Chapter 15
GEMINI
An internal tug of war was taking place inside Gemini, the emotional and physical exertion of the past few days exhausting her to her core.
In some ways, she felt as if she were living a dream.
Apodis had filled the bathtub and gotten her settled in—as careful as ever with her injured ankle—then hurried from the room to prepare things as he’d said.
The bath was soothing, and after scrubbing the hell out of her body and hair, she’d refilled the tub with clean water, letting herself luxuriate in the warmth.
When Apodis returned, he had a shy smile on his face, gingerly lifting her and drying her with a towel while he brushed her tangled hair.
She could see the use of multiple appendages, his mating tentacles wielding the brush with surprising dexterity, though she remembered exactly what they had done during her heat.
One for each of her holes, just like she’d imagined, though the reality had been so much better than her fantasies.
Never had she felt so connected with someone, so in tune with her own body that everything else faded to nothing. The intensity of the heat seemed to be past her, but her interest in Apodis remained, grew even, now that she knew exactly how he treated his bed partners.
He had provided her with a simple box labeled “HUMAN MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS”, which ended up being something akin to pads, and gotten her settled into bed after she’d dressed.
A mug of herbal tea and a delicious meal soothed the ache in her stomach, finishing with a sweet and bitter candy that tasted almost like chocolate.
Uaphawolla, he had explained, a delicacy used to soothe females after heat, which he’d had delivered by drone along with her pads.
An absolute angel, by all standards, especially compared to the shit she was used to. And yet, her stomach still churned with anxiety, questions buzzing through her head as she leaned against Apodis’ firm body.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hugging her with his arms and tentacles, her back flush with his chest.
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. FLOW doesn’t know anything about omega or alpha stuff…”
Careful not to hurt her injured ankle, she maneuvered around so she could straddle his hips, needing to look him in the eyes.
His hands met her waist once more, tentacles gently undulating in serpentine waves as they coiled around her neck.
It was comforting to be fully enveloped by him, like she would always be safe in her bubble.
“I was serious when I said you could stay as long as you’d like. I didn’t just mean a week or two. Perhaps you could take a leave of absence?” he asked, and Gemini quirked a brow.
“You really want me to stay? And ruin the perfect solitude of your beautiful cabin?”
She didn’t think she was the worst houseguest, but he truly seemed like someone who needed his own space. Why else had he retired to the middle of Lumeris with no neighbors in sight?
“You haven’t ruined anything. I enjoy your company,” he said, the tip of a tentacle brushing over her lips in a familiar manner. “I can help you through any changes that you find difficult if you stay here with me. Make sure you’re ready to… go back to Earth.”
The thought of returning coiled a knot of dread in her stomach in a way that surprised her. Earth wasn’t that bad, was it? She enjoyed her job well enough, though the long hours prevented her from doing the things she loved.
Like working on her almanac. Or renting out one of the miniscule garden plots on her apartment’s roof.
She had some friends and family—though she didn’t see them much.
“How often do heats happen?” she asked, needing more information.
“Typically two or three times a year, but I don’t know if it is the same for non-Oslieth omegas.”
“Are you sure this change is permanent? Maybe when I… leave you, I’ll go back to normal.”
Apodis smiled softly.
“That was not the case with the Zephells who transformed, but it is impossible to know for sure.”
Gemini considered the fact that she was altered—perhaps permanently—and felt less uneasy than she would have expected. She was a different person now. She’d had something fundamental changed about her biology, and yet there was no anxiety, no dread, no fear.
Just acceptance.
“Will all the heats be that… difficult?”
Apodis cupped her cheek, gazing at her with those mesmerizing turquoise eyes, the gold seeming to contract and expand with each breath.
“They may be. But the suppressants will help.”
The heat suppressants. Pills that would supposedly dull the desire and mask her scent from alphas.
“What happens if alphas recognize me? I mean, there could definitely be Oslieths on Earth, or other aliens who experience the same thing.”
Apodis tightened his grip on her, the tentacle around her neck almost taking her breath away as a low growl reverberated in the space between them.
