SKYE

How long can you live feeling angry? How long can you live feeling hurt, humiliated, or wronged? Some people say it's easier to be a victim than a victor. People can get lost in that victim mindset for years, making it part of who they are. I think I might've been one of those cases.

There was almost a masochistic pleasure in feeling sorry for myself. It was pathetic, and I knew it, but it was stronger than me.

None of my brothers lived in our family mansion anymore, except for Snow, who stayed in the basement. Sun had already left for college to attend some summer courses.

On the first day back, when my parents brought me home, I walked inside and experienced the familiar atmosphere of my childhood, but it wasn't sentimental. I didn't feel anything. The only thing I wanted to do was open my laptop and ask Nathaniel to send me some code to work on. I was dying to go upstairs to my old room and close the door.

But then I saw my brother, Snow, staring at me from the basement doorway.

His almost-white eyes and snow-white hair reminded me of Winter, but their personalities were different. I nodded at him, but he didn't move—just kept staring at me. Typical Snow.

I went upstairs and finally opened my laptop.

"Give me something to do, Nathaniel," I typed on Messenger. "Make it a lot, make it hard, make it engaging."

And he did.

The next few days were just all work, and it cut me off from the world.

My parents tried to ask me questions almost daily, but I gave them short, dismissive answers, knowing they would soon give up and go back to being lovebirds. I knew how it was with them.

They were True Mates—living for each other first and foremost, always had been. Their love was so powerful that sometimes I felt like we were just accessories to their never-ending honeymoon. Sure, they loved us with all their hearts, but personally, I thought they loved each other most of all.

Every so often, I'd sit on the porch, look away from my laptop, and watch them walking in the garden, which my dad was fond of tending. They'd hold hands, exchange kisses, like some young couple who just met and were still high on that first-love buzz. It made me cringe.

They were always like that—peering deeply into each other's eyes, constant kisses, holding hands, that annoying sweet closeness.

I could almost understand why Snow spent so much time locked in his basement, avoiding interaction with the lovey-dovey couple our parents were.

Yeah, I'll admit it. All my life, I'd watched it and been jealous of it. But I brushed it off because I was used to that feeling. This time, though, it majorly pissed me off.

Sometimes, I couldn't stand their happiness, so I'd lock myself in my room or swim in the lake for hours, floating on my back, staring at the sky, trying to escape the constant pain that never left me.

Days blurred together.

The only news more stirring during those weeks was about my cousin Gabriel being arrested for his involvement in a violent incident organized by his eco-club. Apparently, they had planned an operation at one of Malden Pharmaceuticals' facilities, intending to set a lab on fire. However, they hadn't realized some cleaning staff were still inside, and their lives were put in danger. My uncle Van was understandably upset and called my father, saying Gabriel was being scapegoated by his club members and was now in serious trouble.

My parents debated how best to help him and eventually decided to call Winter, whose CEO was… the older brother of the CEO of Malden Pharmaceuticals, to see if he could reach the man and ask for a reduction or dismissal of the charges or to negotiate a settlement agreement. But in the end, I didn't find out what happened—I'd simply forgotten to ask. I was too absorbed in my own suffering and anger, swimming mindlessly in the lake, trying to forget, just… drifting in my depression, not caring about anyone else.

Besides that, all I did was take on assignments from Nathaniel, one after another. Other than that, I was numbing myself daily.

The only human I'd see was Snow, from time to time, but we didn't exchange a single word.

My brother was a weirdo. Even though he was over thirty, he lived in the basement and seemingly didn't have a romantic life. Snow hardly ever spoke. He'd been like that since childhood. It wasn't that he couldn't speak—he just didn't like it. My father thought he might be on the autism spectrum, but the doctors never confirmed it. When tested, he could behave totally normal! Over the years, Snow's behavior changed even more. His social isolation got worse. He finished school through homeschooling because of bullies, and he completed his music composition degree online. Officially, he was a teacher, giving private lessons on various instruments, both in person and online. Mainly, though, he composed music he never published. I sometimes wondered how he could even connect with his students, but apparently, he managed to muster up just enough to keep working like that.

Because he was so unobtrusive, his presence didn't bother me. Occasionally, when I was working on my laptop on the porch, he'd come out of the basement, sit next to me, and play his harmonica. His quiet company was a harmless part of my life, and that's how we coexisted in this weird, silent symbiosis.

***

During the first few weeks of my stay at my parents' house, I was mostly angry. Really angry and bitter. Hating and cursing Soren, feeling disappointed in my own judgment and naivety. But with time, my approach somewhat changed.

As days passed, I started to realize I couldn't keep up that kind of defense mechanism anymore. It was draining me. So, I began to reprogram my mind, cautiously letting myself feel what was really inside.

And I had results. What resurfaced was… pure, naked pain.

At first, I couldn't quite figure out what this pain was about. Initially, I thought it was just the hurt of being so brutally dumped. But then, with each passing week, something started to dawn on me, lingering at the edge of my consciousness. It was pushing its way through, demanding to be seen and understood. And eventually, one day, I realized what my main problem was.

I missed Soren.

I missed the fucker so damn much!

The revelation hit me like an unrelenting wave. I wanted nothing more than to see him one more time. Yeah, it was pathetically hopeless. I knew I was probably an idiot.

He'd most likely moved on with his life, forgotten all about me. So many days had passed, but I still hadn't moved an inch. Didn't heal. Nothing had changed since that damn night he pushed me away. I felt like I'd been ripped in two, with one half of me dead, blackened, and sick, still dragging down the other half that was just pure willpower, pride, and the desire to break free from the pain.

That split inside me was still present. I couldn't find my way in life anymore because Soren wasn't a part of it.

By this time, Nathaniel had hired me basically full-time at my request because I kept asking for more work. I threw myself into the grind of his startup company. Of course, I worked online because I had no intention of moving to the city where I might be tempted… to see Soren. My parents lived in a small town that fluidly merged with the city suburbs, about an hour and a half from downtown and the DevApp headquarters.

