Chapter 337: Domesticating Wild Animals, An Unstable Test

[FROLO]

Katya was watching a movie in his penthouse when the emergency broadcast came through. It was so loud yet so silent at the same time.

A simple alert at nine in the evening, with the government alert following right after, was not what anyone in Frolo had thought the night would be like.

Yet here they were.

Katya stared at the two notifications and for a moment, he just sighed.

He wasn’t scared, strangely enough, which was weird given he was no longer the powerful chairman who ran Moskowsky. His connections were probably limited now that he’d left.

Yet the first thing that came to his mind...

"What are you up to, Vladimir..."

The shopkeeper only ever answered to Sergei Moskowsky. And the man was back in the limelight, triggering alerts like it was just a regular Tuesday.

"Are you alone?" his parents video called moments after the alert came through, and Katya smiled at them in reassurance. Even told them he was preparing to sleep.

They almost didn’t look convinced, not after he’d gone home wearing Sergei’s marks all over him.

Mr. Romanov had promised he would hunt Sergei down for that, and Katya had just laughed, even though a part of him knew his father was probably dead serious.

"I’ll be fine, mama. I’m a Romanov, remember? Besides, if I’m scared, I’ll just call Svet, Andre, and Vl—" Katya began, and his father cleared his throat roughly.

"Goodnight, Michka. Don’t let us keep you," the alpha said before hanging up.

Katya looked at his phone, considering his options. His friends were probably already sleeping, and he needed confirmation. Perhaps that was why he dialed Sergei.

After all, it wasn’t as late, right?

Sergei wasn’t asleep, no?

"I’ll just try," Katya said quietly as he dialed Sergei, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Meanwhile, in Moskowsky’s basement one, the shopkeeper was giving a briefing on how they would be working. Who their targets were. What they had to do first.

Then Sergei’s phone rang.

"Solnyshka calling," the automated identity bot announced.

Everyone turned to look at the alpha.

They knew who Solnyshka was to Sergei. Even Yaroslav had started making peace with that unfortunate truth that had already cost him the man he loved.

But his father getting a call from Katya?

Everyone expected Sergei to silence the call since they were busy.

But Sergei...

The alpha didn’t even look in Rastenkin’s direction when he pulled the phone from his suit pocket.

"Solnyshka," Sergei breathed.

"I got a notification about the shopkeeper... Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?" Katya asked on the other end of the call, and Sergei smiled sheepishly over the phone.

"You’re worried... About me?" Sergei asked, his voice too soft. Too light.

The Myrtles stared like they had never seen this side of Sergei. A man smiling from ear to ear like he had cracked the code to end the apocalypse and for people to live happily ever after.

Svet and Andre stared like they could not believe that this was real. This man was not serious now, was he?

"Of course I’m worried about you, Vladimir," Katya said softly as Sergei’s breaths slowed.

"I... I’m fine... Don’t worry about me," Sergei said, not even hiding the fact that he was whipped for the omega on that call.

"Okay. Don’t catch a cold... and don’t get hurt out there," Katya said, making Sergei smile wide.

Everyone in basement one had different reactions.

Yaroslav couldn’t hide his disgust and relief at the same time.

He looked like he was having a hard time reconciling the fact that his father had initiated his divorce, but at the same time his father looked happy, not to mention Katya was probably happy too.

The Myrtles couldn’t even let out proper groans because this was the newest of sights to them.

No amount of training would ever have prepared them for this. Because honestly, it was one thing to know that they were in basement one planning a war in the name of Katya Romanov.

But it was another to watch their boss smile sheepishly over the same omega.

Anya and the rest of the Romanov camp weren’t even surprised anymore. They’d been dealing with a lovesick Sergei for years now. This was their normal.

"I’ll try my very best, Solnyshka," Sergei said, knowing he couldn’t make a promise to Katya regarding his operations.

In the life Sergei had chosen, things could change in mere moments, and the promise of forever was something that could be put to the test in mere seconds.

"Stay safe... my alpha," Katya said sternly, and of course Sergei let out a soft chuckle.

"For you, my beautiful Solnyshka, always. Goodnight, lyubim," Sergei said.

And he didn’t hang up yet.

Waited for Katya to hang up.

And the omega...

He didn’t hang up fifteen minutes later. But Sergei did.

Because he could hear his omega’s soft breathing on the other side.

His omega was asleep.

"Unbelievable," Anya groaned, glaring at Sergei, who had made them wait in silence for fifteen minutes. This man was unhinged and sickeningly in love.

"I couldn’t hang up on him," Sergei said like it was a fact that everyone in the room needed to get accustomed to.

And his eyes instinctively went to his son.

But Yaroslav wasn’t looking at him.

The beta was scribbling hard in his notebook.

And for the rest of the meeting, Yaro didn’t meet his father’s eyes despite feeling the alpha’s eyes on him.

The briefing resumed for another hour before they all had to leave for the night.

Yaroslav left the meeting first. Sergei didn’t follow.

He couldn’t.

The wounds were too fresh.

And that was his son. His little boy. The one fate had decided to tangle him with. But what the fuck was Sergei supposed to do in a game where hearts were never forced to love?

"Sergio," Rastenkin called when everyone had already left, and Sergei still sat in the room, like he was contemplating what to do or say.

He didn’t know, really.

There was nothing he could say to make things better.

"I’m in the wrong this time, Rastenkin. And I don’t know what to do or say that will make the relationship better. My son...

"He tolerates me at this point, which I deserve," Sergei laughed sadly, the memory of Yaroslav not looking at him throughout the meeting tearing through his heart.

He had hurt his son. Nothing would ever change that. No amount of apologies would fix that. And Sergei couldn’t even let Katya go because Katya was finally happy. What a conundrum it was for him.

"Relationships take effort, little Sergio," Rastenkin said, taking the seat next to the alpha’s.

"Mine with my son is doomed already. The only choice I have is to let Solnyshka go... But... I’m not strong enough to keep doing things without him. Maybe I’m selfish, but he chose me willingly.

"I know it’s not a competition... but it doesn’t get any better," Sergei said tiredly.

He loved his son.

He would give up the world for his son.

His life too.

But would Sergei give up his world for his son?

"If it was doomed, the boy wouldn’t have stayed in the meeting after the call. He is angry; that only means he cares. You were like him once, stubborn, brittle—"

"But solnys—"

"You’ll find a way around this. I taught you better. Now, go to bed; you have a long day tomorrow, kid."

Sergei didn’t complain.

Just got up and left.