Mexyn and Dron looked at Tempest as if she’d just lost her mind.

Deep down, Tempest knew that she wasn’t far from doing just that. It was all too much for her. The abduction, the breakup with Sam, the marriage to Dron, even being considered an Omega. All of it was just a bit too much for her brain to process.

She took a deep breath and walked over to a long couch. It looked very hard, and she was sure that it wouldn’t be comfortable. She plopped down on the soft surface and was amazed by how wrong she’d been.

The couch was probably the softest thing that she’d ever sat on in her life. The cushion cradled her butt and back as if it were conforming to her the longer she sat in it.

Tempest wiggled a little just trying to get more of a feel of it.

"Are you well?" Mexyn questioned as she watched Tempest.

"Yeah, come on, let’s get this over with." Tempest waved her hand, gesturing for Mexyn and Dron to come closer to her.

They followed her direction. Mexyn sat on the other edge of the couch, and Dron activated his wristband, illuminating the holographic tablet for a second. Tempest couldn’t tell what he was doing, but a second later a new chair built itself from the ground up right behind him.

"What in the world! How did you do that?" Tempest jumped up from where she was sitting to look behind Dron.

Mexyn was the one to answer, "It’s a perk of the location of this house. All the materials needed to create furniture are found in the surrounding woods, so Dron has the ability to have many forms of furniture, as many as he wishes. Once he’s through with it, the house can recycle what is no longer being used." Mexyn raised and dropped her shoulders once in Dron’s direction. He folded his hands in front of himself as he took his seat and looked away.

Tempest studied his face. It was clear that he didn’t like to be the center of attention. He didn’t like being praised. She knew that feeling all too well. She was usually the one to hide her face when someone praised her, simply because she always thought they were lying or just trying to be nice. There was no genuine feeling behind the words.

It was just another facet of Dron that made Tempest feel bad for him. She would rather not pity him but she couldn’t help herself.

"Well, that’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Very impressive." Tempest said making sure to catch Dron’s eyes. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t like everyone else. If she was giving him praise for something, then she meant it.

"Now that we’ve got the seating arrangements out of the way, how about we jump right in to what the problem is?" Mexyn looked from Tempest to Dron and then back again.

"There is no problem." Dron grumbled.

"Are you sure? In case, you didn’t realize it, your wife has requested that I start the process of separation." Mexyn raised an eyebrow in Dron’s direction.

Tempest looked at him as well.

"Separation?" Dron flinched at the word, and Tempest watched as he gripped the newly created handrails of the chair he’d sat in. She was sure that they would splinter at any second but they didn’t. "I was unaware."

His voice lowered, and it looked as if his entire body deflated.

"How could such a failure occur and so quickly?" Mexyn continued to cut into Dron with her words. Tempest couldn’t sit back any longer and listen to it.

"It wasn’t just his fault. We just got off on the wrong foot."

Both Mexyn and Dron tilted their heads as if they were waiting for the translator to do it’s thing in their heads. She noticed that anytime she used any euphemisms or earth slang, the translator had a hard time keeping up.

Tempest waited for the two of them to get what she was saying.

"Yes, I’d agree. So I’m here to find out if you still want me to continue with the process. It would take a couple of days. We’d have to set up a new selection. I’m sure the alphas who weren’t chosen or the ones that were tested but not selected would be more than happy to give you another look."

Tempest groaned and picked at her now nonexistent cuticles. Having the best skin, thanks to the life nectar, could be a bit annoying. Especially in cases like this.

She didn’t want to have to go through that process again. She’d chosen Dron for a reason. Maybe there was still hope.

"I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have to go through all that again." Tempest looked to Dron.

He still had the sour look on his face but Tempest could tell that he was relieved that there was still a chance.

"I won’t hold you if you don’t want to be here, but I do think that going through the process all over again wouldn’t be your best interest." Dron droned on. Tempest hated the fact that he was trying to make it seem like he was doing her a favor. If anything, it was the other way around.

"You’re right. I shouldn’t be someplace that I don’t want to be." Tempest crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back fully in the couch.

It was Dron who continued, "What exactly caused you to want the separation? Were you told by someone-"

Tempest jumped to her feet, cutting him off, "That! Right there. That is the reason I want to go." She didn’t bother directing the comment to Dron, she looked at Mexyn. "He’s probably the most paranoid person I’ve known in my life. He thinks I’m some sort of spy. How the hell is that possible?"

