Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Harper was met by an excited throng of men, all offering their services to help the newfound female arrival. Per Overseer Zoldana’s orders, however, the overwhelmed woman was spared most of the overly enthusiastic sausage fest and only escorted to the healing center by a half dozen of the men ranked just below Arkness and Rykker.

“Have fun,” Olivia joked as they loaded her friend onto a floating energy gurney and whisked her away. “I’ll catch up with you soon.”

Speechlessly ogling the hunky men tending her every need, Harper simply nodded, a shit-eating grin on her face. Olivia had to fight hard not to laugh at the sight.

Yeah. She’s gonna be just fine.

Arkness and Rykker were both summoned to speak with Overseer Zoldana as soon as they landed, but Olivia, being their guest, was allowed to freshen up in her domicile space before meeting with the older woman.

“ Your pigment has been very active, ” the AI noted as its various systems cleansed, soothed, and scanned Olivia’s body. “ Might I inquire what sort of external influences you endured while on your task? ”

“I wouldn’t exactly say I had to endure anything,” she replied with a little chuckle. “Let’s just say I got to know my companions quite well, though, to be honest, between the smells, and that weird pigment, that’s posed something of a problem in and of itself.”

“ Oh? How so? I am inorganic, and therefore not subjected to pheromonal or pigment influences. ”

“Just consider yourself lucky. It’s confusing as hell.”

“ I see. I have an update on your friend, by the way. The healing facility’s operating intelligence has informed me that her bone has been mended with no adverse effects. However, given that she is of your species, and we are only beginning to understand exactly how your kind reacts to certain healing factors, it has been decided she will not receive her runes for at least several days as her bodily functions and tissue reactions return to baseline for your kind. ”

“So, she gets a little reprieve, is what you’re saying. Good for her. I’m sure she could really use the rest.”

“ I have heard the same. In fact, she will be provided a moderate sedative for two days to help her body fully relax and allow the bone mending to solidify completely without requiring further immobilization. ”

“You’re drugging her?”

“ Just long enough to prevent her harming herself inadvertently. And, I would add, this will allow her body’s natural healing functions to fully engage. As you may know, it is during the sleep period that most species enter their most robust healing cycle. ”

Olivia did know that, in fact, though that factoid had been a tidbit from Earth, and, until this moment, she had no idea whether it was the same for Maldonians or other races. Apparently, it was. She decided to enjoy a little herself, in fact, taking a quick power nap after bathing while the opportunity presented itself.

“ Olivia. Overseer Zoldana wishes to see you now. ”

“How long was I out?”

“ Only a half hour. ”

“Feels like more.”

“ I took the liberty of adding a restorative field to your sleep area to help oxygenate your blood and heal the minor strains from your endeavor. ”

Olivia rolled off the bed and onto her feet, dressing quickly and heading out the door. Zoldana wanted to see her, but truth be told, she had things she wanted to ask the older woman as well.

“Thanks, you’re the best. I’ll catch you later.”

The walk to Zoldana’s was a familiar route by now, still novel in many ways, with myriad sights to take in, but a path she had traveled several times. More than enough to know her way. The local male population took note of her, as usual, but she also saw that there were more females out than before, apparently eager to get a better look at the new woman among them that they’d been hearing so much about.

Olivia took it in stride. Given what she now knew about Maldonian culture it made sense. She quickly made her way to Zoldana’s, the woman’s door already open when she arrived.

“Come in, Olivia,” her voice called out.

She stepped inside, the door closing behind her. Unlike prior meetings, Nijello was not in attendance. In fact, no one else was there but the overseer.

“Quite an adventure you had,” she said as her guest approached. “Come, sit with me. Let’s talk.”

Olivia accepted the offer, sitting comfortably across from her on a very plush puff of faintly pink energy. A soothing sensation tickled her new pigment in a really nice way. Zoldana noted her subtle reaction.

