by Jade Waltz
I moaned and rocked forward, struggling to get closer still.
One of his vines pushed inside me and I shuddered, collapsing against his back. I gripped his mossy shoulders, needing something solid to anchor me.
My hard nipples pressed against him, rubbing erotically against his scales with each shuddering breath I took.
I could feel the vine inside rubbing lightly as it suctioned along my walls, and my center contracted, trying to grip it tighter.
I needed more.
A second vine entered as a third latched itself onto my clit.
My body shook with need.
I sucked harder on the vine in my mouth, and he shivered beneath me with a groan.
The vine on my clit sucked harder. I moaned as the two inside me rubbed against my inner walls, sucking kisses hitting that sensitive spot inside me as I felt myself teetering on the edge.
“Please, oh Stars, please...”
One of the vines thrust deeper, latching onto my cervix as the other sucked hard on my clit. I screamed as I shattered around him.
My vision blurred as I heard Xylo’s low groan of satisfaction.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Selena
Warmth surrounded me as I woke. My head rested on something soft. Cracking an eye, the light coming through the curtains told me it was morning. I was tucked against Xylo’s side, his arm holding me close, our legs tangled, his vines enclosing us in the warmth of the blanket.
I couldn't recall how I’d gotten here.
“Xylo?”
A growl and Xylo jerked awake, jackknifing to an upright position, tossing me to the mattress beside him. His vines spread wide in a protective stance as his eyes wildly scanned the room.
“What’s wrong, Xylo?” I whispered.
He looked down at me lying in bed, surprised. “I thought you were in danger.”
I scrunched my face and eyed him. “Umm... Why would I be?”
He wrapped his vines back around his torso, then laid down beside me, pulling me into his side. “I do not know what that was about. I woke up with a sudden need to protect you.”
Not knowing what to say, I simply cuddled next to him in silence, thinking. Realizing one-on-one time to get to know one another would soon be interrupted by the delivery of my cubs, I decided to spend as much time now as I could getting to Xylo.
“What was last night about?”
Giving me a squeeze, he said, “You tell me.”
I blushed as I tried to hide my face against his chest. “I enjoyed myself. I hope I didn’t get carried away.”
He turned on his side, facing me. Searching my eyes, he said with feeling, “Carried away? It is I who should apologize for getting carried away with you, not you. I could not control myself last night. Not with how you smelled and tasted. Your thoughts of arousal and what you wished for me to do to you combined with your exploring...” He shivered. “When you did not wake, I feared I had done something wrong.”
Placing my hand on his cheek, I smiled at him. “You didn’t. I’ve never done what we did last night, and it felt like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I think I just passed out from the pleasure. It surprised me to wake up this morning entangled with you and realize I’d slept away the night.”
“Are you sure? I still do not know what came over me.”
“I’m sure. Perhaps it has to do with me not you. But it was good. I hope we can always feel free to explore with one another.” My stomach growled. “Perhaps we should get out of bed and get some breakfast before Kaede comes banging on our door.”
When I’d finished getting ready, I saw Xylo had beaten me to the common room of the suite. He was standing next to the glass wall, staring into the terrarium.
“I’m ready to go. Are you?”
Xylo glanced over and smiled. “Yes.”
We left the suite and headed down the hallway toward the lift. Turning the corner, I saw Kaede leaning against the wall across from the bank of lifts, tapping away at his armband as usual.
“Breakfast?” I asked.
Kaede glanced up. “I was wondering if I was going to have to force you guys out of bed again.”
The three of us entered the lift and headed to my favorite café. Once we’d settled and I’d taken a few bites, I surreptitiously looked up at Xylo and Kaede, trying to judge their mood. I needed to tell them what I’d decided but had to have them on board to make it happen. Both looked relaxed... I nodded and set down my spork with a decisive click.
Xylo looked up at me in surprise. I met his gaze.
“I’ve decided I need to prepare myself for this new life. Depending on others to fight for my rights while I know nothing about what I face is not my style. I’ve always had to rely on myself, gather knowledge wherever I could, teach myself anything I wanted to know, so I’d like your help to learn as much as I can before we get to the space station.”
Kaede started coughing as he placed his beverage on the table. “You want to study?”
I nodded emphatically. “Yes. Well, no—I need to study. Would you two help me find information about the Aldawi and about CEG—culture, laws, system of rule? I want to determine my rights, understand what I am getting into.”
I glanced again at Xylo, hoping he’d support me in this. Kaede appeared to be struggling with the concept.
“I don’t want to cause trouble. I just need to feel informed. Plus, you’ll know I am safely out of trouble while you’re working if I am cooped up doing research. I know there isn’t nearly enough time to learn everything I might need to know, but I need to do something. Please, Xylo. You’re a scholar. You know how powerful arming oneself with knowledge can be...” I trailed off when an answer did not seem forthcoming.
Xylo shared a glance with Kaede, then stared down at the table for a moment before meeting my gaze. “Okay. If this is what you need to feel safe, to feel in control, I will help. And you are right, it will put my mind at ease while I am at work, knowing we won’t have a repeat of what occurred in the terrarium yesterday. I will load my spare tablet with the material I believe you want and need. It’s at the infirmary.”
