RIVALRY

MARKED BUT NOT CLAIMED

The burn-marked man didn't answer. He walked past the tubes, past the Scientists and walked to the monitors in the lab. Rows of them lined the cold concrete wall, each screen casting a pale blue glow across his scarred face.

Dozens of Omegas floated in transparent tubes, peaceful and drugged up. Tubes connected to their arms, their necks, feeding them whatever kept them compliant. Scientists in white moved like shadows between the tanks, noting vitals, adjusting dials. But his eyes weren't on them, they were on the single red dot moving slowly across the digital map of Xforsa.

Adrian had taken the bait. The liquid was in his veins now. One touch and Cullen Sinclair would be reduced to nothing more than a trembling Omega at the mercy of any Alpha who hated him.

"So," he murmured, voice low enough that only the hum of the machines answered. "Let's see if the great leader of the Black Rose bleeds like the rest of us." He smiled as he touched his face, he remembered how Cullen had set him on fire while still alive, the pain was still much vivid in his memory and he would never forget how much he pleaded to no avail. He will make a comeback and everyone must tremble again when his name is mentioned, he must reclaim his old glory and wreck havoc In the whole of Xforza. He looked at the empty tube that was placed separately from others and imagined Cullen inside, this thought made him laugh out loud like a maniac which made everyone tremble.

*BLACK ROSE HEADQUARTERS.*

Cullen is seen sitting down inside his office while attending to some files, he pauses when he hears a knock on his office door, he ushers the person in and Marcus comes in with an extra file and a worried look on his face. He is just physically seeing Cullen since the auction night because Cullen has been staying in the penthouse.

"What is the problem Marcus? I'm busy and I thought I made it clear that nobody should come to my office except in emergency situations and mere looking at you now I see no emergency." Cullen said in a very irritable tone. He has been feeling under the weather since his last heat cycle and he has been avoiding people.

"I'm sorry for barging in on you like this Don but I was very worried, you don't look too good and I've not heard anything about you since you disappeared from the auction house" Marcus answered looking at Cullen with a worried expression. His thoughts have been all over the place since he noticed the loopholes from the Security Cameras

"Do I now have to report my movement to you Marcus?" Cullen asked, clearly annoyed. "I have already told you guys that I went out for something. Or are you now monitoring me? "he added.

"No, of course not. I didn't mean to pry into your privacy or anything, I was just worried because you don't just disappear out of the blue" Marcus humbly explained. He really hated it when Cullen gets annoyed or angry at him but he just wanted to confirm that his suspicions were wrong.

"If you came to ask such useless questions you can leave now that you have gotten your answer, I want to be left alone"

Marcus turned to leave but paused, he had come for two reasons. "When are we attacking Alpha Adrian Don?" He asked as he turned to look at Cullen.

Cullen taps his pen on his desk as he thinks before looking at Marcus when he made up his mind.

"This mission is a solo mission so I don't need any team." He said as he sleeked back his long white hair. "I will personally go and bring that son of a b***h to the second base, I don't want to give him a painless death because animals like him need to slowly embrace death, so the mission should be in three days time" He added further as Marcus takes note. Marcus wanted to add something but stopped halfway because he noticed the tension in the air so he just left the office.

Cullen breathed a sigh of relief when Marcus left the office, he didn't know what was going on with his body so he picked up his phone and called Edwards, the last time he delayed going to the doctor for his fever he had a heat cycle so he didn't want to take any chances.

~~~

Meanwhile, Bruce, who was having a meeting in his office with his subordinates, was not comfortable. He had been experiencing slight dizziness since he woke up and he wasn't even concentrating on the meeting so he had to dismiss everyone and leave for his personal office as he called Dalton who came over almost immediately.

"I came over as fast as I could immediately I received your call, what is the issue" Dalton said immediately he entered Bruce's office.

"I don't really know the problem with my body, I've been feeling dizzy and slightly chilly." Bruce replied as he sticks out his hand for Dalton to check.

Dalton checks with a specific machine for Alphas and furrows his brows, he checks again to confirm his suspicion but is still given the same result. Bruce notices his body movement and snorts.

"Am I really going to die this time, your facial expressions are telling me that I have something incurable" Bruce asked smiling. He had already signed up for an untimely death from the beginning when he signed up for this kind of life so he was now prepared for anything.

"You are not dying Bruce, I'm just shocked at my own findings. Your pheromone level shows that you recently had a triggered Rut cycle but that is not the main problem, you slept with a very powerful Omega, an Omega that is powerful enough to regulate your pheromones" Dalton explained.

"Yeah he was very good and we were so compatible" Bruce whispered to himself smiling.

"I don't think you should be smiling now because whoever you slept with is in serious trouble, you marked him/her and you weren't marked back so that is why you are suffering now but your suffering is nothing compared to what the Omega will go through. Wherever he/she is now it must be very terrible without your pheromone" Dalton explained which instantly jolted Bruce awake from his imagination. He stood up instantly and rushed out from his office intending to go and see Cullen.

~~~

Edward rushed to check on Cullen immediately he arrived, he noticed the irregularities in Cullen's pheromones, his pheromones were spiraling out of control and after everything he discovered the issue.

"You seriously need the pheromones of the Alpha that marked you to stabilize your own pheromone or else you go into a severe pheromone shock, the partial marking is seriously affecting you" he explained adjusting his glasses.

Cullen's face twisted in anger as he shot Edward an annoyed look, he really didn't want to have anything to do with Bruce again.

"Why didn't you notice these said abnormalities from the onset?" he asked Edward in an annoyed tone.

Edward kept his face down as cold sweats drenched his clothes, he really didn't expect such a thing to happen.

"I didn't notice anything on time Cullen, maybe it's because you were marked by a hyper-dominant Alpha. I have never heard of this case before too" he explained to Cullen.

They were still talking when they heard a commotion outside as his office door was forcefully opened as Bruce entered together with the fuming Marcus. Bruce had forcefully bypassed the security and had fought his way to Cullen's door.