Page 12 of Coveted

He’d almost been convinced by Varner that morning, but once again doubt crept in. If he bid and won, it would change the entire life he’d built over the past year. Not only would he have to pay for her, he’d also have to supply her with the things she needed. No more bare necessities.

If he’d been taking the pay Chancellor Osmel had, it wouldn’t even be a concern, but that expense had been one of the first Vax cut. He lived in the Administration Building just like the servants, and since he ate there as well, he’d tried to get away without paying himself at all. Varner had protested, but Vax ignored him until the other Chancellor’s found out.

The uproar they’d made had him reinstating an allowance for himself, albeit less than any of theirs. And he purchased the food for the kitchen from his account, not Farcon 1’s.

He still had more than he needed, but Alana was the closest thing to a princess within the Federation, and she could be used to a lifestyle that would leave him drained. He wasn’t willing to take more from his planet to cosset a spoiled omega.

And that wasn’t accounting the suck on his time. It wasn’t like he could bring her in and then lock her away somewhere, to be available only when he had a moment to spare. He acknowledged his life would be easier if he didn’t grate on the other Chancellor’s sensibilities so much, so he needed to take the time to learn to fit in better, if only to be able to get what Farcon 1 needed without the fight it usually was. But if he was to take on the omega instead of someone else to teach him, she’d take even more of his time.

He wasn’t a fool. He was an alpha, and having an unmated omega nearby would be a constant distraction. He remembered how Leir had been with Elise. Vax couldn’t afford to ignore his duties, no matter how his pulse quickened at the thought of having what his friend had found.

He was also aware of the tendency of most omegas to not be thrilled with being given to a complete stranger and expected to instantly submit. As fun as winning over a feisty omega might seem, he couldn’t risk having her fight him. The only chance it had of working was if she was cooperative.

Despite repeating all the reasons why he shouldn’t, Vax still pulled his tablet over, logging into the Omega Market once again. It took seconds to pull up Alana’s profile, but this time, instead of staring at a blank spot on the left of the page, green eyes stared back at him.

His fork hung from his fingers, forgotten as his gaze skimmed over the picture.

Long auburn hair hung in gentle waves, framing a delicate face looking directly at the camera. Freckles decorated her nose and cheeks, her makeup kept light and natural. While she wasn’t new to adulthood, she still held the glow of youth, though her eyes spoke of a knowledge the young lacked. She had the bearing of a princess, but her gaze was gentle enough for him to think she wasn’t as spoiled as he might expect.

She was perfect.

His groin tightened, the instant erection throbbing insistently against the seam of his pants. It took a moment for the growl echoing in the room to penetrate and for Vax to realize it came from him.

He wanted her.

But so did a lot of others.

A glance at the current bid made his stomach clench. There was still a whole day left until her auction ended, and in the time since he’d checked that morning, her price had doubled again.

Looking at her picture once more, his fingers flew without further thought, instinct overriding all the reasons why he shouldn’t.

He wanted her, and he was going to have her.

Chapter Seven

Alana

The days passed with dreary regularity. It seemed since her father couldn’t use her as a bargaining chip, he no longer had any use for her at all. Once he’d been assured that she’d done as she was supposed to by meeting with the Intake Coordinator, her instructor was dismissed, and all other engagements canceled. Even her weekly sessions reading to the children had been terminated, which she wasn’t informed of until she called Tina when the woman didn’t show up at the usual time for them to leave.

“Your father already informed the school you will no longer be available to read to the children, and they’ve found a replacement.”

Shoulders sinking, Alana’s good mood drained away. Just days ago she’d wanted more time for herself, and suddenly she had more than she knew what to do with. She’d looked forward to seeing the children and getting to say goodbye to them even though she wasn’t sure when she was leaving yet, but that had been taken from her.

Tina must have noticed the way the news affected her. The beta wasn’t a bad person despite being standoffish, and she tried to offer Alana a ray of hope.

“The Omega Intake Coordinator called to schedule another meeting with you. You’ll get to talk to her after lunch.”

The sinking pit in Alana’s stomach reversed, the organ clenching with sudden nerves and threatening to reject what she’d had for breakfast. Swallowing the acid burning the back of her throat, Alana straightened her shoulders and offered a smile in acknowledgment. She didn’t know why she couldn’t have just taken the call instead of making Suri call back, and now she had to get through the next few hours to find out what it was about.

“Thank you, Tina.”

Bowing, Tina took a step back before turning and heading back to whatever Alana had interrupted, leaving Alana staring at the door after it’d closed behind her. With her usual schedule changed and the worry over what Suri wanted to talk to her about, Alana didn’t know what to do with herself.

Looking around her sitting room, the bareness of it struck her for the first time. There were a few books on the shelf by the window chair, and a picture the children had made her sitting on the side table, but there was nothing of her there that wouldn’t fit in a small box. The room held no personality.

Swallowing her unease, she walked into her bedroom, going over it with the same critical eye. Her scent lingered there, reassuring her senses even though there wasn’t much difference from the sitting room. While she’d been given more than enough bedding and pillows to make her omega heart content, they weren’t things she’d picked out. They were all in neutral shades or pastels, leaving nothing to draw the eye or interest the mind.

She forced herself to breath out slowly, desperately seeking something to fill her time. She found it ironic that she finally had what she’d wanted for so long, and she hated it.

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