Luca
Watching Elara saying goodbye to her caretaker was heartbreaking. I wouldn’t have been able to care for someone for years, only for them to be ripped away from you as soon as they were at their next stage of life.
It was clear my omega was ready to move on. However, she hadn’t been resistant to any of my lingering touches or comforting gestures.
And yet, it was her sudden demand that she wanted to work that surprised me.
Omegas weren’t supposed to work
In traditional times, they’d have been hidden away, deep behind walls and guards, so their alpha could rule their clan in peace. After the great war had settled, and the demand for fair treatment and human rights came into play.
I would want nothing more than to keep her behind walls, away from anyone not worthy to grace their gaze upon her beauty, but I knew that it wouldn’t be fair for me to keep her in a cage.
Elara deserved to be worshipped—yes—but she also wanted a sense of independence that was becoming common within our generation. I needed to make sure she felt valued as a crewmember—a person—amongst my clan. It would take time to get used to having her around, especially during her first heat.
After that, I would have to see how I felt about her going into public without an escort. Typically, an omega would surround themselves within the comforts of their home with at least their pack members there to support them. The wealthier the clan was the more likely they would have servants to aid with the demands.
I would reassess her request once we were settled. However, if she still wanted to do her part and have a responsibility within the clan, I would have to come up with a job position for her, even if it meant assisting one of the other crew members with their task.
Maybe one of the ladies would enjoy having her around.
“And this is the mess hall,” I explained, pressing my hand on her back as I led her through the doors. The rest of the crew was anxiously waiting around the table, paired up with their significant other. “And this is the rest of the crew.”
“Hello!”
“Oh, Stars.” Tobias swung his feet off of the table as shock flooded his face. “I didn’t believe it.”
“That will be a thousand credits.” Stella smacked Tobias’s shoulder and jerked her head in Elara’s direction. “The name is Stella, and this loser is Tobias, our medic, Seth’s older brother.”
“That’s what his name is?” She glanced my way and bit her bottom lip. “The name fits his shy demeanor.”
“Yeah, he’s always been that way,” Tobias agreed. “He spent more time with his head down in the tablets over doing social things—”
“There is nothing wrong with that,” Maia hissed, elbowing Tobias in the ribs. “You better watch the words you say, or you can sleep in your own bed alone with nothing but your hand as a friend.”
“Maia! Baby!” Tobias pleaded, his cockiness instantly wiped off of his face. “You can’t say that. You know I was only joking.”
“It’s not funny.”
“Have you forgotten she was the same way?” Sylas chuckled, pulling Stella close. “Maia only leaves her engineering bay because we force her to.”
“Whose side are you on, Sylas?” Tobias shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. “I thought we were brothers!”
“Nah, that’s why you have Seth.”
“The betrayal…” He dramatically covered his chest as if he were shot in the heart. “How can you do this to me?”
“Maybe you need to pick your battles,” Elara chuckled, leaning into my side. “Instead of asking for help from others, you should’ve tried to make it up to her.”
“They are always like this,” I whispered in her ear, making her shiver. “It’s better just to allow them to fight it out over trying to intervene.”
“Bossman can’t handle the heat, so he stays out of the engine room,” Stella mocked, letting out a soft chuckle as she continued to sharpen her dagger. “Don’t worry, we are always respectful to one another, and our banter usually doesn’t get out of hand.”
“Usually,” I repeated as I took in Elara’s scent. She smelled like fresh lavender and vanilla, sweet but not needy. We had time to continue to speak with the crew.
“I am not looking to start any fights,” Elara announced as she scanned the table, meeting each one of their gazes. “I want a safe and caring alpha, a loving pack, and a supportive clan. My goal isn’t to cause problems amongst your established clan.”
“You aren’t here to take our mates away?” Stella asked, pausing her dagger on the sharpening laser as she raised an eyebrow.
