Elara
Somehow, she had done it. He was here.
The alpha that had caught my eye earlier was standing almost directly across from me. The very alpha who I couldn’t stop thinking about since our fates had crossed paths yesterday. After being on a station for over a decade, no other alpha had made me feel this way.
They were always generally lovely and respectful. Sometimes I’d caught them lingering close for an extra sniff or watching me from a distance, but outside of Owen, I had never dealt with someone so forward in their intentions.
If that was a sign, it was time for me to get mated. I don’t know what was.
During my past heats, I had remained inside my cabin, demanding Quinn for things until the horrid weeks were over. The drugs may have made the experience more pleasant, but they could only reduce the effects—and not entirely remove them.
I refused to blame my upcoming heat or the lack of suppressants in my system, but my thoughts had clung onto him like a planet in their sun’s gravitational pull—constantly rotating back to him. Instead of attempting to swoon me, he had put himself in harm’s way to protect me without asking for a reward in return.
Perhaps it was the hopeless romantic in me, wanting to believe that things happened for a reason. Or the fact that my skin wasn’t the only thing that was itching. I was ready to find an alpha, get marked, and build a pack.
I was no longer content living within these station walls. I wanted to live my life, and to do that, I needed to find an alpha who matched me.
Last night, I dreamed about my rescuer bending me over and taking me from behind, as his mouth clamped onto my neck, claiming me as his. Instead, I woke up panting and needy, my skin clammy as I was bound within the blanket cocoon I had somehow entangled myself with mid-dream.
I could already feel my slick starting to dampen my legs just from the mere thought of what was about to come.
I surveyed the room, taking in the large group of alphas, all waiting for my next move. Not one spot on the metallic floor was void of any participants—a packed arena.
There was a wide range of alphas—from the mature yet seductive females who could potentially be the same age as my mother, not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things—to the baby-faced males that appeared like they were fresh outside of the academy.
Each one was gorgeous in their own way, as their very presence demanded my attention. I was afraid if I watched them for too long, I would become trapped and unable to pull my eyes away.
And yet, they all wanted me.
Discovering this, sudden confidence rushed over me.
Even the ones who appeared cocky and full of themselves, believing they were a gift to me—believing that it was a blessing for them to grace me with their very presence when in reality, it was the other way around.
They may have been the alpha, but I was the omega and the one who called the shots in the end.
Scanning the remaining alphas within the arena, my breath hitched as my eyes caught the male I had begged Quinn to make sure he would attend. My knees weakened from the sight as a whimper escaped my throat in a desperate plea.
He was here—and no one else mattered.
Unclenching my fists, I raced across the arena, ignoring the others as I passed them as gasps and mutters filled my ears in my wake.
None of their scents were as appealing as his; Why would I sample the appetizers when the main course was waiting in front of me?
Clenching my fists, I bit back a growl of frustration from the lack of adequate footwear for speed walking in a dress. Why did I listen to Quinn when she told me that I needed to wear high heels? I should have pushed harder for flats over these tall stilettos.
It wasn’t like they would help me appear taller than half of the alphas within this room. The shoes were only a hazard and would be the death of me if I ended up slipping in them. Outside of the etiquette training in the academy, I’d never been required to wear them and resorted to flats or boots for my walks in the station.
No matter how hard I tried not to envision it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how embarrassed I would be if I fell during my maiden walk.
Steeling myself, I kept repeating the mantra—Please don’t trip. Please don’t trip. Please don’t trip—with every step. My heels clang on the metallic floor as I prayed to the Stars that I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. The coolness of my sleekness snaked its way to my knees, threatening to continue to travel down to my heels.
His icy blue eyes widened in shock as I stepped into his green ring—his assigned territory on the arena floor. A small giggle escaped my lips from the rush of excitement of knowing that I had already affected him this way. It was as if my mere presence had stunned him into a statue—or perhaps, he was afraid to react.
His short black hair was just long enough for me to be able to grip whenever I ran my hands through it. Being this close to him, I could appreciate the sharpness of his jaw and how kissable his lips were.
Between his expensive business suit with a matching sapphire vest set and his tropical coconut scent, I wanted him to claim me right here and now.
My heart was already settled before I had entered the arena.
