a spin, then I dropped into a knee slide, chest rising and falling before pushing back up into a freeze. Balancing on one hand, legs kicked out, then landing smooth.

Sweat was already sticking my hair to my forehead, but I barely noticed. My fingers flicked, locking and releasing, my body pulsing to a beat. My breath stayed steady, but my heart pounded, my whole body awake in a way it never was when I was trapped in my own head.

A sharp spin, a back roll, palms hitting the floor, flipping up onto my feet again. Time passed as I danced. My muscles burned, but it was a good burn. A clean, satisfying kind of ache. The world blurred for a second in the rush, then settled again as I slowed down, easing into smaller movements, winding down.

Finally, I stopped, chest rising and falling, eyes closed for a few extra beats. I wiped my forehead and glanced over at Blue.

Still nothing. Not even a pause in his scrolling. Just a brief flick of his gaze, then back to his screen.

No applause, no reaction, no validation. Good. It didn’t matter.

I let out a quiet laugh, feeling at peace, free. And for now, that was enough.

Right next to the pool was the rain showerhead sticking out from the wall, with a modern, square design that blended perfectly with the place’s vibe. I stuck my head under the water for a second, then shook it off like a wet dog.

When I got back to Blue and collapsed onto my lounge chair, he grimaced.

"For fuck’s sake, you're all wet and sweaty. Gross!" His face twisted in disgust.

I leaned in his direction, stretching my arms out with an exaggerated grin. Blue hated anything that might spread germs onto his skin.

"How about a family hug between nephew and uncle? I’m only a little sticky. It’s no big deal, right?"

Blue rolled his eyes and tapped his forehead. He didn’t touch anyone—no handshakes, no cheek kisses at family gatherings.

Shrugging, I laughed and just got more comfortable in my chair. I was about to go back to my gloomy brooding, but then I noticed Blue watching me with this strange inquisitiveness.

He always had this uncanny ability to read my mood. His sharp gaze flicked over me before, unfortunately, he brought up the one topic I would rather not hear.

"So, about that job of yours? You graduated two and a half months ago. Summer’s over. September’s in full swing. Time to start thinking about your career."

A painful groan escaped my lungs. "Are you some evil mad scientist who invented a mind-reading machine?"

Blue snorted.

"I am regarded as an evil scientist, so that part is true. But it's really not some huge achievement to guess what you're thinking. You're always lost in those dark thoughts of yours. I swear, I've never met a gloomier guy than you."

"Gee, I could say the same about you. You’re always sour, like you woke up chewing lemons."

Blue just raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I don’t have time to sit around brooding about the ‘tragedy’ of my life," he said dryly. "The Japanese government is launching the Beta Activation Program too. They asked for my input, so I’m putting together a report with a summary and a list of our findings so far."

I gaped, then frowned. "The fuck?! You should back out! That’s a mess! Getting even more involved in a program that controversial could get you killed."

My uncle had been a senior advisor for the government’s Beta Activation Program for some time now, and it had brought him nothing but trouble, assassination attempts had doubled, including the most recent one just a few days ago, when a bomb nearly killed him.

Blue let out a bitter laugh. "You sound like a coward. And cowards never achieve anything in life!"

Mouth still slightly open, I just stared at him. That was Blue in a nutshell. Blunt as hell and always ready to throw in an insult whenever he felt like it. That was also why he was so isolated in the family, at least socially. No one liked hearing harsh truths, and Blue never sugarcoated anything.

"For fuck’s sake, I said that because I care about you, and you just had to turn everything into a jab."

Blue rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Sariel. You're always so touchy and moody. Nothing new." He shrugged like I was an annoying bug and went back to his tablet.

Gosh, so infuriating! I clenched my teeth. Why did I always tolerate his arrogance? Perhaps because deep down I knew he was right in the end. That dig about cowardice? That hit home. When I graduated in June and got my degree, my father wanted me to work at his company.

DevApp was a software firm that was always hiring, so obviously, they’d find a spot for the boss’s golden boy. Though, I wasn’t really that golden. More like a knockoff.

The idea of working there terrified me, they only hired betas and omegas. Only. Not a single alpha in the entire company. My father wasn’t exactly a fan of alphas in a corporate environment, and the upper management strongly backed him on that.

And yet he insisted that I could work for him if I wanted to. Blood is blood, after all. But there was a problem. Well, more than one…

A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Still stuck in your loopy ruminations, huh?" Blue shot me another judgmental look.

"And you’re still buried in your boring reports, charts, and analyses," I muttered.

Right then, a tiny LED on the edge of Blue’s glasses blinked. He lifted a finger to tap the earpiece in his ear.

"Ah, Detective Arnold. Nice to hear from you."

Silence. I knew Blue was listening to whatever the detective was saying. I could hear it, but I didn’t want to focus on that, so I turned away, looking back at the pool.

Should I go swimming? The deck where I was dancing was partially shaded by trees, but the light was fully hitting the surface of the pool. With my pale skin, I wasn’t about to risk the sunburn, so I just curled my legs up and grabbed my bottle of mineral water.

The moment I closed my eyes, trying to relax, I saw… him.

My perfect other half.

My fated mate. My True Mate.

If I focused hard enough, I could make out his silhouette. He was walking toward me. His face was shrouded in mist, just barely visible, not clear enough to grasp the details. He reached out his arms. I knew he was searching for me too. That he felt the same absence in his life. The same emptiness, pushing through the dull, grinding monotony of reality. And he missed me, needed me.

Waiting… Somewhere… Far away.

Would I ever find him?

Damn it.

Blue’s voice cut through my vision. I sighed and glanced at him.

He was still deep in conversation with the detective. I had a good idea of what it was about. A few days ago, there was an incident. It happened when he was visiting one of his business partners, a matchmaking agency he had signed a contract with to provide compatibility tests for potential couples.

