Chapter Fifteen
“Hm. I am grateful that you didn’t require me to make a house call.
I’m a married man, and I don’t think Abi would appreciate me going into your little love nest,” Dr. Marcus teased the married couple as they joined him the next evening.
“I barely got a chance to administer your injections yesterday, Sasha.”
“It was kind of a busy day,” Sasha admitted.
It had been an even busier night, but Marcus didn’t need to know that.
She suspected he could tell by the fact that she had dragged herself to the med bay in floppy faux-cotton loungewear, and Gideon was blinking blearily next to her, fresh from a shower but looking like he had not slept in a week.
“I’m prescribing that you two actually sleep. Sleep for at least six hours before any further matrimonial celebrations, okay?” Marcus tapped the hemoanalyzer and frowned. “Huh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing. Just that some numbers I would expect to keep rising are stalling. We might need to up your dose, Sasha.”
“And I’ll be extra horny around my beloved new husband? Oh, whatever shall I do?” Sasha gave a dramatic sigh and threw her arm over her head, eyes closed, the picture of dramatic suffering.
Marcus snickered. “I could prescribe a daily dose of Gideon, but you’re already getting that.
We’ll give it another two days before we decide.
Technically, your fertile window has likely closed.
We knew it would be a much shorter window than usual, but that ended up working out for the best, given the changes to the program.
We’ll keep trying next cycle. I do need to keep giving you maintenance injections so that we’re not back to the starting point. ”
“I understand. See you tomorrow.”
“Remember what I said! Sleep. You’re still test subjects—and thank you for signing and returning your contact offers between rounds,” Marcus said drily. “I can’t have you two exhausting yourselves to the point where you’re unhealthy.”
“I will take excellent care of my Queen,” Gideon proclaimed, all traces of sleepiness suddenly gone.
“I can tell that’s the case so far,” Marcus winked. “Now, shoo, you two. Sleep.”
“I DON’T THINK WE NEED a honeymoon off the vessel,” Sasha said on her second morning as a newlywed. “We have amazing accommodations on this ship, luxurious even—”
“You would not say they were luxurious if you had lived in the Imazi Hills district, but they are lovely, yes.” Gideon snuck a citrine off the young tree they were passing.
“And we have a media theater in the lounge, an amazing chef, and this beautiful garden to walk in—as long as Kamau and Nessa don’t catch you swiping the fruit.”
“Ah, but I was asking Rupex about the route we are on, and next week, we should be in range of Ansawahari Isle, a resort planetoid in the Leopardine System.”
“Next week I’m going to have my period. It’ll be a waste of credits.”
“Hm? Why?”
“Well... Because men don’t want to have sex with Queens while they have their period,” Sasha whispered.
Gideon looked down at her. “Because it is painful to her?”
“No, because it’s messy.”
“But we have bathing facilities. And you are no less my wife next week than you are today.” He shook his head, clearly puzzled.
“It’s blood, Gideon. Bloody stuff will get on you.”
“But Felids were genetically spliced with the great predatory cats millennia ago. That is how our races came to be. We do not mind blood. In fact,” Gideon’s voice dropped low, and his paws rested possessively around her middle, “it excites us. I would love to pleasure you at any point of your life, period or no, my love. And you don’t need to worry that a Felid will bite you or something simply because there is blood.
It just sparks a little something in us. ”
Sasha’s eyebrows couldn’t go any higher if she tried. “You are so full of surprises.”
“As are you. We’ve been out of our quarters for hours without you pouncing on me. Am I a dull and boring King so soon?” he teased.
“No,” Sasha yawned suddenly. “I’m just tired out because my King keeps making me his personal private fountain show.” She swatted his rear and stole the citrine from his palm, running away with a giggle.
Gideon let out a happy, muffled roar. “Ooh! I will catch you, my love—and then I will have my way with you.”
“I was kind of counting on that!”
“YOU TWO...” MARCUS appeared at their quarters later that evening, hemoanalyzer out and syringe poking from his pocket. “If I weren’t so happy for you, I’d be annoyed. Arm, Sasha.”
“We fell asleep.”
“I know. The entire deck knows. We heard the roaring stop three hours ago. But did you wake up and come see the poor old doctor trying to keep a species alive? Nope.”
The injection and blood test took two seconds. Marcus dropped the empty syringe and softly beeping scanner into his deep lab coat pockets and shambled off, muttering to himself about newlyweds.
“We’ll be there bright and early, Marcus!” Sasha called out to him, clutching a sheet around her otherwise naked body.
“Don’t rush! Skyla has the morning shift with Dax. I’m going to let them send your results by comms for tonight, and tomorrow afternoon—before supper, young lady, we’ll meet in the med bay to discuss the next cycle’s plans.”
“Right. Hey, since I have some medical training... if Gideon and I wanted to leave the planet for a week or a few days, definitely during a maintenance week, not a week with active monitoring and lots of boosters, etc., could we go off-world? I could inject myself, and I know how to read hemoanalyzer results.”
Marcus paused by the lift doors, leaning against the curved walls of the ship. “I’m pretty sure Bastet Mercy wouldn’t like that. For a couple of days? Fine. A week? No.”
“Two days would be great!” Sasha cried. “There’s some planetoid resort we’ll be near soon, right?”
“Ansawahari Isle, yes. Well, that is quite a jaunt away at this point. Next week we’ll be closer. Think you can wait for a honeymoon break that long?”
“Mmhm. Although... although, Doc, I... Do Felid Queens have menstrual cycles?”
Marcus walked back towards her. “Yes, why?”
“Well, since I’m not pregnant, I’m going to get mine soon. In the next week. Gideon told me that’s not a problem. That Felid males don’t mind the mess.” She blushed.
Marcus cleared his throat and composed himself with a little tug on his white coat. “Most do not.”
“He said... It might even be exciting for Felids?”
“Rupex put it very nicely once, although he has no idea that Layla told Abi, who told me, and so you must act like you have no idea that I told you.”
Sasha tried to follow that train of gossip before just giving up and nodding. “Okay?”
“Blood is wine to predators. And every Felid has the blood of ancient predators in his veins. Good night, Sasha.”
Sasha gave a shiver and slid back inside the quarters she and Gideon now shared. “Hey, baby?” She hurried back to Gideon’s sleeping form.
“Hm?” he said with a sleepy snort.
“One more round?”
“Sasha, you will be the death of me.” Gideon opened his golden eyes a tiny slit.
“Is that a no?”
“Not at all.”