Mexyn shrugged and tilted her head looking a bit sheepish, "You’d be surprised."

Tempest’s mouth dropped in surprise. Was Mexyn really agreeing with Dron on this subject?

"I’m not a spy!" Tempest squeaked.

"I know you’re not but it’s not so strange for Dron to think that you might be one. After all, he is a high ranking military officer. He’s seen and been to places others barely have any information on. Espionage is a valid concern for someone in his predicament." Mexyn folded her hands before she turned fully to face Dron, "Do you have any proof that Tempest is a spy?"

"She’s here."

That was the answer. That was all the proof he had. Tempest through her hands up in frustration.

"Your people abducted me from my planet and dropped me here. I didn’t come here on some covert mission to get information from you." Tempest barked at Dron.

Dron didn’t react, instead he looked to Mexyn as if he were waiting for her to validate what Tempest said.

"What she says is the truth. I’m sure you may not be completely up to date on what the council has deemed privileged information, but they have been trying to locate viable, breedable Omegas across the cosmos. Human women are the next in line."

Dron breathed heavily, "I knew about it, but I was under the impression that none of the subjects had made it through the transcendence portion."

"So far, those that did make it through chose to take their chances without a husband. They chose to live free."

Dron’s eyes opened wide. "They were left unprotected?" He said the words as if he couldn’t believe what Mexyn was saying.

"Yes." She answered, lifting her chin.

"It’s barbaric." Tempest finally added to the conversation. "So you see, that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to die, and I was told that in order for me to have a chance I’d have to marry."

"That still doesn’t explain why you would choose me. I’m sure you were told that I was cursed."

"That’s what they told me, but no one could give me any real reason as to why they believed it. I don’t put much stock into what people think. I only focus on what’s real. Are you cursed?"

"No, I’m not." Dron stared at Tempest. He was losing his angry edge. They were finally coming to a common ground.

Tempest refused to be the first to look away. It was a battle of the wills, and she didn’t want to lose so soon. She would be strong.

"If you’re not a spy, why were you snooping around in my room?"

Mexyn gasped, and her eyes snapped in Tempest’s direction, "You went into his personal space? Why would you do that? The only time you should be in his personal space is when you are ready to mate. Are you truly ready for that portion of your marriage already?"

Tempest recoiled at the thought. "Mate? Absolutely not. I didn’t go in there for that."

"Then it settles it, you’re a spy." Dron stood as if the conversation was over and he had all he needed to continue to think Tempest was here for the wrong reasons.

"Damn it all to hell. I’m not a spy!" Tempest stood and got in his way.

"What were you doing in his room then?" Mexyn stood and got between Tempest and Dron.

"I’m hungry!" Tempest shouted and both Mexyn and Dron puffed out all the air in their chest as if they couldn’t believe that was the main problem.

"Hungry?" Dron questioned, narrowing his eyes at Tempest.

"Yes, I don’t know how often Thraqens eat, but humans eat at least three times a day. It’s been at least a day since I’ve had anything to eat. I need to eat. I don’t even know how to work the kitchen. I don’t know what I’m doing in this house. I don’t know which room is supposed to be mine. You opened the door and left me on my own. Do you have any idea how...lonely that is?" The end of her monologue was softer than she’d started.

"Hungry." Mexyn was the one to repeat it this time. "Are you telling me that you have neglected this Omega?"

Suddenly Tempest realized that she might have said too much. She didn’t want to get Dron into any more trouble than he already was.

"It was an oversight. I thought she... I’ll fix it immediately."

Mexyn snarled slightly at Dron, "Yes, you will, and if I hear at any point that this woman’s needs aren’t being met, you will not only have the council to deal with but me as well. We’ve put this precious woman in your care, Dron; don’t mess this up."

"Apologies." Dron bowed his head, and in an instant he turned on his heel and walked away.

"Wait. Where is he going? He’s not going to self-flagellate or anything like that, is he?" Tempest smirked nervously.

Mexyn jerked her shoulder backward. "No, he’s going to make this right. It really is a simple thing for him to do, and I’m sorry that it took me coming over here for him to realize that he needed to better care for you."

"I’m sure he would’ve gotten the hang of it sooner or later." Tempest tried to ease the situation, though it was a lie. She didn’t know for sure if Dron would have ever realized that she needed to eat. She didn’t know what the normal day looked like here on the planet of Ustea. She was at a complete loss.

