by Jade Waltz
Xylo stepped away and took a few steps before glancing over his shoulder. “What hurts the most is that, for a moment, you thought I was the enemy, even though we share a nestbrother bond. You cannot hide that fact.” He left in the direction of Selena’s location.
Anger. Disappointment. Sorrow.
Those were the emotions flooding Odelm, grounding his feet, preventing him from moving to follow Xylo.
He was right.
Odelm could not help the fact his own personal insecurities had blinded him to what he already had.
He was accepted and loved for who he was. She did not care that he was a severed male, a musician, or was colored femininely. Selena saw past all of that and wanted him for him.
Odelm had a growing clan—with cubs—and she welcomed him to share the center of the bed with her, not caring if his tentacles roamed freely.
He had a nestbrother who sacrificed his privacy to share an additional bond with him, so they could work as a united front to provide for Selena.
And he’d failed him.
“Xylo!” he called out.
No reply met him. Xylo couldn’t block him. They were open to each other with no way to shield from each other, unlike Selena. He was ignoring him.
There was still a raging inferno of angry reds, worried oranges, and stressed blacks radiating from Xylo’s connection. His own connection with Selena was the opposite direction with her excited greens and peaceful blues. There was only a hint of worried oranges coming from her, and Odelm couldn’t stop thinking he’d caused it.
Odelm took off after his nestbrother, needing to catch up with him before he made it back to the group. He needed to fix this now before things got progressively worse. Today was supposed to be all about Selena and showing her a good time, not wasting time arguing with Xylo over his own issues causing problems.
Familiar violet petals turned the corner. “Xylo! Please!”
Odelm shoved his way through the crowd, not caring about the window shoppers he pushed along the way. His tentacles squeezed the sling filled with the precious gifts for Selena, securing them tightly against his body.
Right before Odelm was about to grab his shoulder, Xylo turned, facing him with annoyance clear on his face.
“Are you going to waste any more of my time away from our nestqueen? Or have you realized your error in judgment?” Xylo asked, crossing his arms.
“I am sorry, nestbrother.” Odelm breathed, glancing at the angry stares passing by. “I just… want to prove to Selena, to prove to everyone who said I wasn’t good enough—that no one wanted a pretty, severed musician for a nestmate—I am good enough. I want to say I am not someone who was shunned, and my nestqueen chose me to sire her offspring. That is the ultimate proof to the universe, I am normal.”
Xylo stepped forward and touched Selena’s mark on his neck, sending a shiver down Odelm’s body. Teal eyes met his and stared deeply at him, refusing to break contact.
“This mark? Remember it,” Xylo said, voice hard. “The universe can see it clearly. There is no reason why you need to sire offspring, not when you have this.” He tapped lightly on the mark, shocking him each time. “It is proof you have been claimed by another, and no one can take that away from you.”
“If Selena offered you a chance to sire her offspring, would you?”
“As I said, I don’t need to be a sire to be content.” Xylo pursed his lips and dropped his hand. “What if she decides taking care of the three cubs is enough? Am I going to hold it against her for the rest of our lives because she didn’t want more? Because there would be no option for her to offer me a chance?” He stepped back and peered over his shoulder, shuffling his petal wings. “Odelm, I am content. I am not you, but you have to ask yourself—in the end, if Selena gives the princes a chance to sire the next future leaders of Destima, are you going to be able to live with yourself?” He sighed and looked at him apologetically.
“I know what happened in the shower and heard what you begged her. She will give us both a chance to sire offspring—even though I don’t need it,” he gritted out. “If she ends up not being able to produce Circuli offspring or changes her mind about becoming pregnant once again, please don’t make her feel guilty. She has been through enough and doesn’t need one of her own nestmates to resent her over something that shouldn’t matter.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Selena
Too much time had passed since we’d left Odelm and Xylo to barter with the strange old shopkeeper. I kept stealing glances over my shoulder at my bond threads as distance kept growing between us. Haggling over two goods shouldn’t take that long.
Stars, I didn’t know.
I was glad to have Odelm on this adventure. Being raised with two merchant fathers gave him the skills to pick out quality over the mundane and work to receive a fair price.
The princes knew I was aimlessly traveling along with the market as we made our way to the entertainment establishments. They kept their distance, always on guard as they trailed behind me, making comments about certain things that caught my eye, offering to buy whatever I stopped to pick up and examine.
I was more interested in what kind of places there would be. Would there be multiple bars? Performances? Had anyone of my clan been to such places? I wondered what was holding up my nestmates.
No matter how hard I tried to think about something else, the last words the shopkeeper had said to me kept repeating in my mind.
“If it were me, I would never take it off.”
What did she mean about the necklace bringing its wearer great fortune?
It was just a necklace—a trinket Zirene gave me to try to buy my affections, especially now knowing he knew what I had been about to walk into. Was it a way to get in my good graces before sending me off to the slaughter?
