by Jade Waltz
“I want so badly to trust you, and that’s what hurts the most. I hate secrets. I hate being valued only as a commodity rather than who I am as a person. For my feelings not to matter.”
I closed my eyes as I leaned into his embrace.
“I do value you, Selena. You are my Nova. I’ll provide what answers I can.” He took a deep breath. “I am Aldawi,” he stated proudly.
“And what does me being your Nova mean?”
He sighed into my neck. “Novas are rare among Aldawi. And you being human—that’s unheard of. Combine that with my rank—Selena, it’s very dangerous for others to know who you are to me. You must keep this between us.”
I nodded, relieved he was finally giving me answers, not wanting to interrupt lest he stop.
“The average Aldawi gestation period is fifty days. The healers on the Destiny know and will be able to factor that in when you tell them. You’re about fourteen days away from CEG HQ, and it’s been thirty-eight days since our night together—”
“You’re going to miss the delivery of our offspring?” I shouted—hiding I was pregnant with twins. I tried to shake off his embrace.
“Humans have considerably longer gestation periods. I’m hopeful yours will therefore be longer than the typical Aldawi pregnancy. You should make it to CEG HQ before delivery. I cannot leave, but I’m in the process of preparing everything for your arrival.”
“Why does it seem like you’re fine not being here when I’d need you most?” I jerked away and turned to face him, looking him in the eye.
“Aldawi females don’t allow males near them outside of mating season—”
“I’m not an Aldawi!”
He cornered me against the railing, caging me between his arms. Leaning forward, his black face almost touching mine, he snarled, “Believe me, I know this. It’s not my place even though you are my Nova.”
“So, you’re fine with other males helping me deliver our children?” I questioned, testing his limits.
He roared, the sound echoing, startling the birds from the trees.
The island fell silent.
“I am bound to you as you are to me. You’re my Nova, and the only one for me. I will know no other. I can’t force that on you since you’re not Aldawi. I’m not yours in the same way.” His eyes hardened. “But if you take another male, I ask you not to take another Aldawi. That’s the one thing I can’t accept. You couldn’t be his as you are mine.”
I was speechless.
Why did everyone seem to be okay with their female—me—being with others? I couldn’t possibly accept that so easily were our positions reversed.
I couldn’t deny my connection with him. Countless years spent with him here in my dreamscape, endless hours talking, even our one night on the Yaarkin ship—despite how that had turned out—we’d built something special. Though I was angry with him, I didn’t want to lose that.
I didn’t really understand what a Nova was, but he clearly believed I was it for him. That there would never be anyone else. But that was also precisely what I’d be for Xylo if I ended up accepting him and our bond. How could it possibly work with both of them?
As thoughts of Xylo filled my mind, I realized, while I was still upset, I understood why he hadn’t told me I was pregnant. How could he have known someone else would let themselves into my room and blurt it out? Xylo had come when I called for him and protected me after he arrived, even against his own kind. I needed to clear the air with him as soon as possible, have a frank discussion about our future.
How would this all work out? I’ll be going from having no one to an instant family.
Rubbing his head against my hair, he rumbled, “What has you so silent?”
Tilting my head to the sky, I tried to collect my thoughts and feelings before answering.
“I’m lost. I’m overwhelmed by everything. I’m angry. Even though part of me wants to forgive you, I’m still hurt. You stole my choice from me—the first one I would’ve ever had—by impregnating me. I need time to process all of this. You. Me. Our offspring. And the future.”
“I understand you need time. I’m willing to give you all the time you need. Just know I’ll make it up to you. Everything will be all right when you arrive at the space station.” His arms slid tightly around me, holding me close.
“I think I need some time away from you. At least until I get there. I need some time to come to terms with things and think about all of this.”
Silence fell between us as the sound of the island filled the void.
