"...I’l die before I have sex with anyone."

"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."

Dron backed away for a second. He shouldn’t be eavesdropping on the private conversation, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know if Mexyn was in on the plot.

She wasn’t, but that didn’t mean what he’d heard Tempest say was any less upsetting. Maybe she truly wasn’t here to spy on him, but to find out that he was nothing more than a security guard really put him on edge.

He never wanted a wife. Never wanted the responsibility of it, but now that he had one, to be told he would have none of the perks that come with being a husband was like another knife into his chest.

He should’ve known better. She talked a good game about not believing everyone else about him being cursed but she wasn’t about to be the one to test the theory. Of course she wanted nothing more than a glorified sellsword.

Dron took a deep breath. This was the hand he was dealt, and he’d play it to the best of his ability.

He would protect her, keep her safe, feed and clothe her. Dron would play his part, and hopefully it would be just as Tempest and Mexyn said. When it was all over, he could go back to his life as a soldier, and he’d be able to forget about all of this.

That’s what he wanted to believe. But it hurt. He’d probably never get the chance to be with a woman like this again. And if she went out and told the world that he’d been a neglectful suitor he’d probably be exiled or thrown into the black cells.

He sighed, resigning himself to the fact that this would be something like torture. At least he could make sure that she wouldn’t seperate from him before due time.

Yes, that would be the plan. Dron would do everything in his power to show those around him he’s not the beast that they think he is. He’ll keep his composure. He’ll be normal.

After a second more, not wanting to hear the rest of the private conversation he cleared his throat and walked into the large room where Mexyn and Tempest were sitting.

In his hands were three separate plates. He didn’t know what Tempest might like but based off her initial scan, he thought she would appreciate these. He hoped.

He’d gotten the medical information about his bride the second before he walked into the marriage room. He didn’t take the time to look over it until just then. If he had, he’d have known that she needed to eat far more than he did. In fact he could go days without eating and not lose his strength. Alphas didn’t need much. Omegas had to eat far more frequently.

"Will this do?" Dron questioned as he presented the meals to Tempest’s eyes widened and a grimace appeared on her face. She wasn’t happy. He groaned and went to turn.

"No, wait! I’ll try it. It’s only everything looks different. I don’t know what any of it tastes like. I’m not used to it. I can try." Tempest reached forward and grabbed for a plate.

Dron balanced the two remaining plates on one arm and used his device on his free hand to pull up the creation application. Within seconds a large table was being built in front of Tempest. She made that tinkling sound and the corners of her mouth went up as she looked at him.

"It’s called a smile. It means she’s happy." Mexyn announced, probably due to the fact that Dron was staring at Tempest.

"A smile. I’ll do my best to make sure that you smile as often as possible." Dron jerked his shoulders up once.

"Thank you. I know you will try. I appreciate that." Tempest looked down at the plate and then back up at Dron.

"Do you eat with your hands here?"

Dron cursed himself before he dropped off the other plates and turned on his heel to head back to the cooking area. He grabbed a utensil and made his way back to the main room.

"Do you feel safe?" Mexyn asked Tempest as she stood.

"Yes, I think I’ll be fine now. We just have to work on our communication." Tempest jerked her head up and down. It was something that she’d done a few times. Dron knew he would have to get used to her little ticks and mannerisms.

Mexyn jerked her shoulders and looked over to Dron. "You have your first task then. Communicate." She didn’t wait for Dron to say anything in return before looking to Tempest.

"I’ll take my leave, if you need anything or have any questions feel free to reach out to me."

"What if I just want someone to talk to...like a friend?" Tempest questioned and Dron could see the topic made her a little uncomfortable.

"A friend?" Mexyn tried to mimic the expression Tempest sometimes used, the smile it was called. It didn’t look natural on Mexyn’s face. "Yes, I can be a friend to you, Tempest."

"Good that makes me feel better." Tempest focused on the food in front of her. The food that she had yet to touch.

