Project: Adapt - Develop: A Space Fantasy Alien Romance (Book 3)

by Jade Waltz

  “Anything you want,” he whispered, sounding almost like a plea.

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” I shook my head. “It’s the truth, nevertheless. Why do you doubt yourself? Doubt me? Have I failed you somehow?”

  He frowned in confusion, placing his hands on my hips. “Of course, you haven’t.”

  “Then stop isolating yourself from the clan,” I breathed. “You may not be able to read all my thoughts like your Wudox brethren, but you must know what I’m about to do—”

  “I don’t want you to give me the honor unless I’ve earned it!” he fumed. “I understand why Xylo is your Primary—and even though my input isn’t necessary, I fully agree with your choice—but I don’t want you to declare me Second just because I’m here.”

  “Because you’re here?” I hissed, gripping his hair in my fist. Kneeling over Odelm, I yanked his hair, earning a gasp and bewildered stare from him. “Just like I was there, prime for the taking? Oh look, a lonely pregnant female with no one to help her. How about I follow her around and convince her she needs someone to take care of her?” I paused, yanking harder as I leaned in until my face hovered just above his. “Sound familiar? Don’t you dare question my feelings for you. I’ve kept my mind and heart open for the four of you to read whenever you want.”

  Ignoring the angry red that was swiftly overcoming my loving purple spots, I snapped my gaze to V’dim as I held Odelm in place. “Up until just a few moments ago, what have I felt since the four of you have comforted me—since I made Xylo my Primary?”

  V’dim’s mouth opened in shock—either from my reaction to Odelm or from suddenly being put on the spot. I didn’t know or care as long as he replied. “Your aura was nothing but peaceful blues, pleasing violets, and loving purples.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I nodded to my confused Ulax prince. “Thank you for your assistance, V’dim.”

  Returning my attention to the male in my hands, I stared him down as I kept our connection wide open, no veil in place, to let him feel what I felt.

  “I haven’t asked for much since my discovery. What I did ask of you—and the rest of my clan—was open communications and a safe place to love freely. Have I failed you as a nestqueen, Odelm?”

  His eyes widened as he shook his head slightly in my grip. “No, you are everything I could have wished for.”

  “Then why do you always fight me?” I growled. “Why is it every time I believe we’ve moved forward and you’ve overcome your jealousy, it returns?”

  Odelm looked away, through the window he’d been staring out earlier. “I don’t know, Selena.”

  “Then figure it out, so I can spend this time healing from Zirene’s sudden disappearance instead of worrying about you.” I sighed, steeling myself for his response. “Do you even want to be my Second?”

  “As much as I need water, I do,” he swore. He snapped his gaze to mine so fast he pulled my hand along with his hair, ignoring the accidental tug on his scalp. “There’s nothing I want in this life that you haven’t already granted me. You’ve blessed me by taking me in and claiming me not only as a nestmate but as a Favored—one of the highest honors a Circuli male can receive. I don’t know of any severed males who have gained this status, and now you want to make me your Second? Why? How can I deserve you?”

  “Because like Xylo, your Primary and nestbrother, you have been my stability since the beginning.” I licked my lips as I eased my grip. “I know there’s a deep connection between us, something ineffable that has me seeking you out in times of need. Almost instantly, I can tell when you’re trying to calm my worries and extinguish my fears—”

  “I do it instinctively, like an addiction. I need to make sure you’re alright,” he breathed, closing his eyes as he shuddered beneath me. “You have become my everything, and it’s hard for me not to think that one day, you might replace me because I’m so damaged by my past.”

  “Odelm,” I whispered, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “How can you say that I will replace you? Even if someday I end up filling all my rooms, you are still you, and what we share won’t change. You know exactly how much I hate change, yet the universe seems committed to constantly transforming my life. I am not going to take away your title or position just because I meet someone new, and it hurts that you think so little of me—”

  “I’m sorry, Selena,” Odelm plead. “That wasn’t my intention.”

