Like Watching, Do You?

An hour later, in the Governor's Mansion guest room.

"So you're saying Qiu Wannian got his hands on the antidote formula."

Meridian's voice still carried a hint of exhaustion—clearly Annie had dragged him out of bed for a midnight shift. "All the intel our field agents couldn't dig up, and it's just sitting in the hands of some street scum?"

Annie rubbed her temples, exasperated.

It was like the Ministry of Defense setting up layer after layer of firewalls against enemy hackers, only to lose everything because the nuclear missile launch code was 123456.

You can guard against a nation, but never a janitor. The irony was brutal.

Absurd, sure, but reality was always wilder than fiction.

"Qiu Wannian's been locked up several times, and he escaped every time," Annie said. "He's got talent."

As the saying went, trash was just a misplaced resource—and breaking out of the Interstellar Federation's prison wasn't something just anyone could do!

Meridian chuckled from the comm.

"Maybe we could consider recruiting him, but that's a conversation for later," the logistics officer said, steering back to the topic. "If his intel is accurate, the gene weapon lab is outside the City of the Radiant Sun."

Qiu Wannian's exact words were that the lab was hidden in a canyon about fifty kilometers from the city.

The terrain was treacherous, tucked along a nearly dried-up riverbed, concealed between sheer mountain walls that were nearly impossible to reach on foot. There were no villages or outposts nearby, so any unauthorized personnel approaching would be spotted immediately—and met with military force.

Hidden well enough, and impossible to infiltrate.

So to sneak in, destroy the lab, and get the catalysts, they'd still need to earn the trust of Twilight's members.

Annie's only opening was Charles Lang.

That man...

Annie had already combed through every file and scrap of intel she could find. Asking Meridian to dig deeper would just be a waste of breath.

"I'll figure something out," Annie said. "Charles Lang is a solid lead. He needs me and Arthur."

"Your safety comes first, Annie," Meridian cautioned. "Now that we know the exact location, we can always use resources beyond the royal agents."

He meant the Interstellar Fleet, or an outright strike on New Thebes.

One cannon blast and the mountain—let alone the lab—would be nothing but dust.

But attacking a Third World government would inevitably alarm the Interstellar Federation, and that would lead straight back to war.

Just thinking about it made Annie's head throb again.

Better to resolve this quickly.

"Understood," Annie promised. "At least we have a target now. You should get some rest, Meridian."

Meridian: "You too, Agent Annie. And also—"

Annie: "Hm?"

Meridian: "XL, really?"

Annie: "..."

She'd forgotten about that!

Given the gravity of what they'd learned, Annie and Arthur had naturally reported to logistics the moment they returned from Boss He's warehouse. Arthur Kane had stepped outside to find a corner and check in with Peace Star, while Annie lounged onto the sofa and activated her glasses.

So focused on the mission, she'd completely forgotten that Meridian could see everything in the room through the camera in her contact lenses.

The condoms Arthur had brought back as a cover story were sitting right out in the open on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Meridian had probably watched the entire report while staring at those boxes of XL rubber goods.

...Whatever! The sizing contest had nothing to do with Annie anyway.

It wasn't her who should be embarrassed, Annie reasoned with shameless confidence.

"No worries," she said, thick-skinned. "You attract the sapiosexuals."

Meridian let out a long, suffering sigh.

"Then what's that next to them?" he asked.

Annie's gaze slid past the XL box.

On the coffee table sat a garish pink box, its contents unclear, but emblazoned with huge gold lettering: EMPEROR STRIKE SERIES—SOVEREIGN-CLASS INVASION!

Below that were listed various vibration mode specifications.

Annie let out a dry laugh. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

In her defense, since she'd already made the trip to the warehouse, it felt wasteful not to grab something for the effort.

But Meridian was a straight man at heart, so there was no need to shatter the male mommy's worldview!

She offered a few more condolences to her overworked logistics officer, then ended the call.

The moment Meridian signed off, Arthur pushed through the door.

His expression was grim as he crossed the threshold, brows knit tight, those clear blue eyes brimming with murderous intent. Annie, lounging lazily on the sofa, straightened up in alert. "What's wrong?"

Arthur: "Someone's watching."

He locked the door behind him, stepping closer before he continued, "Across from the guest room. A regular civilian."

It wasn't as though the great Arthur Kane would let someone eavesdrop on his report to logistics. But the irritation was real.

Annie wasn't surprised.

"We ran into that officer," she said. "Charles Lang will definitely find out."

The Butcher had probably gotten word the moment the officer reported back.

Yet he'd made no move.

Was he busy negotiating with the governor, or planning something else?

