Chapter
Alex swirled the water in her glass, watching the way the light caught against its surface. “How long did it take you to figure that out?”
Nikolai didn’t hesitate. “First try.” He took a sip from his own glass, his expression unreadable. “That’s what started it all. My father decided then and there that I was born to lead. He’s always had this obsession with what he calls ‘the natural order of things.’ Some men are alphas—leaders. Others are betas—meant to take orders. Like my brother.”
“Phillip, right?”
“Yeah.”
Alex tilted her head. “Have I met him?”
“You’ve met all my siblings at one point or another.”
“And yet… you’re not close?”
A small, humorless smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Not even a little.”
She hesitated before asking, “Why not?”
Nikolai leaned back a
