Zoe Pierce was dressed in an ordinary t-shirt and shorts, so loose they hid her curves.

The dark, pure cotton fabric revealed nothing.

But the skin she did show was dazzlingly pale.

As she sat in the chair, the hem of her shorts rode up, exposing even more of her legs.

Chase Shaw, who was sitting beside her, paused. He took a small blanket from his Space Button and draped it over her legs. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

In an instant, the expanse of pale skin was hidden from view.

"Chase... I’m not cold..." It was July, and even on the Capital Star where it felt like spring year-round, it was warmer than usual.

Chase Shaw turned his head, his voice deep. "Keep it on."

Zoe Pierce hesitated but didn’t remove the small blanket.

Miles Sherman poured Zoe Pierce a glass of water, placing the small cup in front of her.

"Why are you still up so late?" Miles Sherman glanced at the time and spoke softly. "We wanted to surprise you, but I guess you found out early."

No one expected the person who usually went upstairs and stayed there to suddenly come down tonight.

Zoe Pierce cradled the cup and took a sip.

"When did you guys start preparing all this?"

A corner of the living room was already decorated with all sorts of balloons and hanging banners with birthday messages.

Not to mention the pile of streamers and balloons on the table.

Even if the villa provided by The Military was considered small, any place that could comfortably house the five of them was, strictly speaking, quite large.

Half of the first floor was already decorated.

This couldn’t have been done in a single night. Just the labor alone would have taken a day or two.

Even with several Alphas working on it, they couldn’t do it during the day. They could only work at night, which meant it would take even longer.

She reached for a balloon that was already tied up on the table. It was filled with golden glitter, which cascaded in a shimmering gold light when she picked it up.

There were plenty of other balloons in all sorts of colors.

It was no wonder Aaron Xavier had called Zoe Pierce a little crybaby. As she silently took it all in, she felt more moved than overjoyed.

"Not too long. Just the past two nights," Nathan Lockwood answered Zoe Pierce’s question.

Zoe Pierce looked at the pile of supplies. "Where did you get all this?"

’Could they have been carrying it all this time?’

’The Military would never have prepared this for them.’

Aaron Xavier put down what he was working on for Zoe Pierce, propped his chin on his hand, and grinned. "We stuffed it all in our Space Buttons a long time ago."

"We thought we were going to have to celebrate your birthday off-world."

They had originally planned to celebrate Zoe Pierce’s birthday on Planet E-987, so most of the things they’d bought would have gone to waste.

But unexpectedly, because of recent events, they were sent back to the Capital Star.

Suddenly, all the things they had set aside had a purpose.

"We bought way too much at the time and thought we wouldn’t get to use it." Though none of them cared much for shopping, they couldn’t help themselves when picking out things for her celebration.

They bought a little bit of everything.

But now, it had all worked out for the better.

Everything was ready, so there was no need to worry about anything going wrong.

Just by looking at the decorations, Zoe Pierce could tell how much thought they had put into it.

"I’d almost forgotten," she said.

’I’ve been so busy these past few days, I really did forget.’

She hadn’t celebrated her birthday last year, either.

In fact, back on Earth, she had hardly ever celebrated her birthday.

It was only after coming to Interstellar Space, to this ABO world, that her parents in this life started celebrating it for her.

Sometimes the thought of her birthday would cross her mind, but it was always a fleeting idea that she never dwelled on.

’Who would have thought that someone would so earnestly remember her birthday for her.’

"We’ll remember it for you," Aaron Xavier said with a soft huff. "But you can’t forget our birthdays, either."

Zoe Pierce fiddled with the balloon, spinning it in her hand.

’They’re like Doraemon.’

’Fulfilling her every fantasy.’

"Why... didn’t you celebrate Miles’s birthday?" Zoe Pierce hadn’t forgotten about Miles Sherman’s birthday.

It was a little before hers.

’She had his gift ready, but she’d forgotten to give it to him.’

Aaron Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it’s because we only want to celebrate a birthday with you."

The guys had known each other for too long. From childhood to adulthood, they’d celebrated too many birthdays together. It wasn’t special anymore.

’It was a selfish answer.’

’If he were to really celebrate, he’d only want to do it alone with Zoe Pierce.’

’Not with the other Alphas.’

Zoe Pierce looked at Miles Sherman. His calm face was now looking back at her.

"Miles..."

She had just opened her mouth to speak when Miles Sherman said, "Don’t apologize."

But Zoe Pierce stood up anyway, grabbing Miles Sherman’s wrist. "Come upstairs with me for a second."

The sound of their footsteps receded up the stairs, and in a blink, the Omega was gone.

Aaron Xavier huffed again, picked up the decoration he was holding, and went back to work.

Upstairs, Zoe Pierce pulled Miles Sherman all the way into her room.

She closed the door, her back pressed against it.

Miles Sherman stood just a step away from her.

"I have a gift for you, Miles..." In the end, Zoe Pierce felt that she just didn’t care for them as much as they cared for her.

So much so that she had forgotten to even wish one of her mates a happy birthday.

Her guilt-ridden face looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Miles Sherman stepped forward and bent down.

He lowered his head and suckled her lower lip.

Her body was pressed against the door as they were squeezed tightly together.

Zoe Pierce was passive at first, but the kiss was like a raging storm, and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

It was a kiss that felt like a fight.

Miles Sherman was the one to start it, and he was the one to pull away and end it.

"I’m sorry," he said.

Zoe Pierce’s lips were flushed a deep red, like a soft apple, and her breathing was shallow. "I’m the one who should be sorry."

They were still pressed against the door, and though they were both in short sleeves, a thin sheen of sweat had broken out on their skin.

"I’m talking about just now. Didn’t you want to keep your distance?"

He was the one who couldn’t hold back.

Zoe Pierce’s hand clutched his collar. "Your birthday... Miles... I..."

’No explanation would make it right.’

’It was her fault.’

"Didn’t you say you’d already prepared a gift?" Miles Sherman asked.

Zoe Pierce nodded. "I had it ready before we went to The Military... but with training... I forgot."

"By the time I remembered, the day had already passed."

"That’s why I never gave it to you."

’The thought of giving someone a belated birthday gift was mortifying.’

That’s why she’d been so hesitant, keeping the gift tucked away in her Space Button.

She couldn’t hold it in any longer and had to say something today.

Miles Sherman’s nose brushed against Zoe Pierce’s. The soft touch was more tender than lustful, full of affection rather than desire.

"It’s okay. I’m happy," Miles Sherman said. "How about you celebrate it with me later, to make up for it?"

"During my scheduled time."

’Better to celebrate a make-up birthday during his own time, than to have the woman he loved come to him during Chase Shaw’s time, covered in another’s pheromones.’

Miles Sherman watched as Zoe Pierce looked at him like a pitiful fawn. "What about the gift?" she asked.

He continued, "How about you give it to me then, when you celebrate my make-up birthday properly?"

’He only had to endure for one more quarter.’

And now, Miles Sherman could endure it with composure.