Traded to the Alien Prince

Chapter Seven: The Treaty

MIRANDA

I awake the next morning with a smile glued to my face. I don't think I've stopped smiling since my tour with Draek, and my cheeks hurt from the pressure. It has nothing to do with him, the tour was sufferable at best, his incessant questions aggravating, but I can't deny the truth.

Draek has given me the opportunity no human man aboard this ship has awarded me. The opportunity to advance my career, to be recognized for my efforts, to be acknowledged for everything I've spent my whole life working toward.

I laid out my clothes the night before, and the shower I take is the fastest in the history of this ship's bathrooms, I'm sure of it. Yanking on my clothes, I throw open my bedroom door without even bothering to dry my hair.

No need to wear a stupid ball gown today. This is the chance I've been waiting for, and I'm going to go completely as myself for once. I can't wait to see the look on Mitchell's face.

My heart is light as a I trot down the hall to the lift. To be taken seriously is an exhilarating sensation, and it's only at this moment that I realize how suffocated I've been feeling in my career.

"It's about fucking time."

My thoughts spill out of my mouth just as the elevator doors open, and the elevator inhabitants' confused glares makes me laugh. It sounds like I'm referring to the time it took for the lift to get here, when really, I'm on the precipice of the highlight of my career and no one is any wiser.

"Morning."

The men say nothing as they slide past me. Nothing new there, but for once I just really don't care. The doors are about to close when a hand suddenly grabs hold. Captain Cole steps inside the lift and as the door closes, he eyes me with that poker look of his.

"Miranda."

"Captain Cole." I salute him just for fun and he does a double take.

"Well, aren't you in a good mood today? It's refreshing to see you actually smile instead of scowling for once."

My smile deepens. "Normally that's the kind of comment that could piss me off, but you know, just not today."

"Yes," Cole nods. "I heard your tour with Draek went well."

I put my hand on my hip. "You know he invited me to the signing, right?"

"Miranda, I'm the captain of this ship, there's not much that slips past me."

"I'm just surprised you don't have anything negative to say about it is all."

He sighs. "Miranda this is what you wanted. I want you to feel like a valued member of this team. So I'm glad he invited you."

Well that's surprising. "Oh. Well, thank you."

He clasps his hands together in front of him. "I just think you may have an expectation of how things will go, and I don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't unfold the way you hoped."

What the fuck does that mean?

The elevator doors open to the meeting room and the answer to my question is right in front of me. Sort of. There are dozens of people crowded around a raised stage—but they're not the people I expected to be here.

It appears that every single woman who works on this station was invited to the treaty. Is this what Cole meant? That I shouldn't be surprised because it's abundantly clear that these invites are not as exclusive as I had expected?

Except it only brings up more questions. Where is everyone else?

Of course Mitchell is here, standing directly in front of the stage, but where are the rest of the men who helped our station to get to this point? It seems like a foolish thought. I should be thankful that the women on our ship are finally given an equal opportunity, but this is strange.