Chapter 1.1: The Weight of a Mark (1)

Gabriel stood with his back to his desk, ignoring the looming presence of the neatly stacked reports behind him. His fingers tapped lightly on the arm of his chair as he contemplated the small city beneath him. After spending so much time in the field working on magical sites, he was unsure how to adjust to the more mundane rhythm of office work. The world seemed to move slower here; the silence gave an opportunity for his worries to get a grip on him. He could feel hands tugging on his legs, slowing him down.

The rhythmic tapping of his fingers was the only sound in the room, a quiet reflection of his unsettled mind. He closed his eyes briefly, and the grotesque image that had haunted him for the previous five years came to life.

The smell of blood engulfed him, a vivid memory of a dark, small room painted red with the blood of the unrecognisable bodies mangled on the cold floor. He could still hear the sound of blood dropping from the ceiling. In the right corner of the room was the culprit. A massive shadow of a man, his yellow glowing eyes fixed on him as his next victim. 

Gabriel shook his head, attempting to forget the cursed memory. There was more to it, but he couldn't handle it. 

Director Callahan ensured that he had a nice office, inspired by the Capital's popular architecture, but it reminded him that his family was still trying to reach him. 

His father's messages urging him to return home had grown increasingly insistent in recent weeks, and his older siblings had begun to reach out. They were trying to help him, but the guilt gnawing at him was still raw, and he wasn't ready to face them. 

The mark on his neck served as a constant reminder of his past mistakes. He absentmindedly touched the mark on his nape, his fingers tracing the grooves like a well-worn path.

A marked omega without an alpha. An anomaly. Callahan and Claymore helped him with hiding the truth. All his colleagues thought that he lost his alpha in the last rebellion. Some pitied him, some thought that he was an easy prey. But they quickly learned what he could do.

Gabriel's attention was drawn to the sound of his office door creaking open. Gabriel blinked, clearing his thoughts, and turned his chair to face the figure in the doorway. 

"Gabriel," came the familiar voice of Elliot Marina Claymore, and Gabriel looked up to see him standing in the doorway with papers in hand, as if he had just returned from another meeting.

"Elliot, I was not expecting you today." Gabriel greeted, offering a half-smile. "What's up?"

Elliot stepped into the room, his presence light and relaxed. His suit was perfectly tailored, his blonde hair swept back in a casual yet neat style, and his green eyes gleamed with the confidence Gabriel had come to recognize over the last few weeks.

"I just finished with the director," Elliot explained, casually shifting the papers in his hand. "He asked me to send you over to him as soon as you can." He spoke easily while leaning against his desk.

Gabriel nodded and got up from his chair. He took a brief look at the Blue Ether Project file. There was a sticker on it with a reminder to send it to the mailing department. He pushed it aside alongside the papers on his desk. 

The Blue Ether Project was finally done and he wanted to make sure that it was clean before sending it to the evaluators. He was marked and most people thought that he was overreacting when he made sure that none of his pheromones were on the documents. But he knew better. A beast was haunting him. 

"Thanks. I was expecting a discussion, but not today."

Elliot stood for a moment, his gaze shifting from Gabriel to the scattered reports. Elliot's interactions were oddly casual, as if they were good friends. His blonde hair was neatly combed and falling in light waves just past his ears, lending him a gentle charm. 

When their eyes met Elliot gave Gabriel a small, acknowledging smile. "I thought I would let you know before you are swept by other problems." He chuckled lightly.

"Oh, I see your report for the Blue Ether needs to be sent to the mailing department. I will make sure it gets there for you." Elliot waved the report nonchalantly.

Gabriel examined the report in Elliot's hand, surprised that he had taken it without him seeing. 

"Thank you, Elliott," Gabriel replied, nodding. "I appreciate it. You don't have to, though."

Elliot dismissed it with a new wave of the report. "No big deal. I was headed that way anyway." His smile was almost natural, but it lingered a little too long for Gabriel's liking. "I'll make sure it's handled properly."

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, but the relaxed tone of the conversation convinced him not to overthink it. "Alright then. Just, for good measure, please take it to igienisation first. I'll head over to Callahan's office now." Gabriel took his blazers from the chair back and put it on with a swift move.

Elliot gave him a final nod before turning to leave. "I'll take care of the report. See you later."

As Gabriel made his way to Director Callahan's office, he could not shake the lingering unease from his interaction with Elliot. The report—why had Elliot picked it up without asking? Gabriel wasn't used to people being involved in his tasks like this, but then again, Elliot had always been the kind of person to take initiative. It was probably nothing, just another moment of his overthinking.

The last six months of routine made him more susceptible to nightmares and he became tired of keeping walls between him and the other people. Moments of tiredness could slither into his mind letting loose the nightmares.

Gabriel watched Elliot disappear down the hall before heading to the elevator, the unease from their exchange still clinging to him as he pressed the button for the director's office. He did not need any documents with him because he knew Callahan and Claymore had been waiting to speak with him for quite some time. For whatever reason, everyone seemed eager to get involved in his personal life. 

The elevator door opened, and Annabelle's desk, Assistant Manager, and a silent guard for Callahan appeared. Annabelle was a no-nonsense beta, a woman in her forties who had been with the company long enough to be familiar with every detail. 

