Zac let Valentine hang out in his room for the rest of the day. He didn't feel like being alone, and Zac felt for him, so he didn't mind Valentine staying. The two of them didn't talk much after he let him in on the real reason he was here. Zac pushed his feelings aside. He's emotions weren't relevant, just as they weren't the time before. 

This was nothing more than a job for the two of them. So, Zac was going to treat it as nothing more. 

Zac could see the change in Valentine after the bonding with Shaw. He didn't say anything out loud about it, but he did acknowledge it himself. He had a feeling that Valentine wasn't some shy timid omega when he first came to be here. But felt that maybe that was just his way of getting to know the place and the people who worked here. 

When Valentine finally lashed out at him; yeah it pissed him off, but that was the first time he felt he was seeing the real Valentine. It was strange to see an omega with a backbone, outspoken and opinionated. A bit of fresh air for himself, but still strange. 

"So I was thinking," Commented Valentine as he walked into Zac's room without knocking. 

That for the most part was still the same, but Valentine had this blankness that seemed to have taken over him. He wasn't as expressive as he had been before. Like Shaw's mark stunted him. Maybe it was just his way of coping, shut himself off, so he didn't have to think about it. 

"I can help you," Valentine stated. "I've seen this issue many times before. Though at this point we're looking more at surgery than PT but still, PT helps." 

He finally stopped to see where Zac was on all of this. Valentine looked to see him shaking his head no. 

"I'm good." He didn't want his help. 

"Zac," He pleaded, "Just a few exercises. They could easily sway your odds at winning the next fight." 

Valentine was still on his mission to make sure Zac won, but he also wanted to help. 

He shook his head again, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are the one that signed a contract agreeing to make sure I won, not me." 

Zac was upset that he allowed himself to think that there was something more between them. There was also the fact that Valentine still smelt heavily of Shaw. A smell he personally didn't like. Alphas were always natural rivals to each other. 

Valentine felt attacked by his words, hitting him in the center of his chest hard.  He was the one that signed a deal with Shaw, but Zac was the one that was making this hard for him. He had been fighting him the entire way. 

"Can we make a deal then?" 

"We've tried making peace before." 

"A one-time deal. Just for today. Please." Begged Valentine.  

"Like what?" Asked Zac. 

"Ummm. . . I don't know. Is there something you want? I do that once you listen to me and do the damn exercises." 

"There are lots of things I want, but you can't give them to me," Zac stated as he let out more emotion in his voice than he expected. 

An emotion that Valentine picked up on. There was a sense of longing in his voice. A longing that he chose to overlook for the time being. 

"Fine. . . what if I land a hit?" Zac liked fighting. Valentine sure his ego wouldn't let him think an omega like him could do such a thing. 

"I already know you can." He had hit Shaw more than once. 

"You really do try to make people not like you. You know that right?" Commented Valentine as he tossed his hands up in the air. "It's you who does it on purpose. Like you can't handle the idea of having a friend or for fuck sake something more than that. Got to keep everyone pushed away or scared into submission under you. There's no in-between." Valentine shook his head, "So many of you alphas are alike. Like you're the only ones with a tragic past or got their heart broken that one time. Fuck you for even thinking you could compare your life to that of an omega." 

Valentine went off on a rant, and all Zac had to say was, "So does that mean you like me?" 

Valentine had said try to make people, not like him. He didn't say he didn't, but just pointed out the fact that Zac was making his life harder.  

"Fuck you, Zac."