“An energy transfer seat,” she explained. “It adds to the existing power the pigments naturally absorb from the sun and galactic energies. It’s not a lot, but it does give one a little bit of a pick-me-up.”

“I can feel it. The new tats kind of tingle.”

“As they would. But tell me, how are you feeling? Healing well, I see, but this is all so new for you, I would hear your perceptions of it.”

Olivia hesitated. There was a lot she could tell the elder, but more importantly, there were things she needed to tell her. Tell and ask.

“I’ve had some kind of intense reactions, to be honest, Zoldana. And it’s really confusing me,” she said, a little flash of shame coloring her cheeks.

“Go on.”

“It’s not like me to lose control of myself. I mean, I’m not exactly a control freak, but it’s disconcerting the way I’m just so—I don’t know—easily swayed? Susceptible? I mean, the scents are almost irresistible.”

Zoldana smiled. “I see. I had wondered about that earlier but did not wish to mention it. But I see you are, in fact, developing a sensitivity.”

“You expected this?”

“Somewhat. You mentioned reactions that led me to believe you might be able to detect the pheromones of our kind. A very unusual and rare trait, I would add. And it seems that the pigments you received have only served to enhance it. And if you were to actually bond? Well, it would be a boon for our city.”

The human wasn’t so sure how she felt about that. “Bonding? I’ve only been here a few days.”

Zoldana laughed. “Oh, the Infala knows what it wants, and there is nothing we can do about that.”

“But you said it would grow to match a mate. And we looked. Mine doesn’t.”

“Hmm, now that is interesting. Then this must be the lesser bond. The one solely of pheromones. But that is a bond, nonetheless. Now, tell me, which of your companions did you react to?”

Olivia swallowed hard, a blush rising to her cheeks. “Uh, yeah. About that. It was both of them.”

A look of shock spread across the older woman’s face, and it was not a passing thing. She was legitimately stunned . “ Both of them, you say? Oh my. Oh my indeed. This is a quandary. Unheard of since before my time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean by your reaction to not one but two of our males, there is no clear bond to abide. You will be the final arbiter of your destiny, Olivia. You will have to choose.”

“Choose? I don’t even know what I want. I only just got here!”

“That may be the case, but you have felt the power of the connection, there is no denying it. And now you will spend time with your suitors until you decide the victor.”

Suitors? Victor? Olivia was shocked by the idea, and not very happy with it. Yet she realized on a visceral level that Zoldana was right. She was so primally drawn to each of them, to ignore it would be almost impossible. But to choose? How could she?

“What happens now? How do I choose when I barely know them?”

“They will not be informed of what you have told me, you may rest assured. But each will undoubtedly court you as males of our kind are taught. Understand, serving a woman is the ultimate goal among them, and each will do his best to prove his worth to you.”

It was a lot to take in, that was for sure. And there were complications.

“Uh, Zoldana? There’s more.”

“More?” the woman asked, her curiosity piqued even more.

“Well, we, uh... kind of had sex.”

“With which one?”

“Yeah, about that.”

The old woman cackled with delight, tears streaming down her face. “Oh, that is marvelous! What a lively change of pace you have brought to my city!”

“I don’t think it’s funny.”

“I would not say funny, exactly. But you have to admit, the situation is, at its core, rather amusing, would you not?”

“If it wasn’t me in the middle, I suppose. But what now? I can’t sleep with them both, can I?”

“Why not? There is nothing wrong with it. You are young, and the pleasures of the flesh should not be ignored. Not to mention that sort of connection is vital for a long-term bond, and as such one should never make such a decision lightly. And certainly not without thoroughly sampling their potential mate’s skills.”

Olivia fell silent, more than a little shocked at the woman’s frank and open-minded assessment of the situation. Do the deed again? And with each of them? I mean, I already have, so I suppose that’s not a big deal. And the overseer of the whole city says it’s perfectly okay, and who am I to argue with their culture?

She cocked her head slightly, a little smile creasing her lips. “You know what? Maybe I’ll do just that.”