Chapter 60

With a thought I shifted out of my mana core and looked at my girls. I smirked to myself as I thought that. They really were my girls now and I liked that, a whole lot more than I thought I would. I never thought that I would actually have a real harem. It was a fantasy sure, but things never worked out as easily as they did in fantasies. With four women I worried when the infighting would start up. It hadn't yet and I was glad for that, but it hadn't even been a day.

Caly was looking back at me when I focused on her, but none of the other girls had shifted their attention back from their cores.

"I got those elements you were hoping for." I told Caly.

"All of them?" she asked me hopefully.

I nodded. "Yep, I am now the proud owner of six elemental abilities."

Caly had her arms around my neck before I even realized she had moved. By the time I realized she had moved, she had knocked me onto my back, straddled me, and kissed me more passionately then she had during the consummation of our marriage.

"I want some of that too." Megan called a couple minutes later as she opened her eyes and looked around.

Caly finally pulled away. She sat astride me while giving me a hungry look. One that I wanted to satisfy desperately, unfortunately I knew that would have to wait.

While Caly had been rewarding me for whatever it was she was happy about, the rest of my girls and the others in the house had recovered from the gate opening. I expected someone to come out and ask us about it any minute.

After convincing Caly to let me up I climbed to my feet, the moment I was on my feet Megan was embracing me, her lips seeking mine. She didn't linger as long as Caly. Instead she preferred to lean her head against my shoulder and hold me tightly. "That sucked." she murmured.

I nodded even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah, it isn't pleasant. It gets easier once you understand what you need to do." I told her.

Megan nodded into my shoulder. "I guessed as much, still sucks though."

After a few more moments she let go so Karen could get some comfort of her own. When Karen was done I saw Bill coming out the back door with Micheal and Chewy behind him. I ignored them as I grabbed Grace and pulled her into a quick kiss and hug. It wasn't her first gate opening since her awakening, but they still sucked, and I was willing to use any excuse.

"Did we interrupt something?" Bill asked, sounding uncertain.

"No." I replied. I looked at the group. "Just reassuring the girls that it gets easier with practice." I replied as I released Grace.

"Does it?" Bill asked worriedly.

I nodded. "Yeah, you just have to shift into your mana core immediately and work hard at pulling the mist away from the border of your mana core. I know I told you about it before." I told him.

Bill was silent for a moment then nodded. "You did, when you told us what had happened to you, I just didn't think about it." he admitted.

"Not surprising, it can be pretty distracting, I had to remind Karen and Megan, and they have been around me almost the whole time."

"Any ideas when the other three are coming?" Micheal asked.

I glanced at Grace then shrugged, "Nothing exact, but if I were to guess, soon." I said then looked down at my shadow by my feet. "Delilah, if four gates opened close together, would that surge in mana cause more people to turn into twisted?" I asked.

Micheal snorted, "Not the name I would have chosen for that part of me." he said with a chuckle.

"Probably shouldn't talk to it in front of people either." Bill added a second later.

I gave the pair a glare as my shadow contracted and Delilah appeared from inside of it.

She also gave the pair of dirty looks. Chewy quickly trotted over to her in an attempt to sniff her. She snapped at him in return then tucked her tail before she sat on my foot. "Back off mutt." Delilah told him with a growl.

Chewy backed off quickly, "No reason for that. Just trying to be friendly." Chewy said eyeing Delilah with interest.

I watched the pair for a moment while trying hard to keep from laughing. "Delilah?" I said finally to regain her attention.

"I don't know." Delilah replied then looked to Caly. "Have you heard anything?" she asked.

Caly shook her head. "I haven't heard of anything like this. If I were to guess, then yes. While the emotions are a trigger, a flood of mana like that could theoretically lower the emotional threshold required to transform." she replied.

Delilah nodded. "My thoughts as well. I hope we are wrong though.

"As do I." Bill said. "Be that as it may, we should awaken the neighbors and the kids that just showed up. That way they don't turn into twisted."

