Page 10

That evening, I got an unpleasant surprise at home. My father entered my room without knocking.

I was in the middle of sketching another ice elf, one whose facial features bore, of course, a striking resemblance to a certain someone who absolutely hated my guts.

One could say I didn’t learn anything from my little back and forth with Winter. And one would be right. I guess there was no way to pin me down and turn me into a good boy.

Father didn’t bother to say ‘hello’, or ‘how are you’. He got right to the chase.

"Director Nolan told me you’ve been bothering him. Are you trying to sabotage this job from the start by playing some weird game, just because I wanted you to work there? Do you just have to be a contrarian, Sariel?"

My eyes almost bulged. "What game? For fuck’s sake, I just helped the man with his goddamn car battery!"

"If you wanted to be a mechanic, you could’ve just told me!"

That sounded completely absurd. I stared at him for a moment, noticing a strange stirring in his body, almost on a subliminal level. There was no way we’d ever see eye to eye. That much was clear.

"I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to help someone in need." My voice surprised even me, it stayed calm and assertive.

But there was no reaching him.

"Leave him alone. Do your job and stay out of Winter’s way."

"Why are you taking his side, Father? I’m your son. Other parents—"

"What do you mean, 'taking sides'?! You’re talking and thinking like a teenager. Get a grip, Sariel. Grow up."

"Are you in love with Winter or something?!" I snapped.

My father flinched, then suddenly pressed both hands to his face like he never wanted to look at me again, like I was a hopeless case. Or like he wanted to cover his expression, for whatever reason.

"For the love of God, Sariel." His voice had a strange edge to it. "What am I going to do with you… Leave Winter alone. That’s an order. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" I snarled.

He lowered his hands. His gaze was just… really, I couldn’t describe it if I wanted to.

Then he slowly turned his eyes to the screen, noticing the elf, but his expression didn’t change.

Then I froze. The drawings!

Did Winter also tell him about it? Blinking nervously, I studied my father’s face, waiting for him to comment on it, but he was silent.

Just to try it, I muttered, "Did he mention something about a dress code?"

Father glanced at me blankly. "What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

Then suddenly he stood, and just like that, stormed out.

What’s gotten into him today?

Once he left, I stared down at the drawing, at the contours of the face I was pulling out of nothingness.

Winter badmouthed me to my father. But he didn’t tell him about the drawings!

The question was: why?

And me? What the hell was wrong with me?

Why, instead of just leaving the spiteful director alone, did I want… want… I just wanted him to look at me without this fucking hatred. That was it! How wonderful it would be if things were just normal. Was that really too much to ask?

***

The next day, I made sure to avoid Winter at all costs.

Once, I spotted him coming down the hallway from the opposite direction. Our eyes met. I stopped, turned on my heel, and went back to the employee lounge. I only came out once I was sure he had passed.

Another time, I saw him by the elevator.

Our eyes met. I stopped. Turned around. Took the stairs instead.

‘Leave him alone’, Father said. Fine. If that’s how it was going to be, then so be it.

At the end of the workday, I took the elevator down. I still had to pick up a folder from reception, something a sick employee’s partner had dropped off for Manager Lorens. There was a short line at the reception desk, so I waited.

That’s when I saw Winter again.

He was standing by the glass wall that separated the lobby from the parking lot, phone in hand. His whole posture radiated tension. I sensed it immediately, as if the whole room had gone silent. No one else registered, just Winter.

My mortal enemy, the fucking snitch.

And I knew he’d been waiting for his Uber for a while. How did I know that? Don’t ask.

Winter seemed aware of my presence too, because suddenly, he turned around like he could physically feel my gaze on him. His eyes landed on me, standing still in line.

His lips were pursed, his eyebrows furrowed. Intense frustration.

He leaned over his screen, tapping it. Thanks to my hearing, I caught it, he swore under his breath. Did his Uber cancel on him?

Something pushed me out of the line, almost like it wasn’t even my decision. My legs just moved toward him.

