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I didn’t pick up my prize for a few days. I had no idea why I even entered that stupid raffle. Probably out of boredom, just something to occupy my thoughts.

Ever since that bizarre yet interesting interaction with Winter by the elevator, I’d been walking around like my feet weren’t even touching the ground. I couldn’t shake it. My mind kept circling back to that moment, Winter’s face, stunned, like I’d never seen it before. For a second, his carefully controlled mask had slipped, and underneath… there was something else. Something even he didn’t seem to recognize in himself.

For a few minutes, it was like he’d thawed.

Unbelievable.

Was that layer of ice really so thin? Was he just barely holding it together most of the time?

Three days after getting the email, I finally dragged myself to HR to claim my prize.

And wow, was I in for a surprise.

It was a small glass figurine, an ice elf!

What the fuck, Fate? Are you messing with me?

As I left HR, I passed Winter’s brother, Skye. He gave me a surprised look but didn’t say anything, just walked past.

For a second, I thought about stopping him, starting a conversation. Maybe it would’ve helped smooth things over with Winter? But I didn’t have the guts. I ran into him a few times in the elevator, but he always seemed lost in his own world. I didn’t want to intrude.

Back at my desk, I set the figurine down, earning a few curious glances from my coworkers, then went back to work.

Drawing icons.

My one hundred thirtieth icon…

The next morning started off a little differently, though. I suddenly remembered. Blue had gone to that whole marriage contract open fair.

I figured I’d give him a call.

So I tried once.

No answer.

Went to work, got through most of the day, then tried again. Still nothing.

A small prickle of unease started creeping in. What was up with that?

Finally, later, while sitting in the cafeteria, I called again. And this time, he actually picked up.

"Hey, what’s up?" I asked right away. "Why haven’t you been answering?"

"I had a lot to take care of," he said shortly. "Did you need something?"

"Not really, just wanted to check in. So… did you go to that fair or not? Any interesting news?"

Silence.

A weird silence.

A tense silence.

"Nothing worth mentioning," he muttered vaguely. "Anyway, I gotta go. Heading into a board meeting."

"Uh, right. I just thought you might tell me something about the fair or—"

"Nothing to talk about. Gotta run. Take care."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The asshole hung up on me.

Was his behavior a little suspicious, or maybe he really was rushing to a meeting? But there was something in his tone, some kind of tension.

Just in case, I checked the news to see if there were any reports about Blue Lowen being kidnapped. What if I’d just called him while he was in a hostage situation? But there was nothing of the sort.

I decided I’d try calling him again later, just to make sure everything was actually fine.

After work, where I’d unfortunately failed to run into Winter, I headed home.

During yet another dull dinner, where Vren was rambling about how he’d humiliated another manager (an alpha!—which made it all the more satisfying for him) by pointing out errors in some Excel formula, I excused myself, retreated to my room, collapsed onto the couch, and made one last attempt to call Blue.

This time, he picked up immediately.

"Okay, don’t brush me off now, or I’m gonna start worrying someone actually kidnapped you, and you’re only allowed to give me vague answers."

He let out an irritated huff. "No one kidnapped me. I’m fine. I just have a shitload of work. The Japanese government reached out to me again, they’re interested in my expertise for their new Beta Activation Program, and I’ve got a ton on my plate. I can’t talk right now."

"You’re still working? It’s already eight."

"Yes. Unlike you, my job works a little differently," he snapped.

"Alright, alright. Sorry for, you know, caring about my own uncle and wanting to make sure everything’s okay."

He sighed. "Sariel, everything’s fine. I’m just really busy. I need to stay focused. This is important business for Malden Pharmaceuticals—it’s a deal with a foreign government, and I can’t afford distractions."

"Okay, sure, sure. Forgot for a sec that you’re a big deal and super busy."

I heard another annoyed sigh, but he didn’t say anything.

"Take care. Let me know when you’ve got a bit more time to actually talk to your nephew."

"Yeah. Sure."

And he immediately hung up.

What was that about?

Maybe I really was overthinking it. He could just be busy. But it was interesting that he was getting involved with that program again, after all the trouble it had already caused him.

Fucking lunatic.

***

Days went by.

Then a whole week. And I still barely saw Winter, just a few instances when we happened to pass each other in the hallway. A couple of times, I even slowed down, thinking I’d say something, but he’d quickly avert his eyes and walk away.

I had to physically restrain myself from following after him, from trying to start some kind of… something.

