Three Square Meals Ch. 102

*I know. I would never dream of undermining your position as senior Matriarch,* the Maliri said contritely. *That was never my intention.*

*You know all the shit he's got to deal with at the moment!* Alyssa fumed, waves of anger and disapproval pouring over their bond. *You can't crush his hope like that! You were damn lucky that Rachel and I were there to distract him!*

Edraele felt her own temper flaring but she desperately tamped down her emotions, not wanting to escalate the situation.

Unfortunately, Alyssa could hear her every thought. *What was that?!* she barked incredulously... *You're challenging me on this?!*

Realising there was no point denying it, Edraele retaliated, *You're coddling him! Constantly distracting John from some painful truths isn't in his best interests!*

*Bullshit! Nobody knows John better than I do!* Alyssa snapped back. *I'm just helping him keep his shit together! He's got enough to deal with at the moment, he doesn't need you piling this on him as well!*

*John needs to face reality,* the Maliri matriarch insisted. *Mael'nerak was barely able to fight Ranagon to a stalemate and he had better tech, more powerful ships, and far more resources! He was forced into a suicide mission to end the war!*

*Yeah, we already know all that!* Alyssa snarled. *But dwelling on that depressing shit doesn't help anybody!* Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she continued, *Oh, we've got no chance... let's give up now...*

*You know that's not what I was saying,* Edraele persisted, taking a deep breath to keep herself calm.

*I know exactly what you were thinking, but we're not going there, Edraele,* Alyssa said adamantly. *I'm not fucking around here, I forbid you from bringing this up with John again!*

Edraele wrung her hands together in desperation. *But if we're using Maliri ships and troops as our primary force to fight the thralls, those women are going to die... by the millions! I know it's horrific to think about, but John needs to prepare himself for the realities of a Progenitor war!*

There was a long pause, then Alyssa whispered, *We can't... it'll destroy him.*

Brushing the tears from her eyes, Edraele slumped in her chair. *You know I love John... I don't want to hurt him, but it's better we deal with this now; we can't put this off until later.*

*Please don't talk to him about this,* Alyssa begged her, sounding desperately afraid. *You know how he is about us... about the Maliri. You sensed it at the Citadel...*

Edraele sighed, remembering all too well John's fatherly concern for the Maliri marines running to defend the battlements against the Kintark. She'd felt the depths of his anxiety as he worried about their safety, then after she informed him that none of the Maliri had been killed in the battle, his sense of relief had been nearly overwhelming.

*I know why he's doing it,* Edraele murmured, her heart aching with sympathy for her lover. *He hates the Progenitors... hates his nature... but he's taking this too far. Just because they have no regard for the lives of their thralls, he can't do the exact opposite and protect all the Maliri... it's simply not possible.*

*Let him keep that hope alive a little longer,* Alyssa pleaded. *Maybe there's still some chance of preventing an all-out war. If not, we'll be there to help him deal with it when the time comes... *

Edraele stared out the window at the stars, her instincts screaming at her that this was the wrong decision. *I'll do as you ask,* she finally said. *But I think we're making a terrible mistake...*

*We haven't got any choice,* Alyssa said, fighting down a rising tide of panic.

The Maliri Matriarch was suddenly reminded just how young Alyssa was. At only eighteen years old, she was trying to deal with decisions that would shape empires containing billions of sentient creatures. More than that, Edraele knew that Alyssa considered herself John's final line of defence, both physically and mentally. She could sense the wild fears that the distraught girl was struggling with in her desperation to help the man she loved.

*Everything will be fine,* Edraele murmured, putting aside her own concerns and sending calming thoughts over their empathic bond to sooth Alyssa. *We'll work together to keep John safe. You're not alone in this, I'm here to help too...*

*Thank you,* Alyssa said quietly, trying not sound as scared as she felt.

***

John gently stroked Lynette's hugely swollen belly, then watched as Jade slid her two fingers from the admiral's mouth. The older woman's hazel eyes were dazed, a look of blissful contentment on her face as she relaxed on the bed. Now that he had an active connection with her, he could feel her presence in his mind, and he began healing the injuries to her spine as if it were second nature. Changing her physical appearance was something new though, at least in terms of actively choosing to make those changes. The rest of the girls had already been naturally pretty, so the slight modifications he'd made to transform them into the heart-stopping beauties they were today, had been subtle and done subconsciously.

