by Jade Waltz
“And what would that be?” I studied him, wondering why he was playing along.
“How about I give you a back massage that would make your nestmates jealous?” he teased. “I know how much you loved my foot massages on the Destiny, and I’d like to see how my backrubs compare.”
I was almost afraid to ask but did anyway. “How many back massages have you given?”
“Of course you’d love to know,” he chuckled, stretching. “My sisters used to ask me for a backrub whenever we finished a mission. Now that we hardly cross paths anymore, I don’t have anyone to keep my skills up.”
“Uh-huh, that sounds plausible,” I snorted, unconvinced. “You just want to put your hands on me.”
“You caught me!” He raised his hands in a mocking surrender before laughing hysterically, almost falling over. “No, I was hoping if your nestmates felt your pleasure, they would come home and relieve me from my duties so I can get some work done.”
“Ah, I knew you had an ulterior motive!”
“You are starting to catch onto my ways. I may need to come up with new tactics to throw you off.”
“That’s not necessary,” I muttered, throwing my covers off as I rolled onto my stomach and laid my head on my arms. “Go ahead, before I change my mind.”
He just remained still, unmoving as his eyes drank me in.
A shiver passed down my spine, spreading goosebumps along my arms as I lay before him in nothing but my nightgown.
“Stars, you’re beautiful,” he muttered so softly that I almost didn’t catch it.
“If this is going to be a problem, you’re free to return to my desk and do whatever you were doing before we called Masmi—”
“No, Selena,” he breathed, licking his lips. “I’m fine, and I just needed to go over a few things on my visor.”
“A few things . . . Right,” I said pointedly.
“Just do me a favor, Selena,” he insisted. “Close your eyes and relax.”
I stared at the male for a moment. He was acting weird; he’d been like this since he returned with my Xowyn.
Was he upset that we had teased him? I’d thought he’d been enjoying himself and playing along, but now I wasn’t sure.
Sighing, I obeyed his request and closed my eyes, trusting him.
At the end of the day, though Kaede reported to Zirene and did his bidding, he still respected me. In a dangerous situation, I trusted him with my life—and the lives of my clan.
“I’ll be right back; I need to get something.”
In an instant, his weight disappeared from the mattress beside me. A few moments later, the familiar snap sounded as a body appeared behind me.
“It’s just me, Selena,” he whispered soothingly. “No one else but me.”
“I know,” I muttered. “Thanks for letting me know.”
The sound of something being squeezed filled the thick silence in the room. Having my eyes closed added a new level of trust—and anticipation—to this moment.
His calloused hands felt soft as they brushed my foot, earning him a squeal at the ticklish sensation.
“You asked for a foot massage,” he chuckled. “I figured I should start there.”
“Oh, you’re fine,” I moaned as he pressed his thumb into the arch of my foot. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”
“Do you want me to voice what I’m about to touch?” he whispered, sounding almost like a purr. “Or would you like to be surprised?”
“Up to you,” I muttered. “Just don’t stop.”
“Yes, my queen . . .” he drawled, almost too soft for me to hear.
When I opened my mouth to ask him why he’d called me that, he switched to the other foot, pulling another moan from me.
“Relax, Selena,” he mumbled. “I have you.”
And he did.
Slowly, he ran his hands down the length of my legs, only to move back up with a firm grip. Instead of stopping below the seam of my nightgown, he worked his hands underneath, kneading the skin just below my ass for a brief moment.
I shuddered at the sensation. His hands lingered tantalizingly along my inner thighs as he worked his way to the back of my knees.
Kaede slowly kneaded his fingers along the length of my legs again, focusing on the spots that earned him a moan from me.
“Do you want your nightgown on or off for your back?” he asked, his voice oddly thick.
“What works better for you?”
“It’s up to you, Selena. Your wish is my command.”
I raised an eyebrow at that statement but decided not to comment.
“You’ve already seen me naked before, so off is fine.”
Sitting up, I hurriedly tore off my garment and tossed it aside, resituating myself on my belly.
Almost instantaneously, his hands trailed along my back, one on each side of my spine. His fingers left a soft tingling sensation as he continued to run them back and forth, filling my mind with delightful sensations that washed over me.
I felt him place one leg on either side of mine, hovering above my ass.
Placing his palms on the bottom of my back, he slowly pushed upward, finally leaning over to grip my shoulders. His strong hands worked my muscles rhythmically as I felt his heavy breaths upon the nape of my neck.
I wondered how a movement so simple could feel so erotic. He moved his hands to both sides of my neck, kneading it skillfully with his agile fingers.
Kaede was right. He was good at giving massages. Almost too good.
Lying still, I let him work his palms up and down the crease of my neck, absorbing the sensations he was eliciting.
Suddenly, he paused, and I felt him softly breathing against my ear. The pace of his breaths increased until he was panting like he was running for his life.
“Kaede—”
As soon as I said his name, he nipped the lobe of my ear, tugging it swiftly but gently.
A moment later, he was gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Z’fir
V’dim and Z’fir had spent the previous afternoon finishing up preparations for their combined date with their nestqueen.