What exactly was I even hoping for? I kept scolding myself for these ridiculous attempts to reconnect with him. Despite that brief, weird moment between us, there was no obvious way forward, no natural bridge leading me toward him.

And besides, why even try?

A few days later, something caught my attention. It wasn’t about Winter this time.

I was heading to my car when I saw Skye walking toward his own, and right beside him… was that Soren?! But where was that unremarkable little beta guy, his boyfriend? Liam, I think, was his name. I hadn’t seen this guy around at all. It was weird. The two of them got into the car together and drove off.

I had no clue what was going on, but it wasn’t my business. Maybe Skye had finally made some progress in wooing that strange beta?

Well, to each their own.

***

Another week passed. The weather was turning more November-like, not that it was too noticeable here in the South, but I was always sensitive to even slight temperature changes. It made me even less inclined to leave the house.

I spent hours either at the breakdance club, sweating through practice, going wild with my routines, getting lost in the movement, or drawing new sketches filled with elves, icy kingdoms, and mint-haired, wide-eyed kids. Just… my life.

Where was the change I so craved?

Stuck in sameness, in the everyday grind. Empty days.

Sometimes, I was tempted to call Blue again, but whenever I texted him, he brushed me off with vague excuses about having too much work.

And then there was Winter.

My need to interact with him was growing stronger by the day. It was weird. I just wanted to see him, even for a moment. Before I knew it, I was coming up with the dumbest excuses to be in places where I might run into him.

And sometimes… I felt like he was doing the same thing!

It was like he always happened to be leaving work at the exact time I was finishing up.

Of course, he never initiated anything, never said a word to me. And yet, somehow, he always seemed to be exactly where I was.

Or maybe… maybe it was me? Perhaps I was the one ending up where he usually was?

One day, when I came down to the cafeteria, I spotted Winter standing in line, right at the very end of it.

Normally, his assistant, a small beta with oversized glasses, brought him his lunch. Why was Winter here in person? I knew for a fact that the beta was present today, so it wasn’t like he was out sick or anything.

And, interestingly enough, he showed up today around the same time I usually came down to eat. I quietly took my place behind the director, and he barely, just barely, tensed when he noticed it was me. We were standing unusually close now.

Suddenly, I caught his scent. I wasn’t on suppressants, though technically, I should’ve been—it was strongly recommended at the company. I used pheromone-masking deodorant instead, since I wasn’t too keen on diminishing my chances of finding my potential fated mate.

So, my nose was filled with a very subtle, delicate smell, so fresh. Lavender, with the faintest hint of lime. I doubted it was his Allure , since betas didn’t have one at all, or if they did, it was barely noticeable. Maybe it was his shower gel?

A bit dazed, I watched Winter from behind. His ponytail reached the middle of his shoulder blades and was surprisingly thick. His dense strands were falling in loose waves over the back of his suit. I could see the skin of his neck just above the collar, nearly blending in with the fabric. I had this overwhelming urge to slide my finger there and brush over it, but… well, we were standing in line.

Winter was focused on the glass display case, where the day’s menu was laid out, his head tilted slightly. That gave me the perfect angle to analyze his profile, again, and damn… it was flawless. Whether he was albino or not, there was no denying this man was ridiculously good-looking.

Could he feel the intensity of my stare?

Suddenly, he turned. Our eyes met, and I held my breath for just a fraction of a second.

His heartbeat was slightly elevated, not a lot, but just enough to confirm he was aware of how close I was.

"See anything that looks appetizing? ’Cause I sure do…" I murmured, a little breathless. I was pretty sure he knew what I was hinting at.

"Maybe."

I glanced at the dessert display and noticed they had a set of cupcakes today, each topped with a different color of frosting.

But it was Winter’s turn to order.

"I’ll have the kale and avocado salad with grilled salmon, and… a cupcake with mint frosting."

I raised an eyebrow. "You like mint?"

Winter sent me a silent glance and didn’t respond, but… did I just catch the tiniest, faintest smirk at the corner of his lips? No, it had to be a play of light.

Well, I wasn’t about to stay out of this little game. Something caught my eye.

"Grilled chicken with quinoa and roasted veggies," I said to the food server, then added, "And that snowy white cupcake with the frosting… are those tiny sugar snowflakes on top?"

"Yes," the server grinned.

"Then I’ll take that one."

Winter, who had just finished paying the cashier, shot me another glance. No way he missed the symbolism in my choice.

He made his way toward an empty table, and after a brief moment of hesitation, I followed, unsure if he wanted me to sit with him, right here in the middle of the cafeteria, but… well, I didn’t really give him a choice.

