“But she’s an omega, isn’t she? EvenIcan smell it. And she is clearly interested in you.”
Of course, the thought had been in the back of his mind, but it came crashing back to reality as Zenith said the words aloud. A human omega?
He knew that Zephells, a species whose homeworld was in the same system as Thitis 4X, had latent genes which could be activated when exposed to Oslieth pheromones, triggering alpha, beta, and omega traits. But could humans be the same? He hadn’t heard of such a thing, but there hadn’t beenvery many humans interacting with Oslieths on an intimate scale, as far as he knew.
“I don’t know how she could be…” Apodis said as he turned on the induction cooktop, fully integrated into the counters.
Zenith rolled his eyes.
“You know full well that it’s possible.”
“With a human?”
“Perhaps your pheromones are awakening her suppressed biological features…”
That would certainly explain the subconscious scent marking. It could have been an instinctive thing, something she didn’t even understand she was doing. And if this was all true, then it was even more important for him to send her on her way.
Even among the Zephells who mated with Oslieths, very little was known about how exactly it worked. What would happen if she changed too much? Would she be able to return to her world? Would she have instincts she couldn’t explain and didn’t understand?
No matter how much he wanted to keep her here, he needed to make sure she got back to her people.
And soon.
“It doesn’t matter, Z. She’s returning today, end of story.”
Zenith huffed, jumping fromthe counter and moving to his food bowl, which remained fully stocked with the kibble he so loved to eat.
Apodis focused on cooking, letting his routine take over as he made some of his favorite Oslieth morning dishes. He was just being a good host, not trying to impress Gemini or anything. Certainly not because he enjoyed seeing that beautiful smile curl her lips.
Or the way she’d been turned on by his mating tentacle yesterday.
The scent of her arousal had been almost impossible to resist, as sweet as winka berries, with a slight hint of bitter canar. He had been ready to devour her on the couch right then and there.
Focus, he needed to focus. Just get through the morning and she’d be back at her camp. And he would be sad, but he would survive like he always did, with Zenith for company.
His hands were shaking as he carried the tray back to the bedroom, and he tried to calm himself. He wanted to enjoy these last moments with Gemini, not let his anxiety taint the memory of her.
When the door whirred open, a grin spread on Gemini’s face as she lounged on the bed.
“Wow. No one’s ever brought me breakfast in bed before.”
Apodis felt his face heat, that embarrassing maroon color spreading across his cheeks and neck,but he tried to ignore it as he set the tray in front of her.
“I didn’t know what types of food you liked, so I made you a few things.”
He pointed out the different dishes, and she nodded with each explanation.
“Thank you so much. I’m so tired of eating the same space rations every day,” Gemini said as she held the steaming cup of so’ala between her palms and inhaled a deep breath.
She pursed her lips and took a sip, sighing deeply.
“It’s delicious! And you said this energizes you? It tastes kind of like coffee.”
“Yes,” he said, taking a seat next to her as she tried each of the different dishes. “It’s made from so’alanak mushrooms, mixed with some sweetener to cut the bitterness. One cup should be sufficient for someone of your size.”
The perfect size to cradle in his arms, to hold tight to his chest while they slept…
“Well, everything is amazing. Do you enjoy cooking? The kitchen in my apartment is tiny, so I’m limited on what I can make.”
