by Jade Waltz
My mind still couldn’t wrap around how someone couldn’t at least care with whom they shared such a personal connection.
Which led me back to the princes. Yes, I offered the political union, but how would I be able to remain good friends with them? Sharing such an intimate connection, one that controlled their own sexual desires, with them would naturally attract me to them.
Sex wasn’t an issue, just like being naked wasn’t a problem for me.
I had sex with both Zirene and Kaede, and none of it mattered to them. It still didn’t make either of them less of an ishing frax.
I wasn’t nervous about having sex with the princes because for them—like the rest of the Circuli males—it was something more. The first time was about giving their nestqueen their bonding spores and linking themselves to her forever.
Mating was a biological need to permanently bond with their nestqueen. After that, the males only had the drive to perform whenever their nestqueen was in heat, which was once every five years or so.
What if I somehow broke Odelm even more than he already was?
“What did I say about having dark thoughts?” Xylo asked, his mental touch caressing me.
“Did I wake you?” I asked, smiling as I snuggled my rear against his waist petals. “What did you hear?”
“Enough to know you are worried about how to handle the princes,” he said, combing my hair with his fingers.
“I feel lost,” I admitted as I leaned my cheek against Odelm’s back, feeling the coolness again my skin. “When will things get easier? Every time I solve something, two more problems replace it.”
“It seems like that, but you have accomplished an impressive number of things in a short period of time.”
“Xylo?”
“Yes?” he answered, stilling his hand in my hair.
“Why did you keep those secrets from me?” I asked, needing to know the answer. I could no longer wait for Odelm to wake up to ask them both. I was afraid of what mental state he would be in when he woke up and having to wait longer to get the answers I sought.
His arm dropped to my waist as silence fell between us, the only sounds coming from those sleeping around us.
“Zirene knew how self-conscious you felt about your differences when you compared yourself to the other females aboard the Yaarkins ship. He planned to protect you from your doubts and explain things as they came. The demi-human community on your moon? He wanted to introduce you to them personally. The Assembly trial? He was worried about you spiraling due to fear and lack of confidence, making you incapable of defending yourself alone. He saw it happen multiple times, and cases go astray, closing with unfair terms.”
“So, he believed having me unprepared would allow me to come out with the best results?”
“Exactly.” Xylo squeezed me tight against him, breathing in my hair. “But you weren’t unprepared. You studied hard and learned enough to understand what you needed to do to fight your own battle. Selena, you were magnificent on the Assembly floor. If I hadn’t been worried about being disconnected from you and not being able to explain everything to you, I would have smiled proudly.”
“You weren’t embarrassed?” I asked, confused. I wanted to turn over to talk to him face to face, but the princes had their appendages wrapped around my legs. I was afraid to wake them, knowing they had a lot of responsibilities—especially with the Destiny settling soon.
“Embarrassed,” Xylo chuckled. “You stood up against those princesses and won your case. You made me proud to be in your clan, first chosen by you.”
“And the princes?” I sighed. “I need to know your thoughts about them joining the clan—political or not. Please don’t hold anything back. I am already worried about Odelm and whether our conversation helped him. I need to know the truth—your concerns and fears—because it wasn’t my plan to hurt either of you.”
“It wasn’t our plan to hurt you either, Selena,” Xylo countered. “I understand your reasoning for accepting the princes. They are respectable males and considered war heroes among the Circuli, even with the minor role they played.” A vine crawled up along my side, its flowered tip pressed against my cheek, pushing my face toward him. Our gazes met as his teal pupilless eyes burned bright, preventing me from looking away. “I will not have any ill feelings when you accept their spores, nor will I doubt our relationship if and when they sire any future offspring of yours. You are my nestqueen. I shall treat them like Odelm—a fellow nestbrother in our clan.”
Tears started to fall at his confession. Xylo replaced his vine with a hand and thumbed my tears away as his eyes dimmed in sorrow.
