“Should I answer them?” Xavier’s hand was ready to press the connect button as he looked over his shoulder. His amber gaze searched for my approval.
“It shouldn’t have been a question.” I frowned at my pilot’s hesitation. It wasn’t like him. Usually, he was a shoot first, ask questions later type of guy. That’s why we had always gotten along. He never needed to constantly ask for my approval when it came to things unless it was an important decision, but even then, we’d been working together for so long that he should’ve already known the answer. “At this moment, we are guests, and unless we don’t want to ever do business here at the station again, we need to comply with their wishes.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded and turned the screen as he pressed the console.
Instantly, the station’s logo turned into the gamma of the omega that I had helped earlier. The purple tips on her brown hair would have appeared playful—perhaps even unprofessional—if it weren’t for her station’s caretaker uniform or the sharpness of her brown eyes.
“Greetings, Coco Pharma. I believe I’ve met one of your co-owners at Glamorous Gems earlier this evening. My name is Quinn, and I’m representing my omega Elara on her behalf. Would you permit me to board your vessel to speak with him by chance?”
“Could I ask you what this is regarding?” Squeezing my pilot’s shoulder, he stepped to the side, allowing me to be in full view of the vidscreen. Quinn’s brow shot up from my appearance as she nodded in greeting. “I didn’t break any of the station’s laws.”
“I didn’t say you have.” She waved me off with a gentle smile. “This retains to more personal matters that I would like to discuss with you.” She glanced around where she was standing before leaning closer to her tablet as if she were about to tell me a secret. “Privately, if I may.” She flicked her gaze to those next to me before adding, “Your crew may be present since it may involve their future too.”
“I see…” I turned and searched for Jaxom in the crowd surrounding me. As our eyes met, he nodded, knowing full well what was needed. If we were going to host a gamma representing an omega, we would need to offer them a beverage and any treat that would leave them impressed. Seth and Maia caught our interaction and followed Jaxom’s lead as they entered the walk-in pantry as I readdressed Quinn with the most diplomatic grin I could muster. “We would love to welcome you aboard to discuss things further. When should we expect you?”
“Now.” She pulled the tablet from her face and spun around. I could make out the sleek silver and black design of my clan’s luxury merchant ship behind her as she stood beside our docking ramp. “I took the liberty to assume that you wouldn’t refuse me.”
“What a bitch,” Stella muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.
“Silence,” I barked as I snapped my head her way, and instantly, she flinched. If looks could kill, my glare would’ve had her ejected from the airlock. Fortunately for her, we were docked, and from the lack of retort from Quinn, she hadn’t picked up what was said. Letting out a deep breath, I turned my attention back to the gamma and grinned so hard it hurt. “Of course, now is fine. Give us a moment to greet you, and I would love to hear what you have to say.”
“Excellent,” she nodded. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
Without another word, she pressed a button, and the screen turned black, ending our call.
Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair and tried to come up with a reason why she would want to speak with me. If it were personal, then I wasn’t in trouble for what happened at that jewelry shop.
But why would a gamma have anything to do with me?
I wasn’t registered and was only vetted—along with my crew—to sell pharmaceuticals to the station’s medical team and merchants who owned beauty and health shops. It was too late for me to get into their system, pay the fee to enter the arena, and join Quinn’s omega’s roster before her virgin session tomorrow, so why would she want anything to do with me?
The stench of fear laced Stella’s scent, making her spicy cinnamon and sweet pineapple aroma become soured as it burned my nostrils. Turning to the panicked beta, she peered at me from Sylas’ embrace as he tried to calm her. He watched me with wariness as he pressed her face into his neck, waiting for me to voice my displeasure at his fiery mate.
“I think you should take her to your cabin to prevent her from embarrassing me any further,” I suggested, not looking for any resistance from either of them. “I don’t like gammas as much as either of you, but she didn’t do anything to earn the disrespect you just showed. Please be more aware of this if we ever have the honor to have an omega in our ranks. Then, having gammas visit our clan’s vessel will become a common occurrence.”
“She didn’t mean any harm—”
I raised my hand to silence him. I wasn’t in the mood to hear an excuse for her sass, nor did I have the time to hash this out as we had Quinn standing just outside our ship. “We can discuss this once our guest leaves. But, for now, you aren’t needed for this meeting.”
“We understand.” Sylas’ gaze flicked to his mate as he gave her a comforting squeeze. “We will be on our way.”
As they turned to leave for the sleeping quarters, a swirl of spices joined Stella’s aroma, making them smell like an exotic meat sauce was left in their wake. If it weren’t for the fact I was used to whenever their scents combined and battled each other or that I had already had our late-night meal, I would’ve licked my lips in hunger. But my attention was needed elsewhere, and the phantom aroma from the omega I had assisted still tickled my nostrils.
Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts of that emerald-eyed beauty with her long blonde hair. I had longed to grab hold of it and wrap it around my hand, to breathe in her elegant scent once more.
As soon as she’d entered the store, the whole room stood captivated by her in one way or the other. I didn’t miss how Stella kept sneering at her with her unmasked jealousy or how Seth’s cheeks darkened whenever he snuck a glance at the pair.
I couldn’t stop cursing myself for not introducing myself to them. I was so bewitched by her beauty and enthralled by her cosmic aroma of lavender-vanilla, a rare combination of classic scents from old Earth. It was something most could only find in expensive perfumes betas often bought to attract alphas or used in high-end mixers to mask the calming pheromones that were pumped into the air, hoping to control the crowd.
She was oblivious to the amount of power her scent held to those without an omega within their clan. The vents had failed to clear the perfuming neediness that she had projected as she clung onto my back. It took everything in my power to remain still and allow her to seek the comfort she needed from me before her gamma had intervened.
Once she had removed herself from my back, I couldn’t help but watch how her gamma interacted with her and how she wasn’t begging to buy out Toasty of all of his jewelry. I may have been there to pay for a gift for Maia’s birthday, but after what happened, I couldn’t leave without paying for the jewelry she was eying.
Something deep inside me needed her to remember me and have her remember what happened within that store. I needed to leave my mark on her even though she wasn’t mine or wouldn’t wear my scent.
I couldn’t believe her gamma was waiting outside of my clan’s vessel, waiting to speak to me about private matters. I had to prevent myself from puffing my chest in pride, for knowing that I had done something that had paid off somehow, yet, on the other hand, I needed to make sure I wasn’t getting my hopes up about something that wasn’t meant to be.
It wouldn’t be odd if she were here to thank me personally for what I had done earlier, either. But, I had to keep in mind and not appear disappointed if it were the case.