For now, I preferred to stay home, staring at long lines of code, piecing them together, expanding them, and figuring out how to make them more efficient.

It helped dull the pain a little, but… it never fully went away. I became even more aware of it, strangely enough, from the moment I realized what the pain really was: longing.

My heart ached every day when I opened my eyes in the morning and when I went to bed at night. I was suffering—suffering horribly. Each hour felt like a frame cut from an unending nightmare. Not particularly intense, but so drawn out that those emotions stretched, digging their little claws into my mind, tearing it open every single day. It was sick. It wouldn't go away. It just wouldn't. It stayed. Permanent. Persistent.

And I was sick of it.

When 60 days had passed since Soren pushed me away, I reached some kind of breaking point. The longing outweighed the pain and the sense of being wronged.

I realized I was getting to a place where I'd do anything… to see him just one more time.

I needed it to keep on living. To see Soren.

That day, for the first time in ages, I logged into my social media. In my Instagram inbox, there was a message from some unknown person.

"Hey, it's Josh. Sorry for reaching out so late, but I've been crazy busy and didn't have time to go through the stuff I recorded on my camera. I finally got around to sorting through it, and I thought you guys might like to see these photos—they turned out really cool…"

The link he sent led to a folder of our photos. Josh had edited them, and they looked amazing. I actually gaped, seeing how good Soren and I looked together. A dream couple. It took my breath away.

Soren's face… ridiculously perfect, as I leaned down to his neck, his eyes sensually closed, lips slightly parted.

He used to be mine, even if just in that small way, just a tiny piece of his heart, his soul.

In a flash, memories of us being together hit me—the vision of holding him in my arms. Was it really never going to come back? Had Fate (and my stubbornness) torn us apart for good?

I stared at those photos like I was under a spell. His striking face, his gray eyes looking right at me—I mean, at the camera, but it felt almost like he was staring straight at me. Piercing, drilling into my yearning, wounded soul.

Then I remembered his text message. Slowly, I pulled out my phone and checked it again. It was sent the same evening we broke up:

"Can we talk?"

I didn't answer, so I never found out what he wanted to talk about.

A minute later, I went back to Instagram, and that's when I noticed another message in my inbox, I didn't recognize the profile, but it didn't take long to figure out who it was.

Archer.

His message was sent to me two weeks after the graduation ceremony, so my reply was now a month and a half overdue.

I checked his profile, but his Instagram was private—no photos visible.

The message said:

"Hey, just wondering how you're doing. Let me know what's up with you. I talked to Alvin a few days ago because I'm doing some security testing for D-Project, and he mentioned that he's with Don now. Looks like he finally sealed the deal. During the conversation, I found out something interesting that I didn't know before. Apparently, when Soren broke up with you, he said he was going to go blow Don.

That night, when you both ran out of the party, I left the building shortly after with a group of people who wanted some fresh air. From a distance, I saw Soren and Don standing together in front of the dorm, arguing. I got closer and caught part of their conversation. Soren told Don he only used him to break up with you and that Don could fuck off, and there was no chance for a blowjob.

Things got heated after that, and Don wanted to punch Soren, but I stepped in and stopped it. I thought maybe you didn't know, so I wanted to tell you what really happened. I would've told you before, but honestly, I had no idea what went down between you two until Alvin clued me in.

I hope knowing Soren didn't actually do it might help you figure out what to do next—maybe even reach out to him? Beyond that, you probably heard about Gabriel's situation…" The next part of the message elaborated on my cousin's criminal problems.

I stared at the text for a while, feeling… not much, really. I should've been relieved but… the moment I read those lines, it was like, ‘I already knew'!

Yep. How could I have ever been so stupid to think Soren would actually do it with Don?

Blinking, I gaped at the screen, shocked by my realization. Why did I believe that? Maybe I was just angry at Soren for breaking up with me, and the whole Don involvement helped fuel that anger, clouding my intuition? On a certain level, I knew that Soren would never give a blow job to Don. Never.

I was grateful for Archer's message, though—it helped clear my head, allowing me see Soren for who he really was, instead of through the lens of my anger.

My eyes closed on their own as my mind flooded with images of Soren and me in bed, him vulnerable in my arms, trusting my touch… God, how I missed him! To feel him near me, to look at his gorgeous face. I craved to see him, even just for a moment.

I also felt kinda stupid for ignoring Archer for a month and a half. I hesitated to write back, but I couldn't bring myself to put my thoughts into words. I felt like a jerk. After a moment, I closed Instagram. Maybe it was better to just leave things as they were?

Still shaken, I just sat there, staring at one picture of Soren on the screen. His eyes locked onto mine like deep wells. I quickly downloaded it to my phone and set it as my screensaver.

That's it, I thought. I had to do whatever it takes to meet him again.

***

Later that day, I opened the DevApp website, thinking about possible plans.

Suddenly, a small announcement with an exclamation mark in the news section caught my eye. They were looking for interns for the ‘Open Chance' program! ‘An interesting entry for your resume', it said. ‘Apply now, we offer internship spots', blah blah…

I read the description and realized they were encouraging alphas to apply. How surprising. The program had government funding, so they were open to hiring interns from different subgenders.

My first thought was, of course, about Winter—my brother worked there, after all. He could definitely help me get in, being a director there. But my second thought quickly shut down the first.

Winter would be the last person to help me get into DevApp. He didn't think alphas made good programmers. He'd said that way too many times. If I was going to get into that company, it had to be on my own merit.

I stared at the announcement, feeling something in my heart twist like a knife. I got fixated on it, and then, with shaky hands, I clicked the link that led to the application form.

I automatically started filling it out, but the whole time, I was trying to stop myself. What are you doing? Are you crazy? This is the dumbest thing you could do. Yet, my fingers kept moving across the keyboard, entering data after data. And finally, I just clicked submit.

I felt a wave of heat rush through my body.

Oh my God, was I trying to mess with myself? Did I really want to see him just to get rejected again? He made it clear he'd never be with an alpha, so what did I want—to torture myself? Was I some kind of hidden masochist?

