Even Maximilian Grant, an alpha who prided himself on his ironclad control, found himself inhaling sharply, the air thick with a potent mix of intrigue and desire.
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"Drop-dead gorgeous" was a rusty spoon trying to scoop the ocean, for no single word could capture the ethereal beauty radiating from Julian.
He possessed the delicate allure typical of omegas. Soft, dark-blond curls, like waves of golden wheat rippling under sunlight, framed an oval face. High cheekbones sculpted his features, leading to a jawline both strong and refined.
Mesmerizing eyes, a swirling storm of gray and blue, held depths Maximillian could only glimpse.
A sharp nose bridge added a touch of aristocratic elegance, while his lips, the color of a rose just kissed by morning dew, hinted at a hidden sensuality.
Alabaster skin, smooth and flawless, stretched down his slender neck. The unbuttoned collar of his shirt offered a tantalizing glimpse of a prominent collarbone, a hint of vulnerability beneath the breathtaking facade.
Even Maximilian Grant, an alpha who prided himself on his ironclad control, found himself inhaling sharply, the air thick with a potent mix of intrigue and desire.
Their gazes held, an unspoken conversation flickering between them, before Julian's lashes dipped, a curtain drawn across the stormy depths of his eyes. He reached up, a single, deliberate finger fastening the top button of his shirt, severing the tantalizing glimpse of the collarbone and the unspoken promise it held.
Maximillian cleared his throat before he approached Julian and flashed the young omega his identification badge.
"It seems that you have heard from the nurse regarding my visit. Good morning, my name is Maximillian Grant. I am the chief of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal and Prevention Division from the National Bureau of Security."
Julian gave him a curt smile.
"My name is Julian Haas."
Julian reached out, his hand hovering in Maximillian's direction. Before the alpha even registered the gesture, he found himself grasping it.
"Thank you for the help," Julian's smile bloomed like the first rays of sunlight painting the sky at dawn. "The nurse left so abruptly, and I need help getting into the bed."
".... My pleasure."
A soft whimper escaped Julian's lips as Maximillian's arm, strong and surprisingly gentle, encircled his slender waist, lifting him from the confines of the wheelchair. With a grace born of necessity, the omega reached up, his right arm a slender vine attempting to bridge the height difference and find purchase around Maximillian's neck.
A familiar scent, a sweet fragrance of an unknown flower that Maximillian once breathed in when he found Julian at the explosion site, ravaged his sense of smell again. Maximillian furrowed his brows in annoyance when its invisible tendrils sent a jolt through him, a disconcerting mix of sweetness and devastation that muddled his focus.
"Excuse me," With a low growl, more frustration than annoyance, Maximillian banished the intrusive thought. Scooping Julian effortlessly into his arms, he strode towards the bed, the omega a weightless figure against his solid form. Reaching the mattress, he deposited Julian gently, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features before he retreated a step back.
A hint of an unknown smile laced Julian's lips as he tidied up his appearance and tucked himself under the white blanket.
"Yes, Agent Grant? How can I help you?"
Right.
Despite his initial disapproval of the junior agents' behavior, a sliver of understanding bloomed within Maximillian. Perhaps Julian Haas was simply oblivious to his captivating effect on alphas, an innocent unaware of the power he wielded. Or, perhaps, the omega employed his allure with deliberate intent, a siren song meant to ensnare unsuspecting hearts.
Either way, it all ended here and now.
Maximillian tore his eyes from Julian and flipped through a page in his tablet.
He pressed the recording button and asked, "First of all, tell me about yourself. Name, occupation, and what brought you to the explosion site."
The way Julian answered his question brought back to mind the background report Stefan had compiled on him.
"Julian Haas, male omega, 21. Final year PhD Student at the University of Kaisersiedeln, majoring in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
I work part-time as a nurse assistant at Eichwald Center for Neurology and Psyche for the past two years."
"Parents?"
"I am an orphan, raised in an orphanage from a young age."
Maximillian slowly lifted his gaze to Julian, who sat with his eyes downcast, fixed on a distant point at the foot of the bed.
The omega slowly raised his healthy hand to pat the cast wrapped tight around his lower left arm, mirrored by another on his right leg. Yet, it was the helpless crease etched on his face, the tremor threatening to erupt in tears, that gave Maximillian pause.
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Was he pushing too hard, dredging up unpleasant memories with every question?
But duty, a heavy weight in his gut, reminded him -- work couldn't wait on emotions. Information, no matter how difficult to extract, was crucial.
Maximillian cleared his throat in an attempt to diffuse the pitiful aura surrounding Julian.
"Tell me what happened on the day of the explosion."
"On that day, I completed my morning shift as usual. Back at home, I realized that I forgot something in my locker, so I went back to retrieve it."
"What did you have to retrieve that you could not wait until the next day?"
"A Christmas present," Julian replied.
"For our university's Secret Santa event."
"I see. And the Christmas celebration was to take place the next day?"
"Yes."
Maximillian casually hopped onto said university's website. His fingers flew across the keyboard, searching for a specific announcement. There it was, clear as day -- the annual Christmas party for exclusively the University of Kaisersiedeln's students, held on last December 21st.
"Too bad that you missed it," Maximillian commented.
"It's alright. I didn't have a present to exchange, anyway," Julian coolly replied.
At the same time, it made little sense to dig whatever present Julian might or might not have with him that night. It could be anything, starting from a red ribbon to a robot toy.
"Did you meet anyone suspicious that night?" Maximillian moved on to the next question on his list.
Julian craned his neck to the side in a gesture of contemplation.
"No," he said. "The only person I met on my way to the locker room was my supervising nurse, Mrs. Mareike Holtz."
Mareike Holtz's body was found some distance away from Julian's, on the same floor as the staff locker room.
"Do you have any other information to share about that night?"
Julian met his gaze for a brief moment before replying with a resolute, "No."