But his enemies took the opportunity to plant a bomb, killing three people. Blue had survived by sheer luck.

After a few minutes, my uncle finally spoke. "I’m really glad to hear that, Detective. At least some progress has been made. But I’ll remain cautiously optimistic. They’re like a hydra. You never know where the next head will grow back."

When the call ended, he turned to me.

"I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised. This new detective actually seems to have no clue about what he’s just gotten himself into, poor guy!"

"Arnold? I thought you said he was finally making real progress. That he had some solid leads?"

"Oh, yes, he did! Turns out he’s surprisingly effective. Yesterday, they raided Anzo Ferro’s main headquarters!"

My eyes widened.

Ferro was the head of a powerful crime family in this city. He was also a rare case, a beta leading a mafia clan. Not to mention, he was a well-known and very vocal opponent of the Beta Activation Program. He had publicly opposed the government’s efforts to induce reproductive abilities in betas multiple times.

"What? Did they actually arrest him?"

"They got him. Clearly, they had a mole or… maybe there was a traitor, someone from the capo’s inner circle. The detective didn’t give me any details, for obvious reasons. I’m just reading between the lines. The person provided the detective with a recording of a conversation where all the specifics were discussed. So, they have it all on tape, word for word. Ferro’s entire plan to get rid of me."

"Wow! That’s a hell of a piece of news! But honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Anzo Ferro is a fucking psycho. I’ve heard all kinds of rumors about him… Isn’t he, like, part cyborg or something?"

"Yeah. He took over the family in a bloody coup against his own brothers. Lost an entire arm in the process. That was about fifteen years ago. Ironically, one of Malden Pharmaceuticals divisions provided some of the biomechanical tech used to build his prosthetic."

"So… does this mean your problems are over, Blue?"

Blue took a deep breath and made a skeptical expression.

"I would be far too optimistic to say that. Ferro has four sons."

"Aren't they adopted?"

"Yes, they are the children of one of his brothers. That brother had cut ties with the family after finding his True Mate. Ferro saw that as a betrayal and killed him… Then he raised these kids himself. Can you believe the nerve? Supposedly, he completely brainwashed them. But since their names didn’t come up in the recorded conversation, they weren’t arrested."

"So basically, the mafia isn’t going anywhere," I muttered bitterly.

"Of course not. Probably Rocco is taking over. Or Luca. The two youngest are less likely to be involved. Organized crime isn’t that easy to get rid of. But I can still hope, at least, that maybe none of them are as obsessed with destroying the Beta Activation Program as Ferro was."

"I don’t care about the program. I hope they’re not so obsessed with killing you."

Blue let out a dry, bitter laugh.

Then he hesitated before adding, "But with the mafia, it might not even be about the BA Program anymore. It could just be about revenge. Their adoptive father was arrested because of me, they might feel like they have to take me out to prove they’re not weak."

Was he being paranoid? Or did he actually have a point? I studied him for a moment.

"You need to hire even more bodyguards," I muttered, swinging my legs off the lounge chair. It was already lunchtime; I should get going anyway. I’d spent way too much time discussing these depressing topics.

"I have so many already that I’m starting to wonder if it’s even the right approach. Bodyguards are a weakness. They can be bought."

"That’s true… but I honestly don’t know what else you could do. Anyone can be bought. Or threatened."

Blue nodded slowly, noticing that I was getting ready to leave.

He also stood up and put the tablet aside.

"Yeah, but that’s just my fate. I’m not gonna live my life making compromises. It’s all or nothing, Sariel. All or nothing."

We locked eyes for a moment.

His striking sapphire-colored eyes suddenly looked… strangely sad. I stared at him for a while. It was almost unbelievable that he was forty-two, his face strangely youthful. He had access to the best labs, the most advanced anti-aging treatments, the most cutting-edge tech out there. No wonder he looked like this.

"I’ll stop by again in a week or so," I muttered.

Blue was… probably the closest thing I had to a friend. We had a bit of a love-hate relationship, constantly giving each other shit, but we also stuck around each other. We were the only single ones in the family, which made our lives play out a little differently from everyone else’s.

Blue nodded, then smirked slightly.

"And you… don’t overthink, Sariel. Stay busy. It helps keep your head clear."

I stood there for a second, staring at my hands, the backs of them dusted with faint mint-colored freckles. Then, out of nowhere, almost without my control, I blurted out,

"Don’t you ever wish someone would love you?"

Boom. Silence. Heavy silence. I knew this was one of the very few questions that could actually get a real reaction out of Blue.

My uncle slowly turned away, glancing toward the skyline.

And then, in a low, firm voice, he finally replied, "The problem is, Sariel, I truly do live by this rule: all or nothing. And I choose nothing because, in this, I can’t have everything."

He sounded logical. Rational. But still… damn. That was tragic.

Blue stepped off the deck, pressing a button on the side of his glasses. "I’ll walk you out. The guys don’t know you too well yet."

We crossed the slightly elevated terrace overlooking the pool from the back and went inside through the massive glass doors of Blue’s penthouse.

I knew those windows were bulletproof. A while back, a drone had tried to fly into his house and fired at the glass. Blue didn’t make the same mistake twice—no more regular windows.

Two guards stood watch at the penthouse exit that led to the private elevator. I didn’t recognize them, probably new hires. A small prick of unease crept in. Blue was forced to trust strangers with his safety now. He didn’t have much of a choice, but still… it was risky.

"Take care," I muttered. I was tempted to give him a light tap on his thin shoulder, but I knew better.

"You too," he replied. "And I’m telling you: don’t think too much. It’ll drive you crazy. Act. That’s what helps scare the demons away."

***