I leaned over in the booth and wrapped my arms around Xylo, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”
Letting him go, I grabbed my spork, appetite roaring back with a vengeance now that was settled.
“You’re seriously fine with this?” Kaede asked Xylo in disbelief.
“She is in the last stages of her pregnancy. Her stamina is going to decrease, her hunger will increase, and she will start having pregnancy pains. I am surprised she has not already.” Picking up his glass for a sip, he continued, “This will serve multiple positive functions—put her mind at ease, allow her to rest, and keep her somewhere we know she will stay out of trouble. Do you really not see the benefits?”
I wanted to protest but kept my mouth shut. He was helping me get what I wanted after all.
Kaede chuckled, then turned his visored gaze on me. “Well, when you put it that way... Okay, I’ll drop whatever information I have onto Xylo’s spare tablet. You sitting around reading will certainly make my job easier.”
“Then it’s settled. Thank you both!”
I struggled to sit still through the remainder of our meal.
The excitement continued to bubble through me as we walked to the infirmary, my arm once more linked with Xylo’s as Kaede trailed behind us. Though it had only been a few days, I had been feeling aimless—having a goal reinvigorated me.
I smiled at every crew member we passed. To my surprise, most either nodded or returned my smile.
That made me think about the announcement the princes had mentioned. Perhaps that was all that held back the Circuli? Maybe they didn’t look down at me as the other humans aboard the Yaarkin vessel had. Maybe I just needed to be brave enough to introduce myself to a few of them, but I also didn’t want to make a social misstep. What if by speaking to a claimed nestmate I offended their nestqueen? What if I gave an unclaimed male the w
rong idea?
I sighed.
Information. Knowledge. Research.
I would add learning about Xylo’s culture to my list—it was just as important.
I clutched my new tablet to my chest as I hurried into the terrarium. I’d known precisely where I’d find inspiration and quiet to explore the information they’d given me. I plopped down against the tree at the edge of the forest and turned on the tablet. I scrolled through the options, settling on Aldawi culture, and dove into an exciting new world.
Sometime later, a tap on the bottom of my foot startled me, and I dropped the tablet, looking up in surprise.
Odelm’s concerned face stared down at me.
“You missed lunch. I checked with Xylo, and he said you were here studying.”
I scooped up the tablet and reached out my other hand to Odelm. He stared down at it a moment, then grabbed it to help me to my feet. I dusted myself off, then looked over at him.
“Why were you checking on me?”
He looked away.
“We had made plans for me to teach you how to swim. When you did not arrive for lunch, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Twice now you skipped lunch and our lesson. It makes me wonder if you are still interested in learning how to swim.” He sighed. “And I still do not agree with Xylo leaving you to roam on your own. You are his nestqueen and pregnant, he should be by your side to protect you and attend to your needs...”
Sensing Odelm launching into his favorite refrain—criticism of Xylo—I rolled my eyes and walked away. I was sick and tired of hearing it. I was neither Circuli nor an invalid, and I did not want Xylo putting his life on hold to wait on me hand and foot. Nor had I been doing anything dangerous. I was studying. What harm could possibly come from that? The most dangerous thing I’d done to date was swimming—and that was with Odelm to watch over me.
Though to be honest, I’d asked him to teach me more to foster a friendship than because I felt it necessary.
Whether he realized it or not, Odelm was trying to control me—the restrictive hovering chafed. Maybe it was instinct he was hard-pressed to control, but I was human—even as altered as I was—and didn’t need to be coddled by others. I didn’t want to give up even a small measure of freedom again.
Something smooth and slightly rubbery wrapped around my wrist, halting my progress. I stopped but tugged to free it from Odelm’s grip.
“Selena. Please.”
I turned around and stared him down. “What?”
“Tell me what I did wrong,” Odelm begged.
“Stop judging Xylo. It’s not your concern, nor do you have all the facts. His research is important to my health and that of my offspring. And while he’s busy, I’m doing my part to prepare for our arrival at CEG HQ. I’m not going to go in there blind, depending on others to fight my battles for me.”
“Is that what you were doing when I arrived? Studying?” he asked, eyeing the tablet in my hand.
“Yes.”
I tugged more forcefully at my wrist, and he looked down in surprise he still held it. He released my wrist, sliding it back around his torso in embarrassment. I decided to offer an olive branch.
“Look, Odelm. I’m sorry for not contacting you about canceling our swimming lesson. I should’ve been more thoughtful. I’d had a spur-of-the-moment idea over breakfast and got excited, but I should’ve contacted you before I dove into my research. I really do want to learn how to swim, and I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
“I forgive you. I know you have a lot going on at the moment. Can we forget it and go get you something to eat? I have a performance soon and would like you there to hear it. You can even study at the café.”
I smiled at him, glad we had cleared the air, and he wasn’t upset with me about forgetting our plans. “I’d enjoy that.”
