Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. The Beta doctor pulled open the door.

She had already taken off her gloves. "She’s fine now. The gland fluctuated again after the temporary marking."

"From what I can tell, the gland’s overall maturity has recovered very well. This was likely a systemic reaction caused by intense stimulation, which made her glandular hormones spike. I’ve taken measurements. Once the effects of this temporary mark fade, there should be a ninety-five percent chance she’ll return to her pre-trauma state."

"Also, her mental state is still highly agitated, so I went ahead and gave her a sedative. It has an anesthetic mixed in, so she’ll probably be unconscious for a few hours."

"You can go in now." After explaining the basics, she made way for them and walked over to pat Julian Chambers’s shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" Shedding her professional doctor persona, the Beta woman became much more playful. She glanced at the group who had all gone inside, then back at him, standing motionless at the door. "Why don’t you go in and check on your friend?"

Julian Chambers had told Nina Hayes over the Intelligent Brain that Zoe Pierce was his friend, which was why she had agreed to help.

"They’re closer to her. I’m just a temporary teammate." Julian Chambers’s mood lightened a little while talking to Nina Hayes. They were still a long way from the Xenobeast Tide’s Wormhole, which at least meant they wouldn’t be affected in the short term.

Nina Hayes nodded thoughtfully. She smiled. "This is the first time I’ve heard of you bringing an Omega here. I thought she was your girlfriend."

The color drained from Julian Chambers’s face as he quickly shook his head and waved his hands. "No, no."

Seeing how nervous he was, Nina Hayes couldn’t help but laugh. "I know she isn’t."

She had noticed it the moment their group arrived. The S-Class Alphas were the ones who were tense. He was worried, but not that much.

The subsequent temporary marking was also proof that this beautiful Omega had nothing to do with him.

"What about you? How have you been lately?" Julian Chambers chuckled at his own reaction. He’d only been so flustered because Miles Sherman and the others were so on edge about Zoe Pierce, and he was afraid they would overhear and misunderstand.

Heaven knows he had no romantic interest in Zoe Pierce whatsoever.

Feeling a rare moment of relaxation, he ignored what the people in the room were doing and asked after Nina Hayes.

Nina Hayes leaned against the wall, her gaze drifting toward the sky. "The usual. Go to work, make money, rest."

A repetitive, mechanical existence.

Her toe traced circles on the pristine floor tiles. "Your life must be so interesting. Exploring different planets, fighting Xenobeasts..."

Much more interesting than her own dull, rigid life.

Julian Chambers sighed deeply. He found it hard to explain that this peaceful life was actually the very thing he longed for.

Nina Hayes’s gaze drifted, seemingly casually, from a tree a few meters away to him. His shoulders seemed broader than before. He’d lost his boyish immaturity and now looked more and more like a mature man.

The unique presence and height of an Alpha stood in stark contrast to a Beta just by being there.

She couldn’t help but let her gaze linger a little longer.

Noticing her stare, Julian Chambers turned back to her. "What is it? Is there something..."

’Is something wrong with me?’ 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Before he could finish, Nathan Lockwood walked out of the room. His gaze swept over the two of them, paused for a beat, and then he addressed Nina Hayes. "Sorry to bother you, but how many milliliters of the sedative were injected, exactly? I need to estimate when she’ll wake up."

Nina Hayes immediately stood up straight and, in a serious tone, told Nathan Lockwood the exact dosage.

Nathan Lockwood nodded, about to turn away.

Just then, Julian Chambers received a call on his Intelligent Brain. He made an apologetic gesture to the two of them and jogged a few steps away to take it.

Nina Hayes leaned back against the wall again, her hands clasped behind her, and bounced lightly on her toes.

Nathan Lockwood, his back to her, stood at the main entrance, his eyes on the group gathered around Zoe Pierce. Suddenly, he spoke. "Why don’t you tell him?"

Nina Hayes tilted her head, looking at Nathan Lockwood. "What?"

Nathan Lockwood glanced at her. "You like him."

Nina Hayes was stunned for a moment, then marveled at how perceptive this Alpha was.

’This is the first time we’ve ever met. How did he figure it out?’

’After all, the man in question is completely clueless.’

She pressed her lips together and forced a small smile. "Because I’m not an Omega."

"If you’re not an Omega, confessing would just cause trouble, wouldn’t it?" Nina Hayes tilted her head back. "After all, only Alphas and Omegas can be marked. If he were with a Beta, he’d have to take inhibitors for the rest of his life to get through his sensitive periods."

"You must have some medical training, too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked me for such specific details."

"Beta and Omega females might not look different on the outside, but there are huge differences: glands, pheromones, reproductive cavities... anyone with medical training would learn this. Not to mention, the study of the Omega body for Beta doctors has become its own specialized course."

After saying this, Nina Hayes saw that Julian Chambers was about to end his call. She pushed herself upright. "So, there’s no need to say anything."

’Because we’re not compatible.’

Nathan Lockwood withdrew his gaze, let out a noncommittal "oh," and strode back into the room.

He didn’t agree with Nina Hayes’s reasoning.

But he wouldn’t interfere with her choice, either.

He just wouldn’t do the same.

He wouldn’t just say nothing and hide his feelings as she was.

’If the person I loved was a Beta, so what if I had to take inhibitors for the rest of my life to get through my sensitive periods?’

’If you couldn’t even do that, what right would you have to talk about love?’

’When you love someone, you should possess them, shouldn’t you?’

’Am I supposed to just watch her cry in another man’s arms and laugh with someone else?’

Nathan Lockwood walked to Zoe Pierce’s bedside. She was still in her training uniform, her hair splayed across the bed. The sedative had relaxed her features, and she was sleeping soundly.

’Am I supposed to imagine her in another bed, waking up in another Alpha’s arms?’

A smile that didn’t reach his eyes curved his lips. He blinked. ’No. I can’t do that.’

’Why should I?’

’Why should I be the one to back down?’

His cool gaze swept over everyone present. The attention of the other Alphas was now completely focused on the bed, watching her anxiously.

’It doesn’t matter. I’ve already seen through all of their intentions.’

’To me, their hands are already revealed. Their concern for her is something they can’t hide.’

’A concern just like my own.’

Perhaps that was why he had immediately noticed that Nina Hayes liked Julian Chambers.

The way she tried to hide it was a form of self-deception, and she wasn’t very good at it.

’But I, on the other hand, am far too good at it.’

’So good, in fact, that my dear brothers are always trying to brush me off with lame excuses, as if I were an idiot.’

’This "concern between teammates."’

’They want her.’

’And so do I.’