Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As it turned out, lunch with Arkness was less intimate than the man had intended. Not for lack of planning, but because Overseer Zoldana requested Olivia’s presence that afternoon. As a result, the private trip he had to a secluded and quite beautiful spot outside the city walls had to be changed to a pleasant, but in no way romantic, lunch at a picturesque outdoor café frequented by the older generations.

It seemed, she learned during that low-key outing, that only a handful of the most prime, strong, intelligent, and skilled men ever had the honor of being selected into the mate training program. Those lucky few would spend their days absorbing all manner of knowledge with which they might hope to be selected as an eligible female’s mate. While hope for Infala bonding was always present, the likelihood was slim among their kind, and even the pheromonal pairing was a powerful yet rare occurrence.

So it was the men prepared to impress potential mates outside their city’s borders, ready and quite willing to do whatever it took to succeed in their mating goals.

As for the other men, of which there were a great many, they resigned themselves to a comfortable but partnerless life, though many did choose to leave to take their chances at finding a mate on their own. Of course, same-sex unions also occurred on occasion, as was typical of many races throughout the countless systems.

Arkness, however, was from the former camp, and his attentions were very clearly focused on the unusual and disquieting woman who had graced him with her presence, even if only for a short respite before heading off to meet with Zoldana. It was of no concern. There would be plenty of time to prove his worth and make her his own.

Olivia had found herself quite taken with him, her attraction to the alien man growing quickly, much to her surprise. There was just something about him that she found impossibly alluring, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Yes, he smelled incredible, but it felt like there was more to it than just that.

“I look forward to our next outing,” he had said when she took her leave.

“Me too. This was really nice,” she replied, almost tempted to lean in for a quick kiss. But not here. Not in public surrounded by so many solo males. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

“You most certainly will,” he replied, his gaze setting her belly aflame, as well as the regions further south.

Olivia had regained her composure by the time she met with Zoldana, and it was a good thing. Their conversation was not of a light and casual nature, but rather dealing with a most serious matter, indeed.

“I see you’re healing well,” the older woman said with an approving look at her guest’s new tattoos. “Nijello did excellent work.”

“He really did. And the healing system in my room really sped things along.”

“I am very glad to hear that. As with many technological advances, they do not always react the same with different races. I am pleased you are not an exception.”

“Yeah, it’s been pretty wild. The way my senses are sharpened, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Is it normal for the pigments to make your body do strange things?”

“Strange things?” the woman replied, a questioning look in her gaze. “What sort of things are you experiencing? It is a bit soon in the process for your body to be displaying changes.”

“Nothing huge. Just weird, is all.”

“Weird how? Everyone experiences the runes and their power differently, you know. Some have enhanced senses, while others develop greater strength. On rare occasion, unexpected abilities have been unlocked, though that is, as I said, an exceedingly rare occurrence. But tell me, what are you experiencing?”

“Well, I can taste a lot more layers in things, for one. Like, as if my tongue had always been kind of numb and had only now been fully woken up.”

“I see. What else?”

“My sense of smell is way sharper. Like, crazy developed. In fact, just earlier I smelled Arkness well before I even saw him coming. How crazy is that?”

Zoldana cocked her head ever so slightly. “You smelled one of our men?”

“Yeah. Crazy, right?”

“Crazy? Not crazy. Interesting, though.”

“How so?”

“That is for later, and we shall see soon enough. But come, let us discuss the reason I have called you here. The pressing matter I know weighs on your shoulders even as you enjoy Mondarian hospitality.”

Olivia knew immediately what she was talking about. The nagging thought in the back of her mind since the moment she’d arrived.

“Harper.”

“Your friend. Yes. You are healing much faster than expected, Olivia. With that, you will be ready to direct the retrieval of your friend quite soon.”

“You had said a few days after I was inked at the minimum.”

“And I am pleased to announce I was mistaken. You are an unusual specimen, and it seems I underestimated your kind’s ability to adapt and heal.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I am saying that you will be leaving much sooner than that. Perhaps in only a day or two. We only need to see how your healing progresses. I have your domicile’s intelligence unit integrating its data with Nijello’s notes. When you are determined ready, your friend’s rescue will commence.”

Olivia felt both elated and a little bit uneasy. Her brief respite in actual comfort had made the degree of mistreatment under Raxxian captivity all the more stark, and the thought of giving up the comfy bed and warm shower nearly caused a momentary panic attack. She reined it in, though, calming herself with a few deep breaths. Harper was out there, and though she had ample food and water, her leg was still broken, and she needed her friend’s help.

The rest of the discussion with Zoldana covered far less serious matters. How she was finding the city, for example, as well as if the males were treating her well. So far, all had been quite delightful. The overseer kept things relatively brief before escorting her guest to the exit and allowing her to enjoy the rest of her day however she saw fit.

“I am glad you are doing well, Olivia. We will talk again soon.”