I was breaking my father’s direct order.

And Winter’s.

"Director, I know you don’t want to interact with me, and my father graciously relayed your complaint, so I’m well aware I should not do it, but I see your Uber is late, and you seem in a hurry. If I can give you a ride anywhere—"

"No, thank you."

If words had colors, his would be the shade of arctic snow. He turned back to stare out at the rain-slicked parking lot.

Gosh, so much hostility, I could swim in it.

Okay. I stepped back into the line.

Stood there for a moment.

And Winter kept waiting.

And the rain kept falling.

His whole body was wound tight with nerves. It was way too obvious he was in a hurry. I was pretty sure he struggled to ask for my help, after fucking snitching on me to my father!

When it was my turn, I picked up the folder and tucked it into my bag. I intended to give it to Lorens in the morning.

On my way out, I sent Winter one last, calm glance. Our eyes met again. His long, white lashes flickered. There was something in his energy… I slowed down. Stopped by the glass.

What should I do? Ignore this? I could feel it, he was in a desperate situation.

It was even overshadowing his irritation at my constant presence. His hostility had slightly diminished.

We stood side by side, staring at the rain-drenched parking lot.

His Uber wasn’t coming. He kept checking his phone. Over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the app’s red notification. I couldn’t read it, but I could guess what it meant: his ride had been canceled again .

"There’s a big conference at the hotel next door," I murmured. "Ubers are booked up."

Winter clenched his jaw. Surely he was holding back an unpleasant response. But after a few moments, something must have dawned on him. He didn’t have time for this. Finally, he turned to me, his pale silver-gray eyes locking onto my face.

"I accept the ride," he said, like the words were broken glass in his throat. Like it physically hurt him to say it.

A lot. It must’ve cost him a lot.

"But where I need to go is pretty far. It'll take at least half an hour," he warned.

"No problem. I’ve got nothing better to do. The drawing can wait."

His eyes landed on my chest. And here it was. A new scene:

An elf prince was leaning toward the ear of a haughty human king who looked like a twin of my father, whispering something, his face full of anger.

I was on my knees, bowed low, my back stripped bare, streaked with long, raw, angry welts left by the whip, vivid beneath the torchlight.

Winter’s eyes bored into the picture with searing intensity, though his face seemed overall fairly calm. It was a somehow odd contrast.

After analyzing it for a few seconds, he straightened up, and his eyes locked with mine. I was almost sure he was gonna comment on the scene, but he didn't!

On a certain level, his body was radiating some tense, disgruntled energy, but he only let out a sharp exhale and bit out, "Fine. Let’s go."

We moved in sync, sprinting across the parking lot as the rain pounded down. Winter kept pace effortlessly—hell, if we were racing, I wasn’t sure I’d win.

I unlocked my car remotely, and we both slid inside at the same time.

"Jeez, it’s pouring out there," I muttered. "Alright, where to?"

Winter’s face was dotted with a few translucent raindrops; two slid down from his brows and shimmered on his white lashes. He tapped something on his phone, then turned the screen toward me, showing a GPS map.

"Here," he said shortly.

"That’s… a college campus?"

"Yes. I have a lecture there."

I’ll admit, that threw me for a loop.

I started the car and pulled into traffic. Should I start some small talk with my snitching, hateful boss? Nah, I shouldn’t.

"You work at a college, too?"

Yeah, I failed.

Winter was quiet, possibly having similar objections, but then he let out a soft huff.

"I wouldn’t call it work. I do it at your father’s request."

For a second, I didn’t understand what he meant. Winter wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed out the window.

"At his request?"

His reluctance to talk absolutely saturated his energy, but he still explained, his tone forced into patience:

"Your father occasionally asks me to give guest lectures at different college campuses. It’s meant to help recruit talented students for DevApp."

"What’s the topic of this lecture?"

