Harem Assassins : King Sekton's Harem Planet, Book 2: A Space Opera Harem Adventure Baron Sord (good books to read for adults .txt) 📖

him, Oia. Take him back to his planet and exchange him for someone else. A woman perhaps. That shrewish thing we found him with. Something that rhymes with witch. Ingritch, I believe.”

“Ingrid,” I chuckled and turned to Venus with a smile.

“Tim,” Venus sighed, her face in shadow.

“How are you doing?”

“My face feels like a swollen foot, but I’ll heal.”

I chuckled at that image.

Venus’ enunciation was slightly off, but nothing as bad as Oia’s. Whatever teeth Venus had lost must not have been as critical to forming the mouth shapes required for consonants.

Venus said, “Oia will heal too, my king. Don’t mind her. She’s as tired as the rest of us. Accelerated healing is always a drain on the system.”

“Is there anything I can do for you two? With my rings? To help with healing or the pain?”

“There’s no need, my king ,” Venus said. “Physical pain isn’t the problem.” She was obviously implying that emotional pain was the real problem. “Don’t you worry. Major Akeso knows her way around patient care. I’ve been keeping tabs on her every procedure, every step of the way. She’s very skilled and very knowledgable. Oia and I will be good as new in a week or two.”

“Glad to hear it,” I said with genuine relief. I knew Venus had mad medical skills herself, so I trusted her opinion implicitly.

“Until then, indulge yourself,” Venus added. “Enjoy your harem. Discretely, of course. You’ve earned it, my king.”

“Discretely? Does that have anything to do with my first?”

“Your official first. Yes.”

“Yeah, that. Oia made a big deal about it back on the Artemis.” I glanced over my shoulder, expecting Oia to say something. She was breathing evenly, possibly sleeping. Or pretending to sleep while eavesdropping. I added, “And she just mentioned it again. It’s obviously important to her.”

Venus said, “Oia was your first, my king. She will always be your first.”

“I know. But nobody here knows that.”

“Not until you make it official.”

“How do I do that?”

“Tell them.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” I snorted, imagining myself making an announcement over the high school intercom. And for lunch today, I will be having sex with Oia in the cafeteria. Dessert will be served after.

“Is not a same,” Oia mumbled mushily behind me.

I turned around and whispered, “What’s not the same?”

“Your hearse here.”

“My first here? Why?”

“Ih jus is,” she sighed tiredly like she was too exhausted to continue talking.

Venus said, “She means the official ceremony, my king.”

“Ceremony?” I asked.

Oia responded with a pained moan.

I turned to Venus and whispered, “We should leave her alone.”

“We should,” Venus agreed in a low voice. “She’s just worried about you, my king.”

“Worried? Why?”

Venus whispered, “She worries someone will take advantage of you, my king. If you choose some other woman to be your official first. Some woman here.”

“She might be right about that,” I said, thinking of Colonel Sadys.

“Why? Because of what that shrew Ingrid did to you?” Venus asked.

“No. Some of the women here are… I think they have ulterior motives.”

“What woman doesn’t?” Venus tittered in amusement.

“Good point,” I chuckled quietly. “It’s so good to talk to you, Venus. It’s only been two days, but I’ve missed you.”

“As have I, my king. It’s not the same without you around.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Liar,” she said from the shadows with an audible smile. “I know how you look at women. You can’t keep your eyes off us.”

“Guilty as charged,” I chuckled, appreciating how easygoing Venus was. From day one, she had never cared if I was interested in other women than her. “How are Cygna and Sirius doing?” I glanced over to where they lay shadowed in their beds, sleeping silently.

“Holding steady,” Venus said. “You saved Sirius’ life, my king. If it wasn’t for you…”

“Yeah,” I said somberly. “But she’s coming around?”

“Yes, from what Major Akeso tells me, Sirius should be waking any day now.”

“I hope so. Wait, that fast?”

“She…” Venus stopped at the sound of two nurses and a doctor walking by the open hatch and chatting about something.

Although it was dark in the recovery room, it was late morning and Medical was becoming increasingly active.

Once the doctor and nurses passed, Venus lowered her voice to a bare whisper and said, “Sirius heals faster than the rest of us.”

“Got it,” I whispered. “And Cygna? Has anyone said anything about her?”

“No, they’ve left her be, as I requested of you.”

“Is she getting better on her own?” I’d never been entirely comfortable with Venus’ request that no one do any doctoring for Cygna.

“Yes,” Venus said confidently. “She’ll be fine, my king. Give her time.”

“Is she…” I lowered my voice to a sliver-thin whisper and leaned close to Venus’ shadowed face. “…is she healing herself or something?”

Venus didn’t respond.

“Is she?” I pressed.

The silhouette of Venus’ head nodded slightly in the shadows.

“Does she—” I almost asked if Cygna had a king’s ring of her own. I knew she wore a ring like the Bombshells and every other Zalaxian woman. Was that it? Had the Bombshells stolen a king’s ring for Cygna too? One like my Bombshells Ring? They’d stolen mine for me, so why not one for Cygna? It was possible. I wasn’t entirely sure if there were more king’s rings than the two I wore, but a third or fourth or tenth ring wasn’t out of the question.

If that was the case, I definitely didn’t want to call attention to Cygna having an illegal ring. It was one thing for me to have the stolen Bombshells Ring because I was now the acting king and I made the rules. But people might not be happy if some random Zalaxian exile had one — namely Cygna — whether or not I allowed it. Best not to mention it.

“As long as Cygna is getting better,” I warned.

“She is,” Venus said. “I promise, my king. She will be good as new before you know it.”

“Excellent,” I said and sat for a time in silence. Eventually I said with emotion, “I miss you ladies. I mean it.”

“As do I. Once we’re