The hivemind is conquering for me?

An eruption of cheers boomed from the crowd of cultists as Sophia finished up her speech about how amazing I was and how fortunate they were that I was here. It felt very ass kissy, but that is what the cultists like, clearly.

The party started shortly afterwards. The cultists began to intermingle between one another. All from different walks of life prior to the cult bringing them into the fold, now come together as equals under this roof.

I was sat on the throne of the room and looked out over everyone with curiosity. Everyone was smiling and nothing seemed forced. I was truly glad everyone here was enjoying themselves and not here because they were forced by Sophia to come.

As I was watching people with a smile on my face, a rear placed itself down on the armrest of the chair, the black dress she was wearing really brought out the redness of her hair. She reached out to my shoulder and began rubbing along it towards the back of my neck in a soothing motion as she asked.

”So, What are your plans now that you are back?” I placed my hand on her thigh and squeezed. ”I am not too sure yet, I know I don’t plan on going off the planet until I go to the college. I might go sightseeing, we might go on a few dates, oh! Have you-”

I was hastily cut off as Kathrine positioned from the arm of the throne to my lap and wrapped her arms around me. ”You want to take me out on a date?” The smile that was threatening to rip off her face was infectious as it spread to me. ”Well, yeah. You are my woman proper now. Our bond is incredibly deep after all. I have to show you my love in a way you can understand, that doesn’t involve causing you to walk funny for a couple of days.”

Kathrine leaned in and kissed me, my words of affection causing her heart to melt. As she pulled back she asked me. ”What about the hive? Would they not like to go on dates?” I looked around the room after hearing that, Orchid was close by eating something, just staring at me as she did so.

”Orchid doesn’t really care about human customs. She does some things with me, but she would be much happier eating with me in bed rather than going out and doing something. Onyx, I feel, won’t be leaving my head for anything except sex for the foreseeable future so she won’t, but perhaps some of the hybrids? I have technically gone out with Keyla and Delilah today and Jinx called our ’outing’ a date. I’ll ask Sophia and Samantha if they are interested, but I don’t think they will go for it. But I am happy to be proven wrong.”

Kathrine looked around for the individuals mentioned. ”Hey, where is Samantha?” She asked. I too had been curious, but I assumed I would just find out later, but I could ask now. ”Sophia.” I said soft, yet loud enough for her to snap her attention from her conversation with her cultists and hastily made her way over.

”Yes, my sweet? Is there something I can do for you?” She asked, doing her best not to look at Kathrine with jealousy. ”We were just curious where Samantha was? Will she be present at some point?”

Sophia looked at me with a smile as she shook her head. ” Samantha had to leave a couple of hours ago in order to meet my contact. She might be back later, but she is about to embark on a mission to scout new planets we have deemed possible cult locations. If you weren’t shot down by White Deaths organisation, you would have seen her for a couple of hours before she left.”

Sophia was livid at Timmy for shooting down her sweet Apollo, naturally. She was going to abuse her neutrality stance to gain something from the man for the transgression that was committed.

I was a tad upset by that fact, but I understood and smiled. ”So, she is looking to create her own cult? That is going to be exciting.” Sophia also smiled, despite now being her sister, Sophia still felt like Samantha’s mother and was proud of Samantha becoming a bio cultist.

”Yes, her talents are being wasted continuing to be my assistant. We can benefit the hive greater by spreading our influence to yet another planet. Of course, Samantha will have an easier time establishing a nest than I did as she will have my support, but it is still a very big step.”

Kathrine wriggled upright in my lap hearing this and added in. ”I would be most curious to see how Samantha’s cult blossoms. I would like to see how it is built from the ground up. Perhaps a pure human perspective could help keep the cult hidden? As I might see something you will not? Aliens tend not to be very perceptive after all. Yah!”

I slapped Kathrine’s thigh, a warning to not commit speciesism towards my buggies, before changing the subject topic. ”Oh by the way, are you free at all next week? I asked, knowing Sophia would already begin to move around anything she needed to move.

” I should have plenty of time Apollo, what is it you need?” She asked curiously. ”Oh, nothing too serious, I was just talking with Kathrine earlier and was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me?”

”A date?” Sophia said, parroting my word. ”Do you mean the courtship ritual? I am surprised you would ask Apollo, I am already yours after all. Though if you wish to go on a date with me, I would be delighted all the same.”

I smiled at Sophia warmly and stated. ”Ok then. I will look into it. Its a date!” I then winked, the simple action causing Sophia’s face to blush before walking away. I chuckled at her cute reaction before I turned my attention back to Kathrine.

A mischievous smile sprouted on my face as I looked at her, confusing Kathrine and slightly worrying her. ”W-What is it Apollo? Is there something on my face?” She asked, feeling self conscious. ”Other than your beauty? No, nothing. I was just thinking about something that happened earlier. When I was out with Zeona and Delilah.”

Kathrine frowned. Both of those names sounded familiar out of the context of the cult and she wasn’t sure why. She composed herself quickly and nestled her head against my chest. ”Oh really? Are you trying to make me jealous darling? Talking about other women?”

”No, no. Nothing like that. No, we went to this speakeasy up north for drinks. It had no name, but the interior was beautifully decorated with the finest woods. It had a very warm aura about it.”

”Uh-huh...” Kathrine said, her beautiful face frowning once more as the location seemed familiar to her. ”Yeah, the subject of how attractive and powerful you are came up at one point and you must have visited that bar before as a man introduced himself to us claiming to know you...” I lied, doing my best to keep my emotions level in order to not break my prank accidentally.

”Uh-huh...” The affirmation was slower this time, a sensation grasped at Kathrine’s chest, begging that Apollo did not say what she dreaded he would say. ”Yes, the man had so much to say about you. He said he had not seen you in over eight months, but the way he spoke about you, it was rather... Intimate? Like he knew more about you than others would. Almost like the two of you-”

”Apollo that was before we met! Please understand! I was not satisfied yet! I had not met you yet! Before you satisfied me both physically and emotionally! Flings with random men are that flings. They meant nothing to me, a way to appease an itch temporarily so to speak. But you, you are the only man for me, you are who I was meant to be with! I hate that I was with those men as you are my future. I love you so much it hurts. Please, whatever that man said about me, please forget it. I am not that woman anymore. I am your woman. That Kathrine Hyllus died the moment you walked into my life. You have been the centrepiece of my attention ever since you walked into my office so please- mmmh!~

I had expected her to get embarrassed and possibly a little irate at my joke, not for her to profess how much she loved me. It caught me off guard so I had to reciprocate her love with my own gesture.

I didn’t kiss her for too long, as I could feel a looming jealousy from some of the cultists that had been watching me. Kathrine had her eyes closed and bit her lip before fluttering them open to look at me.

She was confused by the look on my face as I was cringing slightly. Before she could ask what was up, I just came clean and said.

”So.. I might have just told a slight fib just then...”