By the time he sat down, I was already standing beside the table.

"Mind if I join you?"

His expression looked like he was being forced to accept a pushy salesperson’s offer, but after a brief pause, he gave me a curt nod.

I dropped into the chair across from him and muttered, "Well then, enjoy your meal. I can’t wait for dessert."

For a moment, his gaze flickered from my face to my cupcake. Damn. It almost felt like a challenge.

I dug into my grilled chicken, eating quickly, while Winter, in contrast, ate with slow, refined movements, chewing with precision while I swallowed down hefty bites.

Silence hung between us, but I could feel something in the air, this strange, charged excitement, almost like static electricity.

Finally, with my plate cleared, I picked up my cupcake.

"Mmm… so thick," I stated, inspecting it. "And all that white frosting on top… Mmm, I have to lick it off properly."

Winter slowed his chewing, his eyes, probably involuntarily, locking onto my face.

I started by dragging my tongue in a slow, deliberate circle around the top of the frosting, making the motion as suggestive as possible.

"Mmm… delicious… dripping this white sweet fluid…"

I heard it, clear as day: his heartbeat picked up slightly. And on his pale cheeks… was that the faintest hint of a pearly blush?

I worked my tongue skillfully, curling it around the peak of the cupcake, licking it off with an expression that left little room for interpretation.

"Time to swallow…" I murmured, giving him a slow blink. "Mmm, so creamy… slides right down the throat, yeah, more…"

Winter had stopped eating his salmon entirely.

His narrowed eyes stayed locked on me as I finished licking off every last bit of frosting. When I finally bit into the cake itself, I noticed it was slightly pink inside.

"Huh. Almost looks like a scent gland," I remarked, deciding to push things in a more anatomical direction.

Then, right in front of him, I extended my mating teeth from my gums.

Not many people could do that outside of a high state of arousal, but I… well, I had a hybrid drive, both alpha and omega instincts fused together. I had perfected this trick a long time ago.

Winter froze. Literally froze. I sank my mating teeth into the cupcake, biting down like it was a swollen gland.

I heard the slight sound of him swallowing. Then, without a word, he pushed his half-eaten salmon aside, picked up his own cupcake, and—

I stilled mid-bite, staring at him.

We locked eyes again.

Winter’s sensual lips parted slowly. Then he took the entire ‘head’ of the cupcake in one go, pushing it deep into his mouth, so deep I thought he might choke. But no! The fucker was good.

When he pulled back, there wasn’t a single trace of mint frosting left.

I stared at him, speechless.

Winter swallowed, his throat moving subtly. Then his eyes glinted as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Gotta know the right technique," he murmured.

"Wow, impressive! And no gag reflex," I added, slightly jealous, feeling a small throb in my pants. "Damn. Wish I could practice more."

Winter gave the slightest shrug.

"There are more cupcakes at the counter."

"But only one was snowy white," I said smoothly. "Would you really want me practicing with others?"

Winter’s face shifted, just a fraction, so lightly it was almost imperceptible.

"I never said that," he muttered.

Then, as if realizing the implication of his own words, he abruptly stood, grabbed his tray, and swept up his unfinished meal.

"Have a good day," he said tersely before striding away.

Unease clung to his energy, even though his face remained fairly impassive, obviously a well-trained expression. But he couldn’t hide his heartbeat, galloping like wild horses.

Well, well.

Something was going on—on his end of this strange connection, too. I was pretty sure of it now. And that realization made me shiver slightly, with disbelief and elation.

It wasn’t much, what had happened. How could I interpret it?

The start of something that had no right to exist? Or just a glimpse of his more playful side, with no real consequences in any other aspect?

I shouldn’t read too much into it, since I knew all too well what the reality of our situation was. And it was rather unpromising.

***

Two days later, Manager Lorens told me to accompany him to a meeting. I had no idea what it was about, and he didn’t explain anything.

We took the elevator up one floor, where the conference rooms were. When we stepped inside one of them, I was surprised to see several people already seated, among them, Winter.

Why the hell was I invited to a meeting like this? I was a nobody, just a regular graphic designer who had been working at this company for barely two months, churning out icon after icon.

To my absolute astonishment, there were two empty seats, one of them right next to Winter. Manager Lorens looked like he was about to take that spot, but no fucking way, I wasn’t going to let that happen. Moving with lightning reflexes, I swerved around him at the last second and dropped into the seat beside Winter.

