Quills: the Rise of the Northern Matriarch-Chapter 88: Two More Cycles Later (2)

"A two or three cycles at the most if I can bring in some new hires? There was one Liem mentioned. Jarrad, the one that followed you from Izaberne. I have talked with him, he has the same genes. He is a talent. Can I bring him on? There is no danger of him attacking you," Janel said.

"You are managing the projects. I have nothing against him, he just wanted to help me from what I recall about him? I do not know what Liem has against him. You can go ahead and hire him. I trust you. Remember to pull out the communication I sent to you if they question you. They can deal with me. This project has nothing to do with them. " Nora said.

"What does he mean, Nora?" Talan asked. "How were you attacked?" Talan looked at Nora exasperated. Nora looked at Janel and to Kai surprised. She had forgotten about them.

"Is that how you found that out, Nora? Someone hurt you?" Kai said, tensing up. "That is why other men cannot go near you? I thought you were just scared." Kai asked, tensing up.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

'How should I explain this to him? Talan has some trauma, he has not yet opened up to me about it. What if I trigger him or if I break down while explaining it? It would be best to tell him. Janel is here. I suppose there is no better time and place,' Nora thought. She nervously chewed her lip. Janel nodded at her, seeming to have read her mind.

"Back when Liem was helping me integrate into society after they found me, I was attacked and sexually assaulted by men who were in charge of facility services and were my guards. Thankfully, Liem was able to get untied, and it did not end up a complete violation." Nora began to explain.

"Nora, that was a sexual assault and not an attack on the building?" Kai asked. Nora nodded sadly. Kai wanted to rage, he was pissed off at Liem. Others might not be informed. They might think it was just an attack on Liem and not her. She was the victim, and he had been pitying Liem for being targeted and having to be weary.

"We found out that I have these Alphem like pheromones that advertise without my permission that I am not only fertile in general, but they get stronger at times. I cannot help it. You might have noticed it? It keeps me from leaving the house since it either makes me safe, like I am with Janel and you all. Or in danger." Nora explained.

"I was ovulating at the time of the attack for the first time after almost dying out in the tundra. It was apparently strong at the time." Nora said sadly. "That is why I bathe before I leave the house and I have those special soaps. Liem manufactured them for me", Nora said, her eyes welling with tears. Kai looked shaken. He embraced her and seethed with rage that men would do that to such a defenseless woman. He would teach her and her daughters self-defense as soon as possible.

"You came to that party to meet me, like that?" Talan asked.

"Yes, it was important, because they said you were brilliant, kind, interesting and needed a way out. The party coincided with my cycle. I could not miss the chance to meet you. To get you out of there," Nora said.

"That kiss?" Talan asked. "A test to see if you would hurt me, or reject me violently. Men all generally have trauma and not much choice, as I have learned. It was best done with Kai, Kadir and Liem around." Nora said, looking downcast. Kai's eyes widened. It was the same with him. He was offered a room like Talan was as well in the beginning. He did not need his room since his trauma was not related to sexual trauma. He kept his eyes on the ground.

"So, the danger is the attraction, but in rack individuals specifically" Kai asked.

"Mostly, some Alphem have problems. Grizz, Leilanna's fifth bound, is a worry." Nora said.

'I was tested too. They could not have thought I would hurt her, right? The meeting was necessary. That man at the Banquet was possessed after a while. What was his name? Something Noro? He said he was related to Hudai.' Kai thought. His hands trembled. He would never hurt her.

"I see," Talan said as he quickly thought it through. She and the others talked to him about doing the ceremony when he felt like he was ready to, and that she did not want to pressure him.

"I still see Janel about what has happened to me. Once you learn the language you will know more," Nora explained. Janel raised a brow at the language. He could not make sense of Northern.

'So she really is not going to push me into anything other than what happened at the party without my consent. I'm safe, and even free if I want to be. They said I could even travel if I wanted to. She truly meant it. I understand why she apologized too. It makes sense.' Talan thought. He held in the tears.

"You see Janel professionally, to talk about it?" Kai said. He had counseling before. It was brief, and they did not go into anything other than using medication when he felt uncomfortable. He had learned a great deal from Liem to calm his anxiety attacks, but Liem also used his fists to deal with his anxiety. How would one deal with a tiny woman who did not take medication?

"Janel, has appointments with others in the Bind as well. No one is stopping you from making an appointment. I encourage it. Mental health is important to one's quality of life, and it will help us prepare to deal with the centuries of intergenerational trauma and the ramifications of the class breeding program." Nora said. The research had to be done concurrently with the genetic research that the two of them had undertaken. A cure is just as important to this world as dealing with the outcome of it.

"I'm free to talk with any of you. Psychology is what I am explicitly famous for," Janel said. Now that his schedule was only packed with four patients. He had a great worklife balance and was about to improve with Monil moving in. No more trips outside the building to see him when he was free. Both of them would spend actual time together. He used the free time it provided him for researching the cure. The newer members of her spousal group had not sought him out, oddly enough.

"I will take you up on that. I am about to become a father soon enough. I do not want to pass down my trauma to the children anyway. Ignoring the problems did not work for my family," Kai said. He had a lot of problems where he could let his rage take over, mood swings. That was something you did not want around a child. Especially a little girl that might look like his mother, or a little boy that might give him flashbacks. He is doing his best now and hits the gym when he is mad. But he had seen her flinch when he shouted at Liem, and Sirona witnessed him grabbing Liem's collar. He did not want to be violent like Hera was when he was frustrated.

"I had better try it as well. I am here for the rest of my life. I cannot hide away from you for the rest of our lives. The children will notice." Talan said. Janel smiled at him, he was grateful that he kept his secret, that he had not already started talking to him about his issues.

"Janel, thank you for what you do for the family," Nora said. She smiled at him. She had the best ally on the planet and he was not even her spouse. Talan looked at Nora in Kai's embrace, feeling guilty that he asked about the explanation, but finally relieved. He would seriously put some thought into the self-defense and sexual assault prevention features that he would be programming into the new Quill software. Nerves could be stimulated by the implants to numb pain in the medical software he developed. There was certainly a nerve that could be stimulated in males to prevent rape. In his opinion, self-defense was the only reason to inflict pain. He knew precisely what he could stimulate with an excessive amount of voltage to make a man regret it for the rest of his life.

"I cannot hide inside all my life either. It feels like I am in a cage. I do not want my trauma to rub off on them and staying indoors all the time will only reinforce the fear. I do not want the children to fall victim to this either," Nora said.

"I am so sorry that happened, Nora. I will research other ways myself to ensure that non-consensual sex becomes something of the past." Talan said, provoking a big smile from Janel and a half smile from Nora.

"Great, I do not want to kill anyone. It would be best to either keep them going unconscious. I cannot fathom what else we could do," Nora said.