Fuck! Why did the words keep flying out of my unruly mouth? I didn’t really want to talk to him. He most likely shared my sentiment. His jaw tensed slightly as he threw out with a slight grunt,

"Effective AI Implementation Methods in Game Development."

"That actually sounds really interesting."

"At DevApp, we pride ourselves on combining human creativity with the power of AI to create an ethical and efficient work experience."

That sounded like a slogan, he memorized. I noticed that he said ‘we’, as if, in some way, he identified with the company’s mission and saw it as his own.

Winter had worked for my father almost from the very beginning, when the company was still small, just starting out, so in a way, he was a co-creator of it. I recalled what he had said during our memorable first meeting in his office.

Either him or me.

Resigning because of me would’ve been a difficult decision for him.

But the worst was yet to come.

"That’s an interesting topic. I’d like to sit in on it. You wouldn’t mind if I stayed?"

Yep, I actually said it. Did I have a death wish? Possibly so. Hanging around in the lion’s den much?

I sensed rather than saw Winter’s surprise, but he just shrugged slightly.

"I don’t care. It’s an open lecture. Anyone can attend," he said in the same aloof, dismissive tone.

"Great."

Maybe my father was right. Was it a game? I knew Winter hated me, partly for just being who I was by nature, and partly because I was the boss’s son. So why, for some reason, did I feel a strong urge to bask in his prickly presence a little longer? It made no sense, went against all logic and reason.

Masochistic? Possibly.

A form of silly activity because I was bored in this job anyway. It looked like, without my full consent, I was playing some weird, risky game with my own self-preservation instincts.

We drove in silence for a long while.

Neither Winter nor I had any good conversation topics on hand, both basically considering ourselves enemies.

Driving, I had a bit of time to think, and I remembered that my father was always careful when choosing words to describe his employees, mainly speaking about Winter’s attitude toward alphas working in the tech industry, but once or twice he’d slipped and said that Winter had never been interested in relationships with alphas. He even took pride in that fact, just like my father, who also never once dated an alpha.

They understood each other well on that subject and, together, shaped the company’s HR policy to ensure that alphas weren’t a thing here.

I put some half-hearted effort into coming up with an interesting topic for a conversation, but I failed. What could we even talk about? We never should’ve ended up in the same car.

Stuck in traffic, both of us stared blankly at the endless line of cars. Winter was clearly getting more and more tense, glancing at his phone every now and then. And I was glancing at him…

His profile was almost statuesque. Those strange white eyebrows and lashes gave him a distinctive aura.

I wondered why he never darkened them. A little bit of henna, and he’d look much more conventional, more ‘acceptable’ to most people.

But it was one more thing I secretly admired about Winter: he seemed so… unapologetic. He clearly didn’t care what others thought. Those were his eyelashes, and he wasn’t going to hide them.

They looked as if they’d been touched by frost, a strikingly artistic effect.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"If you must," he said, in exactly the tone I expected, like the crack of a whip. Was I starting to like it?

"Did your brother manage to win over that tattooed beta?"

I knew it was a bit inappropriate, maybe even provocative. And I got exactly the kind of reaction I probably deserved.

"What kind of question is that? We’re neither colleagues nor friends, so why would I discuss my family with you?"

Another lash of the whip. Scolded like a misbehaving kid, I bit my lip lightly.

Technically, he was right. It wasn’t my business. The question had been somewhat intrusive. But I just wanted… to get some kind of reaction out of him. Though maybe not one that would make him hate me even more.

"Sorry, you’re right, Director. I just happened to see them both in the cafeteria, and, well, your brother is a very attractive alpha. That beta, though… I wouldn’t say he’s ugly, but he’s definitely unconventional."

Winter’s brows drew together.

"Soren is a very capable and talented employee. As his director, that is the only thing that concerns me. I have nothing else to say on the matter." His voice, of course, sharp as the edge of a knife scraping across glass.

Well, great. Now the atmosphere was even worse. The rest of the drive passed in absolute silence.

Finally, I pulled into the campus parking lot. We both got out.

