There was no way Miles Sherman would do anything in front of them.

Everyone knew it.

But their eyes, like their feet, were pinned to the spot.

And they could see with their own eyes that Miles Sherman was losing control.

He couldn’t possibly remain indifferent after seeing them kiss Zoe Pierce one after another.

She was like a rose on a rainy day—beautifully bloomed, yet beaten by the wind and rain until she looked pitiful.

Zoe Pierce was not a weak-willed Omega. They knew better than anyone how much she could endure, better than anyone how brilliant her spiritual power was.

But after their kisses, she seemed to become a fragile, vulnerable Omega.

It was as if the slightest bit of force from them could crush her.

She only showed such vulnerability in front of them.

This would undoubtedly stir the baser thoughts in an Alpha’s heart.

Their dry throats now felt as if they were stuffed with cotton, unable to speak, unable to make a sound.

They stood there like silent tree stumps.

Meanwhile, Miles Sherman’s palm rested on Zoe Pierce’s neck.

His fingers caressed the spot over the vein in her neck, not pressing down, just brushing against the skin.

It was as if he were silently telling Zoe Pierce to relax.

"Good girl, don’t bite your lip...."

The Alpha’s body was almost fully bent over; unconsciously, he had ended up kneeling completely on the soft bed.

The Omega said nothing, a silent act of defiance.

She didn’t look up into Miles Sherman’s eyes, merely explaining in a trembling voice, "My mouth hurts..."

How could it not hurt after such ravenous kisses?

They had all demanded kisses as if they wanted to devour her whole.

Not only did the outside of her lips hurt, but the inside of her mouth did too.

So even though she knew there was no escape, Zoe Pierce still wanted to cry out in pain.

One of Miles Sherman’s hands was braced on the bed; it was obviously impossible to get him to stop now.

But Zoe Pierce’s lips did indeed look a bit rough, even slightly red and swollen.

An injury like this would take only four or five seconds to fix with a Treatment Device if Zoe Pierce wanted to.

Even without it, the minor injury would be gone by the time she appeared before them tomorrow.

Only now.

For him to go get the Treatment Device would be somewhat absurd.

The hand on her neck moved to her lips. Her lips were parted, allowing him to see just how crimson they were.

Those who came first had the advantage, leaving no path of retreat for those who came after.

She looked at him pitifully.

Now, she even stuck her tongue out slightly, showing him the truth in her words—that it really did hurt.

Miles Sherman’s gaze fell on Zoe Pierce’s lips, and he paused.

Slowly, gently.

He traced the pitiful spot on her lip.

She could no longer hold her position. Her elbows gave way, and she fell back onto the bed.

Then she felt his lips leave hers, only to land beside her ear. "Good girl, you owe me again."

Although it was a kiss, it was short enough, light enough, and carried Miles Sherman’s tenderness.

After Miles Sherman left,

Zoe Pierce had already curled up on the bed, hugging her knees with her arms, her face hidden so she wouldn’t have to look at them. In a muffled voice, she said, "You all should go back. Cool down."

The sound of footsteps in the room seemed to obey her command. After a brief silence, they started up again.

First, the sound of a door opening, then a jumble of footsteps.

Then, the room returned to the kind of silence only present when she was alone in her dorm.

Only then did Zoe Pierce raise her head.

The blush on her cheeks still hadn’t faded.

She flopped onto her pillow, buried her face in it, and started to roll around.

’This is insane.’

’Have I really gotten so bold as to kiss them, one after another, face-to-face?’

’I couldn’t even bring myself to look at their expressions.’

’It was just one Alpha hitting on me. How could it drive them this crazy?’

She touched her swollen lips with her fingers and sucked in a sharp breath.

She unzipped her military training uniform to cool down.

She tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the dorms of Nathan Lockwood and the others, they were all coincidentally doing the same thing.

Warm water rained down from head to toe, drenching most of their naked, toned bodies.

Inside the bathrooms, only the muffled grunts and long, drawn-out gasps of the Alphas could be heard.

Until the shower water washed away all traces.

None of them used the automatic drying function. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Their wet bodies remained warm inside the bathroom, but the moment they stepped out, a blast of cold air in the cramped dorms immediately swept over them.

It was enough to clear one’s head.

A bath towel was wrapped around their waists, their chests and backs covered in dripping water droplets.

With a towel draped over their hair, they sat stiffly on their beds.

Water droplets they hadn’t wiped off dripped onto the bed, soaking a small patch of the sheet.

But they all remained silent.

Despite being in different dorms, despite being Alphas with completely different personalities, in this moment, they were like quadruplets.

They all sat on their beds in a daze, as if sharing a single mind.

*

There was no sunlight on the Starship, making it impossible to feel the passage of time.

One could only judge their progress by the time displayed on the Intelligent Brain.

After a night’s sleep, Zoe Pierce put everything from yesterday behind her.

She had brainwashed herself all night: this was a Starship, and whatever she was thinking was wrong.

She also believed that Miles Sherman and the others could figure things out.

However, it was plain to see that Zoe Pierce now wanted to avoid the Alphas whenever she saw them.

Especially when she met their somewhat probing gazes.

She would quickly walk away without hesitation.

She didn’t want a repeat of last night’s outcome.

Unless work required it, she didn’t want to interact with any new Alphas.

She couldn’t be sure what Nathan Lockwood and the others would do if a similar scene played out again.

In any case, they would only go further, not lower their boundaries.

What "going further" meant, Zoe Pierce didn’t dare to imagine.

’It would definitely be something below the neck.’

Her lips grew dry from nervousness.

Overnight, just as Miles Sherman had predicted, Zoe Pierce’s lips showed no trace of what had happened.

The five of them ate together in the cafeteria, just like yesterday, but Zoe Pierce ate extremely quickly.

Nathan Lockwood watched her and said, "Relax. After yesterday’s rejection, no one else will come over."

His voice was calm and composed, loud enough for others to hear.

He had said it for others to hear on purpose.

"You don’t have to eat so fast. You’ll upset your stomach."

It was one thing to eat poorly during a mission, but there was no mission now. There was no need for Zoe Pierce to torment herself.

Since he put it that way, Zoe Pierce had no reason to refuse.

She paused, and her eating pace slowed a bit.

"We’ll arrive at Planet C14 in another three hours this afternoon." Miles Sherman looked at the time. "Have you reviewed the mission roster?"

Zoe Pierce nodded. "I’ve familiarized myself with the designated zones."

"Planets C14, C15, and C16 have been holding on for several days. They’re short on troops, so our main mission is still to eliminate Xenobeasts."

We’ve already missed the optimal window for rescue. Killing more Xenobeasts will actually help minimize the losses.