  “Wasn’t it?” I hissed. “You keep comparing me to what you grew up around. I’m not Circuli, or Quaww, or any species that deems competition between mates healthy and normal. I don’t do jealousy, Odelm.” I paused, letting that sink in. “Why do my feelings for Zirene and the cosmic connection we share have to interfere with my relationship with Xylo and his part in my growth—or you? Just because I fell in love with multiple people, that doesn’t mean I will replace one with another. You all share my love equally, so there shouldn’t be room for jealousy and petty drama in my clan. You need to stop seeing your nestbrothers as competition and instead see them as complements to what you have to offer to the clan. I believe I’ve been careful to spend a fair amount of time with each and every one of you, both in a group setting and individually. Let me know if I haven’t, so I may understand why you feel so unsatisfied.”

  “You are right, Selena. I just haven’t thought about it that way.” He averted his gaze. “I understand if you feel like I’m not worthy as your Second. Being your Favored is enough for me.”

  “Somehow, I don’t believe you,” I muttered, attempting to clamber off his lap. His tentacles refused to budge no matter how much I tugged at them. If this male didn’t want to be my Second, then I wouldn’t force him. He could enjoy the position he already held and not worry about taking on extra responsibility in the clan.

  I refused to cry over this backhanded rejection.

  “Odelm!” Xylo hissed, reminding me that we were being watched.

  Not that it mattered. Nothing within the clan was ever a secret since my mates could read me like a vidscreen. I almost wished I were a Circuli female, just so I could read their emotions and thoughts too and know everything I needed without having to ask.

  “Selena,” Odelm whispered, his voice thick with sorrow. “Please tell me what I’ve done to hurt you?”

  Studying his tentacles like they were the most exciting thing in the room, I refused to meet his gaze. Perhaps I was acting petty or insecure, but I needed him to find a solution. He knew what I wanted from him, and I’d told him how I felt, confirming his suspicions, and yet he’d backed away.

  He was the one who doubted my honest intentions.

  And somehow, his rejection hurt me as much as what Zirene had done to me.

  A snap sounded next to our nestbed. Suddenly, a furious Kaede stared down at me.

  “Get up!” he hissed. “Zirene was too slow. That pompous ishing frax has issued a summons for you and your clan.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Selena

  I froze as I let his words replay in my mind.

  “You’re lying,” I mumbled, shaking my head in disbelief. “Zirene left last night, why would his father summon me now?”

  “It’s simple,” Kaede hissed. “This was his plan all along. First, he summons Zirene and entertains him while he acts like nothing is amiss. Then we arrive shortly afterward, putting him in a tough spot.”

  “A trap,” Z’fir muttered. “He must want something from Zirene and is willing to threaten Selena to get it.”

  “Exactly,” V’dim nodded. “This was what Zirene feared this whole time. Unfortunately, his sire is the first to ever dare to go after Selena since she’s been on Destima. He’s the only one with the power to take over this moon if need be—with legal backing. Zirene’s allies within the CEG won’t be able to help because they refuse to interfere in Aldawi politics.”

  “So what am I supposed to do, Kaede?” I demanded, finally climbing off Odelm’s lap. Kaede averted his eyes as I stood and
approached him to sit down on the edge of my nestbed. “I told you that I couldn’t do politics, and this is politics! I wasn’t designed—or trained—for any of this.”

  Xylo offered me my nightgown, giving me a pointed stare. Rolling my eyes, I took it from him and put it on. I didn’t care what Kaede saw or how disheveled I looked. We had already had sex once—and he’d seen me at my best and worst.

  “She’s decent,” Xylo announced, sitting next to me. I felt the others near through our bond threads behind me.

  “About time,” he scoffed, snapping his gaze to me. I knew he was staring directly into my eyes from behind his visor, trying to intimidate me. “There’s only one thing you can do, Selena.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You have no other option but to obey the Sovereign and go directly to the ship already waiting for you at the starport,” Kaede said. “Then you are going to fly off on that blasted spacecraft to face the most pompous, bigoted ruler you’ll ever meet, and that includes those you met at the Assembly and all of the Quaww.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “By your side,” he replied, flicking his gaze to the vidscreen in his hands. “I’m sorry, but it’s not only you who’s been summoned. Your clan and your cubs have been, as well.”