“I am sorry I never asked you or—”
“Selena, Selena, Selena, don’t cry. I am happy with who and what you are. Nothing will change that. If I sire none of your offspring, I will not feel any less for you. Just being your nestmate is enough for me. You have given me something I never thought I would have… I need nothing else from you.”
I twisted the rest of my body—forgetting about trying not to wake the others—and snuggled up against him, his arms and vines welcoming me.
“Xylo,” I sobbed into his chest, breathing in his sweet herbal scent.
His arms enclosed around me as his vines wrapped around any body part they could reach.
“Selena, I have you,” he whispered into my hair. “You are mine, and nothing you can do will make me let go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Selena
Our first night sleeping as a mismatched clan went well. The cubs didn’t escape—even though they were the ones who woke up the rest of the room, hungry and needing to relieve themselves.
The princes made it their responsibility to take them to the master bathroom and supervise them before heading to the Royal Commons for breakfast. We finished our meal, and the adults were sitting contently, watching the cubs chase each other around the room.
I snuggled against Xylo’s side as he studied readings off his med-tablet with the princes next to us going over plans on their wristbands. I didn’t bother to try reading what was on their tech. My interest was in the cubs.
Zirene hadn’t shown his face since I slapped him. It was a bittersweet victory I wished hadn’t happened. I wanted him to realize what he did, change his habits, apologize, and grovel at my feet so we could work things out.
My discussion with Xylo this morning made me realize even though I had the right to be angry at him for what he did to me, he was trying to aid me—in his own messed up way.
I needed him to realize what he did wrong and fix it before I could allow him back into my and our cubs' lives.
My mind kept wandering toward Odelm, wondering when he would wake up. He didn’t need this much rest when I accepted his bonding spores. Was it my fault it was taking him such a long time to recover?
“Odelm will be all right Selena, I will make sure of it,” Xylo said, his eyes never leaving his med-tablet.
“Promise?” I asked, glancing in the direction Odelm’s bond thread traveled.
“We will make sure of it,” V’dim replied.
I closed my eyes and nodded, taking in a deep breath. Odelm would be okay. Nothing was wrong.
A ping sounded, followed by the sounds of the Royal Common’s main door opening.
I turned in time to see Kaede stroll in, dressed in his new uniform—including a new black cape fluttering in his wake. My gaze landed on the five figures dressed in similar uniforms with their capes’ hoods up, covering their faces as they followed closely behind him.
A gasp escaped my lips as a flurry of shrills sounded, piercing my ears.
Xylo dropped what he was working on and pushed me behind him as the princes flanked either said of me.
“I am here, Selena. I will protect you,” Odelm swore as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around me from behind.
“Odelm,” I breathed.
“They are so cute, Kaede!”
“How dare you hide these precious ones from us!
”
“B, look how gorgeous Meti is.”
My clan had their appendages unwound and up in a defensive position, ready to strike if needed. I watched the group in confusion, wondering who they were and why Kaede had led them in here.
“Sisters, stand down,” Kaede commanded, rolling his eyes. “Can’t you see your entrance has alarmed them?”
The five cloaked sisters removed their hoods, revealing their faces to us for the first time.
I squirmed out of Odelm’s arms and turned to face him. Standing on my toes, I grabbed both of his cheeks and looked deeply into his jade eyes.
“Are you all right?”
He nodded and hugged me tightly. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held him tightly.
“I am fine, Selena. Do not worry about me. All is well.”
“But…”
“Now isn’t the time, Selena. We have guests. If it eases your mind, Xylo can check on me later, and we can have a discussion. Will that work?”
“Yes… I just wanted to make sure you know I’m sorry,” I breathed. “And I love you.”
“I love you too, Selena, my nestqueen,” he whispered. “Now, go welcome our guests.”
He let me go, and I backed away, making my way around my nestmates.
I glanced down at my cubs as I passed them by. They were hiding underneath Kaede’s cloak behind Z’fir’s legs, afraid of the new visitors. It warmed my heart to see them seek out Z’fir for comfort, accepting him so soon and trusting him to protect them.