But I just didn't understand why, even after eight weeks, my feelings for Soren hadn't faded. It should. I mean, my affection for Martin fizzled out after a few months, but with Soren, there was no sign of that happening. So I came to the conclusion that I needed to try something—fix something, or ruin it even more.

A few days passed, during which I nervously refreshed my inbox.

Even though I had other things to do, it felt like I was hanging by a thread, waiting and hoping. My life felt like I was going through the motions in some dream, where nothing made sense.

Then, a few days later, I got a response:

"Thank you for your interest, blah blah… Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that our list of interns is already full, but please stay alert because similar offers appear regularly on our site. We encourage you to reapply next time, blah blah…"

I cursed under my breath. However, the person who responded left their name and phone number. Hands trembling, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Skye Nolan. I submitted an application for an internship…"

"Oh, yes. Unfortunately, our list is already full. But you ranked high, and you had a good chance, but we simply can't take anyone else. Our teams are full—"

I knew interns at the company got paid, and this was my shot.

"I'd like to offer to work without pay. I'm really just looking for experience with your company. I can use my own laptop. It's really important to me to get this internship."

The person on the other end laughed, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, well, it's nice to hear you hold our company in such high regard, and we appreciate your enthusiasm, but unfortunately, all the spots are taken. We wouldn't even have a place to put you, and we don't offer remote internships. But try next time, you have a good chance…"

I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with HR guys.

So, I went to their website to check out their structure and see what departments they had.

From previously talking with Soren, I knew which department he was in. They only listed the director's name for that department—no managers or employees, since that info was confidential. But the director's name was public.

And of course, no surprise there: Winter Nolan.

I already knew that Soren was in contact with him while working remotely for DevApp, as I had seen his emails to Winter. Now, I had confirmation that Winter was indeed the director of the department where Soren was employed. There were no other possibilities, since the other departments (and I checked the list) weren't hiring programmers with Soren's qualifications. It was the only one that fit.

And just like that, full circle. I cursed under my breath, knowing I only had a single option left.

That same day, I went to talk to my parents.

They were sitting on the terrace, cuddled up and whispering to each other like they usually did. They chatted animatedly about Rain and Kay's impending birth.

Snow was there too, sipping on mineral water with a tablet on his lap, being ignored, as usual.

"I wanted to talk to you guys about something," I said, feeling pretty tense.

Dad looked up at me with those turquoise eyes—I got that color from him, though I inherited everything else looks-wise from my alpha father.

"What's up, sweetheart?"

"Lately… I haven't been feeling great," I mumbled vaguely.

They'd asked me countless times over the past few weeks if I was okay, but eventually, they backed off when they saw how grumpy I got.

"It's hard not to notice, honey. Is this still about that… guy?"

I nodded, but not without some hesitation. My face soured again, almost automatically.

My father cleared his throat and, still holding Dad's hand, said, "Skye, if you're ready, tell us about it."

"I appreciate you all giving me some space these past few weeks. I didn't want to talk about it, but that's changed. You could say I've made a decision, and I need your help."

"What do you need help with?"

"As you know, I broke up with Martin in the first semester of my senior year—"

"Yeah, we were a bit shocked when we found out from Finn Delgado that you switched colleges in your final year…"

I bit my lip. Yep, I could tell Father didn't want to make it sound like he had a problem with it, but the fact that I did it behind their backs definitely annoyed them, even if they respected my choice.

To make matters worse, I swore Finn to secrecy about the transfer until it was already complete, and the tuition needed to be paid… My reasons? Honestly, I just didn't want to explain such an impulsive decision to them. They'd probably have tried to talk me out of it. The problem was—now I was coming to them with yet another impulsive decision!

Oh, well.

"So. In the second semester, I met someone, and I was really into him. He's a beta. And our relationship was… complicated, I guess. More of a situationship than a relationship, but I felt something for him—actually, I fell in love with him."

Dad's aquamarine eyes focused on my face, he was listening intently. Father, on the other hand, looked down at his hand resting on his thigh. I could read him like a book—I knew exactly what he thought about relationships with betas. He'd criticized the idea of getting involved with them more than once.

Snow, who was sitting nearby, glanced up for a split second before quickly looking back down.

But I didn't care about their reactions right now—I just wanted to tell them the truth.

"Unfortunately, at the end of the year, that guy pushed me away. You might've seen him already; he was the one who came up to me after I received my diploma."

Dad perked up.

"Oh, I know who you're talking about! Storm really insisted you try talking to him. He even called me afterward, saying I should press you to reach out to that guy, but I didn't want to because I could see you were on edge, and I was worried you'd blow up if I even mentioned this person."

I sighed in frustration.

"You did the right thing; your instincts were better than Storm's. I wasn't in the mood then."

Dad rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"You know, Storm claims he can find perfect mates for people if he looks closely enough… Working at that matchmaking company for a few years made him—"

"The company that fired him?" I interrupted, making a face.

Dad sighed. "Come on, not for doing a bad job. We all know he had other issues. But did you know Storm recognized that Kay was Rain's True Mate before the tests even confirmed it? That's pretty impressive."

"Dad, really? It wasn't hard to piece together. Rain was probably the most traditional about relationships out of all of us. He never hooked up; he only dated people he fell in love with. He was romantic as hell! And suddenly, he literally runs to save some bitter, lonely widower he never met before, to help him with an endangered pregnancy. C'mon! Like a dog in heat, despite the guy treating him like crap. I wasn't surprised he was his True Mate. Rain would never have agreed to such an arrangement if there wasn't more to it."

Dad bit his lip and slowly nodded. "Yes, that's a fact. It was peculiar, if not out of character, for Rain to go there. That's why he was so secretive about it at first. But you have to admit, Storm didn't even meet Kay, and he was sure, Skye, sure! There has to be something to it."

"For me, it sounds a bit fairytale-like, but okay, let him believe that." I frowned, sighing. Admitting that Storm might have some magical slash alien intuition was hard for me, considering our volatile history.

But Dad just smiled. "Oh, he definitely believes it. And he wanted me to tell you that you should contact that beta guy. He thinks your relationship could work out."

