still there, if you hurry."
Pike clapped his friend's arm and hopped into the elevator. It was a short trip down to the mess hall. Upon the entering the hall, he scanned for Laleh. The place was bustling with activity as hundreds of the ship's crew moved through the various lines in search of a meal to satisfy their tastes. He could barely hear over the raucous crowds and wondered how he would ever find her.
As he moved through the crowded aisles, crew members jumped up from their seats to salute. Pike quickly put them at ease and continued moving forward. His gaze flicked from table to table, face to face. Just as he began to despair of finding her, Pike spotted the cerulean blue and inky black fabric of her dress. Relief flooded him as he hurried to the corner table.
Pike frowned as he watched Laleh reach over and scoop her spoon through a bowl of pudding on another tray. His gaze snapped to the owner of the tray. Black uniform.
Omega patch. Young. Lean. Handsome.
Pike's stomach churned as Laleh laughed at something the Omega said. Jealousy surged through his veins at the sight of Laleh—his wife—giggling and sharing dessert with another man. His hand tightened around the box as he strode up to the table. It was all he could do not to knock the spoon out of the Omega officer's hand.
Sensing his presence, Laleh glanced up and smiled. "Pike!"
He couldn't understand it but that sweet smile pierced right through his angry shell.
The need to stake his claim, to kiss her right there in front of the entire mess hall, overwhelmed him. Pike mastered the urge and nodded in her direction instead. "Laleh."
Her lunch mate rose and saluted. "Admiral Pike, sir."
Pike glanced at the insignia on the man's patch. "Petty Officer."
Laleh seemed to notice the hard edge to his voice. She stood, shifting her weight to the left, and put a calming hand on his arm. "Quinn and I had a little run-in when I was lost earlier. He took me to the sick bay and then helped me find the mess hall." She turned to her companion and smiled. "He's been really helpful."
"I'm sure he was," Pike replied dryly. Understanding flashed in the other man's eyes.
"Pike." Laleh spoke softly, her expression on the verge of embarrassment.
Quinn met his steady gaze. "Just thought I'd step up to the plate, sir. It was obvious Laleh hadn't been adequately prepared for ship life."
Pike bristled at the insinuation he'd just dumped Laleh on the ship without any concern for her welfare. Not wanting to be drawn into a war of words, Pike turned his attention to Laleh. "Are you ready to head back to our quarters?"
Laleh nodded. "Just let me clean up my tray."
Quinn slid over and grabbed her tray. "I've got it."
"Thanks, Quinn."
"No problem, Laleh. I'll see you around?" Quinn shot a challenging gaze at Pike.
"Definitely," Laleh replied, her voice bright.
Pike gritted his teeth but said nothing. Laleh slipped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her away. As she rocked awkwardly against his side, he remembered her injury. He cast a glance at the orange clogs on her feet and slowed his pace as they crossed the mess hall toward the elevator bank.
"That must get so tiring," Laleh said as they stepped inside an elevator. "Having all those people standing up and saluting you," she clarified.
"I don't want you fraternizing with the crew," Pike stated as the doors closed.
Laleh stiffened and pulled away from him. Those bright blue eyes widened with surprise. "What?"
He knew he was being ridiculous but he couldn't stop himself. "I don't want you having lunch and hanging out with those guys."
"Those guys? I was having lunch with one man. A very nice one, I might add. We had a great discussion about my field of study."
"Nice?" Pike scoffed. "Trust me, Laleh. I know his type. All he cares about is finding the quickest way into your pants. If that means sitting around, listening to you talk about your thesis, he'll muscle through the boredom."
Laleh recoiled.
Pike clapped his friend's arm and hopped into the elevator. It was a short trip down to the mess hall. Upon the entering the hall, he scanned for Laleh. The place was bustling with activity as hundreds of the ship's crew moved through the various lines in search of a meal to satisfy their tastes. He could barely hear over the raucous crowds and wondered how he would ever find her.
As he moved through the crowded aisles, crew members jumped up from their seats to salute. Pike quickly put them at ease and continued moving forward. His gaze flicked from table to table, face to face. Just as he began to despair of finding her, Pike spotted the cerulean blue and inky black fabric of her dress. Relief flooded him as he hurried to the corner table.
Pike frowned as he watched Laleh reach over and scoop her spoon through a bowl of pudding on another tray. His gaze snapped to the owner of the tray. Black uniform.
Omega patch. Young. Lean. Handsome.
Pike's stomach churned as Laleh laughed at something the Omega said. Jealousy surged through his veins at the sight of Laleh—his wife—giggling and sharing dessert with another man. His hand tightened around the box as he strode up to the table. It was all he could do not to knock the spoon out of the Omega officer's hand.
Sensing his presence, Laleh glanced up and smiled. "Pike!"
He couldn't understand it but that sweet smile pierced right through his angry shell.
The need to stake his claim, to kiss her right there in front of the entire mess hall, overwhelmed him. Pike mastered the urge and nodded in her direction instead. "Laleh."
Her lunch mate rose and saluted. "Admiral Pike, sir."
Pike glanced at the insignia on the man's patch. "Petty Officer."
Laleh seemed to notice the hard edge to his voice. She stood, shifting her weight to the left, and put a calming hand on his arm. "Quinn and I had a little run-in when I was lost earlier. He took me to the sick bay and then helped me find the mess hall." She turned to her companion and smiled. "He's been really helpful."
"I'm sure he was," Pike replied dryly. Understanding flashed in the other man's eyes.
"Pike." Laleh spoke softly, her expression on the verge of embarrassment.
Quinn met his steady gaze. "Just thought I'd step up to the plate, sir. It was obvious Laleh hadn't been adequately prepared for ship life."
Pike bristled at the insinuation he'd just dumped Laleh on the ship without any concern for her welfare. Not wanting to be drawn into a war of words, Pike turned his attention to Laleh. "Are you ready to head back to our quarters?"
Laleh nodded. "Just let me clean up my tray."
Quinn slid over and grabbed her tray. "I've got it."
"Thanks, Quinn."
"No problem, Laleh. I'll see you around?" Quinn shot a challenging gaze at Pike.
"Definitely," Laleh replied, her voice bright.
Pike gritted his teeth but said nothing. Laleh slipped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her away. As she rocked awkwardly against his side, he remembered her injury. He cast a glance at the orange clogs on her feet and slowed his pace as they crossed the mess hall toward the elevator bank.
"That must get so tiring," Laleh said as they stepped inside an elevator. "Having all those people standing up and saluting you," she clarified.
"I don't want you fraternizing with the crew," Pike stated as the doors closed.
Laleh stiffened and pulled away from him. Those bright blue eyes widened with surprise. "What?"
He knew he was being ridiculous but he couldn't stop himself. "I don't want you having lunch and hanging out with those guys."
"Those guys? I was having lunch with one man. A very nice one, I might add. We had a great discussion about my field of study."
"Nice?" Pike scoffed. "Trust me, Laleh. I know his type. All he cares about is finding the quickest way into your pants. If that means sitting around, listening to you talk about your thesis, he'll muscle through the boredom."
Laleh recoiled.
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