“Thanks, Zoldana. I really appreciate your hospitality.”

A serious look spread across the woman’s face. “You survived Raxxian captivity. That is no small feat. Whatever hospitality you might enjoy, you have more than earned, my dear.”

It was something Olivia pondered as she walked the streets. Eventually, she found herself unconsciously back at a familiar spot. The meditation pond she’d visited the other day. But while she half expected to see, or smell, Arkness, it was a different, spicy-sweet scent that tickled her nose, making her mouth water and her nipples harden.

Rykker rose from his place, uncrossing his legs and walking directly toward her, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply. Olivia couldn’t help but notice that his pupils were quite large when he stopped in front of her wearing a look of either intense alertness, or extreme arousal. She could see the pulse thumping in his neck and the odd new tattoo in the middle of her chest twinged a little as her nipples twinged delightfully, sending tiny jolts of pleasure between her legs.

Her gaze drifted lower to the growing bulge, her mind imagining what it would feel like in her hand…and other places.

Rykker seemed to jerk forward, led by his crotch, as if his body heard her request.

“I’m sorry. I do not mean to offend,” he said, his cheeks darkening with embarrassment. From such a powerful, muscular man, having him in the palm of her hand, even for a moment, was incredibly arousing.

“You come here often?” Olivia asked, the heat in her belly slowly growing to a small blaze.

“I–yes. When I can, I visit this place to clear my head.”

“And does your head need clearing?”

He looked at her with a smoldering gaze, holding her eyes long enough to make his interest unmistakable. “You could say that. Sometimes things need tending to in order to flush one’s system.”

She had the distinct feeling he was not talking about his head anymore. At least, not the one atop his shoulders.

“I would be honored if you would join me for dinner this evening,” he continued, regaining his composure a little and slipping back into the smoothness of speech and action his years of training had equipped him with. “The weather is pleasant this time of year and there is a delightful rooftop location with spectacular views. Please, Olivia, allow me the honor.”

Crazy as it was, she was feeling an almost magnetic draw to him despite having experienced a similar reaction to his rival only a short while earlier. Whatever it was the new pigment and runes were doing to her, it had made these two almost irresistible to her.

The heat in her chest radiated to her arms and torso before stretching down to her toes. She looked into his beautiful eyes, her heart twinging in a pleasant sort of pain from his gaze. Olivia reached out and squeezed his arm, the sensation of his hot skin sending a little rush of heat to her already swollen clit.

“I would be delighted,” she said, noting her pulse had quickened, as had his. “I need to freshen up though. How about you pick me up later? Say, after sunset?”

“I will see you then,” he replied, his low baritone pleasantly rumbling her to the core, his scent lingering even after he walked away.

What in the world was that? she wondered, far more turned on than she had any right to be. She turned and followed his departure, noting that while he was not quite as tall as Arkness, Rykker was broader and more sturdily built, though to be fair, both of them were massive compared to most human men. Just shy of seven feet, they would have made any sports recruiter weak in the knees.

Olivia spun on her heel and hurried back to her quarters. She’d been far too turned on for far too long and this needed to be dealt with now .

No sooner had she shut her door behind her than she leapt onto her bed and slid her bottoms off, rubbing herself with a crazy kind of urgency.

“Fffuuuu–” she cried out as hours of sustained arousal, first with Arkness, then with Rykker exploded through her body in a multi-colored wave of orgasmic bliss.

She lay there a while, breathing hard, her leg twitching slightly, before finally rising to compose herself. She had a date tonight, and that meant getting ready.

“Hey. How about a quick rinse?” she asked.

“ Of course. What type? ”

“All three, I think. And you mentioned you could fabricate clothes. Think you could wrangle me up something sexy but not over the top for tonight?”

“ I will see what I can do, ” the AI replied, activating the first of several cleansing fields and directing them over her body.

Olivia was going out. With an alien, no less. It was wild, and utterly beyond anything she’d have ever expected of herself. Her urges, however, were so strong, so visceral. Besides, she reasoned if she was stranded like this, she figured she might as well make the best of it, and there was something insanely hot about Rykker that made her feel almost like she’d been drugged. She knew that wasn’t the case, but the desire she felt surge within her when she was around him was palpable. Like what she’d felt with Arkness earlier in the day, but even stronger. And so far as she could tell, the sensations were only increasing as her new pigment fully settled in.

“Let’s do warm water now, please,” she requested, shedding her clothes fully and savoring the sensation of the water flowing over her body. Her nipples were still incredibly sensitive, and her other bits had remained somewhat engorged, her wandering hands confirmed. “One more?” she asked herself, already knowing the answer, rubbing herself just right, the shockingly powerful surge of pleasure building inside her belly fast and steady. “I think I’m going to like it here,” she mused as her next climax began to build, but slowly this time. “I think I’m going to like it a lot.”