Again, I caught his scent. It was puzzling, since it really didn’t seem like shower gel, no soapy undertone. So what could it be? There was something incredibly subtle about it. A delicate note, like wind over a lavender field, with a fresh hint of lime… intoxicating.

For the briefest moment after I sat down, our eyes met.

I don’t know why, but two specific memories hit me at once: the cupcake incident in the cafeteria, and… the moment when he mentioned his sexual preferences. These situations had carried a message, that Winter did, in fact, have a sexual side. He wasn’t just an ice-cold, untouchable prince. There was more beneath the surface. A side of him that had peeked through the cracks in his frozen facade, if only for a moment.

If he knew those things about himself, then at some point, he must have been in those kinds of scenarios before.

Maybe with that guy, Finn?

Goddamn it, I didn’t want to think about him. My gaze skimmed over Winter’s smooth, clean-shaven face and that alabaster neck. Why was I picturing Finn’s lips gliding over Winter’s skin? A wave of jealousy rose in me while I was imagining Winter moaning under his touch… or maybe he didn’t? Maybe he was the quiet type in bed. Not that I knew much about it myself, but I’d heard that people could be either loud or silent when they orgasmed.

For fuck’s sake. What a madhouse, obsessing over sex again, while sitting next to my director during a goddamn business meeting. Just perfect.

The door opened, and whatever excitement had been brewing inside me instantly deflated. I let out a slow breath.

It was my father.

The gamemaster had entered the chat. This had to be something big.

He ignored me completely, didn’t even spare me a glance, just sat down and got straight to business.

"As you all know, we’re going to be developing a Japanese market version of the BA application. This won’t be a massive challenge, since we already have a working beta version for our market," he said. "That said, the project is in an advanced stage, but still not finished."

His gaze swept over the room. It skipped right past me.

"The main task will be localization for the Japanese market. We’ve also received some guidelines from our partners, who expect certain modifications and optimizations tailored to their recruitment process."

He clicked to display a bullet-point list on the projector.

"The app’s interface will, of course, need a redesign, it can’t be a one-to-one copy of our version. As you know, the application also has different access levels available after logging in, and we’ll need to make a few adjustments there as well…"

He kept talking, going into detail about the modifications, but I wasn’t paying attention.

I was focused on something else entirely. Something much more exciting.

Winter’s presence.

His energy was vivid, so intense, like he was physically pressed against me. I was submerged in it.

Our elbows were maybe a quarter inch apart. I could feel his warmth, a subtle, gentle warmth, proof that he wasn’t made of liquid nitrogen but of something real, something much more inviting: flesh and blood.

I could hear his breathing. His heartbeat.

It was faster than anyone else’s in the room. The others were relatively calm, but Winter’s was racing. His breathing was deeper as well.

Interesting. I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on my own energy, in contrast to his energy. I imagined my aura gliding over his skin, stroking it, mingling with his lavender scent.

It was so intense, almost erotic.

Like our very essences were having sex. I swore I could feel his response, sweet, intertwining with mine. The sensation was so overwhelming that my cock twitched in my pants.

I wanted to reach for him. To take his hand, just like I had that time next to the elevator before he tore it away. Despite the cold, distant image he projected, his hand had been warm. Smooth.

I could take it again. Right?

No. Crazy.

His hand lay so close now. Tempting.

Just to test something, I shifted my arm slightly so that our forearms were aligned.

My pinky was now barely a fraction of a hair from his.

So strongly… I could feel the temperature of his skin.

He had to notice how close my hand was, but he didn’t move away. Not even a flinch.

So we stayed like that, entangled in each other’s presence, not touching, but still… connected. It was nice. Incredibly nice.

Like our spirits were having sex. Did he feel it too? Or was I the only one caught in this?

At some point, I made up my mind. I was going to do it!

Be brave—or don’t be at all.

He couldn’t get mad at me, not here, not in front of my father and several executives. It would cause too much havoc.

With one smooth, barely perceptible motion, I shifted my arm, just enough for my pinky to brush against his.

It happened again. Not as intense as the first time, but still, a shiver ran through our bodies. Both of our hearts skipped a beat, then sped up.

That was when my father turned his head, looking first at me, then at Winter, his eyebrows slightly raised.

He must have noticed. Being a gamma, his hearing was powerful. He had to have heard how our heart rates suddenly spiked.

"Everything alright?" he asked, directing the question somewhere between us.

Winter gave the smallest nod. I quickly nodded too, and that’s when I realized something shocking.

