Minutes before.
Deimos was leaning against one of the walls of the building next to the new location, arms crossed, his face serious and his expression tense, although in his case, that was never a guarantee that he was upset. His fuchsia eyes stared at William, who stood motionless in front of the bakery's facade as if calculating the weight of each brick that made up the place.
From the outside, the scene seemed peaceful, almost every day. But nothing was when William Aballay was involved. Nothing.
"Could you tell me what your plan is for this again?" Xander asked in her usual tone, appearing behind the omega unannounced.
The sharp blow she received on the arm was more of a warning than an attack. However, the force of Deimos's closed fist made her take a step back with a grimace of pain.
"Ouch, why is that?" she protested, rubbing the bruised area.
"Don't you ever sneak up behind me again without warning," the pink-haired man snarled, his gaze a glare that would have struck anyone but those already accustomed to his temper.
Xander raised both hands, taking a step back as if this were an arrest.
"Okay, okay... sorry, sorry."
At that, Deimos only huffed, turning his face away in a mixture of annoyance and alertness, his eyes now half-closed, as if he didn't want to lose sight of the entrance to the establishment for even a second. Whatever he was feeling, it was stronger than his usual bad mood.
"Will you stop overreacting?" A mocking male voice joined in from behind them both, causing the omega to immediately tense up and throw another punch without thinking, only this time his wrist was easily caught in midair.
"Good technique as always," Bentral said with a crooked smile as he released the omega, "but you need a little more strength."
"Bentral, always sticking your nose where you're not wanted," Deimos frowned, crossing his arms with a poorly concealed pout.
"And you, always overreacting so you can hit whoever you want," the alpha replied with a light laugh, enjoying the game he knew by heart.
"He hit me for no reason?!" Xander exclaimed indignantly, pointing at Deimos with wide eyes.
"My dear, no one but the boss can get close to him without him noticing," Bentral chimed in, nodding. "There was even a time when the new guys tried to take him by surprise, with the boss's permission, of course… they all failed. One even ended up crying."
"Why do you have to ruin my fun just as it's starting, Benti?" Deimos complained capriciously, gesturing toward the pastry. "That's why I prefer spending time with William. You guys are all boring snobs."
His words merged with the faint ringing of the bell as the front door opened. William had just entered without a word. Deimos followed him with his eyes, frowning as if he could see through walls.
"Good luck, partner in crime," he murmured barely audibly.
"So, Bentral..." Xander asked, turning to the alpha, "can you remind me what the boss's plan is?"
"Are you serious, Xander?" The blond man's dry tone made her shrink back as she looked away.
"Again?"
"I forgot... sorry," she said quietly, looking at the floor with the interest of someone who'd just discovered all the secrets of the universe there.
Bentral sighed, put his arms behind his back, and slowly shook his head.
"Listen, the plan isn't complicated... The boss just wants to make a presentation, nothing more, nothing less. Our job is simply to make sure no one enters the premises while he's inside. He wants the omega's full attention focused on him."
Listening to the alpha's explanation, the beta nodded awkwardly, trying not to seem too obvious with her obvious embarrassment.
But Deimos wasn't listening. His body tensed for no apparent reason, his eyes darting from side to side, unable to find a fixed point as he searched for the reason for such a feeling.
The pink-haired man couldn't explain it, but that pang on his neck, that chill beginning to grow at the base of his spine... he wasn't lying.
(Something's going to go wrong.)
The feeling wasn't paranoia. It was instinct. And when Deimos felt that, he was rarely wrong.
(Something's going to happen. Something... that has to do with me.)
The buzzing of his cell phone in his pocket was the trigger for his immediate reaction. He pulled it out and answered quickly, not even bothering to look at the number.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end belonged to one of the men in charge of perimeter surveillance.
"Mr. Deimos... you asked us to inform you if there was any unusual movement regarding Lady Erika's location."
The omega's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes?" he asked, his voice firmer than he felt at the moment.
"Well... a few minutes ago, some of my men saw her re-enter her home. Even though today should have been her first shift at her new job."
Deimos didn't respond immediately. His body went completely still as if gravity had suddenly increased.
"Sir... are you still there?"
"Thank you for the warning," he finally said, ending the call without adding anything else.
The omega took one step back, his gaze fixed on an invisible point as his body began to spin toward the street, ready to run. He didn't know where exactly, but every fiber in his body screamed at him to move.
"Deimos?" Xander asked, noticing her gesture. "Did something happen to the chief?"
"Well... it turns out... I..."
I was babbling. Deimos never babbled. Bentral and Xander knew that. The omega took a step back, almost turning around.
Then it happened.
William's voice. Not a scream. Not even a call. Just a growl, suppressed, soft, but as deep as a sleeping avalanche.
"Deimos."
It was the power.
The impact was instantaneous. Not only did Deimos stop as if frozen. Xander was petrified, unable to even breathe. Bentral, who had trained to resist compulsions, didn't even try to move.
Because it wasn't just an order. It was a mark. A demand.
As if something ancient and visceral had awakened in the air, as if the world itself was demanding they stop.
They didn't know how, but they had all heard it perfectly, despite the distance. Even though the alpha had held it back, even though he'd tried to hide it. William never growled without reason. Never.
Deimos swallowed, trembling slightly, not out of fear, but from something worse.
A certainty.
Bentral looked at him, eyebrows raised, lips pressed together. Xander tried to speak, but her tongue refused to cooperate. Only Deimos managed to move his lips, a sound much smaller than he'd intended coming out.
"Oops."
And in that instant, they knew nothing would go as planned.