Each cloaked woman was gorgeous in her own right.
All but one stood about the same height as Kaede—about a head taller than me—the one farthest from me only slightly taller. They all shared the same medium beige skin and angular faces. Yet each sister had unique characteristics which made it easy to tell them apart.
“Kaede. Are these your sisters? The Fab Five?” I asked, eyeing the newcomers.
The tallest one in the middle smiled at me and stepped forward, her black-gloved hand covering her heart. She reminded me of the Quaww, and I wondered if that was the species they spliced her with.
She had long, thick, jet-black hair with a crown of feathers starting from her eyes and the bridge of her nose and along her forehead. The plumage went from sapphire to emerald, and each feather’s tip was gold. Her eyes were a stunning bright blue that studied me quizzically.
“My name is Bryeca, but you can call me ‘B.’ I am the leader of the “Fab Five” and practically Kaede’s equal—”
“No one is my equal,” Kaede scoffed, crossing his arms.
“Anyway… My sisters and I have been waiting to meet both you and your clan.” B placed her hand out for me to accept. I hesitantly grabbed it, and she enclosed her gloved hand around mine and shook our hands—just like humans did in my studies!
She smiled at me and released my hand.
“I would like to introduce my crew to your clan if that is okay with you, Selena Darcaw of Destima, Seedbearer of Second Prince Zirene Darcaw,” B asked gently.
“It seems like Agent Kaede forgot to tell you about my ‘No Titles’ rule,” I chuckled before giving Kaede a dirty look. He smirked back at me, and I rolled my eyes at his antics before addressing his sisters. “Please, refrain from using such things around me while we are alone—we would waste time, trying to be proper. I have two princes in my clan with a third I want nothing to do with for a while.”
“Kaede may be our leader, but he is definitely wrong,” mumbled the shorter sister. Her translucent hair flowed down to her waist, shimmering in the light. She had light blue scales surrounding her pale pink eyes all the way to her ears, which were shaped like an elegant spiral shell.
“Don’t mind Kaica. She is shy. She is our group’s medic and tends to stick to her lab,” B explained, sending me an apologetic smile.
I felt for her. Xylo was the same way, always needing to study and preferring to be locked away from others.
“Name’s Aunya,” said the blonde woman standing next to Kaede with five bushy white-tipped golden tails that swayed back and forth. She smiled as her amber eyes met mine. “I am the team’s mechanic. Need somethin’ fixed or ‘vented? I can hook you up.”
“I am Nyx,” blurted a cheerful, bright green, short-haired woman as she grabbed both of my hands and shook them wildly, her fuchsia eyes alive. Behind her, four iridescent, clear wings buzzed as she jumped up and down with excitement. “I am the team’s pilot and have been longing to meet our new sister and her cubs. You are so pretty! I can’t wait to play with your cubs.”
“She didn’t say you could yet, Nyx,” Kaede scolded. “You got ahead of yourself once again.”
Nyx stopped jumping as her smile fell. The last sister rescued my hands from her saddened sister, shoving herself between us.
“Kaede is just angry he can’t get laid cause everyone on this space station is afraid of him,” she chuckled. “Everyone but you, that is, but from what I hear, he couldn’t perform…” Laughter escaped her, tears falling from her golden-green eyes as she wiped them. Just like Kaica, she had scales, but hers were dark green and a wider, more reptilian shape. Her scales traveled from her nose to her ears and lightly down her neck, peeking between her long strands of black hair. “Interested if my scales go any farther?” she asked, jokingly. “You have to get me naked to find out.” She winked. “The name is Zesha. Need any hacking and don’t want to deal with my brother? Let me know; unlike him, I can deliver.”
“Why are you here?” Xylo asked.
“My sisters and I wanted to meet all of you and finally—”
“We figured the four of you should take your nestqueen to see the space station,” Aunya said, wrapping her arm around Nyx. “Selena has spent too much time cooped up and should see what there is to offer her.”
