Page 45 of I Dated the Lost Song

Im-bar murmured, “You have a mutation?”

“Multiple vocal cords. I kick ass at karaoke.” She laughed. “No one ever checks the throat.”

Cadence came back in with a guitar and the projection orb.

Im-bar laughed. “We have dessert.”

Cadence looked sheepish. “Sorry.” She went into the other room and set the items down. She and Leska hadn’t had a sleepover in a while.

Raek looked at her and grinned. “You are excited.”

“We haven’t had any time to spend just having fun together since we started at Z-Corp.”

Leska nodded. “That is true, Cadence, but you have plenty of time to hang out with me. Get to know your mate. Uh, partner. Sorry. Omega reflex.”

Cadence stared. “You really think like that?”

“Yeah, it’s getting worse as time goes on. I should be switching to slutty outfits in a year or so. The baby will have respectable first images of its auntie before I have to go to the Sethir and beg for a mate. Bleah.” She made a face and shook her head.

Cadence shook her head. “You aren’t going anywhere. I’ll figure out a way to stop your heats.”

Raek took her arm. “You will not. If she’s an omega, her body is designed for it. She needs the cycle.”

“No, she doesn’t. I can fix it.”

Leska looked at her. “Cadence, if you start tinkering with my genome, I will never forgive you. Let’s just draw that line right now. Okay?”

Cadence looked at her and saw the serious expression on her normally cheerful friend. She could feel the tension and determination in Leska. “Okay. I can just feel that I can do so many things. I want everybody close to me to be happy and healthy.”

Leska smiled. “I know, but for me, confine your urges to giving me songs to sing.”

Im-bar brought a cake out and set it down near Cadence. “There you go. You asked for chocolate, you get chocolate.”

Leska grinned as Cadence cut the cake and portioned out slices to them all, putting two on Raek’s plate.

They sat around and ate dessert, talking about the cake and complimenting the baker.

Im-bar smiled at Leska. “The feminine arts seemed like a good focus after my activation.”

Cadence cocked her head. “What activation did you get?”

“Healing, and my body overlaid feminine attributes. I now acknowledge that it might be a known activation.”

Raek patted Im-bar’s arm. “Im-bar is a male name.”

Cadence blinked. “Oh. Like Dr. Torenne.”

Im-bar laughed. “Yes.”

Cadence got a song in her head, and she said, “Please excuse me.”

She got up and headed for her room, grabbing her tablet and quickly writing the music and lyrics. She ran back down the stairs after that and grinned at Leska. “I made another one. It’s in the projector.”

“Finish your cake, Cadence.” Leska sipped at her water.

Raek paused. “I have to take this call. Please excuse me.”

Cadence frowned. “What’s wrong?”

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