I noticed Dad hesitated a bit as he finished, glancing at Father, who clenched his jaw and just shrugged, like he was washing his hands of the whole thing.

"Well, I've come to the same conclusion, independent of Storm, thank you! I want to try to fix this. So, I've decided to apply for a job at the company where that guy works—but they don't have any openings right now, so I have a Plan B. I'm going to go there and talk to the director of the department Soren works in… yeah, Soren, that's his name," I cleared my throat, realizing I hadn't even told them his name before.

Now I took a deep breath.

This was the core of my request: "The problem is that the head of that department is none other than… Winter."

Silence fell as both Dad and Father looked at me with almost comical surprise.

"Well, that's an interesting coincidence," Father muttered finally, looking away—again. He glanced briefly at Snow, who still remained glued to his screen.

"Yeah, it's interesting but also problematic. Winter's not going to be on my side in this… My relationship with him isn't much better than with Storm. Icy-cold, I would say."

My parents were well aware of the dynamics between their children, and both looked at me with concerned expressions.

"Tough situation," Father muttered, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"I know, that's why I'm coming to you," I pleaded, looking at Dad, who seemed pensive. "Dad, I believe if you call him and beg him, tell him to help me, there might be a chance," I truly sounded like a squeaky kitten.

Dad blinked, his bright eyes darkening a bit. He knew very well how Winter felt about alphas. That hadn't changed in years.

After some fidgeting, he cleared his throat. "Tell me, what's your plan with this guy? You said he broke up with you, have you thought about what you want to do? Do you even know his current status? Maybe he's already found someone else?"

I bit my lip so hard I tasted a bit of blood.

"Dad… Maybe this is impulsive, that's just how I am. But… I—I have to try, I can't take it anymore, I need to see him, I need to see him one more time!" It came out a bit screechy.

They both stared at me, still looking just as concerned, as if they were thinking: ‘What are we supposed to do with you, son?'

"But you can probably arrange a meeting without needing to get a job at that company, right?" Dad's voice was soft, his eyes studying my face.

Before I could answer, Father cleared his throat and jumped in.

"Skye, it's going to be really hard to convince Winter to hire you, especially with his dislike for alphas. And if he knows you're doing this just for some guy and not because you genuinely want to work there, it's going to put him in a tough spot."

I got defensive, "That doesn't mean I won't do my job well! Getting experience at such a big company will be beneficial for me!"

"But you're working for Nathaniel—what about that?" Father pressed, furrowing his brows.

"I'm not quitting on him. I'll just work part-time there. I'll offer to work part-time at DevApp too, but for free. I still need to make a living, so I can't give up my job with Nathaniel."

Dad rubbed his chin.

"Skye, I hear you, son. The problem is… I talked to Winter about a month ago. He's been having some issues at the company. His CEO, Jacob Lowen, wanted to hire his son—an alpha—into Winter's department because the kid's a graphic designer. But… Winter fought tooth and nail to keep that alpha out. You see what I'm saying? This is a really tricky situation."

I cursed under my breath because I didn't know about this situation. What bad luck!

Snow glanced at me but didn't say anything.

"And like you said yourself, they don't even have any open positions," Dad added quietly.

"That's exactly why I want to offer to work for free," I muttered. "Maybe that would help?"

There was a pause, then Father let out a frustrated sigh.

"Skye, you're really overcomplicating things. Trying to negotiate all of this just to see that guy, when you don't even know if he's moved on already, is a bit crazy. Besides, he's a beta, son. There are challenges that come with that—are you aware of the cons?"

"Storm still seems to think it's a good match!" I caught myself raising my voice when I knew I should stay calm and collected.

Father snorted impatiently. "And you yourself don't believe in Storm's ‘talent', so why bring that up? But that's not even the point. Do you realize you're risking Winter's reputation? He's always been against hiring alphas, and now he'd have to hire his own brother? Nepotism from the CEO—bad. Nepotism from Winter—okay? That's going to look really weird."

"Obviously, the CEO doesn't give a fuck about Winter's prejudices since they have this fucking program that encourages alphas to apply!" I was more and more agitated.

"Yep, publicity stunt to improve their public image. Winter mentioned it too," Father grumbled.

There were a few seconds of silence, and I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm myself.

"I have to agree with your father," Dad added, looking apologetic. "Think this through carefully. You might get the job, but what if that guy doesn't want to see you? You'd be setting yourself up for more disappointment and rejection. All that effort, and it could be for nothing."

Then something unexpected happened.

Snow lifted his head again.

"If he loves him, then it's not for nothing."

Wow. I blinked in surprise. That was the first thing I'd heard Snow say in two months! I stared at him, but his pale violet eyes quickly went back to his laptop. He tilted his head down, and soon all I could see was the short white hair on top of his head.

My parents eyed him, while I sighed nervously.

"Yeah, it's not for nothing to me. I just have to do something, or I'm gonna go crazy. Sometimes I have these thoughts… really dark ones, ones you wouldn't want to know about. Either I try this, or I'll lose it."

Dad still seemed unconvinced. "If that's so urgent, why don't you just talk to him? Go there, wait for him to come out of the building, and ask to talk. Why do you have to get a job there?"

It was a fair question, but something deep inside me—a gut feeling—told me that if I just showed up for a quick chat, I wouldn't get the outcome I wanted. I needed more time, more chances to see him every day, to rebuild that connection slowly. A quick, awkward meeting in the parking lot? No, that wouldn't work with Soren.

"I don't know why, but I just feel like this is what I have to do. Maybe it's another dumb impulse, but that's how I see it. I don't want to just walk up to Soren like some stranger and surprise him. I need time, chances to see him every day, to recreate a situation where he might open up to being with me again. We split up under… very bad circumstances."

Both my parents looked at each other, and I could see the doubt and uncertainty on their faces.

Dad gazed back at me, staring into my eyes for a long time, seeming perplexed.

I whispered, almost begging, "Please, Dad, I wouldn't ask for this if I didn't feel in my heart that this is the right path. I feel it in every cell of my body! I can't just… leave it like that, forget him."

