by Jade Waltz
It would be better than to have the court bond severed.
He was used to being alone. If she accepted him, his mind would remain at peace, and he would do his best to honor and please her, to protect both her and her offspring’s future. If he proved himself to Selena and she accepted their bond, he would no longer be an outcast.
They were kindred souls in that regard.
Already the bond was making itself felt—Xylo could feel a pull to return to the room he had just left. A small smile tugged at his lips. If the courting bond felt this wonderful, he could not comprehend how it would feel once and if Selena accepted his bonding spore. His studies had not prepared him for what he was feeling.
Shaking off the distraction, Xylo sent a mental brush to his prince, Z’fir. The princes were inseparable, so they were more than likely together right now.
“Report.”
“I seek an audience with both you and Prince V’dim, Sire.”
“We are about to retire to my suite. Meet us there.”
“Yes, my Prince. I am on my way.”
When Xylo arrived at the floor for the Royals—the topmost floor in the ship—he strode unseeing past the dining hall that overlooked the terrarium, heading directly for Prince Z’fir’s Royal Suite. It was designed to house the prince and any clan he might one day have and overlooked the terrarium. Prince V’dim was housed in an identical suite.
Xylo sent another brush—the mental equivalent of a knock—to Prince Z’fir as he approached the suite door.
“Come in.”
Xylo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to prepare himself for the coming conversation. Releasing the air slowly, he reopened his eyes, then walked through the door as the light above flashed green, and it opened for him.
Prince Z’fir and Prince V’dim were in the common room, sitting relaxed on the settee. Prince Z’fir’s vines and Prince V’dim’s tentacles were loosely tangled together behind them.
Xylo felt honored the princes were comfortable enough to show affection in front of him. They were much less formal than their Queen mothers, and many on the crew had grown close during their voyage.
The Queens had believed this mission to be a waste of resources and had been unwilling to put anything toward it, though they had not outright forbidden the venture. The princes had remained persistent and had drawn on the Aldawi alliance to obtain an old ship—an appreciation for the assistance defending the territory during the Yaarkins war. They had struck a deal with the Aldawi to travel in their territory as long as they used the voyage and their crew to report any unusual activity in the sections of space they explored.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Prince Z’fir questioned as he gestured to the chairs in front of them. “Have a seat. You are welcome to use our dispenser if needed.”
Xylo smiled and bowed his head. “Thank you. I would appreciate a drink.”
Prince V’dim tilted his head, eyeing Xylo. “Your aura seems different. Explain,” he demanded.
Xylo froze, forgetting the drink.
His vines contracted around his torso. He was disappointed in himself. Of course, the princes could to see a change in him—they were the most powerful telepath and empath on the ship. Prince Z’fir would be able to see the nascent bond-strand connecting him to Selena, and Prince V’dim would be able to see a change in his aura.
Xylo wasn’t an Ulax, so he did not know precisely what the auras they saw looked like—though they had been described as a glow of colors radiating from each sentient being. Wudox saw feelings as colors; they could “see” emotional thought.
“I have been honored. A female has accepted me into a courting bond,” he stated, hoping to ease them into the discussion. He was not sure how to discreetly broach the subject of being bonded with Selena, his patient.
Prince V’dim’s gaze skimmed Xylo’s body, and he could almost feel its weight.
“Your aura is surrounded by an unusual sphere as if it is being protected. It is dim, but I have not seen the like before.”
As Prince Z’fir’s eyes narrowed, Xylo was struck by an impending sense of doom. It grew as he felt Z’fir probing his mental shields.
“Your mental shields have strengthened too. I can still enter them, but they are stronger than before,” Prince Z’fir added, his statement devoid of emotion.
“Why is this? Who is your nestqueen?” Prince V’dim questioned, locking his turquoise eyes on Xylo’s.
Another mental push from Prince Z’fir made Xylo wince.
He looked away from Prince V’dim, toward the terrarium window. “I could use a drink now. A hard one.”
“Get three. Then you are going to sit down and tell us who your nestqueen is,” Prince Z’fir commanded.
Xylo bowed his head and turned to the drink dispenser. He ordered three glasses of Xowyn, a silvery fruit concoction. The color reminded him of Selena’s silver hair, and despite the tension, he smiled to himself.
Glasses in hand, he strode back to the princes and handed each their glass, avoiding eye contact. Xylo took another deep breath and let it out before sitting on the chair closest to them. Gaze on the glass in his hand, he swirled the Xowyn before taking a sip. The liquid silver had a sweet fruity flavor with the sharp bite of alcohol as it burned its way down his throat.
“The female human we saved has woken. It seems I was right, humans have the ability to mentally shield. I tried penetrating her shields to soothe her panic upon waking—and find a way to communicate—but failed. As you know, I am as strong as most of the Wudox females aboard this ship. Only you and a select few have greater mental ability than I do, but I do not believe either of you have the strength to break through her shields,” Xylo finally answered, keeping his eyes on the Xowyn he continued to swirl.
“You bonded with her. Is that why you are shielded now? How?” The strain in Z’fir’s tenor voice was apparent.