That man was too strange. Annie hadn't been able to read his attitude or his true motives since before they even entered the city.

Take it one step at a time.

"Besides," Annie said, rising to her feet, "we're not the only guests in the Governor's Mansion."

There had been so many people at last night's banquet.

And since Charles Lang had presented Arthur Kane and Annie as "the couple blessed by the Prophet," it was only natural people would gossip and snoop.

Their late-night return would definitely get tongues wagging.

So...

Annie picked up the condoms from the coffee table, moving with deliberate slowness.

She tore open the plastic wrap and lifted the lid.

With slender fingertips, she pulled out a foil packet. Arthur Kane stood perfectly still, but those translucent blue eyes tracked her every motion.

Like a hungry beast, ready to devour its prey at any moment.

"They must have seen you walk in carrying the XLs," Annie said softly.

"So?"

When she looked up again, Annie's eyes were glistening with tears.

Her dark gaze was brimming with grievance. The sudden shift made Arthur pause briefly, though not in surprise.

Then Annie raised her voice.

"I—I don't want to do it again," she sobbed. "Get out!"

With that, she shoved the packet into Arthur's hand and pointed at the door.

Arthur: "..."

His reluctance was unmistakable in those blue eyes, but he understood her meaning.

Anyone hoping for a show would be satisfied after witnessing another couple's bedroom drama and happily move along.

A protest about size mismatch, a wife's complaint—it satisfied the onlookers' curiosity, and they wouldn't dare ask further questions.

A perfect plan.

And Arthur didn't lose anything from it, either.

No Alpha was ashamed to show off his abilities. Though reluctant, the thought turned his mood, and with a raised brow, he turned and headed back out.

Annie waited inside for a while.

She ruffled her hair, changed into a nightgown, and deliberately pulled the collar askew. After about five or six minutes, she walked out the door.

It was three in the morning now.

An Omega on New Thebes wasn't supposed to expose any skin outdoors, yet Annie stepped barefoot onto the courtyard's stone paving.

With her making an appearance like this, there was no way anyone could keep watching in good conscience!

Gossip was one thing; seeing something they shouldn't was another entirely. Through her peripheral vision, Annie spotted the curtains across the way being pulled shut.

Of course, her contact lenses still flagged several lingering stares.

Fine, then.

She gathered her hem and went straight to Arthur.

The Alpha who'd been "kicked out" was lounging casually on the corner of a flower bed.

He looked up to see Annie's pure white nightgown and skin nearly the same shade.

The petite, delicate Omega—hair disheveled, eyes still wet with tears, rounded toes peeking out from between fluttering folds of fabric. Tomorrow, the mansion's guests would surely whisper plenty about this, but clearly, that was exactly what Annie wanted.

She threw herself straight into Arthur's arms.

The scent of lemon leaves naturally flooded her lungs, making Arthur's breath hitch.

Annie wrapped her arms around his chest, tilted her head up, and practically bit his ear as she whispered, "Hold me tight."

The Alpha clenched his jaw.

Her soft breaths brushed against his earlobe, sending ripples through him like a stone cast into still water. Arthur fought to suppress the shiver creeping up his spine, his broad palm settling on her back.

The nightgown exposed most of her back. His hand covered her shoulder blade—the smooth feel of it like resin, slightly cool, but very soft.

Arthur's other hand clenched abruptly.

Then Annie caught the surge of metallic, scorching pheromones.

The courtyard was open-air, so the Alpha's scent wasn't overwhelming, but it was still intensely potent. Annie's bare arm pressed against his waist; through the thin shirt, she could clearly feel Arthur's temperature rising.

He was heating up again.

"What do you need me to do?"

His pheromones were surging, and Arthur's breathing faltered. He lowered his gaze, those blue eyes veiled with mist, but his mind stayed sharp. "Hurry."

Good—he was learning to wait for orders.

Annie's voice still carried a faint sob, sounding from a distance like crying and complaining.

Her contact lenses kept flashing alerts—plenty of people were still watching from the shadows.

Like watching, do you? Then watch your fill. Tomorrow, what would spread would be them arguing and getting intimate in the courtyard, not sneaking back from who-knows-where at midnight.

Better yet, let that juicy gossip reach Charles Lang's ears.

"Stay a while longer."

Annie's cheek brushed against his jaw as she freed a hand. "Let me help you—"

Arthur grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" He was resistant. "People are watching."

"Relax."

Annie let out a light chuckle.

"It doesn't have to be that," she said softly. "I have other ways."

Meeting his wary, suspicious gaze, her slender fingertips came to rest on his firm chest.