Exiled for her high ideals, Asa leaves her home planet to continue her medical career on Concordia in the Eulian Outskirts. Though the Celest-ruled empire is a drastic change from her nomadic tribe, she is determined to take the species' knowledge t...
Asa knew Zienna would keep patient files at her desk when overseeing their case. Even so, there should have been a copy in the filing for Concordia. Sandor had a copy there, why not Renvir? To add to her confusion, her new patient had a second pair of arms. She had never seen a Celest with that description in the Core Center before, and she'd seen a majority of the castes. Perhaps she could ask Evrel later.
Pushing open the door, her eyes dilated. Light sat over the front desk area like a fog, thick and disorientating. One silhouette stood amidst the otherwise empty room. A gleam of red shot across the medic's vision. It was Ludis.
"Asa, I'm so happy to see you back."
Typically, the words would sound concerned. But the tone fell cold on her ears. Tightening her grip on the closed folder, the medic shortened her stride.
"Ludis. What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," he said, closing the gap between them, "Phoeli told me where you were going. What are you thinking going to the Sharder colony? It's dangerous for the Celests living there, let alone a female Wikev."
Ludis had lived on Concordia longer than the rest of her class. As a result, he knew the area better, and she didn't understand the different sectors well. With Wikevs, either the tribe survived or didn't. There wasn't the same sort of separation as the non-traveling species had.
Yet Asa didn't feel in danger when she went except when she saw the Crotsest. But had she been? Her stomach turned at the question.
"Zienna gave me a patient. I didn't have any other contact info on him besides an address."
"Him?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
The male sighed and reached out his hands, grasping her arms. The medic could hear his steady breaths.
"Asa, you recently ended a long-term relationship, and you're nearing your fertile period. Don't you think you should be more careful around strange males?"
How did he know? The medic took a deep breath, catching a hint of sharp, fetid odor that left an aftertaste in her mouth. Of course, he was responding to her hormones. That explained why he was clingy with her.
A female Wikev would give off a unique blend of pheromones for the first three months before their fertile period. Genetically compatible males would respond by releasing their own scent.
Asa was due to hit her season in roughly one Celestial week-twelve days she reminded herself. If she could last through that plus the next month, or roughly five weeks, she would prove herself to Zienna.
"He seems harmless enough."
Ludis' grip tightened, pulling her close. While her scent appealed to him, his musk overwhelmed her. She grimaced and pulled back. He didn't let go.
"Males, especially Celests, can put on a good act to lure you in. Promise me you'll be careful."
Asa tightened her lips and looked down at her arms. His claw-like nails, though pointed away, glimmered in the gem lighting. One hand released its hold and lifted her chin, so her eyes met his. The medic flinched at his touch.
"Please, Asa. I'd hate for you to get hurt."
The female opened her drying mouth.
"I promise."
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