Finally, he slowly nodded.

"If that's what you feel, son—if that's what your heart is telling you—then okay, maybe you should follow it. I won't lie, normally I'd try to talk you out of this, but Storm… His words are what made me think I should help you. Contrary to you—both—I do think he has a gift, an intuition. I know he's helped some people find their High Mates. He's a purple alpha and… you know, they're a bit different from the rest of us."

I rolled my eyes. It annoyed me how Storm would constantly go on about his abilities as a purple alpha. But Dad always bought into it! However, now it could come in handy—to calm my parents' nerves and doubts.

"You see, he is on my side. So I've got to try and get a job at that company and find out what happens. But I need your help because Winter will never want to talk to me."

After a long silence, Dad sighed. "Okay, I'll try to call him today and speak to him. I'll let you know what he says."

My father glanced at him with a weird grimace but didn't comment.

Not wasting any time, I stood up, feeling like I needed to move, to run. I was bursting with energy, all of it driving me toward getting Soren back… Crazy!

"Whatever happens with that call, I'm going there anyway. I've got to do something, anything. I know you're worried, and I won't lie, I've got some doubts too, but I can't keep fighting… my stupid heart. It's killing me, slowly but surely," was my dramatic conclusion.

Dad nodded, and Father threw up his hands like he didn't want to get involved anymore.

Later that day, Dad went to the garden and had a talk with Winter.

When he came back, he didn't look too happy. Once again, Snow was there while we talked.

"Well, I explained your situation to him. He said he knew you were in the same major as Soren but didn't think you two were romantically involved. He pointed out that there are a lot of reasons why he can't support your application at the company. First, his CEO has been pushing for years to hire alphas, and Winter has consistently fought against it. Second, he doesn't want any romance drama at work, and that's one of the main reasons he's against employing alphas—there's always some mating games involved. And third—you already know this one. A while ago, the CEO wanted to hire his own son in Winter's department, and Winter barely managed to stop it. Imagine how it would look if Winter now gave a job to his own brother in the same department where he refused the CEO's son? Winter said that would be the height of hypocrisy."

I clenched my teeth. Three pairs of eyes were on me—my parents', full of concern, and Snow's, with an unreadable expression. I clenched my jaw.

Yeah. I was on my own.

Slowly, I turned around and left.

They wouldn't understand. But I couldn't give up, no matter how this situation with Winter looked. Like a powerful magnet, Soren kept pulling me toward him, nonstop, for 67 days straight, and I just couldn't resist it anymore.

My fate was sealed.

***

The next day in the afternoon, I decided to leave. There was nothing left for me here—no future. I couldn't get Soren back by just sitting in my room. I needed to change that, even though I didn't have a clear plan.

My dad circled around me with a concerned look and sadness in his eyes as I carried my things to the car trunk. I took everything with me, determined to build my life in the city and fight for Soren there. I could see Dad wanted to say something reassuring, but he couldn't find the right words.

Just as I was about to get into the car, I noticed another vehicle driving up my parents' driveway and I gaped. It was an unfamiliar dark Range Rover with three people inside. I recognized my youngest brother, Sun, sitting in the car with two men—a small omega and a ridiculously massive alpha.

With my mouth still hanging open, I watched Sun get out of the car. He didn't look like his usual bratty and confident self. He was pale and seemed different—almost broken? With some shock, I noticed bruises on his face!

The small, strikingly beautiful omega with caramel-blond hair followed him, tightly wrapped in a blanket. His face was bruised too, including a circular mark on his neck. Noticing that, I went speechless, letting out only a low growl when the alpha emerged last. He was nearly as tall as Archer, around seven feet, super muscular, and had a military-like silver buzz cut. His expression was grim—the kind of face you wouldn't dare mess with unless you had a really good reason. He looked about thirty and had an almost eerie presence about him.

My father and Snow appeared at the doorstep, observing the unexpected guests.

"What's going on?" I finally muttered. "Aren't you supposed to be in college, Sun? It's already September."

Sun glanced at me gloomily and… ignored me—so very unlike him, not to have some jab ready to throw. Instead, he rushed toward Dad and hugged him tightly—something he had never done before! That sight alone told me something unusual had happened, and I was tempted to ask, but Sun spoke first.

"Dad, I need your help," he whispered, peering intensely into Dad's wide eyes.

"What's going on, honey? What happened?"

"I'll explain everything. Let's get inside; I need to talk to you face to face."

Only then did he turn around and introduce the others.

"This is Summer, and that's Ragnar. If it's not a problem, I'd like them to stay with us for a while…"

"Of course," Dad hurried to say, making a wide gesture. "But please, tell me—"

"In a moment. Let's go inside. It's quite a long story."

Sun headed toward the entrance with Dad, the small omega shyly walking behind them. On the steps leading to the door, the omega swayed, nearly losing his balance. Snow moved to help, but the omega flinched and jumped back, out of his reach. It looked really strange. The omega's beautiful face seemed almost wild for a second, like a scared animal.

I couldn't stop gaping. My eyes met Snow's, and I raised my eyebrows, trying to gauge his reaction, but his expression remained unreadable, typical. Although, he seemed strangely focused on the small omega.

For a moment, I stood there, indecisively swaying from one foot to the other.

"Skye," my father said, stepping closer and placing a hand on my shoulder. He probably noticed my inner conflict about what to do next. "I know you're ready to go. I'll text you later, explaining what happened here. Don't worry about it." He smiled warmly.

I nodded slowly, still glancing toward the strange trio disappearing inside the house.

"Yes, let me know what happened. But I… will be on my way. I need to do this."

His expression was a little rueful, but he didn't comment further.

As I walked back to my car, the last thing I saw was Snow, still hesitating on the doorstep. He looked dazed and strangely uneasy, which was so unlike him. I had a feeling a lot was about to change within my family.

But I wasn't part of this anymore. I had my own path, and I needed to focus on finding my happiness.

