Chapter Text
“He’s back,” Mal sang like a child at his desk, practically swinging his legs back and forth. Alina could sense the smirk plastered on her friend’s face, even if they were a cubicle apart. “And would you look at that, he’s coming your way. Think quick, Lina.”
Before Alina could snarl at Mal to get back to work and sod off, a deep and pleasing voice uttered her name. She used her feet to slowly whirl around her chair, looking up higher and higher until she reached the face of their boss, Mr. Morozova.
Except he wasn’t just the boss.
He was the boss.
Founder of the company, a GPS and construction empire that mapped out and built the new world. Mr. Morozova was responsible for Ravka’s uptick in jobs, births, and fewer unhoused people than in the past two decades.
He was a miracle worker, they said, but to Alina, he was the man who came to her cubicle three times a day to ask how she was feeling, if she needed anything— “never be afraid to ask anything of me, Alina. I’m at your disposal”— and on more than one occasion had brought her a soft drink from the overpriced coffee shop four blocks away.
But it wasn’t his strange actions or oddly good deeds that stumped her.
It was the fact that he smelled so wholly of an alpha in his prime, his neck still a blank canvas and an eyesore to everyone on the floor. Even Alina, a beta through and through, could see that Mr. Morozova had it going on.
“You’re looking well, Alina. I trust you had a fortunate sleep.” As usual, his voice sounded like a low beating drum in a dark hallway, ominous and welcoming all at once. “It’s lovely weather today, is it not?”
She sat up and peered over the cubicle wall. The sky looked misty and wet, the usual for a day in peak winter.
“I prefer the sunnier days, Mr. Morozova. I can’t say I’m a fan of the winter months.” When he licked his lips, flames trickled up her spine.
“That’s quite a shame, Alina. I prefer the cold on most days. But then again, when I find myself in need of sunlight, I’m drawn to your desk.”
With her butt firmly planted in the chair, Alina looked up into the obsidian eyes of Mr. Morova. He loomed over her, his shadow caressing her, his scent suffocating her dull senses. In the blink of an eye, she could see him falling to his knees and parting her thighs, whispering sweet nothings as he pulled her close.
No, no, this is wrong, this is so wrong, Alina. Stop it.
Thoughts of doing devious things with the CEO should’ve gotten her fired. Everyone in the building practically thought the same thing about him.
She shook her head, locks flying back and forth. Upon realizing that she looked silly, she smiled up at her boss, only for the corner of her lips to fall at the look on Mr. Morozova’s face.
His nostrils had flared, eyes wide with hardly a speck of white surrounding his naturally dark pupils, and at his sides, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. She thought that had she been an omega, seeing an alpha like this would’ve sent her running.
But running in which direction?
“Sir.”
Like the savior he was, Mal cut in, snapping Mr. Morozova and Alina out of their staring contest. The taller alpha of the two whirled around to stare at Mal, still lacking any whites in his eyes.
“Yes?” Mr. Morozova snapped.
Mal, realizing he’d pulled the prey from the lion's jaws, rubbed the back of his neck shyly. “It’s time for Lina and I’s lunch break. Rather not cut it short… sir.”
“It’s fine, Mal, I’ll catch up,” Alina cut in, trying to break the tension. “Just let me finish with Mr. Morozova.”
She didn’t rise from her seat. She just peeked around their boss’s imposing form, mouthing a sorry for good measure.
But when Mal didn’t immediately vacate the premises, Mr. Morovoza darkly added, “You heard Ms. Starkov. I’ll let her go when I’m done, Oretsev .”
From behind the taller of the two men, Alina wrung her hands. Even with being a beta, she still felt the urge to try and placate one of them, both if possible. But Mal liked to run his mouth, and Mr. Morozova liked a challenge.
“Mal,” Alina repeated, this time standing up and sliding around Mr. Morozova. Little did she know, one of his long fingers itched to reach out and tug her close. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
The other, younger, alpha looked ready to fight, but after another soft nudge from Alina, he was bounding off to the cafeteria, taking the stairs to burn off some energy.
“Your friend has a temper,” noted the last standing alpha. His posture retreated to a relaxed stance, leaning against her cubicle. “He should work on handling it better. It may get him in trouble one day.”
She waved off his concern, mimicking his position except against Mal’s opposite cube. “He’s just protective, that’s all. He’s been like that since we were kids. We never had a lot growing up, so he’s very attached to all he has now.”
“Is that what he considers you, Alina?” Mr. Morozova leaned forward. “His?”
She flustered at his insinuation. “No, no, not like that. Mal sees me as a sister, and he’s like the brother I never had.” She rubbed her warm cheek. “We love each other very much.”
Mr. Morozova cocked his lightly bearded chin to Alina. “I can see that clear as day. I envy the love you two have. I never had the luck of growing up with a sibling to call my own. I’ll never know what it’s like.”
