Mason waited with Streak outside the open gate, distracted suddenly from his purpose of solving the settlement's problems. His distraction's name was Rosa.

About the time he'd started pacing, wondering what in the name of God could be taking her so long, Rosa emerged. She wore shorts that probably were the right size for everything except her ass, which squeezed like a peach in its skin. Her hair was clearly worked on, her already gorgeous face done with tasteful make-up.

It was the damn apocalypse, where the hell did she even get make-up? But whatever he might think about it, she looked amazing. Intentionally and unintentionally. At least she had hiking shoes.

She walked over like Mason wasn't restless and waiting impatiently, almost enjoying his annoyance as far as he could tell.

"Ready to go?" she said, with an amused tone.

He felt something between a thrill and a scowl, no idea what facial expression that made. Rather than worry too much, he just turned around and knelt.

"Hurry and climb on before I make you run."

"I don't mind running," she said as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. The feel of her soft breasts squishing against the back of his neck were unmistakable. Then she wrapped her legs around his back, and he tucked his arms beneath.

He took off instantly, happy to get moving and burn some restless energy. The notion that taking Rosa to the nymphs might end up more complicated than talking about plants probably should have concerned him. But between the endless seduction of the tree creatures, and the somewhat volatile, sexual tension with Rosa, he truly had no idea what he was in for.

It seemed possible Rosa still intended either to 'steal' him from Haley and Rebecca, or else just torture and tempt him as punishment if not. The thought didn't sit particularly well, but he also couldn't exactly blame her. Their whole situation wasn't 'normal' for life in the old world. And old habits died hard.

The idea of adding her to his bed and life was definitely appealing...in a lust-filled fantasy kind of way. But the reality might end up more domestic disturbance than Pornhub pleasure.

He sighed, and just kept running. In fact they didn't say a word to each other nearly the entire way. Rosa didn't even complain or ask for a rest, and when they reached the tree by the afternoon, Mason set her down for the first time in hours.

Her legs collapsed, and he had to catch her.

"Mierda!"

Mason held her and frowned at the pained, angry expression in her eyes.

"You're a very stubborn woman, aren't you?"

Fire flickered in her dark pupils, then faded just as quick. She looked at the ground, and laughed.

"Yes," she agreed. "I thought you’d get tired. Jesus my legs are numb. Help me up."

He did, and she made a hissing sound and mumbled several more Spanish curses before steadying with her hands on his shoulders.

"Don’t you ever need a rest?" She rolled her eyes and looked away. "I wanted you to stop first."

"Wanted to win, huh?"

She met his eyes, and an excited jolt of lust shot through his body.

"Yes."

She was very different than Haley and Rebecca, that was for sure. And extremely exciting in a 'light your clothes on fire after an argument' kind of way. But as she leaned against him, still fighting to stand on her own, he could only imagine what she would be like naked and wrapped around him...

"So these nymphs," he said to break the direction of his thoughts. "They're..." what on earth did he say?..."they're basically obsessed with sex. But their whole existence is literally giving life to plants. They pretty much have to be useful."

"You're fucking them, too, aren't you?" Rosa raised a brow. Mason opened his mouth but failed to find any words. Then she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I'm starting to feel left out."

Then she let go of him and wobbled unsteadily before stretching her back and legs like a yoga instructor. "Dios mio that feels good."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Mason didn't bother trying to look away. "I can't tell if your Spanglish is confusing the system or me."

She grinned with her head somewhere near her foot, then stood up and squealed slightly as she finished.

"OK. Take me to your sex-addicted, post-apocalyptic horticulturalists."

Mason grinned and offered his hand. "As the lady wishes."

* * *

They stepped hand in hand into the clearing and the mists, Rosa gasping when she saw the tree.

"Druid!" Thea's warm voice was unmistakable. "I'm very pleased to see you. Calypsa is away again as usual and it's lonely here. Who is your friend?"

Mason didn't bother answering. He just led Rosa to the tree and touched the bark, accepting the prompt. The world vanished and re-materialized, and he grinned as Rosa's wide eyes inspected the beautiful grove.

Thea emerged from her pool, fortunately at least mostly covered in a thin green fabric more like plant-skin than cloth. She pulled back her long, wet hair and gave a radiant smile, and Mason felt her scent wash over him. Her body almost glowed with seductive beauty, her breasts dripping and hips swaying as she took several steps towards them.

"Easy," he warned, "we're here to talk, not for your magic."

Thea frowned, but the scent of freshly baked cookies and the unearthly glow somewhat diminished.

