Page 28 of Coveted

Suri glanced at her from the corner of her eye, smirking, but keeping her face directed down the hallway.

Alana hummed in response, cheeks flaming. Even her ears burned, and she probably looked like she’d been out in the sun too long.

Call her naïve, but she hadn’t actually thought about what being given to an alpha would entail. Vax couldn’t claim and mark her until her heat, so for some reason she’d assumed she had plenty of time to get used to the idea of a physical relationship after they’d established a non-physical one.

Clearly, that wasn’t the way Vax had been thinking. His secret tease was blatantly sexual, and more heat rushed to her skin when she realized he wasn’t the only one who could notice her response to him.

She held herself still in the lift, trying not to spread her scent any more than necessary. It was a relief when Suri hit the button for the floor where Alana’s room was located, and Alana had to resist the urge to run for her door when the lift opened, but thesight of other girls gathered around a pair of long tables at the other end of the room distracted her.

“I didn’t get time to mention it earlier, but meals are laid out here for everyone to take what they want. I guess it doesn’t matter much since you’ll be leaving us in the morning, but there’s always something to snack on if you get hungry.”

Alana nodded as she moved toward her room to freshen up, and try to hide the scent of arousal, but the crease between Suri’s brows made her slow.

“You know you really don’t have to go with him tomorrow. You can wait if you’re not comfortable being alone with him yet.”

Suri wrung her hands, the most obvious sign of worry Alana had seen from her yet. Reaching out to touch the other woman’s arm, Alana smoothed her features and offered a soft smile.

“It’s okay, Suri. Vax is…”

She searched for the proper word but couldn’t think of how to sum him up in just one.

“He was a surprise, but I’m not scared of him. And trying to get to know each other in an office room with another person watching is…”

“Awkward,” Suri finished for her, lips twisted in a slightly mocking smile.

She heaved a sigh but nodded and gripped Alana’s hand in hers.

“I know. And I know he’s safe, I just don’t want you to be rushed into anything.”

Warmth spread through her chest at Suri’s concern. Pulling Suri closer, Alana wrapped the other woman in a hug. It had been years since her mother had offered her the simple physical comfort, and it was surprising how good it felt when Suri hugged her back.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine alone with him. It’s no problem. I know how busy his position can keep him, and it’s important not to disrupt it any more than necessary.”

Suri frowned at her when she pulled back, although she kept her hands on Alana’s shoulders.

“Don’t let him ignore you. You’re just as important as anything he thinks he has to do.”

An automatic denial rose in her throat, but Alana clenched her teeth around it. She’d never been important, didn’t feel important, but she didn’t want to be ignored either.

“I won’t.”

Slipping into her room, Alana cleaned up before returning to the main area. Suri had wandered over to the other omegas, one of whom was the woman from earlier who’d been sitting on the couch with Suri. There were two others, and they’d all settled at a table together.

Alana approached slowly, the fear of rejection growing in her belly until the hunger she’d felt in the meeting room was drowned in it. She wasn’t quite brave enough to inject herself into the group, but the thought of sitting at a table alone left her feeling hollow.

Suri’s head turned as Alana got within speaking distance, and she waved a hand at her.

“Alana, come meet the others.”

Swallowing her nerves, Alana smiled at the three women as Suri made introductions.

“Alana’s only here for the night, she’ll be leaving with her alpha in the morning. I need to get home, but I thought you ladies might be willing to keep her company for dinner,” Suri said after telling Alana each of their names. Already on overload from the past few hours, Alana couldn’t remember who was who even moments later.

The one on the right with curly black hair and skin just as dark as Vax’s seemed to be the most outspoken of the group, brown eyes studying Alana as she nodded.

“Must be nice,” said the younger girl next to her, not bothering to look up from her plate as she shoveled in food at an alarming rate.

Brown eyes rolling, the one on the right cut in before Alana could think of how to respond.

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