Odelm escorted me to the café and kept me company for my late lunch. Nursing a drink, he quizzed me about my research and how my pregnancy was progressing. I enjoyed our conversation. As I finished the last of my meal, I decided to just ask him the question that had been burning in my mind since I’d learned about his past. Surely, we had become friends, and he’d forgive my nosiness.
“Odelm, can I ask you something?”
He turned from the wristband he’d been studying to look up at me. “What is it?”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want. Feel free to tell me it’s none of my business—I know it’s both personal and sensitive—but I’ve not been able to figure it out. Why were you released from your courting bond? What did you do that it was severed?” I whispered, trying to gauge his reaction.
He shut his eyes and took a shuddering breath. Grabbing his drink, he opened his eyes and gazed into the swirling liquid before taking a sip.
“I am sure you have noticed both Xylo and I look different from everyone else aboard ship?”
After a few seconds, I realized he was waiting for my reply. Hurriedly, I answered, “Yes, but I don’t see how that’s a problem? You’re both beautiful. Plus, anyone who’d judge your worth solely on your looks is a fool.”
He grimaced and said with a snort, “Well, Xylo is lucky to have you as his nestqueen because others do not agree.” He turned and met my eyes, his own brimming with sadness and hurt. “Her name does not matter anymore. She was the wealthy daughter of a shop my fathers did business with often. She thought I was a prize to be had and offered to take me as her nestmate after one of my performances. I agreed—what male in my situation would not?” He paused and took another deep breath. “I took the offer though I did not know her well. As a musician with a decided lack of looks, I had known chances were slim I would ever be part of a nestqueen’s clan. This was an unlooked-for opportunity, and I seized on it. And it would provide my fathers with a permanent connection to her clan.
“Things seemed fine. I did what every male would do to win over their nestqueen—following her, doing her bidding, caring for her. I only performed when I was not needed. After one of my performances, she came to me. She stated she was having doubts about our court bond. Other nestqueens were judging her. They said I was too pretty to be male, and since I played music, I was not masculine enough to have as a nestmate. She said she would overlook their criticisms and accept my bonding spore, only if I quit performing. If I only played music for her—in private.”
My heart bled for him as I tried not to let the tears overflow. He had been treated abominably and given how traumatic a severed courting bond appeared to be, I could understand now why Odelm seemed to be angry at females in general. I reached across the table to cover his hand with my own.
He looked down at our joined hands, his face anguished.
“And you picked your music over having a nestqueen?”
“Yes. I had heard how painful severing it could be, but I could not imagine it being more painful than being separated from my music. The occasional private performance would not have been enough.”
“Do you regret it?” I asked quietly.
He looked up at me. “I only regret having established a courting bond with her in the first place. Yes, being able to play is worth this hollow feeling.”
“I’m your friend. If there’s anything I can do to help...” I squeezed his hands. “Feel free to come and talk to me anytime. I want to be there for you as you have been for me.”
He gave me a sad smile before pulling his hands away and glancing down at his wristband. “Thank you. Surprisingly, I feel better being able to talk to you about it. I had always assumed discussing it would make it worse. I will remember this conversation. But right now, I need to get ready for my performance. Will you stay?”
“I would love to. I’ll sit here and listen as I continue my research.”
“Thank you, Selena. I will return when I am done.”
I watched him thoughtfully for a moment as he left the booth and stepped up on stage. Then I turned back to Xylo’s tablet to continue where I’d left off.
Odelm’s mus
ic that night was slow and emotion-filled. Each note made me feel what he felt. I was the one riding high, then plunging into despair as I soared and dipped with his incredible performance. I finally gave up my vain attempts to study and simply leaned back in the booth and closed my eyes to listen.
Time passed, and I lost myself in the music, listening to Odelm put his heart into his music until darkness overcame me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Odelm
Jealousy was something Odelm had rarely experienced, but it had been his constant companion since Selena had come into his life. Was it really only a few short days ago?
He had long since accepted the hand the Fates had dealt him, but he was feeling emotions he had not since he was a youngling. Seeing how Master Scholar Xylo and Selena interacted, he had found himself longing—as he once had—to be better, to be accepted.
He wished a nestqueen like Selena had been the one to pick him. To be given the freedom to play his music while having the mental comforts of a nestqueen...
Odelm still felt Xylo should have taken a break from his work to aid Selena in adjusting to life on the ship. He was amazed at her resilience. He could not comprehend how she could so readily accept everything that had happened to her, that it had made her neither bitter nor timid. The fact she consistently defended Xylo—and argued her strong belief nestmates should be allowed the independence to follow their interests—baffled him, but he knew that it was proof of her character.
‘What-ifs’ had flooded every waking moment since she had talked to him that first day. He still had not forgiven himself for making her leak water—what she called ‘crying.’ Selena was not like any of the nestqueens he had known. Including the ones aboard ship—who he still believed would forget their fine new ideals and dreams, reverting to the old ways once they had settled on a new planet. He had certainly never considered—nor wanted—another chance to prove himself to a nestqueen.
