Staff Sergeant Wilson led me up to the sixth floor. Rather than an office we were led to a patient's room. I could feel Jessica in the room next to us. 'I'm here.' I sent her a mental message then smirked when I heard a cup drop in the room next door.
Only then did I realize I could discover who the other two women were by sending them a mental message and hoping they replied to me.
As I was very curious about who they were I decided to wait, splitting my attention like that wasn't a great idea when meeting the military let alone Jessica's father.
Inside the patient room I found only two people. An older man in a camouflage uniform. He had short cut black hair with gray at the temples and a serious stern face. I could see the resemblance to Jessica in his eyes. They both had the same gray eyes.
The other person was a woman in a hospital bed that look just like Jessica, identical if she wasn't so thin and sickly looking. I had to wonder if they were twins.
"Yes, we are twins." Jessica said coming into the room behind me then moving to sit on the edge of her sister's bed. Being in close proximity only helped to make the small differences more apparent.
Thankfully Jessica was no longer wearing the pikachu get up. Instead she was wearing a attractive black and blue swirled tank top and short jean shorts. The sandals were the same.
The older man cleared his throat distracting me from admiring Jessica.
I looked over at the older man who I assumed was the general and Jessica and her sister's father. "Daryl Wallous." I said stepping forward offering my hand. He took it and shook my hand firmly. I would probably have been crying if I didn't have the body ability. Oddly he wasn't awakened.
"Derek Forel, Brigadier General, United States Army." he introduced himself.
I wanted to add to my own title but decided not too, whether I meant it to happen or not this man was like a father-in-law now.
I looked over at the woman in the bed who was watching me cautiously. "Jamie Forel, Jessica's younger sister." she introduced offering her hand.
"By all of seven seconds." Jessica snorted.
I took it Jamie's hand gently. Jamie wasn't awakened either but I could feel a thin trace of Jessica's mana in her. Probably from sleeping next to each other like Megan had suggested for Karen.
I introduced my girls including Nala and Mary. That got me strange looks for a moment before Nala spoke. "I can feel the presence of that coward." she said aloud from my shoulder.
"He got stronger." I pointed out.
"So did you." Nala returned.
I smirked but forced it off my face. Thankfully Derek, Jessica, and Jamie were too busy staring at the talking cat to notice my smirk.
"Reporting to the general, Nala can take the form of a human woman, as well as a twelve feet tall lion." Staff Sergeant Wilson reported from the door.
"Spoil sport." I muttered.
"My lady!" a loud voice yelled then a body ran into the room to throw itself at Calidia. I moved instinctively placing myself between the figure and Calidia. Black lightning flickering around my hands as I raised them to block.
The figure stopped just before reaching my hands and stood straight as a rail. After a second I realized it was Jorrimus, Calidia's aide from yesterday, though it felt like forever ago already.
"Jorrimus!" Calidia called happily her hand moving to my shoulder to stop me from advancing.
I stepped aside to let them reunite. "Is it bad I forgot about him?" I whispered to Karen.
"With all we've been through?" she asked in return. It made me feel better.
"This girl is from the haven?" Derek asked.
I nodded. "Yes, though there seems to have been some trouble on their side. No idea what it was. No one has come for her yet." I replied honestly while Calidia hugged Jorrimus with a few tears in her eyes. I could feel the joy and relief from her bond. Apparently she had been worrying about him, probably the other one too, what was his name?
"So it is true?" Derek asked.
I shrugged then looked at Karen.
"I did not make it to the haven, but I caught a brief glance at it. I would guess it is true." Karen told Derek then looked at me. "You could always ask her again, it would be hard for her to lie to you now."
I shook my head, "I can't fathom any reason for her to lie to us, and her use of the space and time abilities was too good if she got them when the first energy wave came through." I told her.
Karen nodded while Derek watched us carefully then looked at Jessica. "I wasn't with them then." she told him.
Derek nodded then looked back at me. "All of the beasts left in the zoo have mutated. They have given us little trouble so far, but there are three kings in the zoo. If the balance between the beast kings shifts then it could be much worse, besides all three groups have been sending out hunters to prey on humans." Derek told us.
I looked at Nala. "Who are the kings?" I asked her.
"My former mate Varjen the Lion, Damion the Silver Back, and Jik the Komodo Dragon." Nala replied. "We should go in first, I think we can salvage a few of the females in there to be my minions." she told me.
Karen looked at Nala, "Are you hoping to dominate the group using those females?" she asked suspiciously.
"Of course not, none of them have the human shape ability and husband doesn't seem to be interested in bestiality." Nala retorted.
Jamie snickered from her bed, which quickly turned into full blown laughter which soon devolved into coughing up blood.
"Calidia." I called pulling her attention from Jorrimus. "Can you look at her?" I asked.
"She has healing?" Jessica asked.
I nodded.
"I do too, but it wasn't any use." Jessica told me.
Calidia moved to Jamie's side then placed a hand on her head and chest then closed her eyes.
"What happened to the elephant?" I asked looking to Derek.
"Elephant?" he asked after a moment's pause.
I nodded. "Hard to miss a twenty feet tall elephant walking down the street. Ran into her just before Nala." I told him.
