193- Venom Among the Corridors
POV Aldren Valmorin:
“Who is she? Why is she in the cage?” Nala questioned me.
Like a bee after honey, she followed me through the corridors,
insisting on meddling in matters that did not concern her.
Damn the moment I accepted her daytime visit, just to provoke the heat-stricken wolf project that had tried to seduce me during the night, in order to destroy my life as she had already destroyed Kehin’s.
It was a stupid act of revenge, meant only to intensify the suffering of her heat. It worked in a way I had not expected, and I was not pleased with the result.
Furious. I was furious. That whelp was driving me insane.
I stopped abruptly and grabbed Nala by the neck, slamming her body against the wall.
“My prisoner is none of your business. Do not speak about her, not even to your own shadow. Do you hear me?”
That spy had destroyed the destiny of my most loyal alpha, and now she was seeking to end mine. The stars could go dark forever, but I would not allow it.
“Yes, Aldren…” she replied, choking, and then I released her.
“Have your breakfast and leave. And do not return here unless you are invited.”
I escorted her to the kitchen to leave her with Nerin, but I found only Larubia, her assistant on alternating days, and I was also surprised by yet another unwanted visit.
Konrad Cyndrael, savoring the tea he adored, was probably waiting for my regent, for whom he claimed to harbor deep feelings. My disturbance was so great that I even forgot Nerin was tending to the shameless bitch, which was why she was not with him.
The blond shepherd, the self-proclaimed guardian of morals and good customs, leaned against my counter, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with the first buttons open. If the alpha ever hurt Nerin, he would defy the elders to kill him without hesitation.
I sympathized with the leader of the small village of Cyndrael, but that moment was inopportune—especially considering it was him, who played the role of counselor among the alphas. I could not disguise my anger.
“A… Aldren?” His voice wavered as he set the cup down on the counter.
“Konrad, now is not a good time,” I said, turning away and heading for the exit, hoping he would not insist.
In vain, because he grabbed my shoulders as I reached the living room.
“The men said Kehin didn’t join the inspection of the medication shipments that will be exported. What happened?”
Things were indeed slipping out of control faster than I had imagined. I asked Konrad to follow me to my laboratory, eager to distance myself from the place that used to be my point of peace.
I also made a mental note to forbid unsolicited visits. Even those I used to allow into my home would need to be barred at that moment.
If Kehin was right, I was surrounded by vipers I myself had raised.
I entered the small meeting room and stopped in front of the aquarium that covered the side wall, avoiding Konrad’s meticulous gaze while I considered what to say and which parts would be safe to omit.
Still refusing to give me space, he walked up beside me and stopped, observing my killifish and green zebra fish darting through the clear water. Their vibrant hues stood out among the aquatic plants and rocks.
“How did you make these fish so green?”
“They’re genetically modified.”
“And how do you do something like that?”
I turned my face to him, frowning.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Of course. I thought your gift was limited to producing our medications.”
Even though he was the oldest among the alphas, he held the smallest territory. The elders justified it by saying his peaceful personality did not grant him the authority to oversee a more populous area.
For him, it didn’t seem to be a big issue; he appeared to love raising his sheep and not being disturbed.
“I have enough gifts to fill both hands, and I’d still need more fingers, Konrad.”
He laughed, looking at me with his unshakable calm—an spirit that would bless even wrongdoers.
“Come on, my friend. I really want to know how you made those fish green, before you tell me what’s tormenting you.”
“Do I look tormented?” I raised an eyebrow.
“You do.”
“Hell.” I turned away, refocusing on my fish. I drew a breath into my lungs before continuing. “Well, the first step is identifying the genes responsible for producing pigments of the chosen color. That can include genes naturally found in other fish species or even in other organisms, like corals, jellyfish, or bacteria.”
“Damn, just that already makes me tired.”
“Then you clone the genes, introduce them into the fish, isolate them, and coordinate reproduction.”
“And how do you introduce the modified gene into the poor fish?”
“There are a few ways. My favorite is viral vector–mediated transfection.”
“You’re speaking Chinese, my friend. I only understood the viral part.”
“I use a modified virus to carry and insert the gene into the fish’s genome.”
“Whew.” He sighed, pretending to be exhausted. “Now I understand why you need so many books, my dear Aldren. Could we genetically modify one of my sheep?” he blurted out the absurd request.
“No.”
“Oh, come on. Why not?” He sounded like a pup being denied candy.
I looked at him again and let my face show my impatience.
“I’m the one asking—why the hell would I do something like that?”
“Well, the fish didn’t need to be green either.”
“They did. My soul rejoices watching them swim back and forth in my favorite color.”
“I wanted a red sheep. I’m serious.”
I shrugged casually.
“Study and modify it yourself.”
He wrinkled his nose, signaling disinterest.
“Four hundred and eighteen years on my back—take a good look at this mug.”
I moved away from him toward the slab-like metal table behind us. I sat down in one of the four reinforced plastic chairs, arms crossed over my chest.