"Hello, Anna. Before I meet with the director, I need you to verify something for me. The report on the Blue Ether Project—I handed it over to Elliot, but there could be some pheromone residue. Can you talk to Janice in the mailroom and make sure it is cleared before it goes out?"

Anabelle's neutral face grimaced when she heard Elliot's name. She knew about Gabriel's habit of eliminating any pheromones from his reports and didn't question his request. "I'll make sure it's handled, Gabriel. Don't worry. I'll speak with Janice and confirm it's all cleared." Her hand has already reached the phone on her desk. 

"Thanks, Anabelle," Gabriel said. He did not distrust Elliot; he was just uncomfortable with the idea of someone else handling his work without taking the necessary precautions. Government evaluators were a pain in the ass in general, he didn't want to give them more reasons. 

"I'll take care of it. You've got enough on your plate," Anabelle replied before showing him the office door.

The door to Callahan's office was slightly open; Gabriel knocked before entering.

The director, a gruff but well-meaning man in his fifties, was sitting behind a large wooden desk, surrounded by papers and files that looked like they had seen better days. His brown hair was dishevelled from his habit of playing with it when he was concentrating.

"Ah, Gabriel! Come in." Callahan said, raising his blue eyes from the documents. "I've been expecting you. Take a seat. Claymore is in the meeting room, he will join us in a minute."

Gabriel took the seat across from him and smiled politely at the director. 

"I know Claymore talked with you about Maximilian." He stopped for a moment, mulling over his words for a moment. "I feel like we are pestering you, but you know there is no more time."

"I know both of you care about me." Gabriel let his back on the chair, looking into Callahan's eyes. They were indeed pestering him to make a decision.

"And there is your duty for my father, but I don't have any intent into bringing someone innocent into my mess." His tone was low, Callahan could read his determination easily. Gabriel looked like a copy of his father, only his black hair being inherited from his mother.

A lateral door opened, revealing George Claymore. He resembled his son, Elliot, but was more mature and ruffled. His silver blond hair was cut short, and his suit was perfectly tailored. He looked more like a military officer than the CEO of an energy company, as Callahan worked in his youth with Gabriel's father.

"Oh, Gabriel, it is nice to see you. Now, have you considered my offer? His tone was joyful, and he took a few steps behind Gabriel's chair. Gabriel did not have time to react or greet the man. He could feel his large hands gripping the back of his chair.

Something told him neither of them would accept a refusal. 

"I didn't; my response remains the same." He was stern about his decision. 

"Oh, common, at least give me a chance with this. He really is a good fit for you." George, a man in his fifties, was trying to set him up with his nephew. An alpha that Gabriel never met. He could feel the pressure in the air. 

"I can't accept it, and you know better than anyone why. I'm already marked." Gabriel stated facts; he was not having any of it. Anyone could see the mark; it was slightly above his collar, and it was the reason his hair was cut short. 

The words hung between them—a challenge and a reminder. Callahan leaned back, undeterred, his casual smile remaining the same but his gaze calculating.

"And I know that it can be overridden; a dominant alpha can do it in a heartbeat, so at least meet him and consider it. He knows the risk." George walked to the magamy desk and leaned on it. He appeared relaxed, but Gabriel knew better, and Callahan's preoccupation with the papers was an act; he was waiting for the right moment to intervene. Gabriel had to change the target, his problems were only his.

"Why are you not asking this for Elliot?" Gabriel hoped that this would distract the man and he could leave. 

"Stay away from him! He is an asshole and resembles his mother." George's face darkened; Gabriel knew of their rocky relationship enough to use it for his escape. The rushed words confirmed that they still had problems. 

"I do not want to force it on you or my nephew, but you need help. HE is waiting for you to fall, Gabriel. You should meet Max first, and then I will accept whatever answer you give me." He was insisting in a polite manner, but the pressure was making the air heavy. 

"Even if its no?" The doubt in Gabriel's tone was palpable. He could feel his nails prickling the skin of his palms, he clenched his fists on the chair arms without realising. 

"Then we will find another way. Gabriel, I promised to your father that I will help. I always keep my word." 

"Fine." The two men look at each other with glee in their eyes. 

The rest of the discussion flowed naturally about the new projects and some news about the old ones. Not long after, Gabriel finished his meeting with Director Callahan. He walked back toward his office, thoughts still a bit scattered from the discussion.

Gabriel walked into his office with a lingering unease from his meeting with Claymore. He placed his hands on the desk, leaning forward, his eyes scanning the scattered reports. The Blue Ether Project file was gone, and a faint trace of Elliot's cologne and pheromones lingered in the air—a subtle reminder of his earlier visit.

Annabelle's voice came from the doorway, her tone low but firm. "Gabriel, I double-checked with Janice about the report."

Gabriel straightened, sensing her unease. "And?"

Annabelle hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. "She said the report was already gone by the time I got there. Elliot told her he'd personally deliver it to the evaluators."

For a moment, Gabriel didn't respond, his mind racing. "Personally deliver it?" The words tasted wrong, like something left out too long to spoil.

Annabelle nodded. "I thought you should know."

The prickling sensation at the nape of his neck flared, sharp and insistent. Gabriel turned back toward his desk, his fingers tracing the faint grooves of the mark as his thoughts churned.