***

The drive downtown took about an hour and a half. During that time, I received a text from my father saying, "Sun's story is really shocking. For the last two months, since he left for summer courses, he wasn't on campus at all, we had no idea! He was… a ‘guest' in some mobster's house. This omega is this mobster's husband! Their story is really disturbing, and it may not be over, but I don't want to go into details over text. However, feel free to call me later if you want to know more."

But I wasn't sure if I wanted to know more. I had always disapproved of Sun's risky lifestyle—his reckless approach to education, his constant pursuit of flashy boyfriends, his extravagance, wasting every damn dime he got from our parents, and his strange attempts at a shadowy modeling career. If not for our parents, he wouldn't have applied to college at all! Sun always needed tutoring, claiming he required someone to force the knowledge into his head since he was too lazy to study on his own. He was constantly glued to social media, and on top of that, he had an arrogant attitude—even toward our parents, who were nothing but angels to him. He wasn't always like that, but as a teenager, he became more and more obnoxious, at least to me.

Since I didn't have the patience for his bullshit and constant disrespect—our bond wasn't that great. So I decided to postpone the conversation with Father about Sun's dramatic situation. Deep down, I thought, if you recklessly fly too close to the sun (pun intended), you're bound to get burned, right?

Well, speaking of which…

…I was doing EXACTLY the same thing now.

Cruising for bruising, as I said before.

I arrived downtown in a strange, shaky yet hopeful mood, rented a cheap hotel near the company, and the following day, around 10 am, I showed up in the Dev App lobby.

Just like that—no hesitation, no distractions.

Full of determination, full of focus.

I was dressed in a suit and felt super tense, almost like a taut bow. I asked the young omega at the reception if I could talk to… Mr. Winter Nolan. Yep.

Never give up!

The omega looked surprised when he heard my last name, but he gave me a careful once-over. Maybe he decided I wasn't some random weirdo off the street because after a moment of deliberation, he dialed an extension. I heard him say:

"Good morning, Director Nolan. There's a young man here asking to speak with you." He listened for a moment, then added, "He says it's about a job, that he's been in touch with HR, but some things haven't been fully sorted out. His name is Skye Nolan."

After a brief pause, the receptionist looked up at me. "Mr. Nolan says he has a meeting soon, but he can see you in about an hour and a half."

"That's fine, I'll wait," I replied.

The omega blinked, a little surprised, but nodded and passed the message along to Winter. He nodded again and said, "Alright, alright," before hanging up the phone.

"Please have a seat in the lobby, and Director Nolan will get in touch with you when he's done with his meeting." He smiled at me—genuinely. I can't deny it, my looks help in situations like this. I smiled back, in a friendly manner, and found a comfortable spot on one of the cushy lobby chairs.

As I sat there, watching employees step outside for smoke breaks, part of me dreaded running into Soren. Since he smoked, he might've been one of the people taking a quick cigarette break, but he never showed up. Maybe there was a smoking area on a higher floor, so he didn't have to come down?

I sat there for an hour and a half, completely still, running through different scenarios in my head for how our conversation might go.

My eyes kept drifting to a large banner on the wall in the lobby, featuring a big photo of Jacob Lowen, the CEO of DevApp. The middle-aged omega was smiling, the way people do in typical publicity photos. Jacob Lowen came from a prominent and very wealthy family; his brothers were famous in their own right. One of them, Blue Lowen, was the CEO of Malden Pharmaceuticals, and another, Sebastien, was the co-founder of Omega Red Line Agency. Some of the other brothers were also influential, like alpha Victor Lowen, a press mogul, owner of the East Times magazine. The whole family was well-known and often evoked mixed feelings—some loved them, some hated them.

About an hour and forty minutes later, the omega receptionist waved at me. I jumped up and quickly walked over. He smiled again. "Director Nolan has a few minutes now and can talk to you."

He motioned to a nearby security guard. "Please take Mr. Nolan to the 17th floor, room 340, to see Director Nolan."

The guard nodded, and soon we were in the elevator heading up. I could feel myself trembling inside, but I tried to keep it together—I didn't want to come off like some love-struck puppy in front of Winter. After all, I was there to get a job at a serious, large company. When the elevator doors opened, I straightened up, trying to look more focused and confident. Maybe even cheerful? I'd almost forgotten what muscles I needed to use to pull that off since I'd been so gloomy the past couple of months.

The guard knocked on Winter's office door, and after a moment, we heard a voice say, "Come in."

The door opened, and I stepped into a sleek, medium-sized office. A desk sat in one corner, shelves lined with binders hugged the walls, a big board and some chairs were positioned off to the side.

My eyes landed on Winter.

He was 6'1" and 34 years old, the oldest brother I grew up with—well, besides River, who had run away before I turned three.

Winter was considered low-key the least attractive of all of us, mostly because of his white eyebrows and lashes, along with his sharp, almost haughty facial features. He resembled our Uncle Timothy, with that official, bureaucratic vibe and stiff demeanor to match. Objectively, his features were fine, almost elegant, but in a way that made him look like a vampire or some kind of elf king. The combination of his stark white hair and cold aura gave off a serious ‘Icy Prince' vibe. It made his otherwise perfectly sculpted nose and the soft curve of his full lips seem… insignificant, almost.

We stared at each other.

Finally, I dared to speak.

"I've never asked you for anything, Winter. Today is the first time."

Winter snorted, stood up, and walked over to the window, looking out at the parking lot.

"You and… a beta. Who would have thought? After you once called me a barren half-human, now you want to get involved with one of us?" His voice was like a whip crack.

I clenched my fists behind my back, trying to keep my emotions in check. Yeah, I had called him that once—but in my defense, it was right after he called me a mindless alpha blinded by testosterone.

"Well, I guess that just proves I was never really prejudiced against betas. I only said it because I was pissed off."

Winter's face twisted slightly, almost like he was in pain.

"You picked a very… particular person. I've got nothing against his talent or work ethic—they're spotless—but that whole edgy bad-boy style? It's so… immature. Those tattoos, piercings? Are you really into that?"

Clenching my jaw, I shot back, "He's also very… special, passionate, intense. And, yeah, his look is sexy. Guilty as charged, I'm into that."

