Chapter 5: Sabrina

(Leopold POV)

I storm into my office. I am so mad I could punch a wall. I think I’ll better go for a run or something to calm myself down. Major Anderson is doing this to mess with my career, I am certain and I can’t do anything about it. This is so frustrating!

A soft knock on the door, I turn around and Sabrina smiles at me.

Oh, no, I completely forgot about her. I let out a soft groan as the brunette walks towards me with seductive moves. The black tight uniform suits her perfectly, she is undoubtedly attractive, and yet I could never really fall for her, in spite of how hard she tries.

“Is something wrong, dear Leopold? You are fuming,” she observes.

Sabrina tries to brush my cheek with her hands but I take a step back.

“I want to be alone, please go,” I say rudely.

Sabrina doesn’t even wince. She knows I’m ill-tempered. She knew this about me even before she began with her attempts to seduce me. For some strange reason, she finds my moody temperament attractive.

“You want to talk about it?” She asks not letting my manners discourage her.

“No, I said I want to be alone. So leave! Don’t you have something to do? The rest of the Unit is training, you should do the same. I told you a thousand times, there is no special treatment for you, not even for sleeping with the commander,” I remind her increasingly irritated by her presence.

Sabrina giggles. “I know, dear, I just wanted to check on you…” she says before turning around to leave.

“Sabrina,” I call her before she goes. “Let’s have dinner tonight,” I suggest.

She smiles and nods, glad to know we have a date tonight. Little does she know it’s no date, but the last dinner we will ever share as a couple. If I’m being assigned a Bearer, I can’t be involved with other women. Infidelity is a crime in Estermond and I won’t risk it. Things between Sabrina and I, however inconsequential for me, have to end tonight.

********

I open the chair for Sabrina to take a seat, she is chattering nonstop about some irrelevant  topic... or maybe she is telling me something very important, I have no way of knowing because I am not paying any attention to her. I'm too focused on trying to come up with a nice way to break up with her. This is not going to be easy. I fear how she will react when I tell her the news. That is why I brought her to The Casserole, one of the most expensive restaurants in Estermond. Perhaps the luxury around us, and knowing the kind of people who come to this place will prevent her from making a scene. The Casserole is so exclusive that only a few people of high status are allowed to eat here. At the tables around us, we only find high-ranking officials from other ministries.

“What is going on with you? You're distracted,” Sabrina says with a frown.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I have a lot on my mind," I reply with a fake grin.

“Like what?" She asks annoyed.

“Do you want something to drink?” I ask while I call the waiter.

We order a bottle of wine. Maybe some alcohol in her veins will soothe her for what’s coming. I know Sabrina is really invested in our relation, she was even hoping we might move in together or something like that. I, of course, had no plans for that. Sabrina is beautiful, but she has been nothing more than a way of forgetting everything that happened with Grace. I was lost for so long, depressed and confused, and Sabrina was a fun distractor. I knew from the start, getting involved with a subordinate could be messy, but I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. At first, I thought it would be a one-night stand thing, but Sabrina wouldn’t let go and I just went along with it. It’s been almost a year since that, I have thought of ending things several times, but I always dreaded the drama. Now I can’t postpone it any longer. I’m about to be assigned a Bearer. I’m fertile so I knew this could happen to me, I just thought maybe authorities have given up on me because I already had a Bearer once. Apparently not, and they are punishing me with an Eel.

Sabrina continues to chatter while I pretend to listen to her. The waiter brings the bottle and pours it into our glasses. I take mine and drink it like it’s a shot of tequila.

"Leopold, don’t do that, this is a fancy place," Sabrina whispers angrily as she looks at the tables around us, embarrassed by my behavior.

"Rich people get drunk too," I joke to lighten the mood.

"You're acting weird, what's wrong with you? Tell me,” she insists.

I sigh, there is no point in putting this off any longer. I must tell her the truth.

“Today I received some news… they have assigned me to a Bearer,” I confess plainly.

“What? But… what?” Sabrina stares baffled at me. The news caught her off guard.

“I have been assigned to a Bearer. The girl is to move in with me this week, probably even tomorrow,” I explain to her.

