“I smell good?” raughed. “I mean, it’s good to know, but it’s a little odd as far as a list of likable qualities. But does it change my likability if I change perfumes? Or right after a trip to the gym? I mean, no one smells good after the gym.”


    “Like that.” Nessaughed. “That’s adorable.”


    ra smiled.


    “But,” Nessa continued, her smile fading, reced by nervous swallowing and an inability to keep eye contact. “You and I… we are different.”


    “Are we?” ra asked. “We both seem to have a lot of the same interests and quirks. Taste in music and gender.”


    ra winked, trying to lighten the mood just a little. Nessa gave a slight grin. But then she looked away.


    “I mean, I’m different,” Nessa said. “Look, when the bond hit me, I had no control at all. I was guided by this intoxicating scent that just drew me to you.”


    Nessa looked up at ra, thinking of how easy it had been in those first few moments to simply go with what instinct told her.


    “And every moment with you has been just like that. Exhrating, overpowering, and passionate.”


    “Is that such a bad thing?” ra asked, noting that though the description she gave sounded positive, the way Nessa spoke was distinctly negative.


    “Kind of,” Nessa replied. “That’s not me….”


    “Oh…”


    ra looked away. Unsure how to react.


    “The bond is like…harlequin romance,” Nessa continued. “But I’m like, slow-burn hallmark.”_.


    “I can be hallmark,” ra said with a soft pout.


    Nessa looked away, and ra noticed.


    “You don’t think I can be hallmark?” ra asked, almost offended.


    “I think… you are naturally more expressive than I am… and you fall quicker… than I do,” Nessa replied ufortably.


    “Well, that’s quite an assumption… I mean, we both felt the effects of the bond when we met. You have no idea what I’m like without it!” ra huffed.


    “I met Stacey….” Nessa said, “and J… and there was a… Hannah? Or Anna? She was one of the guards at the training grounds.”


    ra’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked away.


    “They were very friendly,” Nessa continued. “Went out of their way to congratte me. They said they never thought they’d see the day you would be willing tomit to someone.”


    “You petty bitches….” ra whispered.


    Nessa took a deep breath and sighed.


    “ra, I don’t really care about your past, but I’m concerned about our future.”


    “Look, I may have dated… a little. But I never have and would never cheat. I wouldn’t do that.”


    “I don’t think you would… but I don’t think I can give you what you want, either,” Nessa sighed. “ra, I am someone that avoids contact. Pretty much at all times.”


    “What do you mean?” ra asked.


    “I mean, physical contact. I don’t touch people. Even my family, my father, I don’t hug. I don’t hold hands. I don’t… kiss.”


    “Oh…” ra said.


    “Yea…” Nessa replied.


    They sat silently for a few minutes as ra processed what Nessa was saying.


    “Do you… hate it?” ra asked with concern. “Like, the things we did… kissing, touching. Was that… torture?”


    “No, no!” Nessa quickly replied. “I liked it. I enjoyed it.”


    There was an awkward blush and giggle exchange between them.


    “But that was with the bond influencing me. I could touch you without concern, hold you, kiss you. And I liked it,” Nessa said, a blush settling into her cheeks, “a lot.”


    ra smiled.


    “Without the bond,” she continued, “I still like you, and I still like the memory of what we did. But when you reach out to me… it feels almost like before. It’s not disgusting. It’s… ufortable.”


    “So, you feel like the bond makes you do something you don’t want to do?” ra asked.


    Nessa thought about it for a minute before she answered.


    “I think I feel more like it makes me willing to do something I’m not ready for.”


    They were quiet again.


    Nessa looked away from ra. She felt as though she had disappointed her. Perhaps even put a nail in the coffin of their rtionship.


    “Do you feel ok with the suppressants? Like no weird side effects, upset stomach or anything?” ra asked.


    “Uhm… yea, I feel ok… why?” Nessa replied, confused by the sudden change in topic.


    “If you are good with it,” ra said, taking a step closer. This time Nessa did not step back. “I think you should keep taking them. And we should get to know each other.”


    Nessa was shocked by her words, having fully expected ra to walk away and reject her entirely after a few days.


    “Nessa, I would like to date you. If you are willing,” ra smiled, quickly adding. “I promise I won’t try to jump you or anything. I want to spend time together, talk, and do coupley things without the ‘couple’ things. I don’t want to push you, but I don’t want to lose you either.”


    Nessaughed at her flurry of words. But nodded.


    “I would like that very much,” she said.


    “You can decide how slow we move. I only request that we spend time together every day, and I don’t mean here in theb trying to solve Alpha Cain’s mystery. I mean, us, a field of daisies, food, or movies, or whatever.”


    “I understand,” Nessa smiled. “I would like that too.”


    ra smiled brightly.


    Nessa was right. It wasn’t her style to move slowly. She had spent most of her romantic life just happy to have found someone to spend time with. She attached quickly, moved quickly, and then left quickly. But with Nessa, she would try her best to take it slow.


    The bond introduced them and showed them the passion and connection they could have together. The suppressant would help them build it.


    “Oh!” Nessa suddenly said, her eyes wide and a look of concern on her face.


    “What’s wrong? Did I get too close? How far back should I be? Like a foot?” ra asked, moving away.


    “What?” Nessaughed. “No, just, you can stand beside me. I’m not scared of you, just a little touch-sensitive.”


    “Ok,” ra smiled, moving closer to Nessa. “So, what was the ‘Oh!’ for then?”


    “Right, when I went out and saw you hugging Galen, Ipletely forgot–”


    “Because you got jealous,” ra interrupted.


    Nessa pursed her lips, holding back a smile.


    “Yes, because I got jealous.”


    ra nodded. “You may continue.”


    Nessa rolled her eyes.


    “Anyway, I was looking for you because I had a question about the files you mentioned before, the ones that needed to be cleaned up from a previous redaction?”


    “Yea, what about them?” ra said.


    “Where are they?”


    “What do you mean?” ra asked, leaning forward to grab the mouse. “They’re on the drive where I left them. Right inside this folder marked– where are they?”


    ra opened and closed folder after folder but couldn’t find the files she was looking for.


    “Where are they?!” she cried out.


    She did a search for the file name and found nothing. Then searched the folder once more.


    “I don’t understand… they were here. This is where I saved them….”


    ra was absolutely dumbfounded. She knew she had ced them in this folder to be reviewed by Nessa.


    “ra…” Nessa called. “ra, move!”


    Nessa quickly pushed ra aside and started frantically typing away at her keyboard.


    “What’s going on?” ra asked.


    “The files, the folders, all of it, they’re being stolen!”


    ra looked over Nessa’s shoulder just in time to see a folderpletely disappear from the screen.