Winter’s hand… was still there. He hadn’t moved it!

Our fingers were still touching.

Minutes passed, and I just sat there, our skin in contact. Unreal.

It felt incredibly good, like I was high. My breathing grew faster, and it took everything in me not to turn, grab him by the shoulders, and press my lips to his sweet, soft mouth…

Absolutely insane idea. And we didn’t even know each other. He hated me, as far as I could tell.

And yet, I was still doing it. And he didn’t protest.

Finally, my father wrapped up his speech. He mentioned that in about a month, when the test version was ready, two people would need to go to Japan for direct meetings with their development team. Their programmers would be responsible for handling operations on their end, and our team would assist them in getting up to speed.

A few executives asked some questions, and Winter spoke up as well. His voice was calm and composed, even though his heart was beating just as fast as mine. Damn, this guy had some serious self-control, at least on the surface.

He remained professional, which was more than I could say for myself. I barely caught anything that was said, and had no idea why I was even in that meeting.

When everyone started standing up and our hands finally separated, my father headed for the door. Winter, without looking at me, said, "Come to my office tomorrow when you arrive at work. We’ll discuss your role in this project."

"Of course," I replied, my voice slightly strained.

Then, everyone left, going their separate ways.

Dazed, I strolled through the hallway, back to my room.

I didn’t even have the energy to analyze it. I was allowing myself to do things… that could destroy me. But the funniest part? Winter was allowing himself to do them, too.

Were we now BOTH playing some weird game? Testing each other?

But this wasn’t something that could ever happen, we both knew it. No one would accept it. And definitely not my father.

Honestly, I don’t even know how I got through the rest of the day. It passed like I was lost in some kind of brain fog.

But the need to do something, something… was growing, or I was about to explode.

***

The next day, when I arrived at the office, I left my jacket in my room. That’s when my eyes landed on the crystal elf figurine sitting on my desk.

A strange idea flickered in my mind. I picked it up without thinking and headed straight for Winter’s office.

The last time I’d been there was the day I was hired, over two and a half months ago.

This time, I walked in with entirely different emotions.

Winter was sitting at his desk. He didn’t stand when he saw me. He seemed almost barricaded there, like it was a shield of safety between us.

I wondered if he would acknowledge what had happened yesterday.

Predictably, he didn’t.

"Sariel, this project could be a good opportunity for you to develop in a direction that interests you, at least, according to what your father said."

Whoa.

Was this the first time he’d used my actual name? Not Lowen? Yep, a pleasant shiver, check!

"You’ll have some influence on the interface design for this version of the application. You can suggest minor modifications. Maybe it’ll be more satisfying for you than just making icons."

I let out a sharp breath. "Thank you for this opportunity, Director. It’s true that UX design and information architecture are areas I want to develop in." I made sure to keep my tone professional.

Winter nodded, avoiding direct eye contact. "Familiarize yourself with how the application’s current beta version works, both from a low-access user perspective and as a super-user. By next week, you can prepare initial proposals and visualizations of changes. Please do interactive mockups. If you see areas that require more significant modifications, include those as well. Also, handle the color scheme and overall styling of the application."

I froze. That was a lot. A serious responsibility for someone who had only been with the company for such a short time, especially on a project for a major international client.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity. I’ll do my best," I said sincerely.

Winter nodded again. "Manager Lorens will provide you with all the details and access to the application. If you need anything else, let me know."

What I really needed was to know the taste of his lips.

Of course, I didn’t say that, duh! Just thinking it had to be enough.

That’s when I realized, I was still holding the figurine in my hand.

I was about to turn and leave, but my heart started pounding. It demanded action! I made a split-second decision.

"I have something for you."

Winter looked up at me, his eyes so light, so crystal clear, framed by those snow-white lashes.

"I… I recently won this in a lottery," I blurted out. "It’s supposed to be an ice elf prince or something. I thought it looked like you, though not quite as… beautiful. I wanted to give it to you."

I just said it. Put it out there.

Standing in front of him, I suddenly felt ridiculous, like a little kid offering their crush a wilted flower. But I still extended my hand and placed the figurine on his desk.

Winter didn’t say a word. He just stared at it. And stared. And kept staring.

I swallowed hard. "Well… I’ll be going now."

Maybe it was a good thing he didn’t say anything, because that also meant he didn’t reject it. The figurine was still sitting on his desk.

His lack of reaction was strange, but in a way, it made sense.

I left his office, my heart pounding in my chest.

My God. I was acting so weird. But I just couldn’t help myself.