Phone Call
"How much longer do I have to wait? I know it hasn't been that long, but the changes are minimal."
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" someone replied.
"Of course not. On the contrary, I feel like I should be more aggressive. Do you have anything else I can use?"
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Monday, November 8
A new week, a new stress. Valentina decided to focus only on work and on her relationship. She knew Lucas was ignoring her, but she couldn't simply interfere.
Go to the office, focus on work, come home, and text Bastian. She needed a routine; she was the kind of person who, without order, would try to do everything at once until she collapsed.
She intended to make herself a coffee, so she headed toward the kitchen. But before entering, she could hear some loud murmurs:
"Have you heard the latest news about the hunter?" asked an executive.
"Yesss, I think it's true. Apparently that alpha was part of a cult; according to the news, there was a secret club involved," replied one of the creatives.
"I doubt it was a cult; it was probably revenge from some omega in heat. Besides, that alpha smelled like a beta in heat too," said another creative.
Valentina turned around. Sometimes her face revealed too easily what she was thinking, so it was best to leave the coffee for another time.
She didn't want anyone to find out she had been at that party and start asking a thousand questions. Worse yet, what if she accidentally let slip that she had met that alpha?.
The afternoon came, and with it, the final meeting for the new client's event. She was exhausted and needed caffeine, so she decided to head down to the kitchen.
"Boo! Haha, did I scare you?" asked the HR assistant.
"Nooo, just a little."
"Valentina, I need the dates for your partner's next rut," said the assistant.
She didn't quite understand what she had just heard; she froze for a moment, or rather, she didn't know why she was supposed to give that information.
That kind of question was far too personal, and out of discomfort, her face showed exactly what she was thinking, her eyes wide, a hard look, and a faint grimace of disgust.
The HR assistant noticed Valentina's reaction, quickly apologized, and began to explain the reason.
Valentina also apologized; she hadn't meant to come off rude, so she said she'd check and send the dates later. Before leaving, the assistant pointed her to a website she had to read:
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Ministry of Labor
In accordance with current regulations, it is established that any citizen of beta caste who maintains a relationship with a person belonging to a special caste must report such a situation through the Human Resources Department or the employer's representative, in order to process the corresponding Special Rest Certificate and ensure compliance with inter-caste coexistence regulations.
If false information or concealment is verified, the responsible party may be sanctioned with up to five (5) years of imprisonment, as provided by law.
Likewise, if a beta citizen fails to comply with the duty to report and commits work-related misconduct linked to their condition, the administrative sanctions will be at the discretion of the company or employing entity.
_______________________________________
Valentina was surprised; she had no idea such a law existed, but she had to stop reading and head to her meeting.
After two hours, everything was ready to present to the client. When she stood up, she noticed it was already the end of the workday and hurried back to her desk.
She found herself thinking about the fact that she didn't even know Bastian's rut dates; after all, it had only happened once. She wasn't even preparing for the next one, nor had she gone to the doctor to know what precautions to take.
The questions kept coming: Was Bastian regular? Were all ruts the same? What would happen if he didn't release during one? Would he ever need to see an alpha?
She had to call him; the innocent questions had turned into anxious ones.
She cleaned her desk, shut down her computer, and headed to the parking lot. Just before starting the car, her phone rang.
"Miss Bischoff, sorry for the delay in answering. When do you have time for a meeting?"
It was the lawyer. She had forgotten she'd written to him two weeks ago or maybe a little more so the call caught her by surprise.
While checking her schedule, she thought meeting him might be a bad idea. She had no intention of destroying Erick; it had been a simple outburst of anger, and that possible trial could have consequences for better or for worse.
But as someone had once told her, "Every cloud has a silver lining."
She arranged to meet the lawyer over the weekend to talk things through calmly. On her way home, she called Bastian to tell him about the lawyer and a few other things.
"Funny, I was just thinking about you. I want to see you," said Bastian.
Valentina felt her heart lift at those words; after all, she missed him too. It had been a month, maybe a little more, since they last saw each other.
When she got home, she wasn't sure what to do—cook, shower, or none of the above. Mondays were always so heavy, slow, and above all, dull.
As every night before going to sleep, she called Bastian again to wish him goodnight. That's when she remembered she still hadn't asked him about his rut.
"Bastian, could you tell me your rut dates?"
"Why? That little head of yours isn't still haunted by the ghost of pregnancy, is it?" he replied, laughing.
She stared at her phone screen in disbelief. Valentina thought that tone—or rather, those words—were a bit hurtful, maybe even stupid. The comment made her feel as if he saw her as someone dumb just for asking a simple question.
For a few seconds, she stayed silent. She didn't know what to say; she didn't want to start an argument. Bastian noticed he'd gone too far and quickly added:
"I'm sorry, it was just a joke. Do you want to keep track so you can be prepared?"
The tone of the call shifted immediately. Valentina softened her thoughts about Bastian's behavior when she heard his apology, which she considered sincere.
When she hung up, for some strange reason, she felt a weight pressing against her chest.
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Thursday, November 11
In other news, as almost a month has passed since the tragic accident that claimed a life, the police report having found new leads about the possible perpetrator. Citizens with relevant information are urged to contact the nearest police station.
"Every single broadcast. Don't they ever have anything more interesting?" Andrea complained.
It was the day they would receive Andrea's blood test results. The doctor had sent an email requesting both of them to come in, as there were still a few questions left from the initial consultation.
While Andrea finished getting dressed, Lucas paced around the living room. He told her they'd take a taxi. He couldn't stop thinking that maybe his lie could actually become real.
In the taxi, Lucas focused on watching the traffic the entire ride. He didn't want to look at Andrea; her eyes might reveal how tense he really was.
"Excuse me, could you turn on the radio?" Andrea asked.
Voice over:
Before we close this news segment, we've received a breaking report.
A beta woman, visibly pregnant, has been reported missing.
According to witnesses, she was wearing a red dress and has a snake-shaped tattoo on her shoulder.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the authorities through our official channels.
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Saturday, November 13
The week went by incredibly fast, in the blink of an eye. It was 11 a.m., and Valentina was getting ready to meet the lawyer.
Before leaving, someone rang her doorbell. It was a flower delivery. She was surprised, she hadn't ordered anything. It was a bouquet of jasmines and white roses, their scent exquisite. When she looked at the note to see who they were from, she read:
You're my everything. I promise I'll never talk to you that way again. Forgive me? I love you. —Bastian.
After reading the note, Valentina burst out laughing nervously. No one had ever given her flowers as an apology before. It was the first time someone seemed to care that much about her.
She placed the flowers in a vase and headed to the Spanish café near Stadelhofen. It was best for both of them to meet somewhere neither of them usually went, so they wouldn't draw curious looks.
The lawyer wasn't as old as she had imagined. He had good taste in clothes—simple, yet refined.
"Mr. Prötzell," said Valentina, shaking his hand.
"Please, call me Steffan," he replied.
This would be the first of many meetings. Building trust between them was essential; they couldn't afford to falter.
What was meant to be a brief conversation stretched into almost three hours. Valentina got to know the alpha with the slanted eyes a little better.
The conversation flowed naturally; they found they had several things in common.
They decided to walk to the lake to keep talking, until, at some point, he said:
"You're quite entertaining for a beta. Don't take it the wrong way, but Bastian's other ex-betas were rather dull."