“What they are not saying, Selena, is they were hoping you would let them watch your cubs,” Kaede announced cockily.
“Like a date? An outing? What is there to do?” I asked, confused.
“There are plenty of things for you to do!” Nyx exclaimed, folding her hands in each other. “And tonight, we can take you out ourselves.”
“Wait, what? I didn’t even agree to go out yet, and now, you’re taking me somewhere?”
Nyx’s wings fluttered wildly, her cape fell, and she flew over to me, grabbing my hands and spinning me around.
“You are a female in your prime!” she shouted. “Let your mates spoil you, and when you return after spending an exciting day with them, we will take you for a girl’s night out!”
It sounded fun. I needed a break from all the drama, and spending the day bonding with my nestmates sounded refreshing.
“Okay.”
“Finally! We can spend time with the little cuties, and Kaede can’t keep us away!” Nyx screamed in excitement, flying over to her sisters.
“Wait… You’re really going to go along with their plan?” Kaede asked, confused as his arms fell to his sides.
“Why not?” I asked. “Are you saying I shouldn’t trust them?”
“No,” he replied, taken aback. “I just didn’t believe you would want to go out in public, especially after yesterday,”
I studied him and tried to piece together what he meant—what he wasn’t saying.
“As my Head of Security, do you believe I shouldn’t spend the day with my nestmates? Are you saying your sisters aren’t capable and trustworthy enough to watch my cubs while I am away?” I questioned, trying to figure out why he was acting strange about the whole topic. “Or do you not believe they can protect me tonight?” His eyes narrowed at that question. “That is it. You don’t believe they can protect me as well as you. You’re jealous I want to spend time with them, instead of you, aren’t you?”
“No, that isn’t it!” he growled, clenching his fists. “I was the one assigned to you personally, not them. I earned my right to be your Head of Security. They have their own missions and projects. It is my right to—”
“It is your right to do what, Kaede? Tell me what I can and cannot do? Control everything around me? News flash. The last person who tried doing that, I slapped. Do you really want me to resent you any more than I already do? Take the night off. Go teleport yourself away with the new toys you have. I don’t care.”
Kaede walked up to me, his mouth scrunched, stopping with a short distance between us. He stared me down, his eyes burning with anger.
“Is that what you want? You want me gone? Fine. But know this: I am the best guard you will ever have. Have fun with your new sisters.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Selena
Bright lights and signs lined the walls of the entertainment floor, designed to attract passersby in the dimly lit passageway. Multiple smells assaulted my nose as we passed food stands and stalls filled with salesclerks trying to sell their gizmos and gadgets from all over the galaxy.
The customers flowed smoothly in the uncrowded walkway. It was nice to have enough room to move around freely without bumping into each other. We could walk at our own pace without being worried about upsetting those behind us.
After Kaede threw his tantrum and teleported away, I didn’t waste any time getting ready to explore the space station. Xylo called my medical team to assist the Fab Five, just in case they had any questions.
I wondered if he was secretly unsure about leaving our cubs with a group of females we just met. Personally, I believed I wouldn’t normally have done so, but they were Kaede’s sisters—and even though I hated to say it—a part of Zirene’s special force. I didn’t know who else would be perfect for the job.
I followed the flow of the traffic with Xylo and Odelm on each arm. The princes followed closely behind, occasionally one of their appendages reaching out to wrap itself around a wrist or arm. Each time it happened, they would act embarrassed and apologize.
The four of them wanted me to dictate where we went and what we did since it was my first time exploring off of a ship. I aimlessly led them to different stalls and browsed their goods in wonder. I hadn’t purchased anything, and after a while, I felt guilty about giving shopkeepers false hope and wasting their time. My nestmates bought nothing as well, their matching slings hanging empty. Xylo was the only one who carried something in his sling—his emergency kit. He insisted anything could happen, especially with me.