Was he angry with me? Hurt? I didn’t want to cause any more drama between us, but I needed time. Not growing up in a family dynamic had me at a disadvantage, but I couldn’t let myself fail—this decision was too important. The future of my children’s lives depended on it.
He took my face in his hands and locked his amethyst eyes with mine.
“I’ll take care of everything. I’ll make this right, Selena. If this is what you need, then I’ll give it to you. I won’t come here. If you need me, have the escort I’m sending contact me.” He paused and brushed my hair back. “But when you arrive, you and our offspring are mine.”
“This is what I need.”
He closed his eyes as he let me go and backed away.
“Your wish is mine to fulfill. I’ll see you in thirteen days, my Nova,” he purred as he faded into nothing, leaving me alone in my dreamscape.
Chapter Nine
Selena
A beep startled me awake. It couldn’t be morning already—I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. Who would be at the door at this hour?
The annoying sound trilled again, and I rolled my eyes. A groan escaped me as I stretched, feeling a lingering wooziness and the stiffness of underworked muscles. It was clear I hadn’t fully recovered yet.
A third beep had me pulling down the blanket and climbing out of bed to scramble to the door.
“Okay, okay, okay... I’m coming.”
I placed my hand on the scanner, and the door slid open.
Xylo stood, fidgeting, on the other side. A thick black wristband wrapped around his right wrist; it hadn’t been there last night. The lack of breakfast in his hands made me wonder why he was here.
“Morning?” I grumbled as I rubbed my sleep-crusted eyes.
“Morning, Selena. I know I said I would bring you breakfast, but there has been a development. I am sorry to disturb your rest, but you are needed at the hangar bay,” Xylo apologized. “I will show you around the ship and let you choose a dining hall for breakfast after we are done.”
I groaned. Couldn’t a girl sleep in?
At least he hadn’t lied; the special escort must be sitting in the hangar bay.
Biting my bottom lip, I eyed Xylo a moment before responding.
“We need to talk, but it seems now is not the time. What do I need before we go to the hangar bay?”
He let out a deep breath that I hadn’t noticed he was holding and gave me a small smile as his pupilless eyes brightened.
“Just yourself. Are you ready?”
I inspected my blue gown and tried to smooth some of the wrinkles.
“As ready as I can be.” I shrugged and exited the room. A whoosh sounded behind me as the door shut. I looked at Xylo. “Ready when you are.”
He smiled. “Follow me. We must hurry. Everyone is waiting.”
Hurrying might be a problem in my current state. I looked at Xylo for a moment in consideration, then hooked my arm through his.
“Lead the way,” I said, returning his earlier smile.
Xylo looked down at our linked arms, then up at me in shock.
“I don’t trust myself walking long distances yet—especially if we’re in a hurry. My muscles are stiff, and I still feel a little unsteady. Just make sure I don’t trip, and we’ll be all right.”
His vines shivered though they remained wrapped around his torso. He nodded. “I will not let anything happen to you.”
An awkward si
lence fell as we walked.
Last night’s argument must have hurt him more than I’d thought. It wasn’t the time to hash it all out, but maybe there was something I could do to ease him... Searching my mental shields, I found the strand that connected us and unblocked him.
I bit my lip as I studied Xylo out of the corner of my eye. He was staring at me. He must’ve sensed the change. I felt one of his vines—cool and smooth against my skin—snake around the arm hooked in his. Glancing down, I saw the flowered tip wrap itself around the silver bracelet.
He smiled.
We approached a set of large metallic double doors. They opened with a whoosh as we walked in front of the sensors.
The hanger bay was enormous.
A cargo shuttle hulked near the hanger door we’d just stepped through. On the landing strip sat a sleek black ship, slightly larger than the numerous fighters lining the walls. A cluster of people stood alongside the dark ship.
I screeched to a halt when I examined the group.
Xylo looked down at me in concern.
I recognized everyone who’d been in my room last night, but there were many others. The variations were overwhelming, and I needed to pause a moment to take it all in.
