"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.
