TAILING HER

Undersecretary Damon slipped a stack of papers on the desk and it came down with a loud bang.

“We’ve run the gene sequence numerous times. I even had to send the sample to a specialty lab for confirmation. It is all here in the report file. The girl is clearly a "Beta". I can seek this further, but I doubt if the result is going to change.” 

The governmental officer quickened to add: 

“On your order, of course, sir.” 

Brumeh opened the file with one finger, mood inscrutable, although his dissatisfaction scented the air. He was not habituated to unanswered questions and he paid the Undersecretary heavily to provide him with the data that he requested.

“I’m rarely wrong about such things", said Damon as he bows with respect.

He was too minor for an Alpha, but dressed smartly in an official outfit that he clearly hoped made him more committing. His gray hair had been darkened with black dye but it was obvious that the man was ahead of his prime. 

“I apologize for any complication and inconveniences, sir.” Said Damon.

“Apologies are of no use to me.” He replied.

A deep growl escaped his lips. It was never good to annoy an Alpha and that went double for a man like Brumeh. 

“I assume you confirmed that her mum was in fact, an Omega.”

“Yes, I requisitioned a wide genealogy map from the archives,” Damon answered, his voice trembling only slightly. 

“It’s all there in the report.” He added.

“At least you’re good for something.”

Brumeh flattered himself on existing outside the reaches of the Central Command and it effected no small amount of displeasure that he needed the Undersecretary’s assistance to access classified medical data. 

Being the most influential cartel boss in the city had its advantages, but no man was all powerful.

Damon cleared his throat. 

“I assume that you were otherwise appeased with your trip to Ceres House…”

The man trailed off as Brumeh stared him down. Ceres House, that fortress of petty desire and base mediocrity. Others had convinced him to taste their offerings for years and he had resisted until recently. Damon had assured him that the real draw was the women, most of whom struggled in the lower levels, so a handful of dollars was enough for them to concede to almost anything. But Brumeh had never been interested in paying for sex, it was given often enough for free that there was barely no need.

What had finally changed his mind about Ceres House was the affirmations of the Undersecretary, who was the highest ranking government official that Brumeh had in his pocket. He talked about Beta females that looked and behaves so similarly to an Omega that an Alpha wouldn’t know the difference until the very moment he knotted her.

Brumeh did not fuck Beta women, he had undergone knotting a true Omega frequently enough in the past that he would not tolerate a lesser experience. But he would engage in other activities, mostly for his own fun although he didn't grew jealous of them. And the Undersecretary had asserted that the Betas found in Ceres House were of the highest value.

And to his amazement, he had not been disappointed. Yet, a little doubt remained. The little Beta female had been good, far preferable to any other he had experienced, but her reactions had not seemed like the playacting he had imagined. She had reacted to the agonizing pleasure he inflicted on her in a way that no other Beta ever had, appearing even to surprise herself.

She was responded like an Omega. But he had been convinced, repeatedly, by both the quivering Undersecretary and the proprietor of Ceres House, that the girl had been examined and verified as Beta. So why did these suspicions remain?

Brumeh was a man who was always confident of himself. That intuition was what led him to become one of the most strong Alphas in the Aquila, what hid the government officials under his thumb and not the other way around and why he had conquered every challenge ever put to him. All of which is what made this specific issue so impossible to let go. Brumeh was not used to being wrong, about anything.

“Is there any further assistance that I can offer?” asked the Undersecretary.

Lost to his thoughts, Brumeh had nearly forgotten that the Undersecretary still stood across from his desk, and had been waiting there in silence for the last few minutes.

“No, that is all I have for you, at the moment.” Brumeh gripped the stack of neatly typed pages. 

Classified records were kept on paper to deter just this sort of unlawful disclosure. It was an antiquated practice, but would have been useful against anyone with less power than he held.

“You’re dismissed.” He added.

The Undersecretary’s shoulders practically hovelped in relief. He turned smartly on his heel and walk toward the door as fast as he could without breaking out into a run.

“Wait" Brumeh called out.

Damon froze in his tracks and whirled back, expression grim. 

“Sir?”

“Notify the Crown that I have not yet received fee for this month. And I don't like being kept waiting.”

The warning in his voice was noticeable.

“Of course, sir. I will attend to the issue immediately.” Damon answered, bowing low 

Brumeh finally let the miserable man go, his disdain still pervading the air. He waited until the door had glid shut before opening the huge file folder and fliping through the pages. His interest, and he refused to admit any other term for it, was tough but likely fleeting. He had not expected to uncover a Beta woman who seemed such a match for his cravings. He simply wanted to quench his curiosity before letting her slide back into the mud of whatever hovels that Ceres House had found her in.

But Betas just did not respond in the way that she had, even the ones practiced in faking a response that did not come naturally. And the girl had clearly not been educated in any meaningful way, her reactions were too reluctant for that.