Suddenly, Winter turned to face me.

"Snow did half the work for you, Skye. He called me last night."

I froze. Snow called him? The only alpha Winter tolerated in our family besides Father!

"What did he say?"

"He made a case for you, Skye."

Unbelievable. I felt stupid for not even trying to visit Snow's basement in the past two months, just to… hell, just to say hi! Maybe I was a shitty brother after all.

"You're putting me in an incredibly tough spot."

"Wait! Does that mean you agreed?"

Winter's expression didn't change—still icy.

"Snow said the exact same thing you did. 'I've never asked you for anything'. And I can't refuse him. He's the only brother who hasn't been a jerk to me."

"Probably because he hardly ever talks…" I muttered, though too quietly for Winter's beta ear to catch.

"How… will you handle it? What about the CEO's relative, the one he tried to force you to hire?"

Winter shrugged slightly, his aura unreadable.

"I have to hire him now."

Silence fell between us. I swallowed hard and took a step toward Winter, then another, until I stood right in front of him. His pale gray eyes watched me with an unreadable expression.

"You know," he said suddenly, "I talked with Soren about you. He found out we're brothers. I sensed something was up, but I didn't dig—it's none of my business. But when I criticized alphas as programmers, he got really red and defended you right away. Praised your talent, said how fast you learn. When I kept pushing, I could see on his face… He looked mortified, like he couldn't believe I had such views on alphas. But he held back, probably didn't want to argue with his new boss."

I felt a strange wave move through my body. Soren… thought that highly of me? Defended me? My eyes started to sting, but I blinked the feeling away.

"Are you really agreeing?" I whispered, trying to keep my emotions in check.

He nodded, watching me analytically.

On a dumb impulse, I grabbed him in a hug and squeezed him tight. He stayed stiff in my arms, and as soon as I let go, he turned away and headed back toward the second window, his face as expressionless as ever.

"It can be hard for you to separate your emotions from your work. I hope it's worth it, Skye," he commented.

"I hope so too. I was actually going to offer to work for free, just for the experience. Half-time, because I'm working for Nathaniel the other half, and I make enough there to get by. I could even bring my own laptop—"

Winter waved his hand dismissively.

"No, I can take you on as a full, paid intern for the ByteBites project. I've been planning to split the team working on it for a while now, as it's gotten too big. I'll need to appoint two team leaders. What stopped me before was not having an adequate candidate for the role, but that's changed. The problem is, after the split, one team will be smaller. You could fill that spot. That's how I'll justify it to Jacob… the CEO. Since the internship enrollment is closed, this will be easier to defend—you were late applying, but you're next on the list to hire. Actually, top candidate, based on your educational merit, you graduated with honors after all. Honestly, you're a stronger applicant than some of the interns we've already hired."

"Thanks, but still in return, you have to hire his son in the graphics department?"

Winter's lips tightened. "Yes. The boy's… an odd one. Luckily, my head of graphics is fine with it, so that'll make it easier. He'll handle the alpha. I won't have to see him."

I exhaled deeply. "Thank you, Winter. So much. I know I haven't been the best brother, so I'm even more grateful you're doing this for me," I whispered, feeling a bit foolish. "I owe you one. Call it in anytime."

Winter winced. "Well, family stuff… it's always complicated," he added vaguely, though I knew exactly what he meant.

I had been on bad terms with Winter for years, and maybe it was a two-way street. Had I just given him back what he'd sent my way? The lines of alliances in our family were pretty peculiar. Our family, as Winter said, was really a challenge.

After a moment of silence, Winter asked, "Why a beta, not an omega?"

Another silence passed.

"I don't know. I liked him from the first moment I saw him. Everything just… draws me to him. I tried for two months to get him out of my head and failed. It just keeps growing. I need to see him."

Winter sighed deeply and sank into his chair, his eyes disapproving.

"I hope I won't regret this, Skye. Maybe you'll end up falling in love with the company, not just one of its employees," he added with a bitter grimace.

"I'm not planning to slack off, and I really appreciate the chance—it means a lot to me…" I hesitated. "I'll try to repay you somehow."

He waved it off with a sharp gesture.

"No. You've got one point in your favor compared to the rest of our brothers. At least you were the only one who punched Storm for what he did with David. I… didn't have the guts to do the same after he slept with Finn."

"Yeah, about that… Did you ever ask Finn why he did it? He wasn't sentimental about you. You and Storm don't even look alike."

Winter's cold face didn't change as he answered.

"Yeah, I asked. He said he was mad at me for breaking up with him—even after a few years—and he was just curious about… purple alphas."

A moment of silence passed as I pondered his words.

"What about David? Did you ask him?" Winter suddenly inquired.

Cringing inwardly, I made a face—I hated this subject.

"I did. In his case, he was sentimental! Me, Rain, and Storm… we're pretty similar. The face, hair, you know. He said it was like saying goodbye to me. But I call bullshit. I'm sure he was just curious about… how did you put it? The whole purple alpha thing. Monster dick and all that."

"Please, stop." Winter had a revolted expression, and I had to agree.

An awkward silence followed. After a while, he straightened up, his eyes averted, looking distant and cold again.

"Anyway, good luck to you. Maybe Soren will give you a chance." His tone was very official.

"I hope he does," I whispered, feeling a new wave of hope, mixed with a surge of nerves.

So here I was.

Soren and I would be working at the same company? It opened up new possibilities, but also another chance to get hurt. To burn myself in a hellish inferno of another rejection.

"One last thing. Soren is my candidate for one of those two team leader positions, even though he's only been here physically for a short time. He's been with the company for almost two years and has shown a lot of positive qualities. You might end up on his team if it's formed in the next week. The fact that you already know each other could be invaluable in this project. ByteBites has been going on for two months now, and joining as an outsider might put you at a disadvantage. But since Soren knows your skills, he could assign work more suited to your level. Plus, it would put you two closer. Does that sound good?"

I blinked. Soren must've made a strong impression if he was up for a team leader role.

