Page 79 of Victoria's Discovery

“Don’t look so worried, kid. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan for myself. Hell, my mates would lock my ass in a dungeon somewhere if I didn’t.”

Narrowing her eyes, she searched Aria’s face, wanting to believe her but not entirely sure she could.

Aria’s expression softened and she frowned thoughtfully. “Anyone ever tell you you’re uniquely loyal?” Before Victoria could scoff and reply with a definitive no, Aria tilted her head, her green eyes becoming sharp. “And braver than you give yourself credit for.”

Torn between shifting uncomfortably and puffing up like Snitch after a compliment, she just kind of half-grimaced, half-smiled.

“Regardless of what you choose, both the clone and original bodies of you and everyone else will be fitted with the Veiling resistance chip Rellik developed to give you a fighting chance should anyone try to enslave you.”

“Okay.” Victoria let her gaze fall to stare blankly at the table, before a thought occurred to her. She hesitated, biting her lip, but if she was going to ask, now was the time. “About the ‘not strictly human’ thing. Does that mean I wouldn’t have a menstrual cycle anymore? Obviously, I know having kids right now isn't the best idea, but I do want some eventually.”

Victoria should’ve known better than to think Aria would look surprised by the question. She didn’t.

“The clones are set to be sterile, but Lilac assures me that’s an easy fix and can modify them at request. Having said that, I’ve been told it won’t be the fertile cycle we’re used to with bleeding and all that jazz. Lilac can explain the specifics to you, but—” She paused, her gaze once again uncomfortably perceptive. “—you’d be compatible and able to reproduce with whomever you choose, so long as they have a clone body, as well.”

Victoria smiled a little stiffly. “I have to find someone to date me before that becomes an issue.”

“I’m sorry? Have I imagined two blue giants and a certain green man following you around and sending longing looks your way?”

Oh my gosh, can this possibly get more excruciating?

“Ha ha, no. We’re just… friends. They don't like me like that.”

“Oh, hell yes they do.”

Her stiff smile turned to more of a cringe. “No, really, they don’t.”

“What, because they moved out?”

Her jaw dropped. “How did you… ”

Aria just cocked a brow. “I see how they look at you.”

“Kinda like the way Rellik and Thrasin look at you?”

She regretted not trying harder to bite back the words when Aria’s brows slowly rose up her forehead, but to her surprise, instead of taking offense, Aria chuckled ruefully.

“Yeah, smartass, exactly like the way Rellik and Thrasin look at me. What’s up, kid? You’re not usually the snarky type. Man troubles?”

There was a knowing gleam in her eyes that had Victoria shifting nervously, but she nodded. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Go for it.”

“You’ve got two mates. How– why… what I mean is–”

“How did I do it?”

“Yeah,” she sighed gratefully.

Aria shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “Beats the hell out of me. They decided they’d rather share before it got to the point where I’d have felt like I needed to choose.”

“And Rellik? Thrasin?”

Her gaze went distant. “Yeah, that’s a conundrum.”

“Have you thought about… adding them? Or dating them?”

“All the fucking time.”

---