by Jade Waltz
Copyright © 2020 Jade Waltz
Develop is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
All rights reserved.
Published by: Jade Waltz
First Edition: July 2020
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-952420-92-4
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952420-05-4
Cover Artist:
Kim Cunningham
PreMade Book Covers by Atlantis Book Design
http://https://www.atlantisbookdesign.com/
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Formatting services provided by Purple Fall Publishing
Husband,
Thank you for supporting me with this crazy adventure.
You understood I needed a channel to express myself and to put the stories in my head into words.
I love you.
Jason,
Thank you for everything.
If it weren't for you, I would be some lost girl still looking for some help.
Readers,
To all the alien lovers who would wear a "Take Me!" shirt when aliens come to abduct us - this is for you.
This book is the beginning of an expansive universe.
I hope you all will take this incredible journey along with me.
~Jade Waltz
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter One
Selena
The thick jungle leaves failed to block the heat radiating from the tropical sun as it beamed through the hatchery’s glass dome. Sweat poured down my face, taunting me to wipe it away, threatening to make me reveal myself.
Slow and controlled breaths.
No sudden movements.
Any noise could alert the predators of their prey—me.
I perched on a high branch overlooking the crosswalk below, hidden by the canopy’s shade.
I refused to be the first one discovered.
The Aldawi could easily lurk in the shadows, and the Wudox could blend into the foliage. Judging by the direction my golden bond threads were pointing, my Ulax nestmates were cheating by hiding below the pool’s surface.
“We aren’t cheating,” Odelm chuckled.
“We are being resourceful,” V’dim added.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t see how hiding deep underwater is fair. You know they can’t swim!”
“Please don’t be upset when you are caught before us,” Odelm pleaded.
“Selena, it’s understandable if you are incapable of surviving,” Z’fir teased. “This is a warriors’ game.”
“And we were designed to blend in with nature,” Xylo shared.
“Designed?”
Instantly, I shielded myself, shutting down my connections to my bragging males. If they were going to abuse the nature of the game to win, then I would use my own resources to become victorious.
I bit my bottom lip and gently grabbed all four golden threads, envisioning myself pulling them together in a tight hold, then yanked. Hard.
Grunts came from the direction of my Wudox mates, as splashes followed by gasps sounded from the water’s surface. I sucked in a breath and held it as the brush across the paved walkway rustled. Shadows jerked and dashed away from my location, toward their noisy prey.
Growls and yelps filled the dome.
I sighed with a sense of relief.
As their nestqueen, I was designed to alert them whenever I had a need. By tugging on our connections, I startled them from their hiding places and blew their cover.
My tree’s limb bowed as furry arms wrapped around me and broke my hold on the trunk.
“What do I get for catching you first?” Zirene purred, his deep voice almost too low to hear.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back into his embrace. “Some stolen moments alone in quiet as our cubs hunt for us,” I whispered, not wanting to be found just yet.
“It pleases me that you agreed to take part in these hunter-and-prey games.” He lifted me onto his lap, snuggling me closer to him.
“I want to do what I can to help.” I jerked my head in the direction of my gathered nestmates, their threads bonded together. “Something this simple matters to them.”
“You are a magnificent female. Remember that.”
We sat in silence as I ignored the warmth that surrounded me, not caring about the sweat that continued to soak my clothes as it dripped down my body.
Once, I had not dared to fantasize about moments like this: Alone with my dreamscape male—my Shadow—as we played with our cubs, alongside the other males in my life.
Each member of my clan overcame a different past, and all came together for one reason—to build a better future with me.
I glanced up at Lunkai hanging in the sky, the sun's brightness blocking the forces responsible for my good fortune. I thanked the Stars and the Fates for what I had, like I did every day.
“How did you find me?”
“You think I don’t know my Nova’s scent?” His soft chuckle rolled through me.
“Then why didn’t they find me?" I silently gestured where I’d last seen my cubs. "They were near.”
“They may know their mother’s scent, but that doesn’t mean they can easily find it. This terrarium air is humid and flooded with foreign odors. Besides, their noses aren’t fully developed.” He dragged his nose along the nape of my neck. “Unlike mine.”
I could sense my nestmates’ threads slowly gathering together near the pool’s shore. Zirene and I were now the only remaining clan members to be found.
“Looks like we are the last ones standing.”
“And I don’t smell our cubs nearby yet.”
“How confident are you in your ability to sense them?”
He pulled his face away from my neck and placed a paw on my cheek, tilting my head to face his. “Completely.” His amethyst eyes searched mine. “Why? What ails you?”
