40

Chapter 40

Flange Orphanage, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2022, Planet: Grimoire

That's when Doyle's nose detected a familiar fragrance and wrinkled in acute revulsion. His head swiveled away from Tesha immediately. What the hell? Why had Commander Darmono followed Tesha here? Instinctively, he leaned against the mantelpiece and folded his arms tightly across his abdomen. This really wasn't the time for any weird instincts to start kicking in. Such as vomiting because the scent wasn't reacting well with his system.

Tesha saw his immediate physical repulsion and her eyes widened in shock as she looked back toward the door. So, he'd never exhibited his sensory-overloaded awareness to her before, huh? Oh well, guess Doyle needed to prove it even to a long-time friend on occasion.

He spoke calmly as if giving a lecture to a subordinate. Doyle caught Tesha's warning scowl as she heard his tone, but he ignored it. "This is what I'm talking about. Heightened sense of smell, and hearing."

Tesha sighed. "Wow, your arrogance is unbelievable." She shook her head. "I give you kudos for not collapsing." Tesha glared at Darmono over her shoulder. "Tone down the pheromones, will ya? Even I'm starting to get slightly nauseated.

Doyle didn't bother hiding his discomfort now. "I would also appreciate that courtesy." Even as he said it, he stiffened and locked eyes with Darmono who appeared right then at the doorway.

"Good evening, Commander." Doyle bowed politely to him. Thank goodness he'd retained pants reaching to his feet and a robe that was tightly closed all the way to the neck.

At Tesha's now definitely threatening glare, Darmono sighed. "Fine, I can douse the pheromones." He did so and immediately the pressure building in the bedroom subsided, much to Doyle's relief.

The Commander took in the room at a glance. A smile quirked his mouth when he spotted the makeshift crib. "I thought you might do that." His approval surprised Doyle and made him stare between Darmono and Tesha with a puzzled expression.

Doyle clearly missed something. "So, care to explain what that was about?"

Tesha jabbed him with an elbow making Doyle wince. "He thought you would do something to make their night sleep more comfortable which meant taking them out of the box."

Oh jeez, what was with this stupid type of betting? How immature could people get? Doyle knew he was considered arrogant and obnoxious but that was going too far.

Darmono smirked. "Hand it over?" He held out his left palm to Tesha.

She sighed heavily and informed Doyle with some disgruntlement. "As for me, I thought you would just reinforce the sides of the box."

Tesha rolled her eyes and sighed when Darmono cleared his throat pointedly. "Yes, yes, just be patient."

Doyle shook his head in disbelief.

"You should've known better than to bet with me." Darmono tapped his foot impatiently.

"Yes, you won the bet." Tesha handed over a small credit pouch to him. "Now I can tell you both what the blood tests confirmed."

Darmono lifted his eyebrows at Doyle. "May I be permitted entrance?" He didn't budge from where he stood just inside the doorway.

Err, just what did those results produce that involved Darmono in this mess? Doyle sighed. "Fine, come in, I'm shutting the door to prevent further eyes and ears from hearing anything." Nor did he want to awaken the sleeping infants either.

A slight frown creased his eyebrows when he glanced at the child named Grifton. He was certainly restless, flailing around in his corner which was closest to the fire. Should he reposition him so that he wasn't in danger of hitting the chair's wooden arm?

Darmono shook his head. "You're a natural father." He folded his arms as he watched Doyle hover over the crib and dither about.

Tesha coughed upon hearing that. "Mmm, though he's not the father of those four, but neither are you, Darmono." She shook her head when Darmono heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for the confirmation of the obvious, Tesha." Doyle already knew he couldn't be the father of these four. "I'm infertile, so there is no way I could've produced anything viable. I've known that for decades." He was studying the children as he spoke. They were far too robust after the harrowing events of earlier.

In doing so, he missed the exchanged frowns between Tesha and Darmono. Not that Doyle would've cared either way.

"So, what makes you think you're infertile?" Tesha eyed him in surprise.

"Through sexual intercourse that didn't produce offspring, obviously." Doyle exhaled in aggravation. "I have had a fair number of dalliances with both men and women and yes that included the secondary genders." He ignored Darmono's scowl when mentioning his lack of differentiation in lovers.

Tesha's eyes widened. "Just how active were you." Now she looked thoroughly shocked. "I didn't think you were capable of even doing the deed, to be honest."

Well, neither had he been until he'd left that soulless empire behind him at the late age of twenty-five. As a result, Doyle wasn't impressed with her obvious shock nor with Darmono's hypocritical disapproval of his admission.

Doyle put some further cushioning material alongside the wooden arms. Just in time too because just as he thought would happen, the infant Grifton literally flung his arms out and swatted up alongside the armrests.

They all winced when that solid thump should've awakened all four infants. Instead, they remained sound asleep.

The three adults heaved a sigh of relief.

Doyle yawned. "Not to put too fine a point on all this, but can we leave this conversation for the morning?"

Darmono frowned but nodded in resignation. "I dislike to trouble you, Madam Murray, but may I stay the night?"

"You can." Tesha nodded. "I'll lead you to the room prepared for you and the 1st Lieutenant. The others have been set elsewhere to finer hotels."

Oh, thank goodness for small mercies.

"I shall bid you two goodnight." Doyle wasn't going to put up with further interruptions toward getting a decent night's rest.