Page 54 of Coveted

“Good morning, Lady. I’m Maeve. I’m here to help you bathe and dress, if you’re ready.”

Alana rubbed her eyes, debating telling the woman she needed a few more hours. She knew she could and no one would fault her, but she already felt guilty for not being able to help the night before, and she didn’t want her first impression on the servants to be one of a lazy, spoiled omega.

“If you would draw a bath, then return in an hour to help me dress, that would be sufficient.”

Maeve nodded, moving into the bathroom with a brisk efficiency and returning with a robe draped over her arm. Stopping beside the bed, she held it open and turned her head to the side, offering Alana a semblance of privacy.

“We’re sure happy to have you, Miss. The Chancellor works himself to death in that office, it’s time he has something for himself. Not that you’re a something! You’re your own person, but I do hope you can find it in you to help him find some happiness. They tried introducing him to the only local omega, but she’s still too young to catch his attention. I think it’s wonderful he found someone closer to his age.”

The flood of words washed over Alana as she slipped from the sheets and into the robe. Tying the belt, she turned to face the maid, a little surprised by the woman’s willingness to talk. Tina had always been so reticent, keeping a buffer between her and Alana, and for a moment Alana’s throat tightened at the thought of what her life could have been like if Tina had been as open as Maeve.

Tears pricking the corners of her eyes, she offered Maeve a smile.

“I’m glad to be here. I hope Vax and I can find happiness together, too.”

Maeve snorted, smiling as she hustled Alana toward the table. She pulled out the chair and left Alana no option but to sit.

“No worries there, Lady. My mother was an omega. Omegas and alphas are meant to be together, and the Chancellor is one of the good ones. Not like the last one. It’ll all work out if you give it a chance,” Maeve stated as she lifted the cover off the tray.

Alana raised a brow, her smile growing with amusement. Maeve reminded her of one of the teachers at the school she’d read at, an even older omega who’d had seven children and a slew of grandkids, and had an answer for everything, even if it was farfetched and complete fantasy.

“Soon you’ll be bonded, and the babies will come, and everything will be perfect!”

The amusement burst, snapping into shock. It wasn’t that Alana was against those things, she’d looked forward to being a mother for most of her life, but the idea that it was an actual possibilitysoonleft her speechless as Maeve turned and headed for the door. Alana had only just met Vax, and this woman was talking aboutbabiesalready.

“Eat your breakfast and I’ll be back in an hour to help you dress. Then maybe you can make your stubborn alpha go to bed.”

The last statement shook her out of her shock, making her focus on more pressing issues.

“He’s been up all night?”

Maeve paused in the doorway, turning faded blue eyes back to meet hers. The smile and exuberance were gone, leaving behind a somber expression that hit harder for the contrast to the way she’d been before.

“That man has given up more than a night of sleep for the people of Farcon 1. He can be rough sometimes, but I mean it when I tell you he’s a good one. Don’t let him keep suffering alone.”

With that she slipped away, leaving Alana staring after her.

Alana had already been committed to giving Vax a chance. She may have hoped to have a say in who she ended up with, but she’d known it was unlikely, and he was a better pick than who her father would have matched her with.

But to see how committed he was to his people, and the loyalty even the servants showed him, had the last of her hesitation melting away.

Her father never would have gone into a mine and put himself at risk to save someone. The servants in her father’s house wouldn’t have spoken on his behalf. Tina had been loyal, but it had been more to her position and pay than to Alana or her father.

Vax had asked for her help to convince the other Chancellors to listen to him, but he wasn’t the one that needed to change. And now he was facing a crisis due to their impatience and lack of care. He’d shown her more trust in the few days they’d been together than her father ever would have, going so far as to admit he’d overlooked something important.

Alana sat up straighter, staring blankly at her room. She hadn’t wanted to bejustan alpha’s mate. She needed a purpose.She hadn’t wanted the attention and restrictions a Chancellor’s mate would face.

But she realized those were constrains she’d placed herself. Vax hadn’t once tried to control or limit her, giving her the means to help when she offered, and trusting her to be capable of doing it. Even ordering her to stay on the hopper had been for her protection and sending her to bed had been his way of taking care of her even when he had the weight of so much on him.

She’d thought being Vax’s mate would stifle any chance of freedom she had and force her into a meaningless life, but she’d been wrong. This alpha committed so much of himself to others, she wanted to devote herself to him. To helping him shoulder the burden he carried, even if all she could offer was a moment to forget, but she knew she was capable of more than that.

A sense of peace flooded through her, releasing tension she hadn’t even noticed. She’d worried she wouldn’t be enough, that she was nothing more than her designation, but an omega was exactly what Vax needed. He needed someone to see to his comfort and care while he saw to the needs of the planet. He needed someone to remind him that it was okay tolive,and that he didn’t need to do everything.

By the time Maeve returned Alana had finished her breakfast, washed, and dressed in a simple gown. She’d pulled her hair back into a low bun so it was out of her way, and she was ready to do whatever was needed to help her alpha find a moment of peace amidst the stress.

Maeve raised a brow at her as Alana strode from the bathroom, back straight and ready to face the day’s challenges, and a slow smile spread on her face, approval shining from her eyes.

“Is he still working?”

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