“Based on my research, humans seem to be social, affectionate, and at times, sexual. When we finally succeeded in communicating our names and she perceived no threat from me, she placed her lips on mine, something commonly called ‘kissing’ that quite a few of the Children indulge in. Afterward, she placed her forehead against mine as my vines wrapped around her. That is when I felt the courting bond form. And only then could I see her emotions and hear her loud thoughts as she spoke to me mind-to-mind. My bond thread to her bypasses her natural shields, but it does not allow me to probe into her memories or anything we might normally be able to do,” Xylo explained.
“This complicates things. The Aldawi want us to deliver her when we arrive at CEG HQ in about fourteen days. We now have two options—either you find a way to break the courting bond and deal with the aftereffects, or you find a way to complete the bond and see if the Aldawi will let you go with her. Do you know the status of her pregnancy?” Prince Z’fir questioned.
Xylo stilled the swirling of his drink and finally looked up to meet Z’fir’s solemn gaze.
He understood the consequences of his bond with Selena. It saddened him his time among his people might end soon, but he was willing to follow her to the Aldawi and find employment wherever she went—better, he thought, than having the bond severed.
“It is clear she is not pregnant by a human. It is still too soon to determine the species of the fetus or the duration of her pregnancy. Humans are considered one of the Children. And of all the Children, they have the longest gestation time—approximately 280 days.”
The princes started in surprise. Xylo nodded at them in confirmation.
“The rest of the Children have an average gestation period of sixty-five days—still considerably longer than the three-day Circuli gestation—but nothing compared to that of the humans.” Xylo paused. “Do we know what the Aldawi plan to do with both the female and her offspring?”
“No, we do not. They only stated to treat her wounds and keep her safe while we travel to CEG HQ. We are not supposed to tell anyone we have her. They gave me the
impression she is important to them. And, Xylo, even if we knew what they wanted with her, they are the most powerful species in CEG. We would be unable to keep her from them even if we refused to hand her over. Doing so would be suicide and jeopardize not only the Circuli on this ship but our position in CEG,” Prince V’dim warned.
“As it is, she may be a security threat. We have no way to read her fully. We can track her on the ship through the bracelets, but she could still be a spy or criminal of some sort—despite her pregnancy. I understand having a human hybrid pregnancy aboard ship is a huge moment for you, that you are eager to learn all you can. Especially since she has bonded with you. But we cannot jeopardize our position in CEG or the safety of our crewmembers. I am sorry, Xylo,” Prince Z’fir apologized, his voice full of regret.
“I was able to speak with Selena before I contacted you. She told me her story. She escaped from slavery and experimentation aboard a Yaarkin ship. They captured numerous humans to experiment with before they wiped out those on Earth. They have been using the failed experiments as sex slaves to fund their operations. She said she was the only prototype of a failed experiment they called ‘Project: Adapt,’ trying to genetically engineer a super soldier.”
The princes looked appalled.
“Sires... They sold her virginity to fund the next generation of the project. I am not going to abandon her—and her offspring—to the Aldawi. She does not deserve to continue living as an experiment, a test subject. She is a sentient being, and no matter how primitive the humans were considered, she needs to be protected. To have a chance at a life—”
Xylo snapped his mouth shut, cutting off his tirade.
Silence descended.
Xylo could not believe he had lost control of his emotions. It must be some instinctive aspect of his newly formed court bond to want to protect her, his nestqueen. He was shocked when the princes did not reprimand him.
Xylo eyed the princes as he finished his drink. They followed suit, Prince V’dim’s color sliding from the usual cobalt to a stressed black through a nervous brown to an angry red before settling on a worried orange. They seemed as bewildered about how to handle Selena as Xylo was.
A jolt of fear slammed into Xylo. He dropped the glass and sprang from his seat.
“Xylo!”
Chapter Six
Selena
Warmth engulfed me in the darkness. Arms surrounded me, pulling me against a familiar, soft, cloud-like body. A head snuggled the top of mine, breathing in my scent.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting days for you to come to me. I was worried. Tell me you’re okay,” rumbled a raspy voice I knew.
I closed my eyes as memories of our night together returned.
“You never came back for me. You promised, but you never fucking came back. The ship was attacked and nearly exploded before I could get to an escape pod. I could’ve died. I almost didn’t get away... even finding the escape pod, it was sheer luck I was found...”
Forcing myself to stop babbling, I took a deep breath. I tried to pull away from his smothering embrace.
I refused to give in to him.
A low growl in my ear—his arms tightening, refusing to let me go—stilled my struggles.
“The Yaarkins backed out of their deal. They were supposed to turn you over to me the following day. Instead, they demanded more credits. They fucking knew how interested I was in you. I refused to let them take advantage and returned as soon as I could assemble a fleet. No one backs out of a deal with me!” His arms tightened in anger. “We trapped and surrounded the Yaarkin vessel, but by the time we destroyed the Yaarkin threat and boarded, it was too late. I couldn’t find you anywhere. The only assurance I had you still lived was a tenuous sense through our connection. I’ve been waiting to feel you fall into our dreamscape so I could join you.”
