Colleagues

"What are we to each other?"

Annie's question made Arthur freeze in place.

She reached out on her own, tracing the sharp line of Arthur Kane's jaw. Though Annie wore a smile and an air of meekness, her posture made Arthur feel as if she were petting a dog.

The Omega's voice was light. "We're not truly married, Arthur. Even if the Butcher really did mark me, so what?"

So what?

Those simple words struck Arthur's chest like a hammer.

He clenched his jaw but found himself unable to answer.

That was right—she wasn't his Omega, and he hadn't marked her. The Galactic Empire and the Interstellar Federation had only engaged in a brief cooperation. Once the mission on New Thebes was over, they would go their separate ways. Perhaps the next time they met, they'd be enemies.

Mark her.

That phrase floated up from the depths of Arthur Kane's heart.

Mark her. Sink his teeth into the nape of her neck, leave his imprint on the Omega's gland. Make her scream and sob for him, then lie in his arms, his to enjoy.

That way, Arthur wouldn't just thoroughly cut off any possibility of others getting close to Annie—he could also seamlessly take her back to the Federation.

His Omega. His possession. Even if she were an Imperial royal agent, the Star of Peace would handle the details.

But—

The instant those thoughts formed, Annie's fingertips moved to his chest.

Her brow still carried a hint of a smile, but her clear gaze made Arthur stop short.

It was as if the little Omega had already seen right through him.

There was no resistance, no violence. Annie merely applied the faintest pressure, pressing almost imperceptibly against Arthur's broad, solid chest.

But meeting Annie's gaze, Arthur realized he couldn't fight back.

He couldn't mark her.

And he had no say in her choices—at least, not on a personal level.

The tall, powerful Alpha could have enveloped Annie's entire form in his shadow, yet she easily pushed him off, inch by inch.

Annie sat up. "As for what exactly I did, the Resistance should know too."

...

...

Five minutes later, in the lobby of the love hotel.

Old Li looked at Annie and Arthur with a strange expression as they sat down. He couldn't shake the feeling that... the aura around this couple was off.

He glanced at Annie, then at Arthur, and finally let his gaze settle on his boss.

Boss He gave Old Li a subtle shake of his head.

Their personal matters—don't pry.

Old Li had no choice but to look away. Right, the mission mattered!

He cleared his throat. "Luke Garner has made contact with us and patched into the encrypted channel. If you two don't mind, we'll share whatever intel comes through with the Resistance outside the city too."

Annie nodded. "That's exactly why Arthur and I rushed over."

But the Alpha's azure eyes remained fixed on Annie. "What exactly did you do?"

Annie quirked a corner of her mouth.

"We already know the lab's location, but we lack a legitimate reason to walk in," she said. "The Governor's appearance gave me an opening—Twilight's lab is searching for special pheromone samples. So I exposed myself to the Butcher."

"You?" Arthur frowned.

"I'm not affected by Alpha pheromones—isn't that special enough?" she said. "It got the Butcher interested, just as I predicted."

In truth, there was something Annie hadn't mentioned.

In the underground bunker, Charles Lang had said something that put her on guard.

"With Twilight's level of expertise, could they really develop a gene weapon that even the Empire and Federation couldn't crack?"—that was what the Butcher had said.

Could there be someone backing the terrorist organization?

How much did Charles Lang know? He'd deduced the cause of Annie's 'defect' at a glance, yet hadn't pressed further—why was that?

One step at a time, then.

"If Charles Lang recognizes my value, he might take Arthur and me to the lab to collect pheromone samples," Annie said. "Once we're inside the lab, everything becomes negotiable."

"...The hard part is getting out with the catalyst the formula needs," Boss He said knowingly.

Exactly.

Arthur Kane was too strong.

The lab was hidden in a canyon, the terrain complex, with what was likely heavy weaponry stationed around it. Storming it would be nearly impossible. But once inside, when it came to close-quarters individual combat, there probably wasn't an Alpha in the whole galaxy who could match Arthur.

Annie was confident she could get the catalyst and evacuate cleanly.

The problem was what would be waiting for them outside—likely artillery.

"Which is why we need Luke Garner's help," Arthur said coldly.

The Alpha's brow was still deeply furrowed, gem-like eyes churning with barely concealed anger. Arthur Kane was clearly displeased with Annie's unilateral move, but no matter how furious he was, the Federation agent knew that completing the mission came first.

During the attack on the orphan camp, he'd let Luke Garner go, which had opened the door for them to talk and cooperate.

Today's raid on the city by the radical Resistance faction was ostensibly to get in touch with Boss He.

Everything was in place.

"Once the Butcher makes his move, we'll have Madam Hado notify you," the Alpha summarized. "Now that we have the location, Luke Garner can provide outside support and escort us out."

"Keep one dose of the catalyst for yourselves, and we'll take the other," Annie added. "With two fallbacks, Twilight won't chase us off New Thebes."

Only the radical Resistance could get her and Arthur through the crossfire of the quarantine zone and onto a starship.

Everything was ready, waiting only for the wind.

After finalizing the details with the Resistance, all that was left was to wait for the Butcher to show.

They left the love hotel while it was still daylight. The streets were a mess—Charles Lang's soldiers were busy cleaning up the aftermath of the attack, and there weren't many guards left at the Governor's Mansion.

Arthur Kane had his face set in a scowl again, and no one dared approach.

The moment the door closed, Annie turned around.

The petite Omega lifted her head, her clear eyes fixed straight on Arthur. Her posture was relaxed, but her gaze never wavered, following his every move.

It was as if she were analyzing, confirming, trying to predict his next action.

—Just in case he suddenly lunged, like he had moments ago, and pinned her to the bed in a frenzy.

Arthur Kane wasn't a fool.

His combat experience far surpassed Annie's. How could he not see her wariness and vigilance?

That look—it didn't stir irritation or anger in him, but... a deep disappointment.

How arrogant he'd been to first mistake her for a harmless little bird, only to be outmaneuvered again and again by his own recklessness.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already following her schemes and plans, willingly doing whatever she commanded.

Playing a fake couple, getting married in an ancient temple, and even... ending up like this. Toyed with by such a little bird, led around like a dog.

Any one of those stages was enough for Arthur Kane to kill her on the spot.

But now, he'd fly into a rage just because she got close to Charles Lang.

Yes—what right did Arthur Kane have to be angry?

Even if Annie had acted without informing or consulting him in violation of protocol, Arthur hadn't originally intended to cooperate with her either. And on top of that, her plan had succeeded.

There was an inside contact at the Governor's Mansion, and they'd made contact with the Resistance both in and out of the city.

Only the final step remained.

What were they to each other?

Nothing more than temporary colleagues—Annie knew that well. A single simple reminder slipped into Arthur's throat like poison, bitter and hard to swallow.

Fine. Colleagues, then.

Arthur took a step forward. As his towering form loomed over Annie, he clearly caught the well-hidden wariness flickering in her eyes.

He closed his blue eyes for a moment.

"Last chance."

In the manner of 'colleague cooperation,' Arthur Kane coolly extended his right hand to Annie. "Pleasure working with you, Agent Annie."