“I mean,” she chuckled, “I can’t say there’s much you should be jealous of. We’re just there for each other, you know? He’s practically my best friend.”
He nodded, clenching his jaw. “I can’t say I’m skilled in the art of socializing like you. Then again, I don’t know a soul who could resist your charm, Alina.”
“Charm? I think most would call what I do annoying, sir.” A few cubicles away, Nikolai peeked over to sneer at the chuckling pair.
“You, annoying?” Mr. Morozova leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Tell me who called you such a thing. I won’t allow your name to be slandered, Alina. I run a respectable company.”
“It’s not slander if it’s true. And I’d rather not get anyone fired, thank you very much.” She tilted her chin up, snootily sniffing. “I have a reputation to uphold and I’ll not be a snitch.”
“Mmhm, no one would expect little Alina to rat them out.”
“Haven’t you heard the saying?” He shook his head. “Snitches get stitches, sir.”
They chuckled together, eyes watering as more heads turned to glare their way. Recovering first, Alina felt all the eyes on her, couldn’t hear but knew they were whispering about her again. Thinking horrible things about the strange relationship she had with Mr. Morozova.
As more heads turned, her previously jovial mood turned sour. She’d made enough of a fool of herself today.
“Is there… Can I help you with anything else, Mr. Morozova?” She inclined the way Mal had gone. “I feel like if I don’t start heading down now, Mal will have my head.”
“And we can’t have you losing that, can we, Alina.” It was more of a statement, and she gulped when he held out his elbow. “I’ll walk you down.”
The unspoken command of take my arm was too strong to ignore, not that she wanted to. Her hand slid through the loop of his elbow, coming back to hang between them, dangling as he led her down the long row of cubicles. Alina felt more eyes than she could count, watching her every step, judging her— and only her—for buttering up the big boss.
“Ignore them.” She jumped at Mr. Morozova’s whisper. “Their opinions mean nothing to me, nor should they to you.”
“But they’ll talk.”
“Let them, Alina.” He ushered her closer, sending a scathing glare at a beta watching from her cubicle. “As I said, they mean nothing to us.”
He used his free arm to press the down arrow elevator button, still keeping a grip on Alina. She’d tried once to pull free, but a smell that oozed calm pushed those thoughts away. That scent, a foreign one with the effect of neutralizing her worry, lingered on the tip of her tongue.
Standing in front of the elevator, one hand clutched in Mr. Morozova’s grasp, Alina felt a haze come over her. Shrouding her rational thoughts, ones that scolded her for not slapping the other alpha silly for making a show of… whatever game he was playing.
Sure, the weekly visits and coffees, not to mention croissants from the bakery across town that also used fresh strawberry jam in their jelly donuts made her heart flutter at the mere smell of them. But he needed an omega who matched his wealth and standards.
A sudden ding from her back pocket finally released her arm from his grip. She refused to admit that she missed the feeling of him against her.
“Everything alright?” Mr. Morozova’s eyes didn’t leave her, not even when she pulled out her phone to check the most recent notifications. “Alina?”
“Sorry, sorry, I just forgot my pills. I left them at my desk.” She’d just turned to go and retrieve them, willing herself to ignore the looks and whispers, when a strong hand tugged her back.
“Allow me, Alina.” Her name sounded closer to a purr than the actual world. And he left no room for a challenge. “And yes, I’ve been at your desk enough to know my way back.”
As he walked away, her toes curled against the soft material of her flats. From the back, his shoulders looked even more muscled and toned. And even worse, each time she blinked, she saw herself gripping them, digging her nails into his taught flesh.
Her hands clenched at her sides, the soft cotton of her pants whining in protest at her white-knuckle grip. This wasn’t her fault, it was his. Didn’t he have a job in need of his watchful eyes and soft mouth? Except he didn’t have a soft mouth, it was more selective than anything. He always knew exactly what to say, how to say it—how to piss off Mal— and did it all without lifting a finger.
She chalked it up to being an alpha. Maybe this was just what they did.
When he handed the orange pill bottle to her, he asked, “May I ask what they’re for? I don’t mean to intrude, but you’ve managed to pique my curiosity with these.”
Inside the elevator, Alina explained herself.
“I’ve had chronic headaches since I was a child. These are supposed to prevent me from not being able to work or passing out at a moment's notice. I’ve taken them every morning my whole life.” Mal had recently started picking them up himself from the pharmacy. Before, at the orphanage, Ana Kuya had ensured Alina took it every morning. “I can’t remember the last time I forgot to take one.”
As she was popping one in her mouth, Mr. Morozova over and wrapped his hand around her wrist, stopping the little blue pill inches from her open mouth. This was the second time he’d touched her. Yes, she was counting.
“Have you ever not taken one? Just to see what would happen?”