"What the heck are you talking about? I thought you didn’t want another Bearer after… what happened to Grace,” she says hesitantly, she knows I can’t stand talking about Grace.

“I didn’t… well, I don’t, but it’s not optional. The Assignment Committee and other superiors decided to give me a Bearer and I can’t refuse,” I reply.

“Can’t refuse?! You are Commander Leopold Mortensen! A national hero!” She cries out.

“Which is why authorities insist on me having children and for that, I need a Bearer,” I say.

“What does this means for us?” She asks naively.

“Come on, Sabrina, you know what it means. You are smart, you are part of my Unit after all,” I say before I take a sip of wine.

"Are you going to break up with me over a stupid Bearer?!” she exclaims so loudly that some of the diners around us turn to see us.

“Sabrina, calm down. This girl is going to be my assigned partner, I can't do anything about it,” I explain to her.

“No, I refuse to accept this! This too unfair! I’m way better than any Bearer. She is probably going to bore you and you are going to be miserable with her. Tell them you won’t take any Bearer!”

“Have you lost your mind? I can’t do that, no one can refuse to be assigned to a partner,” I remind her.

“But you are Commander Mortensen, everyone admires you. There must be something you can do,” she insists. “Do something!”

"Sabrina, control yourself," I ask through clenched teeth.

"Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to moderate your tone of voice," our waiter tells us shyly.

I give him an apologetic grin so he knows I'm sorry.

"Sabrina, don’t make a scene. Control yourself, you are a Shark and you need to behave like such,” I say with a frown.

“I will act as I want!” Sabrina yells before throwing her glass of wine to my face.

I remove the liquid from my eyelids with my fingers and manage to open my eyes just as Sabrina is storming out of the restaurant.

All eyes are on me, the diners stare at me perplexed. Our waiter slowly walks over and hands me a napkin to dry the rest of my face.

"The check, please," I ask the waiter. I just got humiliated in front of who knows how many important people, if I could I would hide under the tablecloth and I wouldn’t come out until the restaurant was closed, but I cannot do that, I am a Shark, I must keep my head up under any circumstance.

As soon as I pay the bill, I stand up and walk towards the exit, avoiding at all costs the curious glances that follow me. What was I thinking when I brought Sabrina to this place? I was too naive believing that the presence of other people would prevent her from making a scene.

“Commander Mortensen, what an unfortunate scene we just witnessed,” I hear a voice as I walk past one of the tables. I turn slowly towards the person, although I already know that it’s Major Anderson.

I groan softly, why did he have to be here to witness what Sabrina did? I look at the Major and his Bearer without knowing what to say, should I laugh? Pretend everything is ok?

"What a spirited girl you brought as a companion," Mrs. Bertha Anderson mentions in a mocking tone.

“Isn’t she part of your Unit?” The Major asks.

“Sabrina Flowers. Yes, she is, Major,” I reply humiliated.

“Do you let all your subordinates humiliate you in public like that?” He asks shaking his head disapprovingly.

"I'm very sorry that you had to witness that scene,” I apologize to them.

"Is that how you handle your private life, Mortensen?" How can I expect you to lead the 9th Unit if you can't even control one of your Sharks?” the Major asks, shaking his head.

I clench my fists to contain my anger. Just what I was missing! Not only was I publicly humiliated but Sabrina's outburst is going to have a toll on my career.

“Mayor Anderson, I assure you that this has nothing to do with my performance as commander. I am a professional…"

"A professional would have never behaved like you did, Mortensen! Remember that you are at all times a representative of the Ministry of Bravery. These kinds of public displays make us all look bad,” says the Major with a frown.

"A true Shark behaves at all times," Mrs. Bertha Anderson murmurs with a mocking smile.

“It is the first and last time that something like this happens. You have my word, Major,” I promise him.

"It better be, Commander Mortensen. For your sake, I hope your relationship with your Bearer turns out to be better than what we just saw. A Shark must maintain order inside and outside his home, especially given who this Bearer is,” Anderson reminds me.

"Of course, Major. I agree,” I reply with a firm tone of voice.

“You can go away now, Commander Mortensen. You have taken enough of our time,” Anderson says.

"Let the Righteous Regime last forever," I say to both of them as my stomach boils with anger.