2

He let go of my face, turned around, and walked out of the university infirmary without looking back.

Zakhar’s footsteps echoed down the hallway until they faded behind the gym's double doors.

The scent of burnt pine and ozone began to dissipate, but the heat on my face didn't go away.

Going to the young Alpha's office in ten minutes wasn't an invitation; it was a direct order.

Disobeying an heir Alpha inside the Consortium was equivalent to a severe infraction, enough for the pack guard to drag me off the territory before midnight.

But above all, I couldn't ignore the countdown for my father’s lunar chamber.

I went up the service stairs to organize my thoughts. Upon reaching the third floor, the double doors to the young Alpha's office were standing ajar.

Zakhar was standing by the large window overlooking the ice rink.

He had changed into a clean black t-shirt, but his knuckles were still marked with dried blood.

Beside him, a wolf with dark hair and a tablet in hand was speaking in a low voice.

"The file is complete, Zakhar," the young man said. "Her name is Sophia Megg. Daughter of Arthur Megg, a former Delta guard warrior injured on the border. Gamma Brian canceled the medical policy this morning to transfer it to the counselor's daughter. The girl has no wolf registered in the system; she is an undeveloped Omega."

"Thank you, Dean. Leave us," Zakhar ordered.

Dean turned, gave me a quick glance, and left the office, closing the door behind him.

I stayed in the center of the room, keeping my distance. Zakhar walked toward the mahogany desk and picked up a set of papers.

"So your boyfriend traded you for a starter position and left your father on the verge of death," Zakhar said, his voice cold and calculated.

"I didn't come to talk about my personal life with a stranger, Volkov," I replied, crossing my arms. "You said you had something to tell me. Say it quickly."

Zakhar tossed the documents onto the table with indifference.

"That's a contract. Read it."

I stepped forward slowly and picked up the paper. The clauses were written in red ink:

* The Medical Consortium will immediately and indefinitely assume all costs for Arthur Megg’s life support and treatment.

* In exchange, the beneficiary commits to acting as Zakhar Volkov’s official mate before the press, the team management, and the Consortium board.

* An absolute confidentiality agreement is established regarding the Alpha's instability.

I held the document between my fingers and let out a bitter laugh.

"'Official mate'? Contract?" I asked, looking up. "My father is dying, and you intend to use my need to put on a media circus. What kind of business is this?"

"A very simple business," Zakhar said, leaning both hands on the edge of the desk. "My father and the council want to strip me of the team captaincy using my rage attacks as an excuse. I need to project stability."

I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. I dropped the document onto the table and looked up without showing any interest whatsoever.

"I am a statusless Omega," I said firmly, taking a step forward. "The board isn't stupid. Nobody is going to believe you're with someone like me. Besides, I'm not a trophy you can buy with paper."

"I don't care what the board believes as long as my wolf doesn't try to kill anyone on the rink," he countered, rounding the desk until he was one step away from me. "Don't get confused, Sophia. This isn't a romance, there are no feelings involved, and I'm not interested in you. You are a tool that happens to work for calming my beast. Nothing more."

The insult was direct, designed to establish a hierarchy.

I looked at the document on the table, re-reading every clause until my eyes stopped at my father's name.

Zakhar Volkov was nothing more than another wolf male looking to exert his power through manipulation.

"Then find yourself another tool," I said, turning my gaze back to him. "I'm not going to play along with your power games just for you to discard me when it suits you. I'd rather find another way to get the money."

Turning around and walking toward the door took every ounce of my strength, but I wasn't going to let him trample on me.

"There is no other way, Sophia," Zakhar said behind my back. His voice resonated with the weight of Alpha authority. "Your father's life support doesn't expire tomorrow at eight. I just checked the administrator's order: if there is no registered deposit in the next fifteen minutes, they will disconnect the chamber tonight."

I froze with my hand inches from the doorknob. My heart took a violent leap.

"You're lying," I whispered, clenching my fists until I felt my nails dig into my skin.

"Check it yourself," he said, gesturing toward his desk screen with his chin. "Your father runs out of oxygen before you even make it out of this building."

I swallowed hard.

Rage and desperation collided head-on in my chest. Zakhar was taking advantage of my worst moment, but he held all the cards.

"I have conditions," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I won't sign anything until I see the transfer executed right before my eyes. And the contract will include a protection clause for my father: nobody from your family or the council will be able to touch his treatment, no matter what happens between us."

Zakhar held my gaze for a few seconds. A glimmer of respect crossed his gray eyes at my refusal to yield without a fight.

"Agreed," he said, pressing a button on his screen. A chime confirmed the online transaction. "Arthur Megg's debt is cleared, and the policy has been transferred to my personal account. Nobody can touch him. Now sign."

I stood there in shock. I really hadn't expected Zakhar to comply with that condition.

However, there was no turning back.

I picked up the pen and pressed my signature onto the bottom of the document.

"Done," I said, leaving the pen on the table. "I fulfilled my part."

"Not yet," Zakhar said, walking toward me with measured steps. "Before introducing you to the team, I have to test if what happened downstairs was a coincidence."

"Test what?" I asked, a little confused.

"The scent transfer," Zakhar said.

He took a quick step toward me. Instinctively, I backed away, but my back bumped against the edge of the desk.

"Don't touch me!" I warned, raising my hands to create distance.

"It's part of the agreement, Sophia," he said.

Before I could protest, he grabbed my wrists. His fingers closed over my skin with firmness.

He raised my left arm and pressed the inner side of his wrist against mine, rubbing his pulse points directly against mine.

The forced contact felt like an electric shock that shot straight to my chest.

The air caught in my throat. Zakhar let out a muffled groan, and his breathing suddenly accelerated.

His grip on my wrists grew tighter.

Instead of pulling away, he tugged me toward his body, closing any remaining space.

The temperature of his skin was scorching.

Zakhar's eyes flashed gold for a second as he lowered his gaze to my lips, trapped by his own beast's reaction.

"What the hell are you?" he muttered, his voice raspy.

"Zakhar..." I managed to say, feeling the wild thrumming of his pulse against mine.

He parted his lips, leaving his warm breath on my skin, but right at that moment, the click of the lock sliced through the air.

The double doors of the office burst wide open, slamming against the wall.

"Zakhar!" a dominant voice boomed, making the floor vibrate.

A tall man with graying hair and an impeccable dark suit stepped into the room.

His Supreme Alpha aura hung over the room like a heavy slab.