They weren’t scholars like Xylo, able to offer random tidbits of information about everything, or musicians like Odelm, who could express himself with his music.
No, they were trained warriors and former commanders of the Circuli fleet. They had fought battles, seen death, and cheered for victories.
They were also bonded together as nestbrothers, sworn to each other since their time in the hatchery. It had been a struggle growing up around others, always the outsiders. Their own siblings and mother had shunned them.
In the end, all they had was each other . . . Until she came.
Selena was their blessing. Every time they thought things couldn’t get better, they did. It pained them that they couldn’t experience the same love as her Favored—not because they wanted to take their place, but because they wanted to be loved like their nestbrothers.
What was this feeling they raved about? Why was it worth sacrificing everything for?
They had thought they’d known what love was until they’d joined Selena’s clan and entered their mental web. Now all they yearned for was for her to regard them with the same love she felt for her Favored.
They knew this was wishful thinking, and they should learn to be content with what they had. Through Selena, they had a nestqueen, a clan, a home for their people, and the support system they needed to rule.
When Z’fir’s nestbrothers had discussed what a date was, the concept had intrigued him. Why would other species go on special excursions to court their significant other when they were already mated? The battle was already won; they’d won the female, so why was upkeep needed?
The customs of other species within the CEG were confusing at best. The Quaww used their females as a bargaining chip to convince males to swear themselves to a flock’s leader. The Aldawi males and females outright hated each other and only tolera
ted each other during a female’s heat cycle. And the demi-humans? They believed in free love, which he’d encountered many times already.
How could they treat their females so carelessly?
A nestqueen should rank above every member of the clan; it was an ancient tradition. Nestqueens purposely gathered large clans, so males who weren’t her Primary, Second, or Favored were sacrificed first in battle. Circuli males were driven by an instinct to protect the nestqueen, as naturally as breathing.
“Do you think she will like our date?” Z’fir asked his brother.
“I believe Selena has always been easy to please,” V’dim replied. “She loves the beach and water, so our plan is almost fail-safe.”
“Was it wrong to ask Kaede to drive us after yesterday’s disaster?” His gaze flicked to the standoffish male who sat in the hovercraft. Ever since he had appeared—right on time—he had only nodded a greeting as he jumped into the vehicle and hadn’t moved since.
“Selena said she was fine with it. Kaede is the only one who was acting weird and left suddenly unannounced,” V’dim replied.
“Maybe we should’ve asked Xylo to drive us,” Z’fir mused, watching the garage’s double doors for their nestqueen. “He’s capable of piloting a hovercraft, and would be—”
“Z’fir, stop it,” V’dim hissed. “Your emotions are making mine go haywire. Don’t start second-guessing everything. I don’t want to start this date in a panic because you worked the both of us into a frenzy.”
“I am sorry,” he apologized. “You’re right.”
The twin doors slid open, revealing their nestqueen in all of her glory. Her hair was still braided and twisted into a crown on top of her head, making her look like the royalty she was fit to be. Tied around her waist was a tropical plant patterned cover similar to a scarf, which covered her matching golden bikini—at least that was what Symi had told them she would wear for their date. She had explained the garments demi-humans liked to swim in and provided a set of swimsuits for them to choose from.
Selena usually swam naked in their pool, but Symi had insisted that she shouldn’t be swimming naked in public and had requested they pick a swimsuit. They’d chosen the bikini because it had the least amount of fabric. Logically, less covering made sense to them, but they didn’t wear clothes, so the idea was still foreign to them.
Had they made the right choice? What if she didn’t like the color? Or style?
Females were already confusing, and never having to deal with providing clothing for one made everything even more stressful. Perhaps they should’ve asked their nestbrother’s for help. Xylo was the first one to dress her, designing what he called ‘slip-on’ tunic-like dresses for her as she lay unconscious to the universe, and Odelm had traveled with his merchant fathers doing trade runs, so he would’ve had a better idea of what clothing Selena would like.
They would have to make sure to find out more about clothing and fashion styles if they were going to be in charge of picking more outfits in the future.
“I’m ready!” she giggled, her voice like one of Odelm’s chimes as it rang in the air. “I can’t wait to see what you two have planned for me.”
“I told you,” V’dim shot at him. “You were worrying for nothing.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Kaede mumbled.
“Nothing is obvious when it comes to you, Mr. Doom and Gloom,” Selena hissed. “By the way, my ear is fine, thank you. Xylo checked on it as soon as he returned.”
Z’fir watched as he stiffened, yet refused to respond.
“It seems like our nestqueen is upset with him,” V’dim muttered.
“Or his mocking comment earned him a lashing.”
V’dim leaped into the hovercraft and offered a hand to Selena as Z’fir picked her up by her waist and placed her gently into the backseat. He jumped in and sat down, sandwiching their nestqueen directly between them.
“Are we going fishing? Swimming? Sunbathing?” Selena listed excitedly. “Whatever we do, it will beat being trapped inside all day yesterday. I’m glad that the weather is perfect today for whatever you two have planned.”