"You're doing a kind thing for her, Master," Jade said, brushing her dark-green fingers through Lynette's hair.

He stepped away from the bed and offered the Nymph his hand. "I've got ulterior motives, but she knows what they are. I think we came to an understanding."

"Will you feed her personally next time?" Jade asked, her emerald eyes flashing with excitement.

John laughed and shook his head. "She's too wary of me. Besides, I've got my hands full at the moment." To emphasise the point, he slid his arm around Faye's waist as they walked towards the door.

Faye's holographic avatar flashed into existence as they left the Medical Bay and waved them goodbye. "I'll let you know if there are any problems!"

"Lynette should sleep for fourteen hours now," John said, giving her a grateful smile. "Which means she'll wake up at about 4:00 am."

"I'll wake you when it's time!" Faye immediately offered, hugging him as they walked. "Maybe I'll be a bit bolder with my wake-up call next time..."

"I really need to take you on that date," John said, leaning over to kiss her on top of her head.

They stepped into the grav-tube, floating up in the blue anti-grav field to reach Deck Two.

As they walked down the corridor to their bedroom, he asked Faye, "Please could you contact Lilyana and find out how they're getting on with salvaging shield generators? I'd like to speak with her, Almari and Ilyana before they leave."

"Of course! I'll let you know after the debrief," she replied, making the call with her secondary avatar.

They walked into the bedroom where the girls were all still cuddled up in bed together. Jehanna looked particularly happy between the twins, gazing at each of the blue-skinned seductresses in turn with huge eyes. Jade bounded over to the bed to join her sisters, who were now all as naked as she was, and the five Nymphs embraced before whispering together. John's eyes drifted to Alyssa as they usually did and she smiled at him, but he immediately knew there was something unsettling her, he could see it in her eyes.

*It's nothing to worry about, handsome,* she said quietly. *Just a minor disagreement between your matriarchs...*

Now he really was worried and as he climbed on the bed, he asked, *Should I be concerned?*

*We had a chat and sorted everything out,* she replied, clearly not wanting to elaborate.

Edraele chimed in and added, *It's all settled now, you don't have anything to worry about.*

He knelt in front of the blonde and raised an eyebrow.

Alyssa climbed out of the covers and hugged him, then whispered in his ear, "Just let it go for now. We'll tell you what it was about eventually, okay?"

John stroked her back and nodded. *Sure, but I really want you girls to get along. Let me know if you need me to help sort anything out in the future.*

*We will,* both his matriarchs said simultaneously.

Alyssa pulled back and smiled at him, then glanced to her left where Helene was still fast asleep. "She should wake up in the next few minutes."

Glancing around at the fourteen women on the bed, John said, "Do you think it's a good idea having Helene wake up with all of us here?"

Nodding confidently, Alyssa moved to sit beside the slumbering aquatic girl. "Definitely. Remember what she said before about having to sleep alone in the Abandoned's communal sleeping rooms? I think her waking up in the middle of all of us will give her confidence a real boost."

"Alright, I'll trust your judgement," John agreed, kneeling beside Helene.

Calara walked over to the water dispenser and poured a big glass, before returning it to Alyssa. "Feels like déjà vu," the Latina said with a fond smile.

They didn't have to wait much longer and as the minutes rolled on into the fourteenth hour, Helene stretched and yawned stirring from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, then her hand flew to her throat and she swallowed awkwardly.

"Don't try and talk just yet, drink this first," Alyssa said sympathetically as she handed over the frosted glass.

Helene gulped down the water, closing her eyes in bliss as the icy drink soothed her parched throat. She let out a contented sigh and smiled gratefully at the blonde as she returned the glass, now that it was empty. "That feels so much better! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Alyssa replied, casually levitating the glass over to the bedside table.

Helene didn't notice as she had spotted John sitting beside her. She beamed at him, then threw herself into his arms. "I dreamed of you, Master Wizard!" she exclaimed, forgetting to call him John in her excitement. "You were there, keeping me safe!"

"I was taking care of you, honey," he said, gently rubbing her back. "You're completely healed now."

She pulled back a little and glanced down in wonder at her tummy, her teal-skinned fingers tracing a circle around her trim stomach. "You mean I'm a real woman again?" she whispered, barely able to believe it.