I was able to identify the two Circuli species. Xylo’s Wudox—with plant-like bodies and six vines—bore similarities to the aquatic aliens who’d invaded my room last night—though the latter had four tentacles. They must be the Ulax sister species. The two species varied widely in color, pattern, and texture, but both wielded natural blades somewhere on their bodies.
What struck me was the difference in Xylo’s appearance. Where his coloring and patterns reminded me of space, every other Wudox I could see looked more like plants. We had more in common than I’d thought. We each looked unlike others of our species. I wondered if he’d been subjected to the same isolation it had caused me.
Xylo silently watched me examine the other Wudox, looking from them to him. He carefully unwrapped the vine from my arm, a strained look on his face, then slid his arm free.
“I understand if you—”
I could hear the suppressed pain lacing every word. I turned to grab his hand before he could pull away and looked him straight in his teal eyes, willing him to believe me.
“Don’t you dare. I think you’re gorgeous. We’re kindred spirits, Xylo. I think we’ve both suffered the isolation that comes with being different. The Stars. Fate. Whatever you want to believe in must have brought us together, knowing we had a common bond. Don’t you dare think you aren’t good enough just because you don’t look like a common houseplant,” I scolded, giving him a broad smile.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then glanced at the group awaiting us. He squeezed my hand.
“Thank you. It is hard looking the way I do. Before you arrived, I never thought I would have a chance to bond with a nestqueen.”
“Xylo... you need to know I’m trying to absorb everything. It hasn’t even been a day, and my life has been turned upside-down. Please be patient with me.”
“I will. And Selena, I must tell you that you impressed everyone with your Galactic Common last night. I know you would rather mindspeak to me—and I am willing to relay for you—but I think you should practice speaking Common with others.” He paused and glanced over at the crowd. “We will continue this conversation when we have more time. Right now, you are needed.”
He relinked our arms and led me across the hangar bay.
As we neared, the group fell silent and parted to reveal a smaller cluster—three of who I recognized from the misunderstanding last night. Beside them stood two figures who were clearly neither Wudox nor Ulax.
One of the figures was clearly male, encased in a black bodysuit. A dark metallic visor wrapped around his head, disappearing into the blue-black shoulder-length hair that was tied back at his neck. A green cloth draped across his face, leaving his long, pointy, tan ears and a pair of curving black horns visible. A matching deep green cape flowed behind him.
The other was unlike anything I’d seen before, yet exotically beautiful—akin to the peacocks or tropical birds I’d read had once roamed Earth’s jungles.
Right down to the set of magnificent wings.
The arch of the wings was dark blue, fading to cyan at the tips. The coverts were green. The secondary and primary feathers were large and golden. Even folded, the wings were taller than I was, and they looked heavy. The top half of the body was covered with fine cyan feathers that graduated to larger and darker blue at the hips. Leathery avian feet with three golden talons and a large hind claw rested on the floor. I could just make out the tips of golden tail feathers behind them. Larger feathers cascaded from shoulder to chest in shades of blues, greens, and gold. The hands were surprisingly human but covered in downy teal feathers and tipped with wicked black claws. Blue and green feathers sprouted from the corners of the eyes to the top of their head in place of hair. An angular golden face and a sleek gold beak, framed by intelligent pale green eyes, completed the stunning picture.
What shocked me more than the exotic appearance of the alien was its clothing. A neon-green bandolier crisscrossed their chest—numerous pockets sealed with mirror-like buttons—and attached to a neon-blue loincloth. I’d never seen anyone dressed in such vibrant colors. On the Yaarkin ship, everyone who’d worn clothing had always worn black or dark colors.
Xylo’s voice pulled me away from my close examination of the two new aliens. “Prince Z’fir. Prince V’dim. I brought Selena as requested.”
Xylo bowed his head to two of the males I’d kicked from my room last night. They were princes! I was horror-struck. What would they do to me?
