Abandoned Omega: Wanted by the Bigshots in the Military Academy

"After all, the Alphas around her..."

The Alpha who had been talking on the side also noticed them and fell silent, looking toward the people he had sensed.

Then, silence. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The four Alphas never expected to run into Zoe Pierce just by passing by.

Then, they sensed that deeper in the woods, the Alpha who had been leaning against a tree had now stood up and was walking over to the fire.

The moonlight pulled the man’s face from the shadows.

It revealed a pair of deep gray eyes.

His gaze swept over them, cold and appraising, as if in response to their words—the condescending look of a superior to his inferiors.

One of the Alphas behind him sucked in a sharp breath.

It was always awkward to be caught saying something like that by the very person you were talking about.

And as they drew closer, Zoe Pierce realized the man leading the group of four wasn’t a complete stranger.

It was Milo Dawson.

The one who had gone out of his way to greet her on the Starship.

His words on the Starship could have been considered ambiguous, but now, there was no way to pass this off as a mere polite greeting.

Zoe Pierce didn’t know what kind of expression to make.

Chase Shaw’s piercing gaze made her feel as awkward as a mouse caught by a cat.

But mostly, her scalp tingled as she was instantly thrown back to that chaotic kiss on the Starship.

’Should I reject him outright?’ But Milo Dawson hadn’t said a word. It would be strange for her to bring it up first.

The thoughts raced through her mind for only four or five seconds before Zoe Pierce decided to pretend she hadn’t heard anything. She tossed a small branch into the fire, coaxing the dying embers back into a larger flame.

Meanwhile, Milo Dawson stopped in his tracks amid their silent confrontation.

Suddenly, he strode toward Zoe Pierce.

Zoe Pierce could sense Chase Shaw’s lips pressing into a thin line and the displeasure in his eyes intensifying.

"Zoe Pierce," Milo Dawson finally spoke.

He used her full name, making it impossible for Zoe Pierce to pretend she didn’t hear him.

She blinked and looked up at Milo Dawson, her gaze tinged with confusion.

"We meet again." Milo Dawson crouched beside Zoe Pierce, picking up a few branches and placing them near her hand.

Zoe Pierce forced a smile.

"Is the mission going well? Looks like the rescue effort is almost over." He showed no sign of embarrassment from his teammate outing him just moments before, chatting with Zoe Pierce as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Zoe Pierce nodded.

The other three men exchanged glances, unsure if they should leave.

After all, Chase Shaw’s stare from the side was terrifying.

He made no attempt to hide his displeasure. Anyone could see they weren’t welcome.

"Instead of worrying about others, you should worry about yourself." Chase Shaw let out a low chuckle, his eyes brimming with derision as he also walked over.

He squatted down next to Zoe Pierce.

The difference in their builds was stark when they were side by side.

Chase Shaw was naturally tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, giving him an overwhelming presence.

He rarely looked less imposing when standing next to someone, let alone while sitting.

It made Zoe Pierce seem even more petite, and made Milo Dawson—an Alpha who was perfectly average in every respect—look a full head shorter by comparison.

Hearing Chase Shaw’s words, Milo Dawson simply smiled. "We’re doing just fine. Everything’s going according to plan."

Zoe couldn’t play dumb any longer. She looked at him. "Is there something you need?"

’If not, please leave.’

Milo Dawson paused. The smile on his lips remained, but his expression grew more serious. "Can I talk to you alone?"

His three teammates saw Chase Shaw’s face darken completely.

They were starting to worry about their squad leader.

But before Zoe Pierce could answer, someone else beat her to it. The tent flap was thrown open, and a voice cut through the air. "Chase, if you don’t say something, they might think our whole squad is dead."

"Hitting on Zoe Pierce right in front of us."

This wasn’t the Starship; this is a rescue site.

With no surveillance cameras around, Aaron Xavier, who was already sharp-tongued, became even more caustic.

Aaron Xavier emerged with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. His brown hair, still tousled and curly from sleep, lay messily on his head.

He then looked at Zoe Pierce, walked over, and pulled her away from Chase Shaw and Milo Dawson to stand beside him.

"Zoe, you’re just too nice. Why do you give the time of day to just anyone?"

He might as well have called Milo Dawson scum.

Even the three men standing off to the side looked displeased now.

Milo Dawson heard the taunt, which was far nastier than anything said on the Starship, but his expression remained unchanged. After sizing up Chase Shaw and Aaron Xavier, he turned his gaze back to Zoe Pierce.

As if still waiting for her answer.

Zoe Pierce pursed her lips. She knew that if she dared to agree to speak with Milo Dawson alone, Aaron would probably lose his mind.

It really wasn’t worth angering Aaron over someone she had only met once.

"If you have something to say, just say it here. It’s not a good time for me to speak with you alone."

Her reply was distant, and Milo Dawson could sense that Zoe Pierce’s impression of him was mediocre at best.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

But at this point, Milo Dawson decided to be blunt and admit his intentions. "It’s nothing much. I just wanted to say that I like you, and I want to pursue you."

That was a little too direct.

In the next instant, Zoe Pierce saw a blur of motion beside her.

There was the brutal THWACK of a fist hitting flesh. Milo Dawson half-crouched, immediately blocking and kicking back in retaliation.

In the blink of an eye, Milo Dawson and Aaron Xavier were fighting.

The muffled thuds of flesh-on-flesh blows sounded endlessly. The campfire wasn’t spared either; a burning branch was kicked aside, leaving a dark, charred streak on the ground.

"Aaron!" Zoe Pierce shouted his name, reaching out to stop him.

’He’s so impulsive! How could they just start fighting like that?’

As fast as she was, the momentum from grabbing Aaron’s arm almost sent her stumbling forward a couple of steps.

Milo Dawson immediately pulled his punch when he saw Zoe Pierce step in.

Aaron, however, deliberately used his spiritual power, wrenching his arm free from Zoe’s grip and landing a hard punch on Milo Dawson’s face.

The punch caught Milo Dawson off guard, sending him stumbling back several steps.

His teammates, who had been standing on the sidelines with no intention of getting involved, couldn’t stand by any longer. "What are you doing, hitting him like that? That’s completely out of line."

One of them even walked over. "Squad Leader, are you okay?"

The tent flap was thrown wide open, and Miles Sherman and Nathan Lockwood, who had been inside, emerged.

Under the night sky, the two groups faced off. Far from restraining Aaron, Chase Shaw took a few steps forward himself, his gaze fixed on the men glaring at them.