It was only drizzling now, but the wind had a sharp chill to it.

I kind of regretted saying I’d attend the lecture. Maybe that hadn’t been the best idea. But it felt awkward to back out now.

Still in silence, one step behind him, I followed Winter into the white college building. I had the feeling we’d arrived almost exactly on time, maybe just a minute early. Winter knew where to go, clearly, this wasn’t his first lecture here.

Soon, we entered a large hall. I was surprised to see it was already packed with students! The front row was completely taken, so I had to settle for a seat in the third row, where I managed to find a single empty spot.

Winter greeted the students and said a few words about himself, as an alumnus of the college who had interned at DevApp during his studies. He spoke about the company’s mission, its main areas of interest, and its flagship projects. Then, he encouraged students to apply for internships starting next semester.

After that, he moved on to the main part of the lecture.

I have to admit, I listened with interest, even though this wasn’t my field or something I planned to specialize in. But Winter presented everything in such a clear, accessible, and engaging way. His naturally precise and to-the-point nature came through, he didn’t waste time on fluff. He only shared useful and intriguing facts and insights.

During the entire lecture, I caught his gaze flickering over my face maybe two or three times. Each time, I felt a strange, subtle shiver. But aside from that, he remained completely focused on his words.

Before I even realized it, the lecture was over.

As soon as he finished speaking, I got up to slip past the row of students who were also beginning to file out of their seats, and headed toward him. He was packing up his tablet.

"Great lecture. Even though it’s not my specialty, I was really engaged the whole time. You presented it in a very compelling way, Director," I said, my tone maybe a little too flattering. But he deserved the praise. He was genuinely good at this.

If I had expected that flattery would get me anywhere with Winter, I was sorely mistaken. He shot me a brief look but didn’t say a single word, not even a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘glad you liked it’.

I cleared my throat. "I’d be happy to give you a ride home. I have to head back downtown anyway."

Winter gave me a short nod.

Nothing more. Well, fine. We both walked toward the exit of the lecture hall, pushing our way through the stream of students still filing out.

But just as we stepped outside the hall, I saw a beta standing near the door, clearly waiting for Winter.

"Winter!"

Director Nolan turned toward him, and I saw a brief flicker of surprise on his face, followed by… something else. A strange hint of displeasure, as if he hadn’t expected to run into this person here.

What happened next caught me off guard in a way I didn’t quite like.

The beta walked up to Winter and, for a brief moment, wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close. He didn’t kiss him, just a short embrace, the kind longtime boyfriends might exchange.

So, there was someone who had tasted those sweet lips of Winter’s, after all.

The man was about the same height as Winter, maybe half an inch taller. He had black hair styled into a faded mohawk and was conventionally attractive, with a strong, rectangular jawline and well-defined features.

He was seriously built, if not for his height and the lack of Allure scent, he could have easily been mistaken for an alpha. What was it with these betas who trained so intensely? There was a rumor that some of them, the so-called ‘alpha wannabes’, bulked up on purpose, to more closely resemble alphas.

I was good at reading the energy between people, and I could tell right away, these two were in an intimate relationship.

I slowed my pace, then took a step back to give them some space.

At first, the dark-haired beta didn’t notice me. Maybe he assumed I was just one of the students attending the lecture.

"Hey, I had no idea you’d be here today. I thought your lecture was next week."

"No." Winter cleared his throat, and I could hear a faint trace of embarrassment in his tone. "The dean moved it up."

"Wanna grab dinner?" the beta asked. By now, most of the students had dispersed, and since I was still standing about two yards away, he must’ve realized I wasn’t just some random attendee.

His gaze turned toward me, curious.

Winter noticed and muttered, "Uh, this is one of my employees. My car broke down, and he gave me a ride."

"You could’ve just told me—"

"No need, Finn. I’ve got a lot of work tonight. I need to get home and finish two reports."

