“No, it’s like I told you. You can’t get pregnant,” the woman had explained, repeating herself at the human’s disbelief. “It’s an Infala thing. Only bonded mates can reproduce if they are from different races.”
“Seriously?”
“Why do you seem so surprised by this? If not for this system, the worlds would be overrun by unintended offspring, and not all planets have the resources to care for them.”
“I get it, but it’s just so, I don’t know…convenient.”
“Convenient?”
“I’m talking about sex having no repercussions, Floxxia. Not worrying about a morning-after pill is a huge thing.”
“What’s a morning-after pill?”
“Never mind. My point is, this is fascinating.”
Margot’s mind wandered back to the interesting trysts she’d turned down in her college years solely for lack of a condom. Of course, there were also STIs to worry about, and given that these were aliens, the question of whether her naughty bits would catch fire and fall off was a very real concern.
Floxxia put her mind at ease on that point as well.
“Your kind still has those?” she asked, her shock apparent. “My Gods, what a primitive world you must come from.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I do not mean any disrespect, but it is simply unheard of in the Dotharian realms. All diseases of that nature were eradicated centuries ago. And any time a new world was brought into the Dotharian fold its citizens were all immediately purged of any such contagions.”
“So, no unwanted pregnancies, and no STIs,” the human replied in near shock.
“As I already told you. No to both. Now, hold still and stop talking. You do not want a distracted Skrizzit, especially not with the power of the pigment you’re getting. One wrong line and it could be a whole world of problems.”
Margot zipped her lips tight, heeding the woman’s admonition. Whatever else might happen to her, at least this was somewhat within her control, and she would not screw it up. And at the end, her self-control paid off with Floxxia declaring the runes not only complete, but also flawless.
“Use them in good health,” she told Margot as she left to return to her holding area.
And now that the runes were healed into her skin, for the most part, and enhancing certainverypleasant sensations,much to her delight, Margot was finally coming around to the whole Dotharian rune situation. At least until the enormous blue man running things around these parts came storming across the compound just as she stepped out into the fresh air to greet Rylinn’s arriving ship.
Gromm’s already prominent veins were absolutely bulging out of his neck and temples, his pulse thundering as if he was about to blow a gasket. And judging by the look in his eyes, he very well might have.
Margot had been watching the ship setting down, a happy smile spreading across her lips as Rylinn stepped out, matching it with his own as he strode toward her.
“Where is that fucking woman?” the blue hulk shouted loud enough to make every last head in the camp turn.
Rylinn’s attention quickly redirected from Margot, the rage and force of Gromm’s unexpected bellow stopping him short. His gaze flicked back to Margot just as Gromm spotted her.
“There you are!” he growled, his feet stomping loudly as he stormed towards her. “You fucking bitch! You took my pigment!”
Margot did her best to look tough, but this towering monster of a man was huge and could snap her like a twig.
“I don’t know what you mean?” she replied, her voice quavering in spite of her best efforts to put on a strong face.
Rylinn snapped out of his shock and hurried over.
“What’s the matter, Gromm?”
“I’ll tell you what’s the matter. This little whore has my pigment, that’s what’s the matter.”
“I don’t understand. Didn’t youinstructthe Skrizzit to give her the runes?”
“Not with my personal supply!” he shouted, the myriad runes on his arms pulsing with angry light. “Do you have any idea the value of the pigment that stupid prisoner put into her? Not onlydid it take me years to source, but it cost me a gods damned fortune! And now it’s gone, stuck in some worthless woman’s body. A fucking waste! And all because this fool didn’t have runes.”
