Chapter 245: Well, You’re Not What I Was Looking For

[FROLO]

Katya held onto Alek like his life depended on it.

And maybe it really did for the first time in so long.

He didn’t trust himself to think or say a word that didn’t end with Alek seeing right through him and assuming the worst of what could have happened in the bathroom. He had just wanted a breather. That simple.

Yet now...

Now he was shaking, not because he was hurting, not because his mind was still hazy from breathing Sergei too close, but from the touch.

It shouldn’t have affected him that much.

Having Sergei’s finger under his chin shouldn’t have destroyed him like that, yet as Alek held him, Katya couldn’t help but wonder...

What if that phone hadn’t rung?

"You keep biting that lip, Solnyshka, and I’ll—"

His alpha never got to finish his words.

"Little rose?" Alek called out worriedly while Katya froze.

His alpha.

His alpha.

His alpha???

Since when had Sergei become his alpha?

What the fuck was he even doing right now?

"I uhhh... I’m fine. I guess I just needed him gone," Katya admitted, not realizing how insane that sounded given what Alek had learned in the past few moments.

"What did he do to you in there?" Alek asked protectively, his alpha instincts stepping up.

It was almost hilarious in a painful way because right now, the omega he was hugging, the omega he was looking at like he was his lifeline, had just replaced him psychologically.

"Nothing. Can we... can we not talk about it? Please?" Katya pleaded once Alek pulled back, and Alek let out a frustrated sigh as he thought back to the smug look that he had seen on Sergei’s face.

That alpha had always been trouble.

And now it was affecting Katya too.

Damn.

"Okay... We can go home if you wish," Alek offered, and Katya straightened up, fixing himself up as if that was going to make the past fifteen minutes fade away.

Like it would make him forget Sergei’s thumb under his chin, forcing their eyes to meet back there.

"Nope," Katya said fast, shaking his head, and Alek looked at him worriedly.

"You said—"

"I don’t feel too good, sure, but I’ll be fine. This is your day. And we’re not leaving just because of one barbarian," Katya said, grumbling the last bit.

Alek caught it.

Katya had never once referred to Sergei as a barbarian. Not in the time they had known each other. And now, the omega looked pissed as hell, like he was about to chew Sergei’s head off.

For a moment, Alek almost preferred that thought to the one his instincts kept trying to feed him after the hallway encounter.

"Moy lyubim..." Alek trailed off, making Katya’s traitorous heart hammer inside his chest at that.

The way Sergei had talked to him was like all the stupid gloves were off. The way Sergei had sounded so good while scolding him indirectly. The way Sergei was staring at him and how he’d talked about being saved by the bell.

Sergei had called him Moy lyubim twice today, and both times Katya had almost melted.

So why wasn’t he having the same effect when Alek spoke those very words? Then again, he couldn’t exactly tell Alek to stop calling him that because somehow it only sounded right when Sergei said it.

Katya was doomed, and his sanity was definitely threatening to clock out on him.

Maybe he needed an antidote to this shit.

Or maybe he just needed five more minutes to breathe in Sergei...

Yeah, that was a very terrible idea.

How the hell was he even going to go into work tomorrow? Perhaps it was a good thing he’d shifted to the Research and Development floor?

Gods, Katya couldn’t think straight.

"I’m fine... Really. Just need to get away from this hallway, and all will be well. Besides, this day is just as important as the others, alpha. We can’t leave.

"We have to stay until the end, or log our hours and go home later," Katya said, trying to sound like he did earlier in the morning when he had tried to sound romantic and needy for Alek.

Right now?

He was almost disgusted by the very idea.

And it wasn’t a good thing.

Not for him.

And absolutely not in the way that his life was going to change because of that barbarian who— Oh, Katya.

"Alright, let’s go, but if you still don’t feel better after half an hour, we’re going home," Alek said with a tone of finality as he too tried to keep his mind away from the fact that Sergei had left a mark on his omega.

"Okay, alpha," Katya said softly, submissively.

That was enough for Alek because the alpha entwined their hands. Katya took one slow breath before letting Alek guide him back into the ballroom.

Only when they walked back in did Katya realize what this event was all about.

A charity gala.

Everyone here was either invested in doing charity work or letting themselves be the people who bankrolled charities across the city and nation.

And Katya’s heart swelled at that.

Aleksandr had always been a kind man, and it was sweet of him to get into things like this. So, Katya mingled beside him, stepping where Alek stepped.

He leaned into Alek because that’s what he always did, and it should have been as comforting as always. But this time... it didn’t.

Or maybe it was because Katya was doing everything right beside Alek, but his eyes kept finding Sergei every few seconds. And with each glance, Katya noticed the same thing...

The alpha didn’t mingle with women, omegas, or even betas.

He’d steered clear and only interacted with alphas, talking to them while laughing at things they said. Yet like Katya, each soft look was reserved for the omega.

Katya couldn’t even deny the relief he felt, not seeing Sergei mingling with women and omegas. He knew it was not his right because he was literally with his alpha boyfriend here, and maybe he was delusional.

But he couldn’t ignore the way Sergei smiled at him, ever so discreetly.

The way Sergei nodded at him was like the world held only the two of them.

"Alpha..." Katya breathed lowly, like he was reaching for the senator.

Aleksandr leaned toward him to hear what he was saying. Maybe his omega wasn’t feeling okay again.

Only that before Alek could speak, Sergei was right in front of them, already joining the conversation with other alphas.

And Katya almost staggered... again.

"Senator Aleksandr, I hope you don’t mind me complimenting your boyfriend this evening," Sergei said, a polite smile on his face as the alpha laughed harmlessly at the sudden courtesy.

"Outside work hours, he’s not just a Moskowsky chairman," Sergei said to someone before they all nodded.

Alek looked between Katya and Sergei.

His nervous omega and the smug alpha, then at the room.

He knew there and then that this man was testing his patience. He couldn’t say no, not without being seen as weird.

"Of course," Alek smiled, squeezing Katya’s hand in reassurance.

This wasn’t a compliment; it was an open challenge.

"You look breathtakingly beautiful today, Chairman Romanov," Sergei said, his eyes holding Katya’s.

The omega’s breath hitched as he squeezed Alek’s hand even harder.

And Alek noticed, again.