I shifted uneasily.
The last thing I needed was to have offended royalty. Perhaps I could convince my new escort to take me with them. At least I had his assurance I wouldn’t be harmed—they were there to protect me.
The Wudox Prince stepped toward me with a smile.
I examined him warily. His skin was dark brown, threaded with medium tan and rich green veins. Deadly-looking blades grew along the line of his thighs. The same vibrant green colored his mossy shoulders and the roots of his hair and vines, shading to a dark red at the petals and ends of his hair. Deep emerald eyes stared reassuringly into mine.
“I believe we—most unfortunately—met on bad terms last night. I am Prince Z’fir, third-ranking Prince of the Wudox. And this is the co-commander of the Destiny, Prince V’dim.”
The Ulax Prince stepped forward, nodding to Xylo before turning his gaze to me.
Unlike Prince Z’fir, Prince V’dim’s skin was cobalt, covered in a wide range of blue, turquoise, and indigo swirls. Unlike the Wudox, his blades grew from his forearms and hips. They were colored in graduating shades of blue with speckles in the same variety of turquoise and indigo as the rest of his body. His tentacles matched his skin but with turquoise tips. There was no nose, and he had a slit for a mouth. Deep indigo anemone-like hair, turquoise irises surrounded black pupils, and small fins folded against his head where ears would be completed the picture.
I glanced down and noticed the Ulax feet differed from the Wudox. They were like a human’s in shape, but with three longer, thicker, webbed toes—in Prince V’dim’s case, the webbing was dark teal.
“I am Prince V’dim, third-ranking Prince of the Ulax. These males claim they were sent by the Aldawi to guard you for the remainder of our trip to CEG HQ.”
Prince Z’fir turned toward the visored male. “This is Kaede—a special agent sent as your personal guard.”
Kaede stepped smoothly forward and knelt. He clasped my hand in a firm grip and lifted it to his face, kissing it beneath the cloth covering his face. As my hand fell back to my side, he bowed his head to his knee.
My cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
“I am Kaede. My life is yours.” His voice was melodious and echoed with his pride in this duty.
Shocked, not knowing how to react to the dramatic pro
nouncement, I gave him a small smile and tilted my head as I’d seen Xylo do.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Selena. I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure it’s not necessary. I’m nobody and certainly don’t want anyone sacrificing their life for my own.”
The avian alien slid between us. He pounded his chest with his right fist, pale green eyes filled with mischief.
“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re important to the Aldawi and CEG—or they’d never have offered to pay me such exorbitant credits to escort you. I’d say you’re worth a lot,” he joked in a singsong voice.
Oh yes, the peacock was clearly male and with a personality to match the plumage. It explained his showy clothing. I recalled reading male birds on Earth often attracted females with their gaudy displays.
Giving him a pointed stare, I replied, “And you would be?”
“I am Qraniebi, hired mercenary, at your service.” His wings rippled behind him as he placed his right fist on his chest and made a shallow bow. “I do the dirty jobs the Aldawi can’t without creating problems at CEG. I’m getting paid a hefty retainer to ensure your exquisite self makes it to CEG HQ without a single hair missing from that pretty head of yours.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course! He would reward such a flamboyant male with a fortune to deliver me to him at the space station.
“Whoever would pay that much for my safety is insane,” I said, hoping to bait him into revealing something of his employer.
“Believe it, female. I don’t work for free.” He winked as he looked me over. “Though were circumstances different, I’d say you could pay me in other ways. But given who has hired me... sorry, you’ll have to keep your hands to yourself.”
My mouth fell open in shock. He couldn’t possibly believe I would throw myself at him to gain his escort to CEG HQ...
Before I recovered enough to reply, Qraniebi turned to the princes.
“Now, if you’d send crew to unload the crates on my fighter, I’ll return to my own ship. The crates are for Selena. A gift. If you’d make sure they’re delivered to her cabin?”