Dron stepped to the side and let Mexyn leave his home. He was alone with Tempest again. He had to remember what he’d promised himself. He’d do everything in his power to make her comfortable. It was all just another mission. Another task he needed to do to prove himself.

He was prepared for this.

"Do we work on communication now or after you’ve had your fill?" Dron questioned.

Tempest looked up at him, those wide brown eyes glittering slightly as she did. "We can talk now. Do you have your supper prepared too?

"Supper?" Dron questioned and Tempest gestured to the food in front of her. "You wish for us to eat together?"

"Yes, is that not what you do here?" Tempest questioned.

Dron wouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t a fight he needed to have. If she wanted to eat with him he would do just that.

Dron turned for the umpteenth time to go back to the cooking room and he quickly threw together something for him to eat. The process took all of a few blinks and he was back in the room with the woman.

"You cooked that already?" Tempest tilted her head as she watched me place my plate on the other side of hers.

"The processor is quite efficent."

"Processor? Like this is all fast food?"

Dron didn’t know if what she was saying translated the correct way but it wasn’t wrong. "Yes you can call it that."

"Oh, I see. I don’t usually eat fast food." She grabbed for her utensil and started pushing things around on her plate. She had yet to take a bite.

Dron clenched his jaw. "Fine I’ll cook from scratch if that would please you." He tried to take the plate away from her but she gripped it.

"No! It’s okay. I didn’t say that to... I’m sorry, I’m being difficult. This is perfect. Sit with me please." She smiled at Dron again. That simple expression did something to him. It was like it was melting him from the inside out.

Dron cleared his throat once again and settled in the chair on the other side of her. The silence weighed on him. He wasn’t used to speaking to anyone. In fact, the most talking he’d ever done was when he was on military duty, and it was always about battle techniques and military procedure. He didnt’ know what he was to say to this beauty.

"So....going into your room is a no-no?" Thankfully Tempest put him out of his misery.

"It’s not normal. That is unless you wanted to offer your body to me."

She blushed and looked away from him. She didn’t have to tell him the truth of the matter. Dron had already heard it. She’d already made up her mind that sharing her body with him was not a possibility.

"So sex. That is the only reason I’d ever be in your room. What about connection. The Thraqens don’t believe in foreplay?" Tempest was still looking away.

"Foreplay? Alphas don’t really have to do much when it comes to getting an omega ready. When an omega is in heat they’d be the ones nearly forcing the Alphas to take them. " Dron shrugged his shoulders as if that was all the information she would need. Instead her eyebrows went up, and she began to make that tinkling sound again. It was accompanied by a smile.

"Yeah, well that’s one of the main places I’m sure human women and Thraqen women differ. Earth women need lots of foreplay before we ever get in the mood. Sometimes we want the foreplay without ever having sex."

Dron huffed, that didn’t seem like a very productive use of time. If mating wasn’t the end goal Dron couldn’t see what the need for foreplay was.

"That is strange, but I guess all different people have their culture."

"What is strange about that? You don’t like foreplay?"

Dron shifted in his seat, he didn’t know how he got to this part of the conversation, but he was more than ready to move on.

"I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing foreplay with a willing omega. I was taught in school, got the best grades but that’s where my experience ends."

The smile on Tempest’s face faded away, and she looked up at him. "That’s sad... I don’t have much experience either, but I do like foreplay. A good cuddle is on my top list of things to do."

"Cuddle?" Dron questioned.

"Yes, you know when you just hold each other?" She tilted her head as if she really couldn’t understand how Dron didn’t know what she was talking about.

"I’ve never done that." Dron poked his utensil into his food and placed one of the tangy morsels against his tongue.

"Shame. Really. Who knows? If you’re nice and you don’t expect anything out of it, maybe we could do some cuddling."

His hand stopped midway to his mouth with his next bite of food. Did she just say she would be willing to do some sort of foreplay with him? No, it had to be a trick.