  I reached for his vidscreen, tilting it in my direction to see.

  There it was, the order with each of our names listed. What bothered me the most was the order. Instead of being listed first, my name sat below my Circuli princes’, Xylo’s, and Odelm’s. On the very bottom was stated, ‘Seedbearer and Cubs of Zirene Darcaw.’

  I pushed the vidscreen away. “He can shove his—”

  “Selena,” Kaede snapped. “Not now. You have until midday to pack and report to the ship.” He glanced at the males surrounding me and sighed. “You will need to be trained on how to talk to the Aldawi Sovereign. He’s prone to throwing anyone who offends him in the dungeon, or outright attacking them himself if he feels the offense was personal.”

  “Himself?” Z’fir questioned, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  “It gets boring in the palace.” Kaede shrugged. “He sees it as a sport—a source of entertainment.”

  “And no one stops him?” I asked, unable to believe no one had ever challenged the deranged leader.

  “He’s gotten worse over the most recent years,” Kaede sighed, attaching his vidscreen to his side. “The CEG won the war against the Yaarkins. Then Zirene and Royak did their part to cleanse the galaxy of any traces of the enemy. Their father insisted both sons come home and find Seedbearers so he could condition the next generation into suitable heirs. Royak continues to delay the inevitable, while Zirene spent these last years searching for you,” he said pointedly, staring me down. “Now that he’s found you, your prince never wants to leave, caught between his duty and destiny.”

  “What do you want from me, Kaede?” I pleaded, grabbing his wrist. “How can I keep my Shadow safe? Keep my clan safe? Because I swear, I will not allow him near my cubs. He can’t have them!”

  “Has he summoned his other sons as well?” V’dim asked.

  “You think he cares about Pavryn and Vagren?” Kaede chuckled, his voice dark and sinister. “They are lucky they’ve survived this long. There’s a reason why they kept their mother’s name and not the Darcaw name, so they couldn’t taint the royal lineage with blood that wasn't his own.”

  “Kaede, listen to me.” I shook his arm. “There has to be a way to keep my cubs here. Can’t you hide them somehow?”

  He stared into the distance, silent as the room waited.

  This was my worst nightmare.

  Just as we had started to settle down into a routine as a clan, little by little, everything was falling apart. Why couldn’t the Stars give me a break? What had I done to deserve this fate?

  “There is one thing we can try, Selena.” Kaede knelt before me, placing his hands on my knees as he held my gaze. “You must do exactly what I tell you. Can you do that?”

  I nodded. “Anything. I don’t want my innocent cubs to go through this trauma. I don’t want them to be taken away from me—or worse!”

  “I can page Masmi—” He squeezed my knees as soon as I opened my mouth to object. “No, Selena, listen to me. Masmi is a female Aldawi and a Darcaw Princess. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Aldawi, it’s that their two sexes can’t stand each other ever since a dispute many generations ago. The Sovereign won’t contact his daughter, not even to reach your cubs. Let me page her, explain the situation, and ask her to house your cubs until you return. They can take Pavryn with them since he’s family. Masmi has a private villa like yours, within a desert oasis.”

  Xylo wrapped one arm around me, pulling me against his side. “They will be safe amongst their kind, Selena,” he assured, his deep voice rolling through me. “I’m sure Kaede wouldn’t suggest this unless he trusts Zirene’s sister absolutely.”

  “Xylo is right, Selena, but the choice is up to you,” Kaede said in a comforting tone as he squeezed my knees. “Masmi and I are more than business acquaintances . . . you could say she’s the closest thing to a mother figure my sisters and I have. Zirene allowed us to practice our profession in her community, protecting them while he was away. Masmi let us stay in her private guesthouse until he returned. You have absolutely nothing to fear from her. You’ve acquired a mild version of Aldawi motherly instincts; the natural instincts are far more intense. Masmi and her colony will fight tooth and claw to defend your cubs until you return, not because they are Zirene’s, but because they protect their young as a community.” He shrugged. “I know the separation will be difficult, but think of it as a vacation for your children, where they can spend some time with fellow Aldawi cubs. This can be a learning experience for you all. Would you rather risk taking them to the palace and spending the whole time worrying about their safety, or rest easy knowing they’re safe with their aunt on an all-female Aldawi colony?”