Sighing, I glanced away, embarrassed by my lingering insecurities at a time like this. “I’m worried about tomorrow.” Zirene’s tail flicked against my leg, tickling me. I grabbed it, feeling it twitch within my grasp as I met his gaze once again. “What if they don’t like me? Or I can’t answer all their questions? I don’t want to seem like an unfit leader. I still can’t believe this moon is mine, regardless of how much help I have to manage it.”
“Were you feeling this way before your magnificent display in front of the Assembly?”
“No, because you gave me this.” Letting go of his tail, I grabbed my necklace, dangling the priceless jewel-like sphere between us. “Somehow, your distraction gave me the courage I needed to prove myself to the politicians.”
“The
citizens want to meet the female who has begun remodeling the moon. The female for whom I have designed the villa on top of the mountain. Whether you like it or not, Selena, you need to address them.” His eyes softened. “I know a lot of weight has been placed on your shoulders so suddenly, but it’s been a month since you arrived on Destima. The time to address them is long overdue. The longer you wait, the more the population will question your leadership and purpose for them.”
I dropped the necklace as shame flooded me. “I’m afraid to fail. That is why I’m so worried.”
“You have nothing to be worried about,” Zirene purred, the deep rumble of his voice rolling down my spine, instantly calming my nerves. “I will be standing beside you, along with your four nestmates. Kaede and his sisters will be nearby as support.”
“Is their presence necessary?”
Zirene gently fingered a strand of my hair, bringing it to his nose and closing his eyes as he breathed in my scent. “No, but due to the unusual circumstances that brought you here, I don’t want to take any chances.” Releasing my hair, he opened his eyes, locking them on mine. “There is still that foreign presence somewhere out there that wants something from you.”
A sudden chill passed through me, cutting through the thick blanket of tropical humidity within the dome.
He was right. Beyond the glamorous paradise and relaxation, a threat still loomed.
“What am I supposed to do?” I licked my lips, my throat suddenly parched. “Go on living aimlessly in this fancy prison forever?” Sighing, I glanced away as I tried and failed to make out any of my clan members in the distance. “Zirene, I know this is the safest place for me, but sooner or later, I am going to want to stop hiding and face my problems.”
“Selena, look at me.” Pulling my mind away from my dreadful thoughts, I hesitated before meeting the amethyst eyes I knew so well. “Our enemies are far away and will be for some time. Promise me you won’t do anything reckless while I’m away settling the disturbances within the empire. Once I return, I will give you the stars, for I know how much traveling amongst them means to you.”
“I’m not foolish. You won’t have to worry about me whenever your duties call. I just wish I didn’t have to worry about some unknown force threatening me and claiming that I know something I don’t.”
“Believe in me, Selena.” He cupped my cheek lovingly, his eyes filled with fierce determination. “I will do anything to protect our clan. Anything. I just ask you to have faith in me and your security.”
“Zirene,” I breathed. “I trust you . . . and your ability to protect us. Just please don’t leave me in the dark.”
“Never again,” he swore, brushing my hair back. “I have worked too hard to regain your trust. I don’t need . . . I don’t want to have to regain it all over again.”
My hands found his thick mane as I pressed myself against his bare chest and leaned in for a kiss. He was the male the Stars had destined for me, tying us together as Nova and Shadow.
A loud growl ripped from his throat. His paws held my face as his mouth pressed hard against mine. He immediately took control, drawing me even closer. He melded our lips together and licked the seam of my mouth, teasing as he asked for entrance. Without hesitation, I opened, allowing him the access we both craved. A groan escaped me as his warm and spicy taste exploded upon my tongue. Closing my eyes, I let myself melt against him as our tongues performed an exotic dance, lost to the world around us.
A sudden pressure pushed against my mental shields, snapping me from my trance. I jerked my eyes open and pulled away.
Zirene lazily opened his lids, confused by my unexpected retreat. His eyes widened before his ears pinned back as he snapped his head toward the trunk of the tree. A quick snarl ripped through the air, rumbling through his body.
Three dark figures burst through the underbrush and tackled us, knocking Zirene over. Gasping, I caught myself on the tree limb as Zirene’s arms caged my body and prevented me from falling.
I gripped the branch hard, my nails digging into the rough bark, as I turned my face to brace for the impact.
Below me, all four of my nestmates stood with worried expressions. Their appendages and arms were spread out as if prepared to catch me if I fell. My Ulax males’ coloring turned a scared white.