I reached beneath my hooded cloak into my bodysuit and grabbed the necklace, bringing it to my face.
How was this special? It was just a neat stone that reacted with something in the air to make the colors and speckles change constantly. There was no other explanation, other than it was an expensive, newly discovered jewel that had neat effects which appealed to people.
The great fortune must be the number of credits it was worth.
If I continued to walk around with the necklace in full view, others would either treat me like I was something I was not or try to steal it to pawn.
Zirene didn’t mention what it was and played it off like it was something completely normal to give someone—not that anyone would pawn their life’s fortune for one.
Something didn’t add up.
“About time they showed up,” Z’fir murmured, bringing me to the present.
I looked up from the display full of new gadgets and turned toward Z’fir. Following his gaze, I searched the crowd, noticing it was the same direction as my bond threads.
Two familiar forms dodged and weaved through the passersby taking their time on their stroll. Odelm’s tentacles were wrapped around his sling, holding its bloated form close to his chest. Xylo carried four sticks full of a variety of meat in his hands as each of his vines carried three small, colorful spheres, each dangling on a string.
I covered my mouth and giggled at the view. Xylo looked ridiculous, dodging the others as his collection of colored spheres bobbed along above even the tallest heads.
They both halted in front of us, breathing deeply.
“I wondered if both of you caused problems and had the enforcers called. I hoped I didn’t have to pay fines to bail you out of prison for teaming up against an old woman, no matter how rude she was,” I said jokingly.
Odelm’s colors slightly shifted to a nervous yellow and worried orange as he glanced at Xylo.
Xylo lowered his vines and handed one of the strings full of spheres to each one of us. I gently pulled it and watched his vine unwrap itself, freeing its hold.
“What is it?” I asked as I raised the spheres in front of my face and peered through the
m. They were translucent and lacked anything floating inside.
“Here,” Xylo offered a stick of meat with another vine, and I grabbed it, waiting for his explanation as he passed the others theirs. “We walked past a phnrawes stall on the way over here and figured you should try some.” He passed his meat stick to a vine and pulled a green sphere from its string. “These are phnrawes, Selena. Each color is a different flavor, but they are all drunk the same way.” He popped the green phnrawe in his mouth and closed his eyes with a large moan.
Following his lead, I grabbed the pink phnrawes from my string and did the same. The phnrawes exploded as soon as it touched my tongue, disintegrating in a burst of sweetness.
Rapidly, I popped the other two into my mouth and had the same result. They each had a different fruity flavor, ranging from tart to sweet.
I watched the others enjoying their phnrawes, finishing off their string. Without waiting for him to explain what the meat on the stick was, I bit the top piece and yanked.
The heat and spiciness assaulted my taste buds, making me cough as I gasped for air, my eyes watering from the heat. It was the spiciest thing I’d ever had.
“Selena?” V’dim asked, concerned.
I leaned over, placing my hands on my knees and breathed deeply, failing to find relief.
My vision blurred from the tears exploding from my eyes, my curtain of hair blocked all around me, as someone grabbed my meat stick from my hand. A set of hands grabbed my hair and held it out of my face as a tentacle offered a phnrawes, pressing it against my lips. I welcomed it, allowing the phnrawes to explode inside my mouth, dowsing the fire to nothing.
I sobbed in relief, taking in long breaths as I collected myself.
“Whatever that is… I don’t want it,” I breathed, slowly standing up. “Keep it away from me.”
Xylo looked at Odelm and shook his head in disappointment. “I told you so.”
I turned around to face Odelm as he released his grip on my hair.
“Selena, I am sorry,” he pleaded. “I thought you would enjoy trying a Trr-kiki delicacy. It wasn’t my goal to harm you.”
I reached forward and grabbed his tentacle. “It’s okay. Just next time, listen to Xylo if he thinks I won’t like something.”
“Noted,” he sighed. “I just wanted you to try something I enjoyed. I didn’t think you would have this reaction.”
“I enjoyed the phnrawes, at least. I would take that as a win.” I stepped back and shrugged, looking at my clan. “Now that I have recovered, I am ready to see what there is to do other than shopping. Who is with me?”
After a chorus of agreement, we discarded the sticks and strings and made our way toward the entertainment establishments. The males made a perimeter around me, boxing me in with a tentacle or vine wrapped around my wrists or hands. I didn’t know if it was for my safety or their way to battle jealousy.
I hoped there weren’t any jealous undertones brewing behind the scenes, beneath the casual touches and comments. Even though I had accepted the princes, I thought I was doing a good job trying to get to know and welcome them into the clan. I followed their traditions—and biological needs—of sleeping near their nestqueen and hadn’t pushed Xylo and Odelm away.
“Live dancers! New gaming tables! Come enjoy yourselves at Zero G-Spot!” shouted a crimson-haired, bi-pedal male with five tails. His tails reminded me of Aunya’s, and I wondered if that was the species she was spliced with. He had a leaner and much shorter build than the Aldawi, but his ears were taller and had cream tips that matched his belly.
