The sound of footsteps drew closer from behind, casting a shadow over Zoe Pierce. But the figure quickly moved past her, stopping beside Aaron Xavier. "You know better than to ask an Omega about their pheromones, don't you?"
Of course, Aaron Xavier knew.
In a way, it was sexual harassment.
He was just too curious whether it was really true that Zoe Pierce had no pheromones.
After all, it was an excuse no one had ever used before.
However, after Miles Sherman's veiled warning, he quickly realized his behavior was inappropriate.
He subconsciously glanced over at Zoe Pierce. The girl had a slight frame, delicate features, and pale skin. Her eyes held a trace of anxiety, her curled lashes fluttering rapidly and casting shadows beneath them.
Even after hearing Miles Sherman warn him, she remained completely silent, standing there stiffly, looking a bit wooden and helpless.
'Looking at her now, it really does seem like I'm the one bullying her.'
Aaron Xavier raised an eyebrow. He propped his elbow on the table and rested his face in his palm, for once, at a loss for words.
Miles Sherman chose a spot central to the other three. His narrow, cold eyes flicked over to Zoe Pierce as he said, "Nathan has something on today, so he can't make it. It'll just be the four of us for today's meeting."
He paused, then continued in that same cool, detached tone, "Zoe Pierce, welcome to the team. We'll be counting on you for the next six months."
At least until the Joint Military Academy assessment was over, Zoe Pierce would be tied to Miles Sherman's team.
However, when his gaze swept over Zoe Pierce's overly slender and frail body, he couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.
Miles Sherman was already intimidating when he was expressionless, but now, his emotionless black eyes staring coldly at her added to the pressure.
"In your current physical condition, can you even participate in the joint exam?"
With the Joint Military Academy exam less than a month away, the girl's clothes, which were clearly a bit too large for her, only accentuated her slenderness.
She was beautiful, with soft, delicate features and an exquisite face. The only thing marring her beauty was her skin; though smooth as jade, it was utterly devoid of color, revealing only a sickly pallor. Her cheeks were gaunt.
She looked as if she might faint if she took even a few more steps.
But the joint exam didn't require a beautiful Omega.
What they needed was an Omega who could stick with the Alphas the entire time, providing powerful soothing support with their spiritual power.
The way Zoe Pierce looked now really made one doubt whether she could hold out at all.
If she collapsed right at the start of the joint exam, then she wouldn't be a support but a burden.
"I'll... I'll eat more... and exercise..." Zoe Pierce stated under the intense gaze of three pairs of eyes.
Miles Sherman's sharp features seemed to harden. His starkly clear eyes showed no hint of emotion. "I hope you can regain your health as soon as possible. Everyone on the team needs you."
The stronger one's spiritual power, the more it needs to be soothed after use. Otherwise, the berserk spiritual energy would greatly affect the user. An accumulation of these volatile elements could even drive a person insane.
Normally, they had high-level Omegas hired by their families to soothe them, so they weren't affected.
But the joint exam lasted a month, and they couldn't go home during that time. This made an Omega's soothing ability critically important.
It was fine for Zoe Pierce to be without pheromones, but she absolutely had to have an A-rank soothing spiritual power.
Zoe Pierce understood everything. He had all but stated outright that all they needed from her was her soothing ability. If she hadn't been so thin and looked so weak, Miles Sherman wouldn't have even bothered to say that much.
Her answer just now had been a bit clumsy, but her attitude seemed sincere enough.
"Do you know everyone on the team?" Perhaps because Zoe Pierce's behavior so far hadn't been annoying, Miles Sherman asked, his gaze sweeping over Aaron Xavier and Chase Shaw.
'Was there anyone at the academy who didn't know Miles Sherman's team?'
Zoe Pierce nodded cautiously and said in a small voice, "I know everyone."
'Since you know everyone, I won't waste my breath.' Zoe read the meaning in his expression.
Seeing that there was nothing else to discuss, she clutched her bag, stood up, and said in a soft, timid voice, "I'll be heading back then."
The others in the study room just looked at her. No one objected, which meant they agreed.
Zoe Pierce took this as a yes, took a few steps back, and then scurried out of the study room as if she weren't fleeing from her teammates, but from monsters and demons.
Once she was beyond the range of his Perception, Aaron Xavier suddenly spoke up. "Her act seems a bit familiar."
"First, they act like they're not interested in us. Then, when it's time for the soothing touch, they find an excuse to feel you up. Finally, they 'accidentally' forget to put on their suppression patch and release their pheromones to get us all riled up..."
The face that had just been smiling and amiable instantly lost its smile, as if he'd thought of something disgusting. His thin lips curled slightly, revealing a faint sneer.
But then he remembered the biggest thing about Zoe Pierce and clapped his hands lightly. "Oh, I almost forgot. She doesn't have any pheromones."
So she couldn't incite a pheromone frenzy at the end.
He sniffed the air. In the entire study room, only his own pheromones were poorly restrained, so the scent of bitter orange was the most prominent.
As for Zoe Pierce's pheromones, there wasn't the slightest trace.
Now, he was inclined to believe what Miles Sherman had told them from the beginning: that Zoe Pierce was an Omega with no pheromones.
Still, it was only the first day. Aaron Xavier wasn't in a hurry to jump to conclusions. Instead, he turned his gaze to Chase Shaw.
"Chase, she was with you just now. Did she do anything to you?"
Because of his spiritual power, Chase Shaw normally loved to sleep and rest, hating noise above all else. Now that he was awake, his tall frame, which had been curled up, was on full display. The muscles under his black t-shirt were coiled and bulging, and every inch of his powerful arms silently spoke of strength.
Hearing the question, he just slanted his eyes to glance at the trouble-making Aaron Xavier and said in a voice like rolling gravel, "She's quiet."
Coming from him, that was rare high praise.
He had sensed it the moment someone entered, but he couldn't be bothered to react.
Among a flock of Omegas who would start chattering and swarming you the moment they entered a room, it was rare to suddenly have someone so quiet.
His spiritual power had a moment of peace, and it eased slightly.
Miles Sherman said, "Since you're all satisfied, let's leave it at that for now."
With that said, he turned to leave.
Aaron Xavier, still not convinced, called out, "Miles, are you sure she'll be okay?"
Miles Sherman's steps halted at the door. He looked back at him. "There is."
"The Pierce Family's businesses are being taken over. Her brother is running around trying to pay off debts and pull strings."
Aaron Xavier's expression changed instantly, his smile returning. "I knew it. So, how do you think she's going to play her hand?"
Judging by how meek and honest Zoe Pierce had seemed just now, it was hard to tell.
However, Miles Sherman had no interest in participating in this discussion. He just shot him a glance and left.
As for Chase Shaw, he rubbed his temples, stood up from his seat, and said bluntly, "Noisy. I'm leaving."
The other two men had left the study room, leaving him alone. Aaron Xavier raised an eyebrow and snorted softly.
'How could they all find this so boring? Am I the only one who thinks this is interesting?'
'Guessing what tricks these Omegas trying to get on the team via the matching system would use to hit on us was always so much fun.'
He walked out of the study room, one hand in his pocket. His eyes fell on the door, which hadn't been closed. The moment he looked away, an unseen force from his spiritual power was exerted on the wide-open door. With a BANG, it slammed shut.