“Not on purpose, no. But I remember a few years back when I was running to work and I hadn’t even realized I’d forgotten. It was only a few hours later that I realized what I’d done. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.” She shuddered remembering how angry Mal had been. “I learned to never do it again.”
Still holding her wrist and preventing her from swallowing her pill, he asked whether she remembered anything else that day.
She shook her head. “Not really. I do remember feeling hot, like… my skin was melting off. It was terrible. And my head started pulsing like I was dying.”
“You don’t say,” hummed the alpha holding her wrist. He proceeded to release his hold on her, following the little blue devil as it popped on her tongue. “We can’t have that happening to you again, can we, Ms. Starkov?”
“I’d hope not.” She mock-laughed, then abruptly stopped to ask why they weren’t moving.
Neither of them had pressed the C button on the wall panel. Before she could reach out, Mr. Morozova beat her to it, encompassing her in his shadow. Shivers went down her spine until he moved back again, though this time she was able to focus on the feel of the elevator taking them down.
Suddenly, Alina realized that this was the first time she and Mr. Morozova had been in a position like this. Side by side with no one around. She pursed her lips, failing at trying not to dart nervous looks at him.
There was something inherently menacing about the CEO of the company that paid her bills and provided for Ravka. He never wore anything with a pop of color, typically only styled in black- though she would never admit it was his color. He was an alpha through and through, even if she’d never seen him fight anyone, or even raise his voice.
His temper only flared around Mal, but then again, Mal annoyed a lot of people. It was why they went together so well.
“May I ask you a very personal question, Ms. Starkov?”
“Only if I can ask one in return.” She looked to the side, smiling at his bemused face. “Ask away, sir.”
“Do you like your job here?”
“I’ve had worse.” Her shoulders dropped at the dead look on his face. It was no time for jokes. She tried to think of the nicest things to say. “I mean, in a way, it’s grown on me, you know? I like the stability I have, and being with Mal is more than I could ever ask for. The people are friendly, the commute isn’t bad…”
“There’s nothing that could make the work environment more friendly? I’ve heard that employees love free donuts in the morning or fresh flowers in the workrooms.” He straightened his broad shoulders. “Do you like flowers, Ms. Starkov?”
“I like irises. Blue irises, specifically,” she added, wringing her hands on the sides of her pants. “But you do more than enough for us. I couldn’t ask for even more—”
“You can always ask for more from me, Ms. Starkov. Never be afraid to voice your desires to me.” The elevator door dinged, signaling their destination at the cafeteria. But Mr. Morozova was far from done.
He quickly jabbed the button to keep the doors shut, eliciting a soft yelp from Alina. He positioned himself against the silver doors, looking down at her with blown pupils. “Do I make myself clear, Alina? Ask anything of me and it shall be yours.”
Alina’s heart was racing a mile a minute, sending her blood racing through her veins. The insides of her palms clammed up, her mouth growing dry as he continued to look down on her with a gaze that had her mind reeling. Things were spinning out of control, her hands were off the steering wheel, destined to crash in the dark void she’d been driving down.
“Tell me you understand, Alina.” He purred her last name, rolling it around and savoring it like sweet candy. “I need to hear you say it.”
“I…” she gulped. The intensity of his gaze threatened to destroy her resolve, her rationale. But she managed to squeak out a measly, “I understand, sir.”
“Hm, that won’t do.” He inched forward, craning his neck down to be practically nose-to-nose with her. “When we are alone, call me Aleksander.”
Aleksander , she let out a shuddering breath. Aleksander, Aleksander, Aleksander.
“Aleksander.” She took in the light fluttering of his lashes and the way he licked his lips. It was almost enough to have her say it again. Then he could see how it felt.
A grin broke across his face. “Good girl.” He tipped his head to the right, eyebrows pinching in concentration. “I believe Malyen Oretsev is ready to cause a riot if your presence is not known to him within the next minute.”
The reality of their situation, especially their bodily positions, hit Alina in the face like a freight train. She quickly plastered herself to the silver wall, away from Mr. Morozova— Aleksander— eyes darting back and forth between his thumb smashing the button keeping the door locked and his stunning, deeply hypnotic gaze.
Very, very, slowly, he released his hold on her in both ways, looking away and opening the doors.
“Have a fantastic lunch, Ms. Starkov.” His hand on her back ushered her out into the cafeteria hall. “I do hope to see you again.”
The fact that he spoke like he didn’t visit her three times a day, sparking rumors and raising questions about their professional—and personal —relationship, urged her to nearly wag her tongue at him like a child. But she remembered that he was the boss, he owned her income and the ability to pay her bills. Even if respect was earned and not given, Mr. Morozova was, unfortunately, an exception.
She turned to him, raising a hand in a half-wave. He returned the gesture, proceeding to press wherever his office was and give her one last nod farewell. And as the doors shut, Alina caught a flicker of a smirk on his lips, only then realizing she never got to ask him her question.