"Well, it would be an intense challenge, but it could also be the perfect chance to get back what we had. We'd have constant contact," I said, feeling a shiver of excitement.

Winter grimaced. "Hopefully not too much contact on company grounds."

"Obviously." I mirrored his grimace.

"This week, I'll have you sit with the helpdesk staff and give you a few simple tasks to get up to speed. By next week, the new team should be set up, and you'll join it with Soren."

I nodded.

"And now it's time for HR. I expected you because Dad said you were coming to town, so I gave them a heads-up. They've got your paperwork ready."

I swallowed, remembering who I had to thank for this.

As soon as I stepped out into the hallway, I pulled out my phone, but I didn't even have Snow's number. I'd never spoken to him on the phone before, so I texted Bay, my older brother, who lived next door to our parents. He sent me Snow's number almost instantly.

I called, feeling a knot of stress, but Snow didn't pick up. A minute later, I got a text:

"You're welcome."

So like Snow—not picking up, but knowing exactly why I'd called and replying to that. He was the one brother I never really understood.

I sent: "Seriously, you surprised me. You have no idea how grateful I am. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it."

"But I have to. I've been unbearable these past two months, totally focused on my suffering. I'm sorry if I didn't pay attention to you."

"I felt it, and I understood. I could literally see that hole in you. I can see things like that. I hope you heal now, Skye."

I stared at the screen for a while, quite moved. I really owed him. The part about ‘I can see things like that' puzzled me a bit, but I let it slide.

An hour later, I was officially a DevApp intern, starting the next day at 9 am.

By the time I headed down, it was lunchtime, and many employees were crowding into the elevator, heading to the cafeteria.

I figured I could grab something to eat too—I hadn't had anything all morning because of my nerves, and I was starting to feel a bit faint. I went down with the group of employees and followed them to a large, glass-walled cafeteria on the 10th floor of the building, with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Looking around nervously, I stood in line, but I didn't see Soren. He could have been here earlier, or maybe he'd come later, or perhaps he didn't come to this cafeteria at all—there was another one on the first floor.

I waited my turn, listening to the employees around me chatting animatedly about work stuff or personal matters. Most of them were betas and omegas, the typical workforce you'd find in a software company. Alphas were a rare sight in these places—I was one of the few in the cafeteria. From what I could tell, the others weren't even DevApp employees. Some curious gazes landed on me; a few omegas were openly checking me out.

I picked a small two-person table in the corner, set down my tray, and sat, ready to eat. But just as I lifted the first spoonful to my mouth, I saw a new group of people coming through the door.

It felt like I'd been struck by lightning, every cell in my body screaming with both joy and fear.

It was Soren.

Soren…

He walked in with a couple of betas and omegas, talking to a short beta next to him. They all stepped into the line.

Shivering slightly, I shrank back, trying to make myself as small as possible—I wasn't even sure why, I just didn't want him to notice me. But he wasn't looking around the room; his eyes were fixed on the display case showing off the day's catering options.

My hands were trembling as I ate nervously, waiting for Soren to grab his tray and pay for his food. For some reason, I felt like maybe I could leave the room before he started looking for a table, but the other half of me desperately wanted to stay and watch him a little longer.

I noticed a change in his appearance. His hair was still shaved on one side, although not as short—the skin wasn't visible in the shaved area, so he probably had 7 mm long hairs there. The longer part on top of his head was now tied smoothly back in a low ponytail, which made him look a bit more refined. It seemed like he had fewer piercings in his ears, too. The ones left were smaller. He was dressed in a black button-down shirt and black pants, almost looking elegant—definitely different from how he looked in college. But he was still beautiful, lithe and svelte, drawing my eyes like a magnet.

Finally, he and his short colleague took their trays and started searching for a table. I hunched over, practically burying my face in my soup, hurriedly swallowing spoonfuls, hoping he wouldn't recognize me. Luckily, Soren and his friend found a table about 40 feet away from me and sat down, facing sideways. There was little chance he'd look my way, but I could still watch him.

For minutes on end, I stared at him, mesmerized. He was real, a palpable Soren… not just a dream. I watched his every movement, like when he lifted a spoon to his mouth. His colleague kept talking and gesturing, and Soren responded occasionally, seeming slightly distant, lost in thought. Typical Soren, my Soren… Stop, Skye.

I soaked in the sight of him, my heart trembling with happiness, so overjoyed to see him again… but for what? What was I hoping for? God, he'd been very clear when he said he never wanted to hear from me again. But then he'd broken that rule himself when he'd tried to approach me. Maybe I could cling to that?

And then I saw it.

The short colleague reached out and took Soren's hand, their fingers intertwining. It wasn't a friendly gesture—it was intimate.

My heart, which had been soaring like a bird toward the sun, suddenly plummeted. It was as if the ground beneath me had opened up and revealed an inferno of fire.

Soren had a new boyfriend!

I was too late. Stunned, I stared at their entwined hands.

Then, the short beta lifted Soren's hand and kissed it—a quick, loving kiss. I almost gagged, realizing just how close their relationship already was. Could it be Liam? The guy he mentioned a few times as his best friend, who wanted Soren to fuck him?

And most importantly, had I already lost? From the start?

Maybe I never had a chance anyway, but since Winter had hired me, I'd started to cautiously hope I could work on one, and now?

No, no, no—I couldn't give up. I pressed my lips together. Nothing was ever truly lost until Soren told me himself. People left each other at the altar, after all.

Still staring, I ate without a rush, not wanting to leave just yet, waiting until they finished their meal and left. Only then did I finally get up, moving slowly, and left the cafeteria.

My head was spinning with thoughts. This wasn't what I expected, even though my parents had warned me about this scenario. I should have known from the beginning that it was a very real possibility—Soren easily attracted attention. His looks and aura had an almost gravitational pull, at least for some people drawn to the bad-boy type. I'd known that for a long time.

Despite what I'd just seen, I firmly refused to give in to despair—not now, when I'd overcome the first hurdle and gotten into this company.

Determined, I slid into my car, pulled out my phone, and opened a web service that offered apartments for rent. I was up for the challenge.