A shadow of disappointment flickered across the beta’s face, like he’d been hoping their dinner plans would still happen. But I… felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Why, though? Why did I even care?

"Want me to come over tomorrow?" he asked, his voice low, almost sensual, like he naively thought I wouldn’t hear it. But of course, what seemed quiet to a beta was crystal clear to me, as if he’d whispered it right into my ear.

Winter shook his head. "I need to catch up on reports this weekend. I’ll let you know when things ease up a bit."

The beta's face changed, as if some energy was leaving him.

"Alright, later then," Winter mumbled, turning away.

Just before he left, I caught the beta’s hand graze Winter’s forearm in a fleeting touch. But Winter pulled back and, with an odd look on his face, quickly turned toward the building exit.

I followed after him, feeling the weight of the beta’s gaze on my back.

Were they boyfriends? I wasn’t entirely sure. They definitely didn’t live together. I was well aware I had no business asking. All these thoughts were just circling in my head for no real reason.

We got into the car.

Winter seemed… off. Though honestly, it was more of a feeling I got from him than anything I could see. His expression was the same as always, indifferent.

I decided to steer the conversation toward some neutral topics, something that might help distract him from whatever strange thoughts were clouding his mind.

"Do a lot of the students who attend these lectures end up applying for internships at DevApp?"

Winter snapped out of the deep contemplation he’d been lost in.

"It’s hard to say if the lecture itself is the reason, but we do keep stats on which colleges send us the most interns. And yeah, quite a few come from here."

He spoke in an absent-minded tone, his gaze still locked on the window.

Was he still thinking about that guy? Was it something serious? Something new? But then, why turn him down? Or… was it something already ending? Was that why Winter wasn’t eager to spend time with the guy?

For a brief moment, I caught myself wondering about his sex life. I barely recognized myself, since when was I interested in what my hostile director did in bed? And yet, my thoughts veered toward the question of who was on top and who was the bottom.

Just out of curiosity, I tried to picture it: Winter beneath that black-haired beta, his legs spread, breath hitching as the guy thrust into him. Then, I flipped the scenario, imagining Winter taking the lead instead. Neither image fully fit. I had no idea what their dynamic was. Honestly, it could go either way.

My gaze drifted to his hand. His skin was pale, not just the usual fair complexion with a pinkish hue like most people in my family, but something else entirely. White like snow.

We stopped at a red light, and I turned my head to glance at Winter’s profile again.

God, I was being ridiculous. Too much staring, too tempting.

His lips caught my attention again, he was biting them slightly, still deep in thought. I could feel it in his aura, something was on his mind, gnawing at him intensely.

My eyes traced the sharp line of his cheekbones, the strong angle of his jaw. Then, his neck. For a split second, I imagined brushing my lips against his skin, tracing the line of his throat, drawing a long, soft moan from him…

What the hell?

I snapped myself out of it immediately.

Fate, have mercy on me! What was wrong with my head? Getting turned on by some cold, distant, and outright rude man?

Was I just being a contrarian, like my father always claimed?

For a while, I pondered why I even found his looks appealing.

There was something enchanting about his snowiness, his translucence, even those silver eyes of his. Sometimes, in movies, vampires were depicted like that, glowing, eerie, nearly fluorescent in the dark.

And his whole demeanor, his untouchable, aristocratic air…

Was he like that in bed too? Cold and impassive? Or was that where he changed? People had layers, hidden depths you’d never guess from the surface.

Yes. I was thinking way too much about this. I needed to stop.

For the next ten minutes, I focused on the road. We drove in silence.

Turned out, Winter lived surprisingly close to me, in one of those high-rise apartment buildings downtown.

His address was actually right along my usual route from my parents' neighborhood to the company. No wonder he had such a short commute. I pointed it out.

"If your car’s still not sorted by tomorrow, I can pick you up," I offered.

But Winter turned to me and, in a cold voice, said, "I really appreciate your help, Lowen, but let’s not make a habit of this. I’ll manage."

