Page 53 of Coveted

“I can pay—”

“No,” Leir cut him off. “This one’s on me. Just make the bastard behind this suffer for every miner hurt by his greed.”

Vax watched Leir turn and leave the room, swearing he’d do just that.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alana

The room she’d been shown to was just as luxurious as the one she’d left behind on Libeqor, but much more suited to an omega. No windows graced the walls, but dim lighting along the edge of the ceiling gave it a comforting glow, and the warm tones of the walls and fabrics had her relaxing as soon as she entered. She’d been surprised by the lack of scent in the room until Varner informed her that Vax’s rooms were down the hall, and she had to swallow a surge of disappointment.

Varner left with a promise to have her things and a tray of food sent to the room, so she occupied herself by exploring the space as she waited. There was a generous walk-in closet on the right as she entered, with a truly lavish bathroom connected. Besides a tub deep enough for her to stand and still be up to her waist in water, there was a separate shower with glass walls and showerheads ringing the space. One entire wall was mirrored, and the lighting could be adjusted from blindingly bright to a soft glow.

She’d just finished looking through the surplus of soaps, oils, and lotions when a knock came on the outer door, and Alana rushed to answer it. A young human girl stood on the other side,balancing a tray on one hand as she clung to Alana’s bags with the other.

“Oh my goodness, let me take that,” Alana said as she reached for the tray threatening to tip its contents onto the beautiful blue tiles of the hallway.

The girl’s cheeks flushed pink as she dropped her gaze to the floor, mumbling an apology as she stepped into the room.

“Everyone else was busy with the miners, and I thought I could do it in one trip.”

Placing the tray on the little breakfast table near the door, Alana smiled at the poor girl.

“It’s fine, but next time it may be better to do it in two.”

Still staring at the floor, the girl nodded her white-blonde head. She fidgeted beside the table, darting looks from the corner of her eye.

“Where would you like your bags?”

“In the closet I suppose. Just leave them and I’ll take care of unpacking.”

Big violet eyes blinked up at her then, belying the girl’s human appearance. High cheekbones and slightly pointed ears gave the girl a delicate, elven appearance, and Alana was willing to bet the girl presented as an omega when she matured.

For a moment Alana’s heart sank, imagining the girl being taken from her home and family, and given to a stranger. While things seemed to be turning out okay with Vax, Alana couldn’t say she liked the Federation’s laws regarding her dynamic.

“Ah, are you sure?” the girl asked.

Giving her another smile, Alana reassured her.

“Absolutely. It’s late, and I’m sure there’re others who need help more than I do.”

The girl dipped her head and shuffled to the closet, setting the bags on the padded bench in the center. When she emerged again Alana was tempted to draw the girl into a conversation,but she knew what she’d said was true, and there were others who likely needed the girl’s help more than she needed her curiosity assuaged.

Thanking her, Alana watched the maid leave before turning to the tray of food, shoulders slumping as she let the last of her control slip. She was surprised by how tired she felt when she hadn’t done much more than worry, but exhaustion weighed on her, making her movements slow as she sat and lifted the cover from the food.

It was simple fair, similar to the things Vax had been ordering for her from the replicator, but the first bite convinced her the replicator could never replace the real thing. It was warm and filling, and by the time she finished it she could barely keep her eyes open.

She left the tray on the table, not bothering to call a servant to come collect it. Shrugging her dress off, guilt hit her at the thought that Vax was likely still working. She may not have known him long, but she could see he took his position seriously and cared for the people of Farcon 1. He wouldn’t rest until he was forced to, and promise or no, she doubted he’d bothered to eat.

She almost pulled her dress back on to go be sure he ate something, but she had no idea where his office was. She was pretty sure she could get back to where they’d entered the building, but without directions, she’d be wandering lost until she found someone to help her, or she accidentally stumbled into him.

One hand on the plush bed at the far end of the room, she hesitated. Her fingers curled into the thick comforter, a groan leaving her chest as she struggled with the urge to turn away from it. The omega in her wanted to take care of the alpha who was to be her mate, but he’d also told her to eat and rest.

His promise to find her a way to help in the morning decided her, allowing her to slide between the sheets and sink into oblivion. She was asleep between one breath and the next.

She blinked awake to another knock on her door sometime later. Struggling from amidst the pile of bedding she’d pulled around herself, she called out for the person to enter, forgetting that she hadn’t bothered with bedclothes.

Remembering in time to jerk the sheet up to cover herself, the door opened to reveal an older woman instead of the girl from the night before. Her grey hair was pulled back in a severe twist, but laugh lines softened her face. She carried another covered tray, placing it on the table beside the one from the previous night as she called a greeting.

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