I nodded. "Yeah." I agreed. I wasn't big on the idea of giving powers to complete strangers. With the alternative being to risk them transforming into twisted that I will have to kill, I would do it. Even if I didn't like it.

Bill led us all back inside. I saw a couple unfamiliar faces and some familiar faces, a few of whom I expected to see, and several I hadn't. All of which were gathered around the dining table, some sitting while others stood.

Arnold and Sandra from the apartment above my own seemed just as surprised to see me as I was them. Mike and Rosa on the other hand didn't look surprised to see us at all.

The unfamiliar faces were a man and a woman. The man was standing close with Samantha, though she didn't seem happy about it. He seemed to be around the same age as her, thin almost scrawny, with short blonde hair and pale green eyes. Both his khaki shorts and t-shirt seemed a size or two too big for his frame.

The woman was attractive, she looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. The woman's shoulder length hair had been dyed purple on top with a layer of bright pink underneath. All of which had been pulled back into a tight ponytail revealing her ears, each of which had three piercings. She was dressed in tight white jeans, and with a loose black band t-shirt. I didn't recognize the band, and the loose t-shirt did nothing to hide her generous assets. She was definitely cute as she stood very close to Jake while warily watching all the other attractive women in the room. An understandable reaction as Jake stood beside her looking at me with jealousy.

Besides the new and surprising faces, there were those I had expected to show up at some time.

"Hey Daryl." Samantha said using my appearance as an excuse to get away from the man who had been standing beside her. She walked over to stand in front of me before she continued speaking. "That energy wave was a lot worse than I thought it would be." she said.

"It does suck, but as long as you try and draw the mist in from the border of your mana core, it doesn't hurt that much. I will warn you though." I said, raising my voice, "If a gate opens to a world with a different mana spirit than the ones that are already here, that energy wave is going to be horrible. Drawing in the mist will help, but it is still going to suck." I told them as I remembered that we were expecting two more mana spirits. Not that I expected to see those gates open today, but sometime during the week it would happen.

"It did help." Micheal admitted then sighed. "Alright, we should get the rest of them awakened before the next gate opens." he said, suddenly taking charge.

I eyed him for a moment, that would have been the best time to answer any other questions they might have had about what was going on. From the confused expressions I was sure that no one had filled all the new arrivals in on what was going on. I let it go though. Whether I liked it or not, Micheal had always been the better leader, and as I thought about it, awakening them first and then answering all their questions afterwards was probably the better idea. Especially those who would fight awakening if they knew it was going to hurt.

"Not the kids." Caly spoke up quickly. "Kids under sixteen can't be awakened. Their bodies aren't mature enough to handle the energy. Trying will only harm them."

"Good thing we didn't try and awaken Bryan." I commented.

Heather nodded as she held her son tighter making the toddler squirm in her arms.

Micheal walked over to her giving her a reassuring hug and whispering something in her ear that made her relax and smile at him. Samantha shifted about uncomfortably for a few moments as she stood in front of me looking at Heather and Micheal with jealousy. The man who had been with her hadn't followed her over, but was now watching her from across the room, which might be why she was so anxious.

"Problem Samantha?" I asked her curiously.

'No picking up strays.' Karen whispered to me with telepathy.

I resisted the urge to turn and glare at her. I hadn't even thought in that direction.

'I don't feel anything from her, less even than with Rebecca.' Grace told me telepathically as she stepped up to my side and held my hand, our fingers intertwining.

I frowned, what did these girls think of me? I was not on the lookout for more girls. Monstrous Endurance helped, but not enough that I felt I could handle even more women. I told them that telepathically only to hear them chuckle in return.

"No Daryl, thanks." Samantha replied with a sigh.

I frowned but I didn't say anything else, it wasn't my business. I could push, since she was obviously lying, but… no, I shouldn't even try. She hadn't asked and we weren't that close. Besides she was practically Micheal's sister-in-law so he could help her if there really was a problem. Plus it was his father's property.