Page 5 of Tamed
“Each planet will have eleven openings. When all the openings have been filled, the conduit will have to choose her second favorite and so on.”
Kendra figured it was something like that. “So the faster we make up our minds, the more likely we are to go to our top choice.”
Eden nodded. “It will also give groups an opportunity to stay together.” Not giving Kendra time to respond, Eden rushed on, “The Citadel is a training center. No one stays here indefinitely. Most conduits go to whatever planet their mates come from. This isn’t that different.”
A young green-haired male approached the table. He stopped a few steps away, boldly staring at Kendra, but he didn’t speak.
“Can I help you?” Ansley snapped. “We’re having lunch here.”
“I will speak with Mistress Kendra at a more appropriate time. I apologize.” He flashed Kendra a toothy grin then hurried off.
“You’re starting to radiate pheromones,” Eden predicted. “You need to go to the clinic and see if there’s anything they can do to slow this down.”
“And if there isn’t?” Panic welled up from deep inside her. She didn’t want to be subjected to the sort of sexual frenzy she’d heard described by some of her friends.
“You don’t feel connected to any of the males you’ve interacted with?” Ansley asked, concern creasing her brow.
Kendra shook her head. “Not even a little.”
“Have you let anyone touch you, kiss you?” Ansley persisted.
“A couple have, but it just felt wrong.”
Another group of leering males was headed for their table. “You need to go, now,” Eden urged. “I’ll comm Dr. Damaris and let her know you’re on your way.”
Kendra nodded and then rushed from the dining hall. The clinic was two levels up and on the other side of the outpost. Heads turned whenever Kendra rushed past a group of males, but luckily the hallways were mostly empty. She felt agitated, restless in a way she’d never felt before.
She sped her pace, nearly jogging now. Her nipples peaked and her core ached so badly that each step became painful. If the doctor couldn’t help restrain this, Kendra was in serious trouble.
By the time she reached the clinic, her cheeks were burning and her skin was damp with sweat. Dr. Damaris spotted Kendra as she passed through the doors and hurried her into a private exam room.
“Detail your symptoms and give me the timeline for this escalation,” Dr. Damaris prompted, not bothering with a traditional greeting. Her statuesque frame and dark coloring revealed her Torretian blood. Her mates were both from Altor, which explained why her heritage had been overlooked by the board of governors.
Sitting on the end of the treatment table, Kendra tried to ignore the urges surging through her system. “It started about ten days ago, but it has gotten significantly worse in the last three days. I’m having erotic dreams and my sex drive is much stronger than normal.”
“Are you sexually active?” Dr. Damaris asked the question with casual professionalism.
Kendra shook her head. “No opportunity on Earth and no time since coming here.”
“Has anything changed in your environment? Are you interacting with anyone new?” As they spoke, Dr. Damaris activated various scanners and unfamiliar instruments. Readings scrolled across a holo-screen to one side of the table. The doctor assessed the readouts, reaching for other instruments as a result of what she saw.
“My environment is exactly the same and I only interact with the other conduits and our mentors.”
Dr. Damaris nodded as she crossed to the matter synthesizer and printed an injector. “This will mute your symptoms temporarily, but it won’t work for long. You are in the early stages of activation. If you do not choose your mates in the next few days, your body will choose for you.”
The injection burned for a moment, but the urgency soon faded and Kendra sighed. She let the tension continue to ease for a few seconds before she asked, “Why did you ask about who I’m interacting with? I thought activation was basically triggered by time.”
“A complex combination of factors determines when a conduit’s power activates. Yes, her physiological development is paramount to that change, but coming in contact with a potential mate will accelerate the transformation. Once your mind clears, you should assess your schedule for the past few days. I suspect there is someone new.”
“I will.” Kendra scooted off the end of the table and paused to roll her shoulders. “The shot is working. How long will it last?”
“A few days at the most. I can give you additional injections, but each will be less effective than the last. The only cure for this is bonding.”
“I understand and thank you. I know I was in real trouble.”
“You are still in trouble, Kendra,” the doctor stressed. “You must take this seriously.”
Kendra sighed, nodded, then hurried from the clinic. She’d lied to the doctor. There had been someone new. She just hadn’t seen the point in admitting it. Her symptoms began shortly after Arcon’s arrival and had intensified as she found ways to spend more time with him. But Arcon wasn’t ready to claim a mate. He’d made that perfectly clear when he spanked her for flirting too openly with him. It didn’t matter if she found him attractive, didn’t even matter if they were a strong genetic match. She’d planned to wait him out, keep flirting and remain on the periphery of his attention until he started looking for a mate.