"Thea, meet Rosa. She's an alchemist. I thought you two might..."

"Mmm." Thea came all the way forward, closing her eyes as she inhaled in Rosa's direction. "You smell lovely. So young and fertile. What wonderful life we could all make."

Mason winced and looked at Rosa with a look he hoped conveyed 'you see what I'm dealing with?'.

"Speaking of which," Thea added. "Come, come child." She turned and gestured like one might to a toddler, and Mason practically jumped as something coiled and twisted on the floor. Roots and vines clustered and rose, forming something vaguely...humanoid, and maybe three feet tall. It took a few tentative steps towards Thea, and she took its ‘hand’.

"This is Mason, ranger and druid of the great forest. It's his essence and magic that gave you life." She turned and beamed. "You see? A defender, just as I predicted." She looked at him hungrily. "We must make more, druid. Many more."

Mason wasn't sure what to say or how to feel, but he felt something, that was certain. An instant affection as he had in Seul-ki's garden, or with the wolves. He dropped to a knee and activated Speak with Nature.

[You don't need to be scared of me, kid. I'm a friend.] He held out his hand, and the little bundle of vines came forward and touched it. Mason could swear the coils turned up on his face and smiled.

Then the little creature turned and ran away, splintering apart and vanishing back along the floor in a moving mass of vines like snakes.

"Well..." Rosa said with wide eyes. "That was something."

"It certainly was." Thea glowed with warmth and pleasure. "Can I offer you something? We have fruit juices, and many things in bloom in the grove. Or a dip in the pool?" She grinned.

Mason was the type to turn things down out of habit, but the food and drink in this place was amazing, and he was bloody tired of settlement rations. "Something to eat and drink would be nice. We can sit and talk," he added.

"As you wish." Thea grew them chairs and tables, and little plants brought her leaves filled with different fruits and vegetables and cups that were just curved plants.

"We're trying to grow crops," Mason explained. "Enough for hundreds of people. But we don't have enough seeds. I need to figure out the right land to use, how to manage it. I thought maybe you could help us."

Thea frowned like Mason had said the moon was made of cheese.

"For the human settlement? Are they hungry?"

"Well..." Mason shrugged. "They will be soon enough. We may not starve, exactly, but we'll need different foods or we'll get sick. Or at least crazy."

Thea smiled as if she knew some secret. "Because of your power, I sometimes forget how young you are, druid. And I sense you are a settlement patron now. So that solves everything. Come. I can help your flock." She winked at Rosa. "And your Naturalists, too."

Mason stood and stepped towards her, not sure what to expect. She reached out and cupped his cheek, and her eyes blazed with green light. "For the gift of life, for saving the great tree, and for many other things—take this gift of Gaia to your people, with our thanks."

Warmth flowed through Thea's hand, and Mason's patron options flashed and blinked until he opened them. A host of new buildings and options floated before his eyes, all tinged with green borders. The rather crude looking and expensive greenhouse had transformed into a ‘Temple of Gaia’—a huge structure that looked built into the earth with an attached underground, surrounded by water and vegetation, and for no more patron point cost than the original building. But there were others.

A ‘Flora Preserve’—which looked to Mason like a vertical farm—several floors of a space-age glass building except covered in vines and moss and decorated with something like Greek symbols. There was a fountain that said it produced ‘Gaia blessed water’ forever. Some kind of town tree that promised a blessing. He even saw a settlement 'theme' that would transform the town into 'natural ground'. Did that mean it would stop interfering with his powers?

Thea released his cheek and smiled, and Mason felt momentarily overwhelmed. "Thank you, Thea. This...this is incredible." He scooped her into his arms and spun her in a circle, grinning as he heard her laugh.

"Well," she said as he set her down, then pat his arms to let her go. "That's that taken care of. All this magic gets me in the mood for a bath." She turned and almost instantly stripped the thin layer of green 'dress', tip toeing down the few steps completely naked and diving into the water. Her scent hit Mason again, her magic working whether intentionally or not.

Mason sighed, breathing it in with a smile. If he was honest, he'd begun to run out of reasons to say no. He looked at Rosa and held out his hand with one eyebrow raised.

"Care for a dip?"

She lowered her head and matched the eyebrow raise, then started working at the buttons on her shirt. When he started stripping his own she worked faster, apparently even wanting to win at stripping.

"Why does she smell like baking cinnamon?" Rosa whispered.

Mason laughed, kicked off his last piece of clothing, then leapt into the pool.