Page 30 of The Omega Accountant

10

MATTEO

The holographic city map glowed in the darkened conference room, sectors illuminated in colors that represented territories, alliances, and threats.Inthe silence of predawn, withLucastill sleeping in the aftermath of heat,Istudied the shifting landscape of power with the focus of a general preparing for inevitable conflict.

Three days had passed since his heat had receded completely.Threedays of recalibration—chemical, strategic, personal.Theclaiming bite at his neck had healed to a raised scar that pulsed with shared biology, our scents permanently altered in ways that announced our bond to anyone with the ability to detect it.Nolonger just paper claiming, but molecular truth.

TheSouzaterritory glowed red on the eastern quadrant of the map, their reach extending like arterial bleeding into sectors that had once been neutral ground.Myfinger traced the boundary where their influence had begun encroaching onCorvinoholdings—subtle intrusions that presaged more aggressive moves to come.

"They've doubled security at their downtown properties,"Carloreported, his voice carrying the fatigue of sleepless surveillance. "AndEmiliohas recalled his daughter fromMilan.Theentire family is consolidating."

"Preparing for war,"Itranslated flatly, the metallic scent of gun oil rising from the weapons laid out on the table before me—a ritual of preparation that predated conscious memory.Myhands moved through the familiar motions of cleaning, checking, loading.Violencereadied with the same precisionIapplied to all aspects of my life.

"Should we evacuate to the estate?"Carloasked, the question carrying more meaning than its surface suggested.Thefamily compound would offer tactical advantages, resources, manpower.Itwould also place us directly under my father's influence—the very controlIhad rejected when claimingLucapublicly.

"No."Theanswer emerged with certainty born of instinct rather than calculation. "Wemaintain position.Butit's time to moveLucacloser."

Carlo's eyebrow lifted fractionally—the subtle tell of surprise he rarely allowed himself to display. "Thepanic room?"

"My office,"Icorrected, holstering theBerettawith mechanical efficiency. "He'ssafer within arm's reach than behind walls that can be breached."

The decision crystallized not from tactical analysis but from something more primal—a need to keep what was mine within the territoryIcould personally defend.Theclaiming had altered more than scent or legal status.Ithad rewired protective instincts in waysIwas still discovering, still mapping like unknown terrain.

"Have the security footage from the infiltration been analyzed?"Iasked, moving to the window where dawn had begun painting the eastern sky in watercolor strokes of crimson and gold.Bloodsunrise, my father would have called it.Omenof conflict to come.

"Facial recognition identified the woman who delivered the tampered suppressants.Freelancer, not directlySouza."Carloplaced a tablet before me, displaying the image of an unremarkable beta woman with practiced invisibility in her bearing. "Untraceablenow.Likelyeliminated once the job was complete."

My jaw tightened, anger simmering beneath controlled exterior.TheSouzasoperated with calculated brutality—using pawns easily sacrificed, keeping their own hands technically clean.Theirmanipulation ofLuca'sbiology through sabotaged suppressants represented violation on a level that transcended mere business conflict.Ithad become personal in ways they couldn't have anticipated.

"When do we move against them?"Carlo'squestion held no judgment, only practical assessment.

"Not yet."Iturned from the window, decision forming with cold clarity. "First, we find the money.Followit to whoever orchestrated the theft.Buildthe complete picture before striking."

"AndLuca'srole?"

The question hung between us, weighted with implications about trust, about vulnerability, about the omega who now carried my claim and my scent.Myconsigliere, ever practical, was questioning notLuca'sloyalty but his capacity to participate in what would inevitably become dangerous territory.

"He's the key to unraveling the financial trail,"Ireplied, gathering the tablet and weapons with economical movements. "Andhe's mine to protect while he does it."

The possessive declaration emerged without conscious thought—alpha certainty coloring words that might once have been purely strategic.Theclaiming had altered more than biology; it had shifted perspective in waysIwas still integrating, still reconciling with the underboss who had built reputation on calculated control rather than instinctive response.

"Ready the secure room in my office,"Iinstructed, moving toward the door with purpose reignited. "Webegin today."

* * *

Luca stood at the threshold of my private office, uncertainty evident in the slight tension of his shoulders despite the calm his expression projected.Threedays of recovery had restored physical equilibrium after the intensity of heat, but something more profound had settled into his bearing—a quiet dignity that transcended omega stereotypes, a strength that existed in counterpoint to vulnerability rather than in denial of it.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked, voice steady though his scent betrayed lingering anxiety—honey notes sharpened with alertness, with caution.

"Come in,"Ireplied, setting aside financial reports to give him my full attention. "Noneed for formality between us now."

The reminder of our altered status—bonded, claimed, chemically linked—softened something in his posture.Heentered, closing the door behind him with careful precision before approaching my desk.

"I've set up a secure workspace here,"Iexplained, gesturing to the adjacent room visible through glass partitions—a space usually reserved for the most sensitiveCorvinooperations, now reconfigured with dual workstations and enhanced security protocols. "You'llbe safer working near me than isolated in the penthouse."

His gaze moved to the reinforced room, assessment rather than acquiescence in his expression. "You'reexpecting trouble."

"I'm preparing for inevitabilities,"Icorrected, moving around the desk to stand closer to him—close enough that our scents mingled in the space between us, the chemical reminder of claiming triggering something possessive and protective simultaneously. "TheSouzashave made their intentions clear through the suppressant sabotage.They'llmake additional moves."

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