The shouting male had a rough voice that carried, yet no one seemed to pay much attention to him or what he offered. The doors he stood in front of weren’t grubby—at least not compared to the other entrances we recently passed on the space station.
“What about that? Watching a dance show might be interesting… seeing another species’ culture.” I paused and pointed at the entryway, a short distance from us, with the promoter a few arm’s lengths away.
Z’fir hesitated slightly and glanced at Xylo, looking confused. “Is that what you want to do?”
“Yeah. Is there something I should know?” I asked, squinting my eyes at my clan.
V’dim placed a hand on Z’fir’s back and smiled at me. “No, Selena, if that is what you want, we will do it.”
I studied my nestmates. They were hiding something from me.
“Then let’s go,” I shouted and turned around to make my way to the establishment, not wanting to waste any more time.
A vine wrapped around my wrist, pulled me back, and halted me.
“Hold up, Selena,” Z’fir said, walking in front me. “Let us do the talking… As a female you may attract attention.”
“Is it safe?” I asked, stepping into him.
He wrapped an arm around my waist as his vine pulled my hood farther over my head.
“Just let us do the talking, and you should be fine,” he advised, glancing at the thin crowd around us. “It is still early.”
“Okay,” I breathed, unsure if I was making a good decision anymore. “Lead the way.”
I trailed after Z’fir with my head down. I could sense the other three were following us. The yelling from the announcer was drowned out by the sound of music blaring.
The lighting dimmed as we entered the walkway. I was glad Z’fir was holding onto me as he led the way. A light caress rippled against my mental shields from Z’fir for the first time since becoming court bonded. I accepted, knowing he had the power to force down my shields as Xylo once did, and he wouldn’t ask for access without reason.
“I need to release my hold on you,” he explained as he unwrapped his arm and vine from me. “Even though I would love to continue touching you, I am afraid it would give you away.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
He hesitated a moment before he led us deeper down the hall.
“It is nice to have you as a nestqueen. Thank you,” he whispered gently before pulling away, outside my shields.
He sounded like he wanted to say more, but now was not the time. I wondered, if we weren’t about to watch a show and we were alone, would he have said it? Perhaps another time.
Double doors opened up, revealing a large, dark, square room. I studied the place in awe as I followed Z’fir to a booth like the ones in my favorite cafe on Destiny.
There were two large cylinders on opposite ends, one filled with water and the other looked… empty? A stage with stools lined up against it surrounded both cylinders, connecting them in the middle, and led to the back of the room where curtains hung. Near the wall with the water cylinder was a bar and a large food counter, where you could watch the food being prepared with their gadgets, fire, and whatever else they used.
There was a theme in the place, but I couldn’t put a finger on it.
There were multiple booths, with brightly colored light-up games in the center, scattered throughout the room. Only a few had customers occupying them. In fact, the place seemed empty, especially for its size.
Sitting in the center of the booth, between Z’fir and Xylo, I studied my group and was surprised by the sheepish expressions on all of their faces.
Grabbing all of their bond threads, I asked, “What do you guys know that I don’t? What is this place?”
“How may I help you fine gentlemen?” a female purred.
I glanced up at the newcomer.
She was a Quaww—colored in whites, teals, and pinks—carrying a tablet, looking at Odelm like she could eat him up.
A flash of jealousy coursed through me, but as soon as it came, it left as I rationalized there was nothing to worry about. He was mine, forever connected to me—biologically—and couldn’t perform unless I triggered both his need and manhood.
“We would never,” Xylo confirmed.
Odelm nodded his head slightly and sent me waves of comfort from Xylo’s other side. He had obviously picked up on my heightened emotions.
“C
an we please have a sampler? My partner hasn’t been to the space station before, and we were trying to show him around,” V’dim said, drawing the Quaww waitress’s attention to him.
She quickly glanced at me and nodded her head. “Of course, Sir. Both versions?”
“Yes, please. Both. One for each of us. Might as well try them all. We will probably be here for a while.”
Her eyes bugged out in shock before she rapidly shook her head. “Yes. Yes. Of course. I will place your order right away.” She typed something on her tablet before dashing away.
“You have nothing to worry about,” Xylo murmured. “There is nothing to be jealous or upset about.”
I met his gaze. “I know. It is foolish since you share me with others, but that doesn’t mean a part of me doesn’t get angry when someone wants something that is mine.”
He smiled brightly at me. “Something? I am an object now?” he teased.
I rolled my eyes. “You are something pretty to look at. In fact, both you and Odelm are.”
“Are you saying you only want me because of my looks?” he asked, as a vine started to crawl up my leg.
I glared at him. “Behave.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
I rolled my eyes.
What few lights there were were dimmed, pulling my attention away from Xylo’s mischievousness. The cylinders and stage walkway lit up brightly, blinding me. I covered my eyes as the curtains parted, and the music lowered.