“Caught! Caught! Caught!”
“We found you!”
“Found! Found! Found!”
A series of youthful chuckles rolled through the air. In their joyous chatter, my Aldawi cubs were oblivious of the harm they had almost caused me.
“On the ground. All three of you,” Zirene barked, lacking the thickness of his usual dominant aura. “You may have succeeded in finding us, but you have put your mother in danger in the process.”
I released my shield, reopening my connections to my nestmates, as the cubs obediently climbed down the tree trunk.
“Are you well?” Xylo asked, concerned. “Do I need my medkit?”
“Did we upset you?” Odelm’s eyes were laced with worry. “We didn’t mean to.”
“Do you need assistance?” V’dim wondered. “Z’fir and I can aid you.”
The warmth of Zirene’s body disappeared behind me as an arm snaked around my torso, gently pulling me from the tree’s bark.
Using his other arm, he lifted me off of the tree’s limb and cradled me against his chest. My vision blackened for a moment, the familiar shadowstep feeling rushing through me. We appeared on the hatchery’s ground, next to our clan.
Zirene placed me down as my upset males instantly surrounded me.
“She is fine.” Zirene placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her. If we had lost our balance, I would have shadowstepped us away.”
“He’s right; I’m fine.” I nodded, confirming Zirene’s statement. “I will be more careful when I climb trees.” Searching all of my Circuli males' eyes, I continued over our private connections. “I’m sorry for keeping our connections blocked for so long. Your words angered me, so I wanted to prove to you that I could remain hidden, even with my disadvantages.”
“Will you forgive us?”
“We are sorry for what we said.”
I could feel their honesty through our bonds.
It wasn’t their fault that their teasing triggered traumatic memories of my past. It was still difficult remembering how I’d been mocked and feared for my appearance. I had been designed differently than—superior to—the other demi-humans. My silver hair and the spots along my skin made it impossible to hide and blend in, not when everyone else sported solid earth tones.
That was why I felt so safe with my clan. They didn’t care how I looked; only my soul mattered.
My nestmates all loved me—in one form or another—and accidentally hurting me devastated them. There was no reason to hold onto my anger, especially when I had to focus on my speech tomorrow.
“All is well.”
Chapter Two
Selena
Lying on my nestbed, I stared aimlessly out the windows as I watched the sun sink below the horizon.
It was hard to believe that we’d been here for a month, settling down as a clan without incident. Every night since Zirene’s return, I wound up nestled between Odelm and Xylo, with the Circuli princes on one side, and my Aldawi prince curled up on the other. My mates seemed to have come to an agreement of sorts, without consulting me. They never fought amongst each other, at least not in front of the cubs and me. The lack of arguments between them assured me that they were trying to respect my wishes.
Their considerate behavior allowed me to focus on my speech, but no matter how much I prepared, I felt as if I wasn’t ready for tomorrow.
What if I freeze up? What if someone asks me a question, and I’m unable to come up with a reply?
Everyone else disagreed with me, of course, telling me I was prepared enough and that they would be there as support. However, I wasn't sure I was truly meant to lea
d.
Destima was the greatest gift I could receive, but the colony came with a lot of responsibilities. Suddenly, the stress of all the obligations that were shoved into my lap was starting to affect me. I would bear the pressure, not only to better my clan's future, but also everyone else’s who resided on the moon. Destima was an island of refugees searching for a place to belong.
I was their future, whether I liked it or not. They needed a protector, and I would do my damndest to protect them.
Another worry weighed on my mind. Eventually, there would be consequences eventually for my abrupt bonding with V’dim and Z’fir. Maybe a disturbance within our clan, or maybe involving my mates’ mothers, the Circuli Queens somehow.
I wasn’t foolish. My actions in front of the Assembly a month ago would eventually cause ripples. The question was what kind, and when.
Despite all my worries, I loved my two original nestmates—Xylo and Odelm—for we were kindred spirits, each of us different compared to others of our respective species. They had been the very foundation of my growth, and the base of my stability. I couldn’t begin to fathom who I would have become if someone else had found my escape pod. If something were to happen to them, I don’t know that I could bear it.
I wouldn’t call it a one-sided dependence. As their nestqueen, they needed me as much as I needed them. We shared a mutually dependent relationship, even though their biological needs made them yearn for a nestqueen to complete them. Would my adaptive abilities, given to me by my designers, make me feel the same level of connection to them? Would every minute I spent with them strengthen my connection to each male, triggering an instinct within me, making me dependent on them?
