Page 112 of Claim Me
Blue slowly lifts his head, his eyes settling on my face.
I continue carefully. "It means a lot to me. We were really close before, but he got left alone in that dorm, and it bothers me. He’s secretive, as you saw yourself. He never really told me how he feels about his gender or what exactly he’s struggling with. So… I’m genuinely grateful you gave him at least a little hope. Thank you."
"Don’t thank me, Gabriel. Words mean nothing. Actions do."
Blue lowers his gaze briefly toward the tablet before continuing.
"His case is difficult. In all of recorded human history, outside of True Mate alpha-alpha pairings, almost no alpha has ever successfully given birth. Betas are a much easier case. A few percent of them can get pregnant without any medical intervention."
He pauses for a second.
"I don’t want to give him false hope when I already know I won’t be able to dedicate much of my time to this project. There’s barely any interest in it. While we were talking, I checked current research statistics online. Cases of alphas wanting gender transition treatment are extremely rare. Most involve sigma subtypes where the individual doesn’t realize they’re sigma but still experiences partial omega instincts. Outside of that, we’re talking maybe two cases per thousand. That makes it a very unattractive research topic for laboratories, not only commercial ones, but even government-funded programs."
I stay quiet for a moment.
"You’re probably right," I admit softly. "But… what I appreciate is your kind approach. Marlow said before leaving that he was surprised by how warm you were with him…"
My voice trails off.
Blue sighs quietly.
"That may be all I’m capable of giving him. So I gave him at least that. I do feel for him."
Silence settles again. He’s already looking back down at the tablet, returning to work, while I’m still appreciating the fact that we even had this small conversation at all. After the last few days, this still feels like a lot.
But then my stupid mouth betrays me before my brain can stop it.
"I’d give a lot to have you look at me with that kind of warmth someday. With… tenderness."
Well. There it is.
I’m already waiting for the usual speech about how he never gave me permission to flirt with him, but somehow what happens next feels even worse.
Nothing!
Just silence.
Blue looks at me for a long moment. For a second, it almost seems like he’s about to say something. His lips part slightly, then close again.
And a moment later, he simply goes back to working on his tablet.
Yeah.
???
Midweek, something interesting happens. One morning during breakfast, Blue tells me he’s heading out to a military base outside the city to meet with representatives of the army.
He doesn’t explain the purpose of the visit, but I can guess. A company of his scale has all kinds of connections and lands contracts with major players.
We head out to the car.
I sit across from Blue in the back of the limousine and watch the city slowly give way to empty roads behind the tinted windows.
Simon mutters something about timing under his breath, but Blue doesn’t respond, probably already focused on what’s ahead.
The base appears suddenly, all concrete, steel, and controlled access.
We slow down before a metal gate.
