Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

[FROLO]

Katya didn’t know what to say.

Up until this moment, no one had really said a word about his missing memories. It was almost like the weekend hadn’t happened.

Sergei had asked about it, and if it had been for the reporters who ambushed them earlier, Katya wouldn’t have known a thing about the weekend. And now here Anya was talking about Saturday like it was the worst day of his life.

What happened?

What had he done?

What had they done?

Other than the snouts he had gotten a few times, he was not aware of anything.

Hell, he was starting to believe that his phone was stolen. It was the only way to explain the missing time. After all, Svet and Andre surely wouldn’t have left him alone for that long, or maybe this time, Katya had pushed his friends away?

"Saturday?" Katya asked carefully, looking at Sergei, who was staring at him with bright eyes, almost like they were bound for some mischief.

But even so, who was to win against the Moskowskys?

No one had ever tried and succeeded, and worse for Katya, he didn’t have an out. So, whatever it was, he had to embrace it.

"Hold on, Anya. I’m still asking for forgiveness for the right morning, get in line," Sergei said, like this was a competition for the omega’s attention, and Katya wasn’t sure what to make of it.

How was Sergei so calm, or was it the calm before the storm?

Now that he thought of it, Katya had never seen anywhere that Sergei ever hit his son like he had today.

Was it because Yaroslav had been unable to keep Katya under control?

Was that why he had been punished? Because he had left the omega to be so free, and Saturday had happened when he could have avoided it all?

"Fine then, get over with it, fast, and get out. You assigned the omega to me, and I have to do my job," Anya said.

Sergei let out a sigh.

He wanted to say no, he wanted to defend Katya or even say something that would make Anya tone down, but Sergei knew that this had to be done.

Anya was the more rational one between them, and if that was what Anya was choosing, he could only ever trust her because right now, Sergei couldn’t think.

Being so close to Katya had him licking his lips hungrily, trying to be discreet about how the omega’s citrus scent was affecting him.

If Katya asked him to go on his knees for the apology, Sergei would do it, no doubt. Not that he was opposed to it. He would be on his knees for this omega at whatever point Katya deemed it so.

He wouldn’t even complain about it.

Ever.

"Solnyshka..." Sergei said, his voice softer than the voice he had used with Anya.

Katya turned to the alpha, fear and confusion written all over his face. There was nothing he could say to change the alpha’s mind about anything right now. And if Sergei wanted forgiveness, Katya wouldn’t deny him that.

"There is nothing to forgive, Mr. Moskowsky," Katya said before he realized what he said and added;

"...Vladimir."

Sergei broke into a smile.

A real, genuine smile.

"Would you have dinner with me then?" Sergei asked, hopefully.

But Katya didn’t see it like that.

He saw a risk that he was being dragged into, saw a challenge that was being presented because of what the senator had said, and Katya flinched instinctively, like Sergei had asked for his heart.

Goodness, he was never really going to breathe around these Moskowskys now, would he?

"I... But..." Katya stumbled over his words.

He could feel Anya’s fierce gaze on him, and the Alpha’s eyes were not telling him a different tale either. But what if he was reading it wrong? What if the alpha was just a puppy for him, and Katya didn’t just know it yet?

Would he still be that terrified and overthinking?

Strangely, Anya didn’t say a word this time, almost like she was waiting for Katya to embarrass himself and then she could chip in again.

Katya knew he was always going to just be the omega Sergei married when no one ever understood why. Perhaps that was why it didn’t hurt earlier when Anya referred to him as her job.

But could she save him from service?

"Please, Solnyshka," Sergei pleaded in earnest.

And Anya’s inhaler found itself rolling on the floor.

While Katya...

The omega froze in time.

This had to be the cruelest joke these people were playing.

There was no doubt about that, but what the hell was he supposed to say?

No?

Yes?

Maybe?

Fuck, there was no easy question here.

"I don’t know how to cook... I’m sorry I can’t make you dinner," Katya rambled suddenly, hoping to the gods that Anya could save him.

But the woman just stood by the window, hands folded, inhaler on the floor along with her pen and her Stanley, while Sergei Moskowsky looked at Katya like a man who had discovered the best of treasures.

"And I don’t want to stain your reputation further. I don’t even remember Saturday. I’m really sorry, sir... I meant—" Katya rambled again.

Sergei watched quietly.

Then he held Katya’s arm gently, making the omega freeze for what felt like an eternity.

"Solnyshka..." Sergei said calmly, making Katya turn to look at him.

And when the omega didn’t say anything, Sergei continued.

"Breathe," the alpha said, his eyes never leaving Katya’s.

He could smell how bitter Katya’s scent had gotten, and honestly, it was unsettling for the alpha.

"Go on. Breathe in," Sergei guided.

Katya breathed in, still terrified out of his mind of this barbarian.

"Now breathe out, slowly," Sergei added.

Again, Katya breathed.

The alpha repeated the process five times, still not letting Katya’s arms free. But then again, his hold on Katya was so gentle it was new to the omega.

"You get hurt a lot when I am around, huh?" Sergei said, his eyes unwavering.

Katya did know what to say to that.

Did this man forget he was the devil of Frolo, or was this just some game he was playing again?

"I’m s—" Katya tried, but Sergei shushed him by putting a finger against his lips.

"I told you before, Solnyshka. You never have to apologize to me, ever," Sergei said as the air in the room got thicker than it had been before.

"But..."

"Looks like you misunderstood my intentions for you, Solnyshka," Sergei said.

Katya stared blankly.

"You didn’t sign your life away to me. Not in the way you think or have been thinking these past few weeks," Sergei said, as he traced Katya’s hand gently, like amma who was fighting to stay in control of everything.

But what was control when Katya Romanov was in the same room as him?

"You made me sign a contract," Katya voiced weakly.

"Would you have accepted my help if I didn’t come with leverage?" Sergei asked, the honesty dripping from him in the kind of way that Katya had not expected.

The barbarian was right, though.

Katya wouldn’t have accepted his help.

He would have assumed that Yaroslav had sent him to do the cleaning and make sure that he didn’t talk.

That was the kind of life that Katya was expecting, especially after everything that had happened.

"You’re a Moskowsky. THE Moskowsky," Katya said instead.

"But you’re my Solnyshka," Sergei said quietly, without force.