  “There’s an old law dating back to the beginning of the Darcaw dynasty,” Xylo added. “As long as the female Aldawi planets pay their tribute, no leader shall set foot on their land.”

  “Why?” I asked Xylo, trying to resist false hope, then waved him off before he could respond. “Kaede, if this is my only option, then as much as I’m going to hate being apart from my cubs, I will push my doubts aside to make sure that they’re safe. But I swear on the Stars above Kaede, if anything—and I mean anything—happens to my cubs, I’ll make sure to cut off your own cock and have you choke on it, and even that might be the least of your worries.”

  “My own cock, huh?” he chuckled. “I’m glad that you can find some humor in this situation.”

  “I learned from the best, didn’t I?” I tilted my head, shooting him a cocky smile. “Page Masmi. Let her know that I’m in her debt for this.”

  Kaede stood and pulled out his vidscreen. He pushed some buttons, and a 3D projection appeared with the Aldawi royal crest floating before us. He tossed the screen beside me on the nestbed, making my nestmates recoil.

  “Why so jumpy?” he chuckled.

  Before anyone could respond, the familiar female Aldawi with mauve eyes appeared, scanning the room.

  “Congratulations, Kaede!” she beamed. “I knew it was only a matter of time before you found a female willing to take your sour—”

  “Princess Masmi Darcaw,” Kaede growled, and her expression instantly transformed into a stern frown. “We are in dire need of your assistance, if you’re willing to aid us.”

  She snarled, locking her gaze on mine. “What did my brother do this time?”

  “It wasn’t Prince Zirene, Lady Darcaw—” Z’fir started.

  “Just ‘Masmi,’” she snapped before sighing, her eyes softening. “I’m sorry. I hate being connected to my sire, and there’s no need for titles among us—rumor has it, your nestqueen prefers informality as well. However, I can’t help but notice, once again, that my brother is missing. Is the
prince too busy to call his own sister?”

  “He’s been summoned,” I replied, holding back my tears. “By your sire—”

  “Someone calm your nestqueen before the stress makes her sick,” Masmi ordered, turning to my nestmates. “A female needs to be strong in front of males, or else they will think she’s nothing but a weak incubator for their young.”

  Odelm grabbed the vidscreen and placed it on the ground before us. He acted as if we’d never had our argument, sitting down on my other side and wrapping a tentacle around my arm. I had to force myself not to flinch away from his touch. He wasn’t hurting me physically, but I still felt raw from the roundabout rejection he’d given me just moments before Kaede had arrived.

  Kaede fetched a glass of Xowyn for me, seemingly knowing that I would need it for what was about to come.

  My Circuli princes moved closer, touching my back to let me know that they supported me. I appreciated the gesture, as my life seemed to be spiraling further downwards every day. Sighing, I let my two Ulax nestmates calm my nerves as I sipped my silver drink, indulging in the fruity flavor that my males enjoy so much.

  “Let’s make this quick,” Kaede announced. “As you heard, your sire has summoned your dear brother to the palace. To avoid showing interest in Selena and her clan and to keep them off his father’s radar, Zirene obeyed the summons. However, as you can probably infer from the serious tone of this call, that didn’t work. Shortly after Zirene left Destima, a royal ship appeared—”

  “With summons for Selena and her clan,” Masmi hissed. “Why am I not surprised? Anything for my father to get his way.” Her mauve eyes scanned the room and landed on me. “Sister, what do you need from me?”

  “My cubs,” I hesitated. “May I leave my cubs with you? They are a little over two months—”

  “Moons,” Xylo corrected. “You keep using the old earth term you learned in your studies. It’s not months—it’s moons.” He winced and shot me an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry for interrupting you, Selena. Please continue.”