"As you wish, Director. But the offer stands."

He didn’t respond. Just kept looking out the window, avoiding my gaze.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of his building. Only then did he finally grant me a brief look.

"Thanks for the ride. See you at work."

"I really enjoyed your lecture," I said honestly. "If you give another one, let me know. I’d love to attend."

Winter gave me a stiff nod, then turned and walked toward the entrance without another word.

And that was that.

I sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel.

Why the hell did I say that? What was I even doing?

It’s not like I wanted—

I let out a short, humorless laugh and pressed my forehead against the wheel.

What did I truly want from him?

Winter was thirty-four. I was twenty-two. There was no possible scenario where anything—ever—could happen between us.

That thought alone was ridiculous. I laughed again, loud and abrupt, almost like a lunatic. I must’ve been losing it. Some kind of mental breakdown.

Without another thought, I started the engine, made a U-turn, and took the road leading to Blue’s apartment.

It was already evening. Chances were, he’d be home.

After all, it’s not like he had a love life to keep him busy.

***

Sure enough, after pushing my way past his security detail, I found myself in Blue’s rooftop apartment.

But he didn’t look great. His eyes were puffy, he seemed exhausted, and his usual energy just wasn’t there.

He offered me coffee, but I declined. Instead, we stepped out onto his terrace and settled into our usual spot by the edge of the pool. Even though it was already dark, his rooftop garden was illuminated with almost fairy-tale-like lighting, highlighting the decorative shapes of the trees planted in massive, built-in planters designed to seamlessly integrate with the garden’s layout.

For a while, I just took in the aesthetic beauty of the place, my gaze lingering on the softly glowing, greenish surface of the pool. Then, I glanced at Blue again.

He was leaning back against the headrest of a lounge chair, staring at the sky. His usual glass tablet wasn’t on his lap, he wasn’t working! That was surprising.

"You look like shit," I said honestly, cracking a grin.

"Thanks for the lovely compliment," he muttered.

"Seriously, what happened? I can tell something’s wrecked you."

Blue kept his head tilted up, still looking at the cloudy night sky.

"I spoke with Detective Arnold. He had bad news for me."

"About that assassination attempt?"

"Yeah. The detective informed me that Danielson, the guy who’s been working in my security detail, was actually a mole. They arrested him today. He worked for me for seven years! I thought I could trust him. Right now, pretty much all my bodyguards are just new hires, and their backgrounds aren’t fully vetted yet."

I studied him for a moment. I knew Blue kept his guard up, always presenting himself to the world as fearless and unwavering, a man who wouldn’t let anything shake him and who lived by his own uncompromising rules.

But I could see through it. The shadow of fear beneath the surface. He wasn’t reckless, he wanted to live.

"Anzo’s oldest nephew, Rocco, took control of the mafia structure. That’s what the detective told me. Apparently, he’s a real psychopath. The kind of guy who doesn’t care about politics or ideology, but when he sets his sights on something, he doesn’t let it go. And his right hand is his younger brother, Luca, a purple alpha, so… yeah. Double the crazy."

I watched him with quiet sympathy. Over the years, he’d survived multiple attempts on his life. Being the head of a pharmaceutical corporation was just one part of his problems. But it was his involvement in certain side projects that had made him even more controversial in the public eye.

There were memes about him everywhere, most of them twisting his words from interviews to make him look like some kind of lunatic who wanted to destroy the beta community, who aimed to make people dependent on suppressants, heat blockers, and an endless supply of pharmaceuticals flooding the market.

Entire online groups were dedicated to spreading misinformation and outright hate against him.

He had to live with that every single day. Lonely…

"I don’t even know what to say. That’s a tough deal," I admitted. "You always said that every man has a price. I guess they could buy off anyone… well, anyone except me. I don’t care about money that much, to be honest. All they could do is threaten me."