“Well, your plan failed—and you nearly killed me. After all the years you’d been visiting me, even after our night together...” I nearly drowned in the emotion choking me, my voice raw. “You’re still hiding from me. After all our time together in the dreamscape, I trusted you. I didn’t question why you wanted to keep the lights off and remain hidden. I was wrapped up in being with you in the flesh, but you didn’t trust me with your identity—even now you don’t. And now you tell me you were going to buy me? Property—traded from the Yaarkins to you? I don’t know what you want from me... I don’t know if I can continue to do this.”
His confession both hurt and confused me. After spending so many years together in our dreamscape world, I’d thought our connection was special. That I meant more to him than a piece of property to be purchased.
The world spun as I was flipped around to face him. I gasped, and my eyes flew open. His amethyst eyes locked onto me as he grabbed my face in his smoky translucent hands.
A loud growl rumbled from him, and I shivered.
“You are my Nova. The light in my darkness. I’ve only withheld my identity to protect you. If someone discovers our connection before I have you by my side, it could be disastrous. Please, have patience. I promise to reveal everything once I have you with me. No more secrets. Please, my Nova,” he begged, brushing my hair back.
“I don’t even know your name. You can’t even trust me with that—not even a nickname. Okay, the Yaarkins backed out of the deal, but you never returned to our dreamscape! Nine days I waited and nothing. I can’t keep living a dream. I have a chance for a new start now. I need to face this new reality and make it work.” My voice shook as tears streamed down my face. “Goodbye—”
“Don’t leave!” He grasped my shoulders with hands that shook. “You just got here. We need to talk about this...”
I turned my head away from his intense stare, closed my eyes, and shuddered as I let him go.
“I have to go. I can’t stay here. With you. Not now.”
I gasped as I shot up in bed, looking around frantically.
The lights in the room were dimmed. A blanket covered my body. I was alone.
Xylo must have left after I’d fallen asleep.
Tears slowly dried on my cheeks as I sat in silence. The ship’s hum was comforting, and it grounded me in the present. I rubbed my face to clear the last of the tears, releasing a frustrated sigh.
My emotions were all over the place. I felt raw.
My need to be wanted and my desire to be trusted by him battled the betrayal I felt. I worried about what might happen to Xylo if the man from my dreamscape found us. I owed Xylo and his crew after their rescue.
And I feared what would happen if he found out about the courting bond with Xylo.
A bond I was feeling a growing desire to explore. Xylo had been nothing but caring and forthright—it didn’t hurt he was gorgeous. I wondered if the Yaarkins had triggered something in me to awaken this need, or if the night I’d lost my virginity had awakened some biological urge to be physical with another. I barely knew Xylo, but I couldn’t help picturing what being with him would be like—learning everything about him and his body.
I’d always dreamed about what it would be like to grow up and live planet-side with a large family, surrounded by people I loved and who loved me back. Romantic stories were all I’d had. I’d yearned for that closeness, but it had always seemed so far out of reach in my hellish reality.
I’d always known it wasn’t the same as having real relationships, but I’d been somewhat jealous of the other human females aboard the Yaarkin vessel. At least they were never locked alone in their room. At least they were able to seek comfort in the physical, to be wanted. I’d heard stories about customers having favorites and spoiling them with trinkets, so surely there was some feeling?
The nights with him had been the highlight of my life.
Even though he’d always hidden in the shadows, we would talk for hours. He seemed to find excuses to give me lingering touches, to hold and cuddle me.
The betrayal I felt made me wary. I couldn’t let this yearning for connection allow me to blind
ly trust. I couldn’t let momentary impulse put me further at risk. It was one thing to think about touching Xylo, to imagine physical intimacy, but my impulsive kiss had resulted in the court bond with Xylo. I had to be careful—to be smart—to prevent my excitement from jeopardizing my newfound freedom. I needed to apologize to Xylo the next time I saw him for my lack of control
Resolved, I decided it was time to stop lying about in maudlin thought. Time to begin this new life.
I stretched, noticing I didn’t ache, and my mouth was no longer stiff. Whatever the Yaarkins had done to me with their experiments must have worked. Though maybe it was Xylo who’d healed me...
Regardless, everything seemed back in working order.
The facilities were more upscale than I was used to. Instead of barely having room to turn around, this one was almost the size of my old cell. A large wall mirror hung over a counter and sink... Stars! Even the waste unit was elegant.
I screeched when my eyes landed on a large corner shower.
I’d read about showers and water in my Earth studies—daydreaming—but I’d never expected to have the chance to experience one! The thrill of being able to use anything other than those awful sonic cleaning units coursed through me.
I tore off the soft blue nightgown and tossed it on the counter. But as I was walking toward the shower, I was distracted...
That could not possibly be me.
I gaped at the reflection in the mirror. I hadn’t seen myself in ages... My body was fuller than I remembered. I cupped a breast experimentally, feeling the increased weight. Oh! And they were definitely more sensitive...
I giggled.
Sliding my hand down my chest, I blinked at my rounded stomach. Huh. It had always been pretty flat. Maybe the healers here had provided intravenous nutrients? I’d certainly gained weight. I’d always been small—exacerbated by the Yaarkins’ restrictive diet. Turning my body to the side, I studied myself. Stars... even my ass was more substantial.
