Chapter 353: Shadow Of Mine, Will You Let Me Stay?

[FROLO]

Work had been fine for Katya over the past few months. He had a good research partner. A supervisor he’d learned to work with without any hitches.

Friends who had been a little too busy over the months but still showed up for game night and Friday nights.

And a boyfriend who was just as busy as his friends, if not more, yet one who made it his mission to make sure Katya got his home-cooked breakfast and lunch.

It was a good routine, not to mention the fact that Sergei had been sending him lilies to make up for his absence, along with three bound lilies that were heavily rainforest-scented every single time there were flower deliveries.

It had been a good system because even though they rarely saw each other as much, Sergei still took care of him. Still was available whenever Katya wanted to rant about work or about his day.

The last batch of flowers that had come had come with a small box.

One that Katya had been excited to open, though a part of him knew Sergei probably put some ridiculous letter about how Greg needed to understand that Sergei was Katya’s alpha.

The alpha’s jealousy and inability to eliminate Greg was something Katya took advantage of, especially when he missed Sergei so much. So, with that last batch and the box, Katya didn’t have as many expectations.

Until he opened it.

And inside...

Was a black card in Katya Romanov’s name, a credit card with the name Solnyshka on it, and a key to a vault at the city bank. Something that Katya had realized was simply a three-tier vault that had gold, diamonds, and lots of things that Katya didn’t need.

He was well off already as a Romanov heir, not to mention he’d accumulated some good wealth over the years he worked. Sergei didn’t need to spoil him silly, yet the alpha had not listened to a single complaint Katya made.

If anything, the message that the flowers had come with at the time was simple.

"My beautiful Solnyshka, I’m sorry for not being around lately, lyubim. I know this won’t make up for my absence, but I hope you can use it to get yourself whatever you need, however you want to.

"I won’t take no for an answer, little wolf. Have a fantastic day, and I love you ~ S."

Katya had stared at that note the entire day, holding onto it like it was a treasure. But then for him it really was. The letters that came with the flowers were the reminder that Sergei was alive and well.

Sure, the breakfasts and lunches were proof too, but breakfasts were routine. Letters didn’t come with the same fonts and pens. They came differently.

Some were written in haste.

Some were written carefully.

And some were just scented blank papers, like Sergei was sending his scent over for Katya to remember him by.

So, when he came from the printing room and saw Greg’s usual smile whenever flowers or Sergei’s packages were sent, Katya knew his alpha had sent him something again.

And he was happy.

Excited. Elated even.

Then he got to his desk.

And instead of the usual lilies, he was met with roses. Not just any roses... They were roses in the same bouquet he’d been receiving for three years from a particular someone.

Katya froze, pissed more than glad he’d gotten flowers.

"Your secret admirer didn’t send lilies this time," Greg teased.

After the night out that had had this alpha drunk and wasted and with a Sergei who was so close to snapping his neck, Katya had sat Greg down and told him that they could only ever be friends.

That he was seeing someone, one whose identity was still secret because they were not at the stage to go public with each other yet.

Greg had wondered if it was Sergei, but Katya never answered. Instead, he just told the alpha that he didn’t want their relationship at work to be ruined because of something they both knew could never be.

"I’m Katya Romanov’s friend; what more could I ask for?" Greg had said then, and Katya wondered what that meant, only to realize later that it wasn’t even a malicious statement.

The man was just glad to be friends with the one omega who had unhinged friends. If anything, he considered it an honor. Again, Katya hadn’t paid attention to that as much, because he had made his point and Greg had respected it.

"Katya?" Greg asked when Katya didn’t say a word and kept staring at the lilies.

"Uhh, right. Looks like it," Katya said a little less enthusiastically, like that was not what he was hoping for.

"They’re not from your secret admirer, are they?" Greg asked once Katya sat.

It was like he could read Katya’s face, maybe because he was an alpha, or maybe because he knew Katya so well.

"No... Just someone I never wanted to see or hear about again," Katya sighed as he grabbed the flowers and threw them in the bin. He didn’t look at them twice.

"Won’t you read the note?" Greg asked curiously.

"You can if you want to," Katya said passively, and Greg looked at him before he walked over to the bin and grabbed the note that had come with the flowers.

"Little rose, how are you? I miss you. I’m really sorry about how things were between us. Please give me a chance to explain. I know it’s late, but please. I love you. I can’t live without you.

"I haven’t changed contacts. I really hope you let me apologize properly and love you right this time ~ Alek."

Greg stared at the note.

The first time.

The second.

And then...

"The Bratva rat?!" Greg screeched, making the entire floor turn to where they were.

"Sorry, guys," he said before turning to Katya, who was not even interested in the note that Alek had sent him.

Once upon a time, Katya had looked forward to roses and the sweet little notes that Aleksandr Petrov used to send him. But that had changed drastically.

And he wasn’t about to go back just because the man who had called him a whore was there playing good guy and sending flowers again.

"He doesn’t matter now," Katya said, and Greg sighed softly.

"Y’know, if you need a henchman, I’m more than willing to help you egg his car and cut his brakes," Greg offered, and Katya laughed at the absurdity.

He remembered threatening to egg Sergei’s helicopter back at the old Romanov manor, and now his work friend was offering to do the same for him.

"We’ll be arrested," Katya reasoned.

"Then we just have to do it at night while wearing masks so they won’t see our faces," Greg offered, and Katya laughed lightly at the difference between Greg and his best friends.

Greg was normal while his friends were on a different level of normal.

Maybe that was what he needed. Two sides of the same coin of normalcy that reminded him that life had to be lived even if his protectors were unhinged and his new friend was not as bad.

"If he sends them five more times, then I think we’ll have a reason to egg his car," Katya laughed.

Thankfully, Alek sent three more flower packages over the days.

But the next delivery wasn’t even at work.

It was at the Romanov manor.

Katya had gone home for the weekend.

Then the doorbell rang. Katya answered it, only to be met with a rose bouquet...

And Aleksandr Petrov in the flesh.