Chapter 60 060

Chapter 60 060
Mikhail

I spent every waking moment of the next three days trying to find a way out. Any way out.

I considered telling Dimitri I had already found someone. But who? I couldn't name anyone without raising questions, and any she-wolf I named would either confirm or deny it immediately.

I thought about claiming I wanted more time, but Dimitri had made it clear. This wasn't negotiable. My time was up.

I even briefly considered just refusing outright, consequences be damned, but that would mean losing my position as one of the leaders of the pack, losing Dimitri's trust, and worst of all, it would make him suspicious.

He would start digging into why I was so resistant, and if he dug deep enough...

No. That wasn't an option.

Viktor caught me in the training yard on Thursday, the day before the dinner.

"You look like shit." He observed, leaning against the fence as I beat the hell out of a training dummy.

"Thanks."

"Nervous about tomorrow?"

I slammed my fist into the dummy's head. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Meeting your potential mate? Most wolves would be," He studied me. "Unless there's a reason you don't want this."

I froze, then forced myself to keep moving. "I just don't like being told what to do."

"Dimitri's doing what's best for the pack. You know that."

"Yeah," Another punch. "I know."

"Irina's a good choice. She’s srong beautiful and well-trained. She'll make an excellent mate and leader."

Everyone kept saying that like it mattered. Like anything about her mattered when she wasn't Natasha.

"You'll see tomorrow," Viktor continued. "Once you meet her properly, you'll understand why Dimitri chose her."

I wanted to tell him that I already knew exactly why Dimitri chose her. Because she was perfect on paper. Because she fit all the requirements for what a mate should be.

But perfect on paper meant nothing when my heart belonged to someone else.

I dressed for dinner on friday evening with mechanical precision. Black shirt, tailored pants, boots polished until they gleamed.

Dimitri wanted me presentable. He wanted me to make a good impression.

I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a stranger. A wolf going through the motions, playing a part.

This wasn't me, but it had to be.

When I walked into the formal dining room, Irina was already there with her father, Alpha Konstantin. I met him before at various pack gatherings.

He was a stern, traditional alpha who ran his territory with an iron fist, but it was Irina who captured everyone's attention.

She was beautiful and strikingly so. She had long dark hair that fell in waves down her back, sharp intelligent eyes and high cheekbones.

She wore a deep red dress that hugged her curves and showed off her figure. Every inch of her screamed high-ranking she-wolf. She was confident, poised and powerful.

"Mikhail," Dimitri appeared at my side, his hand on my shoulder. "Come meet Irina."

I walked forward, every step feeling like a betrayal.

"Irina, this is my brother Mikhail. Mikhail, this is Irina Konstantinovna."

She extended her hand, and I took it. Her grip was firm and confident. "It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Mikhail. We met briefly at the gathering last year, but there were so many wolves there."

"I remember." I didn't, not really. She had been just another face in a crowd of high-ranking wolves.

"Dimitri speaks very highly of you," She continued, her eyes appraising me openly. "He says you're one of the strongest wolves in the pack. Fierce in battle, loyal to a fault."

"My brother is generous with his praise."

"I doubt that," Her smile was knowing and almost predatory. "I think he's accurate in his assessment. I can tell just by looking at you, you're exactly the kind of wolf any she-wolf would be honored to stand beside."

She was forward and confident in a way that would normally be attractive, but all I felt was nothing.

"Please, sit," Dimitri gestured to the table. "Dinner is ready."

The seating arrangement put me directly beside Irina, with Alpha Konstantin and Dimitri across from us. And at the far end of the table, barely visible in my peripheral vision was Natasha.

She sat quietly, her eyes down, picking at her food. Dimitri had insisted she attend as family, but she might as well have been invisible for all the attention anyone paid her.

Except me. I was painfully, agonizingly aware of her presence.

"So, Mikhail," Irina said, shifting closer to me. "Tell me about yourself. What do you do when you're not being the fearsome leader?"

I forced myself to focus on her and play the part. "Training, mostly. Border patrols. Pack business."

"All work and no play?" She laughed, a musical sound. "There must be something you do for enjoyment."

"I run and hunt."

"I love to hunt," Her hand landed on my arm, fingers trailing down to my wrist. "Perhaps we could go together sometime. I would love to see you in action."

Her touch was warm, deliberate and flirtatious. Any unmated male would have responded to it.

They would have felt the pull of interest and attraction, but I felt nothing.

Nothing except the awareness of Natasha at the end of the table, watching. I didn't need to look at her to know. I could feel her gaze like a physical touch and I could sense her pain from here.

"Perhaps." I said noncommittally, gently pulling my arm back to reach for my wine glass.

Irina didn't seem discouraged. If anything, my reserve seemed to intrigue her more. "You're not like most wolves I've met. They tend to be more eager."

"I'm not most wolves."

"No, you're not," She studied me with those sharp eyes. "You're more controlled and measured. I appreciate that. Too many males are all instinct and no thought."

Across the table, Dimitri looked pleased. He caught my eye and gave a small nod of approval. This was going well, as far as he was concerned.

"Irina has been trained in pack management since she was young," Alpha Konstantin said. "She understands the responsibilities that come with being a leader's mate. She would be an asset to your pack."

"I'm sure she would." I said mechanically.

"I've also studied territorial law, diplomatic relations between packs, and conflict resolution," Irina added. "I believe a leader’s mate should be more than just decorative. She should be a true partner in leadership."

She was saying all the right things. Everything Dimitri would want to hear. She was perfect for the role. She was intelligent, accomplished, beautiful and from an excellent bloodline.

Perfect on paper, but completely wrong for me.

"That's impressive." I managed.

"I'm glad you think so," Her hand found my arm again, this time staying there. Her thumb rubbed small circles on my forearm.

"I believe we could be quite compatible, Mikhail. We're both practical and we both understand duty and responsibility. We could build something strong together."

Compatible. Practical. Duty and responsibility.

All the words that had nothing to do with love, with passion and with the kind of connection that made you feel like you were burning alive from the inside.

I finally let myself glance down the table at Natasha. The look on her face destroyed me.

She was staring at her plate, but I could see the tension in her shoulders and the way her jaw was clenched tight. When she sensed my gaze, she looked up, and for just a moment, our eyes met.

The pain I saw there was a mirror of my own. She looked like she was being torn apart, watching another she-wolf touch me, flirt with me and plan a future with me.

A future that should have been ours.