“Some do not know how to control themselves.”
The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and not the pleasant kind. He stroked a hand across her cheek, perhaps sensing her tension, his eyes going soft as he continued.
“If you stayed here, I could always protect you. Provide for you. Give you everything you need…”
His words were soft and vulnerable, and his offer? A true invitation this time, no doubts about that. But she remembered what had happened with Kenny, what always seemed to happen when it came to her love life. People grew bored with her.
Why would Apodis be any different? When he lost interest, she’d be stuck on an unfamiliar alien planet and have no way to get home. She’d be out of a job, with nothing but her savings to hold her over until she found something new.
After Kenny, her life had been in shambles. She’d had to move because she couldn’t afford the rent on her own when she’d kicked him out. Everything had spiraled from there, and she’d kept herself cooped up in her new, much tinier apartment, missing her old life before it had all come crashing down.
When she’d finally gotten the courage to tell her friends, they acted as if it had been her fault.
Like she was making a big deal out of nothing.
The chatbot wasn’t an actual person, so it wasn’t really cheating.
She’d slowly drifted away from that group of women, and at this point, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen any of them.
Instead, Gemini had taken solace in her work, even if it was challenging, even if it meant she had no life outside of NovaFlora. Her job would always be there for her, wouldn’t it?
“I can’t believe no one from the crew has bothered to check in on me. Maybe I should call them?” she asked, needing to focus on something other than this alien asking her to move in with him after they’d met a week ago.
Apodis’ eyes flicked away from hers for a split second before returning.
Instead of answering, he pulled her down into a kiss, her body tingling with delight from the surprising affection.
Soft and passionate, so different from the feral way he’d claimed her mouth with his mating tentacle during her heat.
She groaned into him, tangling her fingers in his silvery hair and pressing down on the hard length between his legs. Everything was perfect when she was in his arms. She could call Castor later, deal with NovaFlora when it came time to see the orb glows bloom.
As Gemini ground down into Apodis’ lap, she heard the whirring of a mechanical door, though she didn’t bother to look until he pulled away from her with wide eyes.
“Z! What are you doing?” Apodis asked, looking flustered as he carefully eased her back onto the mattress next to him.
Zenith hopped onto the bed, ambling over and sitting in front of them.
“I am checking on Gemini, of course. How are you feeling?” he asked, examining her with those strange, black eyes.
“Better. I think the, uh, heat is done.”
“I knew you were an omega from the moment I met you,” Zenith said, and she had to resist a chuckle at the surety of the caerulian’s words. “I trust Apodis has treated you well. He told me you were bleeding.”
She quirked a brow at Apodis, who just shrugged, then turned back to Zenith.
“I’m fine. It’s a normal thing for human females. And Apodis was a perfect gentleman.”
She shared a devious smile with Apodis, nuzzling against his shoulder. He had been a gentleman alright, giving her exactly what she needed to get her through her first heat.
“I am glad to hear that. Does this mean you will be staying?” Zenith asked, as nonchalant as ever, despite the significance of his question.
“Until the ceremony,” Apodis quickly added, glancing between her and Zenith. “Will you stay with us until the Bloomveil? It’s a celebration that precedes the blooming of the orb glows, just two days from now. We can… take you back to your camp afterward.”
Zenith delivered a fierce glare Apodis’ way, though said nothing as Gemini’s heart began to race. She knew she should get back to camp now, at the very least call Castor, but she was still pissed about the fact that they hadn’t been worried in the slightest when she’d been lost in Lumeris.
If she stayed until the ceremony, that would still leave two days to get back to camp and help prepare for the whole reason NovaFlora had sent her here. And the idea of witnessing a cultural observance coinciding with this xenobotanical phenomenon was too intriguing to pass up.
“Oh, uh, yeah. As long as I’m welcome. I would love to see that.”
“Of course, you are welcome,” Apodis assured, pressing a firm kiss to the top of her head.
“Most welcome,” Zenith agreed. “Oslieth mates always are.”