Alyssa hugged her tight from behind. "You're going to be a wonderful mother to John's children."

Helene looked up at him with tears in her eyes, then began to shower him in kisses, gasping, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He laughed and held her still so that he could give her a proper kiss. Helene melted into his arms as she responded to his skilled touch, moaning with desire as she kissed him back. She swooned when their lips parted, looking up at him with a breathy sigh of contentment.

Dana grinned at the couple and said, "Damn... she's showing me up! I wish I'd reacted that way when I woke up after the first time!"

The aquatic girl blushed, then suddenly seemed aware of her big audience, her expression registering her shock that she'd awoken in the communal bed. She blinked in surprise, her inquisitive gaze taking in all the familiar and not so familiar faces that greeted her with friendly smiles.

"There's so many of you now!" she blurted out in astonishment. Biting her lip self-consciously she glanced up at John for reassurance and asked in a hushed voice, "You didn't introduce me to all these women before did you? I'm having trouble remembering a few things..."

He brushed his fingers through her light-green hair. "Don't worry, you didn't forget them. We just rescued Jehanna and four of Jade's sisters from some bad men, who were holding them captive."

The reporter was first to approach, greeting Helene with a friendly smile. "We're both new girls, so I think we should stick together."

Helene nodded, giving her an eager smile. They exchanged a warm hug, then she looked curiously at the Nymphs. "You're all so beautiful! I love the patterns on your skin."

Jade smiled at her sisters and said, "Helene is one of Master's newest mates just like all of you. Why don't you give her a nice friendly hug?"

The four Nymphs grinned at the aquatic girl, then slipped around John and Alyssa, eagerly wrapping Helene up in a five-way embrace. They nuzzled against her affectionately, showering her exposed skin with soft kisses... and there was a lot of teal-hued flesh to caress, as she was just as nude as they were. Helene was stunned by their outpouring of heartfelt affection and she darted a shocked glance at John. When he gave her a reassuring smile, she relaxed, her lovely face lighting up in delight as the Nymphs stroked and hugged her.

"What are your names?" she asked, brushing her fingers through the tabby-striped Nymph's long dark hair.

"This one does not have a name," the Lenarran replied, turning to plant fluttering kisses along Helene's wrist. "Master has not yet chosen one."

All eyes turned to John and he winced and scratched his head. "I was hoping you ladies could help out there... you did come up with names for Jade and Faye."

"We could name them after more green gemstones!" Dana suggested eagerly, glancing at Alyssa. "Just like you did with Jade!"

The blonde smiled and nodded her agreement. "It's a good idea, but we'd need to change them a bit. Jade is the only green precious stone that makes a decent girl's name. Aventurine, Chrysoprase, or Tourmaline don't really roll off the tongue..."

"Those patterns look very similar to those on a tiger, panther, or leopard," Rachel noted, her grey eyes studying the assortment of spots and stripes covering each Nymph's dark-green skin. "We could name them after the big cats closest to their markings, but change each name to sound more feminine..."

John nodded his approval. "They're all really good ideas. What do you think, honey?" he asked, glancing at Jade. He looked at her in alarm when he saw her shocked expression. "Jade? What's wrong?!"

She was frozen stock-still, her emerald eyes open wide as she stared unblinking at her tabby-striped sister. "Her name... it's Marika!"

John went over to Jade and put his arm around her as he asked gently, "You actually remember her?"

The Nymph nodded slowly, gazing in wonder at each of her Lenarran sisters. She looked at each in turn, starting with the tiger striped girl, "That's Leylira..." next she focused on the nymph with cheetah-like spots, "...she's Betrixa..." then finally the one with larger leopard spots, "...and she's called Neysa."

Following Jade's enraptured stare, John asked the closest Lenarran. "Do you remember that name?"

Betrixa shook her head, then gave him a beaming smile. "If Master likes the name Betrixa, this one would adore it!"

He nodded, looking at each of them. "Yes, I'd like you all to be called by your original names."

The four Nymphs squealed with excitement, clapping their hands with joy. After giving Helene a final fond hug, they gathered around John, fawning all over him.

John returned their jubilant smiles with a distracted one of his own, his attention still focused on Jade. "Can you remember anything else? About them, the rest of your people, or Mael'nerak?"