Blue let out an irritated huff and shrugged, but I could tell he wasn’t as indifferent as he pretended to be. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"You might be onto something," he admitted. "Maybe only people who are truly close to me would be harder to bribe. But, well, I can’t exactly hire my nephews as bodyguards, can I?"

I watched him. He was so small. Frail. Delicate. His sapphire-blue eyes held a bitterness, a sadness… one he usually kept well hidden.

"I feel for you. This situation seems impossible," I said. "The mafia can get to anyone, and their methods are brutal. It’s a damn shame you ended up on their hit list."

"You know," Blue murmured, "there’s something I’ve been thinking about. Something happened during that last assassination attempt. The one two weeks ago at the matchmaking agency."

I raised my eyebrows. "What happened?"

Blue seemed in no hurry to tell me. He sighed, rubbing his temple. Was he… embarrassed? Him?

"Let’s just say one of the agency’s employees told me something. He encouraged me to attend a marriage contract open fair this weekend. Kept pushing me to show up."

I blinked.

He sounded like he was out of his damn mind.

"Blue, I know you’re a scientist, and you’ve got an open mind, but I think your brain just flew right out of your skull! You can’t be serious. Some guy from a matchmaking agency tells you to attend their event, wow, what a coincidence! And what, exactly? You’re supposed to go there and… find yourself a husband?"

Blue closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath, probably a curse.

"Sariel, believe me, I’ve got huge doubts about this myself. The guy was weird as hell. I don’t want to get into details because I feel like if I told you everything, you’d change your opinion on the whole thing. But in the end, the decision is mine to make."

I turned toward him; we locked eyes with intensity.

"Blue, please. I beg you. Be careful. You know how people act around Lowens. Since we were kids, our parents drilled it into us, people don’t see us as just regular guys. They see walking bags of money. If someone has a chance to scam a rich man, to rope him into some bullshit service, they’ll take it. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let some random employee talk you into something just so their company can profit off you."

Blue scoffed. "Hey, I know all that, Sariel. I’m extremely skeptical. But, you know…" He glanced at me sideways. "I’ve never actually been to one of those open fairs. I’ve always been curious. It’s kind of like cattle trading, all these guys sitting in glass booths while potential buyers walk around, check them out, and decide whether or not to buy their marriage contracts. A total circus. I’ve wanted to go a few times just as a spectator, just to see the weird exhibition. Maybe I’ll let myself be talked into it. Who knows?"

"That doesn’t tempt me at all," I muttered. "The whole thing is disgusting. It’s like slave trading."

"Come on, Sariel. These people get millions in their bank accounts. No one is selling them, they willingly offer themselves up for display. That’s a far cry from slavery," he shot back.

"You’re joking, right? Most of these people are desperate. They don’t have any other way to find a partner in a normal life, so they’re grasping at their last chance. I read about it once, these folks are leftovers, the ones with serious problems that nobody wants. They’re hoping for a miracle—"

Blue scoffed, slightly offended. "Don’t talk about people like that. Anyone can hit rock bottom, and everyone has the right to look for happiness and hope for a second chance."

"That doesn’t mean you should be looking for someone among those ‘second chances’. You have a much bigger pool to choose from."

He flinched. His gaze drifted away from the sky and locked onto me.

"Oh, really?"

A flicker of bitterness crossed his face. "My reproductive organs were removed when I was fifteen. Two years later, they took my glands too, after an infection set in. I’m sterile. I have almost no sex drive. Do you honestly think I’m anyone’s ideal partner? Maybe I’m the ‘leftover’ here, Sariel?" His voice trembled slightly.

I swallowed hard, staring at Blue for a long moment, unsure how to respond. To me, he was anything but a ‘leftover’. With his brilliant mind and talent, he deserved a good partner.

"I just…" I hesitated. "I didn’t think you even wanted someone. You told me just last week, ‘all or nothing’."

Blue squeezed his eyes shut. He looked like he was in pain.