"I'm here." A voice called from the hallway. I turned to see a very attractive woman with very long silver hair, gray eyes, and a figure that could nearly rival Mary waiting across the hallway watching our room. "Surprised you remembered me." she commented.
"Dena." Nala greeted.
"Third wife, or is it Nala now?" Dena asked.
"Nala." Nala replied as the pair locked eyes a contest of wills obviously in progress.
"Daryl." Karen said in warning.
"I turned it off already." I replied. "If I ever turn it back on it will be with the consent of everyone."
Karen nodded looking a bit relieved.
"She is beyond my ability to help." Calidia reported removing her hands from Jamie. "Though if she were to awaken the body ability everything would heal automatically." she added.
"Jessica already seems to be on that. I sensed her mana in her sister." I replied.
"There is a faster way." Calidia remarked.
"Caly!" Karen rebutted angrily.
"They are twins, you can at least consult Megan on the idea. As I told her with you Karen, a weak intimate bond like that isn't likely to cause an awakening." Calidia replied.
"She could awaken on her own with the third wave in a few days." I pointed out.
"I would rather not wait." Jamie said from the bed.
"Do you have any idea what you are asking or the situation that you would be getting yourself into?" Karen asked her.
"The same thing my sister already has." Jamie replied.
"Isn't it time for an explanation about that?" Jessica asked.
"Weren't we discussing helping with the zoo issue?" I asked as I felt a headache coming on. "Are you two done yet?" I asked looking to Nala.
"No, she has yet to submit to me, be patient husband, once she has I will offer her up to your bed." Nala replied.
Karen glared and me, or the cat on my shoulder, hard to tell which.
'Do it.' Megan spoke to me in my head.
I nearly jumped out of my shoes.
Karen must have realized what happened and started to laugh at me.
Nala was startled and nearly lost the match with Dena. Who snickered victoriously, I looked over at Dena and gave her a growl while channeling some of the authority I got from my beast, plant, and black lightning ability.
Dena immediately kneeled on the ground before me her head bent low. "Forgive me lord." she pleaded.
Nale growled at me. So I reached up and stoked her head. "Sorry Megan startled me with a message." I told her.
"Fine, but Dena and I need to speak alone for a bit. Do not go to fight the kings without me." Nala told me.
I nodded then Nala leapt over to Dena's shoulder. Then Dena stood up and disappeared into another room.
"That is not going to end well is it." Karen commented.
I shrugged, "No idea. As long as I don't bond her I am sure I can avoid her." I responded.
"But you don't want to avoid her." Karen retorted.
I didn't deign to reply to that, mostly because it was true. I had a much stronger desire to conquer more beautiful women and add them to my harem. I wondered if it was something that came with all that confidence my abilities were feeding me, or an awakening of something inside me I wasn't aware of.
I looked back at Jamie as I moved to stand beside her bed and Jessica. I looked at Jessica then explained what we knew about the bonds that had formed between us. Including how many there already were and the fact that I didn't know who two of them were.
It seemed like a lot to take in for Jessica but Jamie didn't bat an eye. "It's fine." she told me.
I sighed. "You know that finding a nice young awakened soldier and sleeping with him would have a similar and less permanent effect." I told her.
Derek cleared his throat to remind me he was still there. I met his gaze. "It sounds like a better idea than becoming my eleventh woman." I said spelling it out for him.
"Maybe, but I want to be with my sister." Jamie told me.
I looked to Jessica who looked back at me, "Is there any way to break it?" she asked me.
"I am not aware of any." I told her.
"What about her?" Jessica asked looking to Calidia.
Calidia shook her head. "Husband already asked. I think he expected this kind of reaction." she said then looked to Jorrimus. "Have you heard of a way to break a marital bond?" she asked him.
"Yes my lady, but you do not have a marital bond." Jorrimus told her. "The situation and the feeling of the bond your husband described is too strong for a marital bond. I have not heard of it before but the method I know of to dissolve a marital bond is unlikely to work, and failure would lead to death." Jorrimus explained.
Jessica breathed out then nodded. "Time to leave daddy." she told her father.
Derek hesitated for a moment, obviously unwilling. "Are you sure Jamie?" he asked.
"Ten years daddy." she replied.
Derek nodded then left. Jorrimus quietly left with him.
"So now what?" Jamie asked shyly.
I smiled at her. 'Are you sure Megan?' I asked mentally. 'This would make eleven brides.' I reminded her.
'Do it. We can talk about it later. Rebecca and Heather agree as well.' Megan replied mentally.
I nodded then closed my eyes and willed the golden ring to activate again then thought of binding Jamie to me as I was with Jessica and the others.
The silver ring flashed gold for a moment as another orb was added to the ring around the golden ring then it changed back to silver. A strong wave of exhaustion nearly overwhelmed me.
I opened my eyes as I staggered. "Wow, seems I can't use that as I please." I said as I held myself up by clutching the side of the bed.
Calidia and Karen moved to my side in a hurry to support me to a nearby chair.
Once seated I looked at Jamie to see her spasm. I didn't worry though, I could feel her through the new bond and knew she was fine. I had eleven brides now, and two were twins. If I had a teacher too then my…. I had an idea who my ninth woman was.