Chapter 12: The aftermath (1)

The call ended with a soft click and Gabriel let his body fall on the armchair he had for guests in his office. 'Everything is fine.' He tried to lie to himself. There was something wrong with his mind and body. There was more than just exhaustion. He looked at the report Callahan wanted today and, with a groan, rose. 

He grabbed the report, threw it into the glass cube on his desk, placed the lid on, and started the analysis and sanitization process. "No more mistakes," he muttered under his breath. Elliot's stupidity had given him more work, but there was something else gnawing at the back of his mind—something he could not quite put his finger on. His thoughts strayed to the odd sensations he'd felt during the meeting. It was more than just exhaustion. His body was acting strangely, and he couldn't ignore it anymore.

'It feels like my heat cycle. There can't be... I'm marked. What is happening to me?'

He opened the lid and took the report out. His mind wasn't capable of concentrating; he used any strength he had to address the assembly. If that weren't necessary, he would be home in his bed. 

Gabriel reached the phone on his desk and called Anabelle; she could deliver the report and he could go home earlier. 

"Yes, Gabriel? How can I help you?" Her crystal-clear voice barely reached his fogged mind. 

"Hi Anabelle, could you come after the report Callahan asked for yesterday?" He paused, leaning onto his desk for support; he barely could stand. "I need to rest. Thank you."

He ended the call and tossed the report onto his desk before stumbling backward. His body felt like it was on fire, a deep, primal ache radiating from him. He could feel how his head was getting heavier and heavier. A throbbing came from nowhere. The room tilted around him, and he barely registered the sound of the door opening before darkness consumed him. He heard a faint voice calling his name as he collapsed to the floor.

—

Anabelle hurried to see Gabriel; he barely could speak; she knew his workload was high but didn't expect him to faint from it. She picked up her phone and called Callahan first. 

"Callahan speaking. What's the matter, An?" His voice could be heard over the faint sound of people and traffic. 

"Gabriel collapsed. I will send him to the Claymore private hospital. I thought you should know." 

"I see. Make sure he is treated urgently." 

"I understand."

—

Claymore private hospital 

The hospital room was quiet except for the soft hum of monitors. Gabriel lay on the bed, an IV in his arm. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the foreign room and the smell of antiseptic. Anabelle sat beside him, arms crossed, a look of worry on her face. She was looking out the window to the clear sky of the city. She turned her head to him when he rusled, trying to get up. 

"You scared the hell out of me," she said, her tone more scolding than gentle. She stopped him from moving. "What were you thinking, working yourself into the ground?"

Gabriel tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced him back down. "It wasn't just work," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "Something's wrong, Anabelle. My body... it's not supposed to feel like this. The heat, the ache... I haven't felt it in years."

Her brow furrowed. "Heat? But you're marked. That shouldn't happen."

Before Gabriel could respond, a doctor entered the room, a clipboard in hand. The woman's expression was professional but kind as she addressed them. "Mr. von Jaunez, we've reviewed your tests."

Gabriel exhaled and leaned back. "Fantastic. Lay it on me, doc. Do I have a rare disease, or has my body finally unionized against me?"

The doctor nodded. "As a dominant omega, your body is finely attuned to your bond with your mate. The mark you carry suppresses your natural cycles, but prolonged separation from your mate can weaken its effectiveness over time. It appears your bond has been strained for too long, and your body is reacting by attempting to reset itself. In short, you're entering a heat cycle."

Anabelle's eyes widened. "But that's... rare, isn't it?"

"Extremely," the doctor confirmed. "Most marks hold indefinitely unless the bond is severely weakened. Your mate's prolonged absence has left your body vulnerable. If the separation continues, the mark could fade entirely, which would leave you susceptible to frequent and unpredictable heat cycles."

Gabriel's hands clenched onto the white sheets. He couldn't tell that the mark was something artificially etched in his nape; something resulted from the magical contract put on him. Gabriel let out a short, humorless laugh. "So what you're saying is, my body has abandonment issues."

The doctor was taken aback by the patient's response, but he coughed lightly, hiding a smile, and resumed his professional demeanor. "Ideally, you need to reconnect with your mate. Physical proximity and reaffirmation of the bond will stabilize your condition. Without that, we can manage the symptoms temporarily, but it won't address the underlying issue."

"Plus, as a dominant omega, you may experience a pheromone shock if you do not release pheromones for an extended period. Please make every effort to find your partner or find another as soon as possible."

Gabriel closed his eyes, frustration flickering across his face. "Reconnecting isn't exactly an option right now. I don't know who marked me and I've never met them in these five years."

Anabelle leaned forward. "Then is something he can do aside from finding a new partner?"

The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. "For now, rest and hydration are critical. I'll prescribe a suppressant to help manage the heat, but it's a temporary solution. You'll need to consider your long-term options, Mr. von Jaunez."

Gabriel nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

As the doctor left, Anabelle turned to him, her expression a mix of worry and determination. "Gabriel, you've been carrying too much on your shoulders. If you won't find out who is your mate, then you need to let someone else help you." She figeted with her phone for a while before speaking again. 

"You know… I have a feeling that Duke Claymore knew something like this would happen. He knows that you need someone like Maximilian. If you can't do it, then we have to find something else." Anabelle took a liking to the boy on his first day; she treated him the same as everyone else in the company, but in private she treated him like a loving monther. 

Gabriel raised a brow. "You really took a liking to that kid fast."

She shrugged. "He's smart, unlike certain stubborn idiots I know."

Gabriel smirked. "Ouch. Brutal."

"Rest," she ordered, standing. "Because I refuse to scrape your unconscious body off an office floor a second time."

He sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. But promise me, you will let me die the next time it's going to happen."

Anabelle snorted. "Deal." 

Before exiting the door, she turned to the young man. "I believe Duke Claymore knows about your adventure. He will try to press you even harder to make a decision."

"I'm sure he had already been informed." Gabriel shoved the IV drip tobe at a side before speaking again. "He will, you know him."

"I do. But Gabriel, he's here with Maximilian. They are at reception; I can see them."

"For fuck's sake."