She rubbed her temples and shook her head. "I'm trying... Their names are crystal clear, but all the rest is a big blur."

Alyssa put her arms around the bewildered Nymph and said soothingly, "It's okay, Jade, there's no rush."

"I'm sorry. Hopefully more will come back to me," Jade said, giving John an apologetic frown.

"Knowing their real names is already a huge step," he said with a supportive smile. "You've got nothing to apologise for."

Jade glanced at the purring, mewing Nymphs, before turning back to John. "Would you like me to take my sisters to the Lagoon? I think they'll be a bit distracting in the debrief and I'd like to spend more time with them anyway."

"That sounds like a great idea," John agreed, meeting her emerald gaze. "We do need to talk about your assault on Tartarus, but that can wait."

She blushed an even darker green, then nodded, looking contrite.

Alyssa shared a glance with Jade, then the Nymph said to their aquatic companion. "Helene, would you like to come along too? John and the girls need to discuss what just happened in the battle, but you might find all the combat videos a bit frightening."

Helene brightened at the prospect of visiting the Lagoon and she darted an inquisitive look at John. "I'd love to go swimming with Jade again! Would that be okay?"

"Of course," he replied warmly. "If any of Jade's sisters don't know how to swim, perhaps you could teach them?"

Her blue eyes sparkled at the prospect and she nodded exuberantly. "This will be so much fun!"

She started to move off the bed, but Dana intercepted her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Welcome to the family!" she exclaimed, giving the teal-skinned girl a tender kiss on the cheek.

Helene looked at her in surprise then her expression lit up with joy as she hugged the redhead back. "Thank you so much!"

The rest of the girls took their turn embracing her and expressing similar sentiments. By the time Sakura pulled away, Helene was overwhelmed with emotion, her face an endearing mix of elation and disbelief. Jade offered her a hand and she finally climbed off the bed, before glancing back at John with profound gratitude.

He smiled at her, then looked down at the Nymphs. "Girls, please would you go with Jade. She'll take good care of you."

They nodded obediently, then kissed him goodbye, before following Jade and Helene from the bedroom.

As they left, John turned to face Jehanna. "You're welcome to go with them, or you can stay and watch the combat footage, whichever you prefer."

"Are you kidding?" the dusky-skinned beauty said, with an excited gleam in her eyes. "A front-row seat on a classified debriefing of the Lion and Lionesses in action? Wild horses couldn't drag me away!"

He laughed and sat with his back against the headboard. "I thought you might feel like that." He glanced at the twins keeping her company and added, "You'll be watching uncut footage of us in battle, so let either Irillith or Tashana know if it gets too distressing, alright?"

Jehanna rolled her eyes at him. "You should know I'm made of sterner stuff than that."

John turned to Faye and said, "Honey, would you start playing back the combat footage please? We'll review each of us in turn rather than trying to watch everything sequentially."

"No problem!" the purple sprite exclaimed, where she sat cross-legged in the chair. "I'd already set up a few different video compilations to cover the most likely ways you'd want to view them."

Rachel held up a hand and said, "Before we get started, would you like me to heal you, Jehanna?"

The Indian girl moved her hand from the darkening weal on her cheek to her split lip, then darted a hopeful glance at John.

He flushed with embarrassment, then admitted, "I just fed Lynette Devereux fifteen minutes ago... I'm really sorry, but it'll be a little while before I can heal you too."

Jehanna gaped at him in open-mouthed astonishment. "You're turning Admiral Devereux into a Lioness?!"

"Well... a secret one, a bit like the option we discussed for you," John explained, before giving her a rueful frown. "As I said, I'm really sorry to make you wait. I know I promised I'd heal you personally as soon as I could, but she was badly hurt and I wanted to get the Change started as quickly as possible."

"Jade fed her," Alyssa said with a playful grin. "John and Lynette were both a bit freaked out at the idea of her giving him a blowjob."

The reporter waved away his worries, her hunger to find out more overriding any discomfort from her bruises and cuts. "Oh, don't worry about healing me, I can wait a little bit longer. I'm just intrigued to know more about Devereux!"

"I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" John offered, glad she wasn't upset with him. When she nodded, he turned to look at Faye. "So, who do we have first?"