“We figured we could do some shell hunting, followed by lunch and then swimming, if you want,” Z’fir answered, watching her reaction closely.
“Sounds perfect!” she beamed. “Exactly what I needed.”
Z’fir watched his nestqueen as she leaned into V’dim’s side to get a better view of their twisting descent down the mountain. He wasn’t jealous of his nestbrother, for she looked terrific against the dark blues and violets of his scaled skin. Her golden bikini and silver-crowned hair glistened against his dark patterns, and he committed the beautiful image to memory for the future.
V’dim and Z’fir had never imagined that they would share a nestqueen, and yet Selena had claimed them both and agreed to a joint date. He knew that sooner or later, he would want to spend some alone time with Selena, without V’dim present. He wasn’t frustrated about their situation, but he believed that they would have to approach her separately if they wanted her to love them as individuals.
His gut instincts told him that they needed to form nestbrother connections with her Favored to create a stronger mental webbing to protect her. Would their combined strength be enough to prevent enemies from invading her mental shields?
“When will we tell her she’s the true queen of Destima’s population?” He asked V’dim. “Citizens are starting to notice. Chyox himself called her ‘queen’ just two days ago.”
“Soon,” V’dim mumbled, preoccupied with stroking Selena’s back as she lay across his lap. “Let her recover from this invader situation. Perhaps we should even wait until Chamber Master Mwe eliminates the threat before we tell her. That way, she doesn’t have another concern on top of being attacked again while she’s home.”
Kaede parked the hovercraft next to the shore under the shade of the jungle canopy. The vibrant colors of the flora caught Selena’s gaze.
“You three have fun,” he announced. “I will be here keeping watch. Let me know if you need anything.”
Z’fir leapt out of the hovercraft and assisted V’dim in helping Selena down.
Standing between them both, each holding one of her hands, she smiled. He didn’t need to be an Ulax to know how bright her golden aura was shining because of her excitement; her mental shields told him enough as it glowed blindly.
“Where to?” she asked, oblivious to her effect on them.
“This part of the island isn’t inhabited, so we have it all to ourselves.” Z’fir glanced toward the white-sanded shore, spotting their private beach gazebo in the distance. “Before we start our shell-hunting, we need to put some lotion on you, to shield you from the power of both of the sun’s rays.”
Amused thoughts flooded through their connection, as she gave them a sly grin. “You just want an excuse to put your hands on me. Is that it?”
Z’fir’s jaw dropped as he flicked his gaze to his nestbrother. “No. We wanted to make sure you are protected. Xylo made it known how fragile demi-human’s skin is compared to ours, and how long exposure to the sunrays can burn you.”
“I’m sure he is only being dramatic,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes. “But I will entertain his suggestion since he is a Master Scholar and knows more about my biology than I do. If he believes it is needed, then I will let both of you rub some on. The last thing I want to do is to return home in pain from our date because I dismissed his advice.”
Z’fir sighed in relief. He was afraid that he would have had to convince her to allow them. Little did she know, her clan knew massages were her secret obsession, and she rarely ever turned one down.
Slowly, they led her threw the sands, as the gentle ocean breeze blew through is leafy hair. He tightened his vines around his petal wings, preventing the wind from furling them.
Laughter escaped from Selena as she swung their arms between them, staring off into the lavender waters. Holding her hand felt . . . different, somethi
ng he’d never done before. Typically, Circuli entwined their appendages, as males tried to court their nestqueens. Only Favored could freely touch their nestqueen without repercussions. Something about the feeling of her hand in his felt more intimate, as if it was made to be there, and its uniqueness only made it that much special.
He now understood why her Favored loved doing it.
They passed through the gazebo’s curtains, welcoming the shade from the sunlight’s heat. A display of various foods and drinks sat on the center table, surrounded by a semi-circle shaped couch. A bottle of lotion Xylo made for their nestqueen sat on the nearest end table, ready for them to use.
“You prepared this for me?” Selena asked, her voice laced in awe.
“Yes, Selena,” V’dim replied. “This is where we will eat our lunch, and if we leave anything we found here, Symi will bring them back to the villa for us when she cleans up.”
“Do you really think we will find that many shells nearby?”
V’dim flicked his gaze at Z’fir, who nodded. “Yes, I saw a few farther along the shore on the way here.”
“I can’t wait!” She released their hands, pulling off her scarf as she discarded it on the back of the couch. Z’fir watched as she laid down onto her stomach, smiling as she turned her head their way. “The longer you take, the less time we’ll have to search for those shells.”
“Do you want to do the honors? Or me?” Z’fir pathed his nestbrother.
V’dim’s shot him a worried glance. “What if I do it wrong?”
“Is there a wrong way to do it?”
“I don’t know!” V’dim’s coloring turned a nervous yellow. “How does our nestbrothers able to do this all the time? One of us should’ve asked one of them, or even perhaps Kaede, for advice.”
Z’fir grabbed the bottle, unlatching its top before taking a sniff of its oceanic plant-like aroma. Unwrapping his vines from his petal wings, he poured a dap of lotion on the inside of each flower, seeing no harm in using them to help spread an even layer on her skin.