"I’m sure, but there is something else I wanted to speak with you about. Now that we are alone."

"Okay, go for it." Tempest perked up. Now that she knew she was going to get something to eat, she was feeling considerably less crabby.

"Is it true that you entered his room without his explicit permission?" Mexyn raised an eyebrow at Tempest and she instantly felt like she was the one on trial now.

"Yeah, but I already told you why. I wasn’t in there to snoop like he thinks I was."

"No I don’t think you were in there to snoop either, but that is the least of the suspicions that he could have. Tempest, you have to understand that you are not married to just any other beta. You are with an Alpha."

Tempest blinked once, trying to process what the woman was telling her; it wasn’t changing anything. "Okay, I knew that."

"But do you understand what it truly means? What Dron is?"

Tempest thought about that for a second. She didn’t. All she knew about the alpha race of people was they were supposed to have two sets of genitalia. Tempest had heard of alpha wolves and things like that back on Earth, but that usually had to do with the animals place in their pack. It meant that they were the leader. Is that what Mexyn was trying to get on about?

Mexyn sighed and gestured to the couch so they could sit again, "Then that is my wrongdoing. I should’ve explained better."

Tempest nodded and waited for the woman to go on.

"Dron is an alpha. That means that he is stronger, more agile, more virile, and much more primal than the average Thraqen. He works hard to be civilized, but it can be a challenge. I suspect being out here on his own for so long has allowed him to fall further into his primal needs."

Tempest understood what Mexyn was saying, but she didn’t understand how that would affect her. "Okay, so he’s a bit rough around the edges. What does that mean for me?"

"It means that you have to be careful. I’ve already told you about the earth custom of shrugging and the different meanings that it has here. There are other customs and warnings that you need to be aware of. Such as private spaces." Mexyn looked at Tempest pointedly; she folded her hands on her lap and continued.

"Alphas see their personal space as sacred. They only allow you into their space when it’s time for mating. You being in his room could have ended terribly. He would’ve overpowered you. Taken you. We don’t want anything happening to you that you don’t want to happen, and based on what you’ve told me, you aren’t here for the mating part of the process. Not that I would blame you; Dron isn’t the type of alpha I think any omega would give themselves to."

That last part really dug into Tempest’s side. What the hell was that supposed to mean? What was so wrong with Dron that proved him so unworthy? She was getting really sick and tired of everyone bullying this man. She couldn’t hold her tongue anymore.

"I don’t know about that." Tempest rubbed a hand down her arm. "As you say, I’m not from here. Where I’m from, Dron is a catch. He’s handsome, polite most of the time, not cocky, and there’s something else...something I can’t really put into words. I guess I could compare it to charisma, but that’s wrong. It’s like I want to be near him. Want to be controlled by him. I want him to take the lead."

Mexyn’s eyebrows furrowed. "Has your slick been activated?"

Before Mexyn spoke those words, Tempest was in her own world. Even angry, Dron was sexy as hell. Nearly model hot. The fact that he was so humble made the attraction even stronger. Tempest couldn’t stand a man who knew he was sexy.

But then Mexyn started talking about slick... What in the world was that?

"What is that? Nothing activated." Tempest bristled.

"Oh...okay. I should’ve known better anyway. An omega’s slick is supposed to be the strongest aphrodisiac. Unfortunately, with so few fated mates around, we’ve had to go about manufacturing it for bonds to happen."

"Slick? Are you talking about lubricant?"

"Yes, exactly. When a fated mate is in heat, turned on, she will produce a copious amount of slick. It makes it easier for an alpha to take her."

"No, I’m not going to be needing any of that. I’ll die before I have sex with anyone here." Tempest announced. Actually, what she was thinking was she’d die if she had sex with anyone. Two cocks? How would that even work? It couldn’t feel good. Could it?

She pressed her legs together and definitely could feel the moistness gathering between her legs. It wasn’t slick, though. She was human, she couldn’t create slick the way Mexyn suggested.

"As I thought, you’re simply here for safety, nothing more. It’s best that we keep out of his room then. He’ll care for you, and then when it’s over, you can go about your way, and he will go back to what he was before. Just a soldier."

It was true. That is what Tempest wanted. To be safe. But she couldn’t help but feel bad for Dron. She was using him.

At the end of this, Tempest wondered if Dron would be able to go back. After having a taste of companionship, would he be able to go back to being just the cursed alpha.