“What if you met someone and did not want to be together? Like they drove you crazy or had some horrible personality flaw?”
He shrugged. “It was before, and I have only read the old texts about it. But once that mating happened, it was permanent. They were together.”
“This was before your people became cybernetic.”
He nodded.
“Now, do you still have that craving you mentioned?”
“We do. But it is not what the texts spoke of. I am several generations old, and I have only in recent days experienced anything close to the Craving, as it is spoken of in the texts.”
“What do you mean?”
“Upon meeting you, my Craving has been stronger than it’s ever been. But it is more than just a desire to have intercourse with a humanoid. That I have experienced. We all have had that at least a few times. This is something else, something stronger.”
She blinked. “What triggered it?”
“You.”
13
Bianca blinked.
What did he just say?
She had to process what he said. Did he think she was some kind of mate for him?
“That is unusual,” she said, trying to maintain a diplomatic tone. Because inside, she was screaming.
And she wasn’t sure if it was fear or joy.
A mix of both, maybe?
The idea that he was experiencing stronger cravings than what he’d been used to because he met her.
Surely that was a coincidence.
It would not have anything to do with her.
She could not believe that he would be so invested in her after only spending a day with her.
Though inside, Bianca knew that she had been, in a way, feeling a similar inclination toward him since she’d met him. There was a certain camaraderie they felt for one another. She was very excited to hear from him every day when they would communicate. She had been looking forward to seeing him again.
But surely, such a thing as their ancient mating customs would not be the reason.
Perhaps there were pheromones.
Yes.
That had to be it.
Pheromones.
Some kind of chemistry between them.
“Maybe you like my perfume,” she said, rubbing behind her ears.
“Your perfume?”