Dron had never been more confused in his life.

He didn’t have the chance to ask her to explain what she meant by that statement. She had just placed some food in her mouth and her entire face lit up.

"Oh my God. This is... holy crap... oh god." She moaned and licked her lips. "This is your version of fast food? It tastes like it was made in a five-star restaurant or something. I can make something like this anytime I want?" She questioned doing her best to keep the food from falling out of her mouth.

"I’m glad that you like it. I really should’ve figured out what your needs were before I went off to take my rest. Maybe we should focus on that. I’d hate for us to have to bother Mexyn again." Dron leaned back after having his fill of food.

Tempest wasn’t finished, and he waited and watched as she continued to moan and enjoy her food. It was honestly the most interesting thing that he had seen in quite a while.

Finally, after a few moments, she used the heel of her hand to wipe the side of her mouth and she leaned back. "Is this alcohol?"

Dron tilted his head to the side and waited for the translation of the word to come through in his device.

The drink she was referring to did indeed have certain chemical altering properties. He guessed that he could compare it to what she believed was alcohol.

"It’s not very strong. I can get you some water if you’d prefer?" Dron reached forward as if he were going to take the drink away from Tempest but she grabbed hold of it and took a big gulp. She moaned once again and took another shorter sip.

"Honestly, I think I could get used to eating like this." She smiled and leaned back in her chair once again. "Right, my needs." Tempest placed her hand on the side of her face and tapped one of her fingers against her cheek as if she were deep in thought.

"Well, you know now about the eating need." She pointed to the food in front of her.

"Yes, I recall you saying something about eating multiple times a day." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Yes, I don’t always, but it’s normal for three times a day. A meal after I wake, one in the middle of the day, and then one before sleep."

Dron nodded and made a mental note of what she was saying. That was simple enough. He’d make sure that she had all the meals she needed.

"Bathroom, I need to relieve myself multiple times a day. I already seen the one you have in here."

"I have three bathrooms in here; I’ll show you where the others are." Dron jerked his shoulders, indicating that she should continue.

"Also that..." Tempest gestured to Dron’s shoulders. "Is going to be confusing to me in the long run, for both of us, actually."

Dron couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, on earth this gesture..." She lifted her shoulders, "Means more of ’I don’t care’ or maybe. It’s a very noncommittal gesture."

That was news to Dron. And something he agreed would be the cause of confusion in the long run.

"So how do you indicate approval or disapproval without words? Do you have such a gesture?" Dron was genuinely curious.

"Yes!" Tempest clapped her hands. She appeared to be happy that Dron was willing to learn. "This motion, moving my head up and down, means yes." She lifted and dropped her head several times. "And this means no." This time she turned her head from left to right several times. It made sense. Dron tried it out for himself.

"Okay,"He nodded, "I think I can get used to that. Though I’m not sure everyone else will catch on."

"I don’t care about everyone else. All that matters is what you can get used to. I want this to be as easy for you as it is for me. We are in this together, aren’t we?" She looked at Dron, waiting for him to answer.

Dron didn’t want to fall for the charm, for the trap that he could so clearly see was being laid out in front of him.

"If you’re finished with your meal, I can show you your personal space." Dron pushed up from the table, and Tempest followed him.

"I get my own room?" She questioned as they walked out of the main room and made it to one of the long corridors. It was the first room there. Dron hadn’t done much to it. He made the room when he first bought the property, but after several times of being in the selection process and not being chosen, he’d given up hope that an omega would ever be there.

Now that Tempest was here, Dron felt like there were so many newer items he should’ve taken the time to purchase. Hopefully she wouldn’t complain too much about it.

"This is yours. Nest however you wish." Dron pressed an indicator on the side wall, and the door to the room slid open. Tempest stepped around Dron and stood in front of the room. Her eyes opened wide, and for the briefest moment she was speechless.

For only a brief moment.

And then the screaming started.