Page 35 of Coveted

“Ican help with that.”

Hope fluttered in her chest, but she tried to hold it back. She knew what her father’s response would have been, but so far, Vax seemed willing to listen to others much more than the alpha she’d grown up with.

His dark eyes raised to hers, and she told herself the skepticism was only because he didn’t know her.

“Teaching you etiquette and proper manners shouldn’t take long, and I’d like to help more. I volunteered at the school for my area on Libeqor. I’m not a teacher, but I know how the schools were set up. I’m sure I could find a way to adapt what I know to what’s available on Farcon 1 with a bit of help from someone at the Camps.”

The strength of the desire to do this, to help and make a difference, surprised her, but Alana didn’t want to be just some trophy. Her father may have raised her to be nothing more than a jewel on someone’s arm, but that wasn’t the life she wanted.

She held her breath as Vax stared at her before his chin slowly dipped.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

The squeak that escaped made the heat in her cheeks spread, but she was losing her hold on the calm façade she was supposed to maintain. The excitement was enough to make her forget about the fact that she was forced to share a room with him far sooner than she’d expected.

“Yeah. I can get you in touch with the Camp Directors who should be able to tell you what’s being done now and help decide what would be possible to correct my oversight. It’ll have to be after we return and I introduce you as First Lady though.”

Breath catching as her heart skipped a beat, Alana swallowed the sudden surge of nerves.

“First Lady?”

Her mother had never been anything more than His Leadership’s Mate, or now maybe The Chancellor’s Mate. She had no standing on her own, and Alana had expected the same, but Vax made the title of First Lady sound like more.

“That’s what the Chancellor’s mate is called.”

Vax’s brows quirked, as if that was something she should have known.

“And it’s just a title?”

She wanted to be sure before she made a mistake. She probably could have looked up the answer, but it was better to hear what Vax expected of her straight from him.

His lips tipped down at the corners, making her breath stutter again. It was hard not to imagine what they’d feel like on her when she looked at them, so she had to force her eyes back up to his.

“Well, sort of? It doesn’t mean anything on its own I guess, but it provides protection and means you’ll be given respect. Farcon 1 hasn’t had a First Lady in a long time since the previous Chancellor’s wife died long before we removed him from office, but it’s not an empty title. You’d be expected to set an example atthe least. She used to host parties and taught music to the local children. I’m not sure what you planned to do with your time, but it can mean whatever you want it to I guess.”

Vax seemed to be floundering as much as she was, as if he hadn’t given it any thought. Which, Alana reassured herself, was better than him assuming she was nothing but a womb with a pretty face that was otherwise useless. He was giving her the option to decide what she wanted to do.

It was more than she’d expected when she found out she was matched with a Chancellor, and she struggled to hold back the sudden need to cry. Her eyes burned, and she was sure her nose glowed a bright red since her pale skin always betrayed her, but her cheeks remained dry.

“Thank you.”

The words were thick and only appeared to confuse Vax even more. She couldn’t explain how simply being given a choice meant so much to her, so she pulled in a deep breath and tried to come up with something to divert his attention.

“Do you have something I can use to begin making plans? I know I need to wait for the introduction to really do anything, but it would be nice to have an idea ready to work with.”

Vax leaned back and pulled a tablet from the drawer of his desk, and she stood to take it from him. While nerves still fluttered in her belly, now they were stirring with excitement instead of anxiety, and her outlook on being paired with Vax had considerably improved.

Warm fingers slid against hers, the move purposeful. It wasn’t that she minded Vax touching her, the alpha definitely held appeal, she just needed him to slow down and give her time to adjust to the idea before expecting her to jump in bed with him. She’d spent most of her life ignored by the opposite sex, or seen only as a means to an end, so the attraction and sensations were new.

She let her hand linger in his reach longer than necessary before pulling away and returning to her perch on the couch. Her fingers tingled with awareness, lingering warmth sending a shiver down her spine, but she turned her focus to her new task. Maybe if she proved herself, she’d be able to help with other things, and her life wouldn’t be as bleak as she’d imagined it.

Alana lost herself in research and ideas she wanted to run by Vax and the Camp Directors. She’d need more information pertaining to the number and ages of children at each Camp, but she had a framework for what they’d need to set up an official education system by the time she looked up from the tablet.

Vax still sat at his desk, moving his hands over the screen. She’d unconsciously relaxed into the couch, feet tucked up on the cushion beside her. Straightening, she slipped her feet back into the shoes she’d left on the floor as Vax looked over at her.

“Hungry?”

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