"I did. But I never said I was going there to find someone, Sariel. Don’t put words in my mouth. I said I was going to watch. Out of curiosity. It would take a miracle, a real miracle, for me to meet someone there whose contract I’d actually want to buy."

Dramatically, I threw my hands up.

"I’m begging you, Blue, don’t do this. Don’t buy a contract there. That’s insane. Those alphas, they could be total psychos, criminals, and you’re so small—"

"Calm down," he interrupted. "First of all, they’re required to disclose that in their CVs, which I can read before signing anything—"

"Oh, come on. You really think that kind of stuff can’t be hidden? The first thing a psycho would do is cover up any incriminating facts about himself—"

Blue closed his eyes and spoke calmly.

"Sariel, please. Get a grip. You’re not helping right now. I already know all the risks, I’ve thought about them myself. I’m careful. Believe me, I wouldn’t make a decision based on impulse, or on some random matchmaking agent’s suggestion. So, how about a little trust, okay?"

We stared each other down for a moment. I thought he was being ridiculous, but what could I do? I sighed.

"Fine. Sorry. Not my business, Blue," I muttered grudgingly. "It’s not that I don’t trust your judgment, it’s just… you know, considering you’re so completely inexperienced—"

Blue’s eyes widened.

"Oh, and you are? You’re just as much of a virgin as I am. We could give each other advice and still be running in circles. You don’t know any more than I do, and you’ve lived half as long."

Silence. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I only said all that because I care about you. No need to get so defensive," I mumbled, turning my gaze toward the pool.

"I appreciate it. But I know exactly what I’m doing. And don’t worry, I won’t do anything that would put me at risk. I’m not an idiot."

I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to push the conversation any further because I knew we wouldn’t see eye to eye on this. Blue was in a weird mood. Arnold’s news must have really shaken him. Maybe he thought he was going to die before he even got the chance to… Ugh. No. Stop.

I decided to change the subject, to something just as uncomfortable.

"Okay, now I’m gonna tell you something troubling. I’m still having those weird fantasies about my boss."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you heard me. Crazy, right? He’s openly hostile toward me. He snitched on me to my father."

"Uh… wait. Are you… attracted to him?"

"Yes."

Did I say it out loud? Unbelievable.

Blue raised an eyebrow. "That guy looks like an albino. Seriously, you find that appealing?"

A sudden wave of irritation hit me, along with the urge to defend Winter.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake. Are you seriously judging him for his looks? He has no control over that!"

Blue pursed his lips in disdain. "That’s not what I meant. I just didn’t think you had such… unusual taste."

"And what’s so bad about that? For all we know, other people think we’re the freaks with our weird hair colors."

Blue studied me for a moment.

"Are you actually into Winter? Or is this some kind of masochistic thing, toxic attraction? You into people who hate you or something?"

I scoffed and looked away. "A few fantasies about him doesn’t mean I would want to marry him, geez! But I regret bringing it up now because you’re in a shitty mood today."

"Yeah, well, you would be too if you knew you might get blown to bits tomorrow. Planting a bomb is child’s play for a mafia hitman."

Silence settled between us. We both sat there, tense, miserable, filled with bad feelings.

Eventually, I stood up. It was clear that staying here any longer wouldn’t do either of us any good. We weren’t exactly lifting each other’s spirits.

"I’m gonna go be miserable on my own now," I muttered, heading for the exit. "Let me know how it goes at this marriage contract open fair."

"Sure," Blue muttered back, just as sullen. He stayed where he was, staring at the floor. I glanced back at him one last time.

So tiny. So defenseless.

All that genius, and any alpha could snap his neck with their bare hands in a fraction of a second…

For a moment, I felt kind of stupid, maybe I should have been more understanding? His life had been much harder than mine, but clearly, like anyone else, he wanted to change that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even considered going to that fair.

What could he have expected to find there? But he did say all or nothing. Maybe, deep down, he dreamed of having everything . Of finding love with someone who could truly accept him for who he was. Because really, was there anyone in this world who didn’t want to be loved like that?