by Jade Waltz
“Why were you sleeping with her?” the Cosmic Soul asked. “Never mind that that’s not normal for a doctor to do to their patient; you have never shown interest toward anyone in all the one hundred and twenty years that I’ve known you.”
“I was protecting our honored guest from the inhabitants of the asteroid. It was in our best interest to make sure she healed and regained her strength for the sake of our commander’s life.”
Zyxel’s amber eyes bored into mine, hiding something in their depths. He slithered closer, studying me, and I retreated until my back hit the wall. Looking down, I found our bodies almost touched. “You never told me how you can communicate with us now even though you didn’t understand me when we were alone.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Perhaps the aftereffects of all the drugs everyone loves to pump into me were muddling my mind. I needed to get them out of my system or something.”
I wasn’t going to tell him about Vowels. They didn’t need to know my secret, especially since I couldn’t trust any of them. As long as he stayed hidden in my body, we would be fine. This crew liked to act first and ask questions later, so I refused to grant them any more advantages over me.
“Perhaps,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “It’s something I’ve never seen before.”
“You’ve never met me.”
Chapter Seven
Kaede
The farther he flew from Destima, the more Selena’s blood called to him.
Praise the Stars that her captors hadn’t moved in over a week. He safely assumed that they were stationed at a base or permanent residence of some sort. Mercenaries and pirates never stayed still for too long in fear that past mistakes and enemies might catch up to them.
That was a part of the reason why Kaede had never been with a female before Selena. He didn’t trust anyone besides his sisters and Z, and he kept secrets even from them. However, when Selena had come into his life, that had been it—he had known instinctively that she was the one.
His forbidden destiny.
Why would he even look at another female when it was his duty to protect the one the Fates had made for him?
Now that he had failed her, he didn’t know what to do with himself. Not only had he been unable to protect her, he had placed an Oetsae in her, forever binding her to another. How would she react when she woke with a stranger inside her head? Would she panic and give her captors a reason to scry her mind?
He prayed to the Stars that the Oetsae he had chosen for her understood their situation and would find a tactful way to explain their newly formed relationship.
May the Stars watch over them.
Kaede had known from his hazy dreams what to expect, but nothing could have prepared him for the reality of living with a symbiont. After he had placed one of his choosing into his head socket, he had learned exactly what the symbiont-host relationship entailed.
His Oetsae had repeatedly called to him and tried to guide him, even she was a part of him. Little had he known that the gem he had powered his teleporting suit had been the disembodied voice he had heard. Now that REI was a part of him, he could improve his living suit in other ways.
The gem will save her. Use the gem.
Those were the words that had always echoed in his head whenever his dreams with Selena turned for the worse.
He had taken a gamble and followed his instincts, using what he had known about the Oetsae’s abilities and his desire to save Selena’s life to decide for her.
He just hoped she would forgive him for his actions.
His only other choice had been to let her die, and he refused to allow that to happen before he had even gotten a chance to be with her.
When he had sent her away and left Q to handle the cleanup, Kaede had decided that if Selena was forced to live with an Oetsae, he should be, too. They could work out their new lives as hosts together, so she didn’t have to experience it alone.
No matter how many times he envisioned the future, one caveat always lingered in the back of his mind.
He had failed Selena.
His arrogance had gotten in the way and caused the chain reaction that had placed them in this nightmare. Moreover, he felt he was now the same as Z—taking executive decisions away from his love and forever changing her life without her consent.
Kaede had grown to resemble the very male that he respected as a leader but resented as a mate for Selena.
Z should have handled Selena earning her citizenship better than he had. He had stomached the process for Kaede, his sisters, and the rest of the demi-humans. Kaede believed Z had taken the more difficult route in guaranteeing a claim on Selena’s rights by impregnating her. None of the other demi-humans could reproduce yet, so by proving that Selena could bear healthy Aldawi cubs, he had placed a target on her head. While Selena had gained her rights as an Aldawi citizen, her body would be forever fought over by the rest of the galaxy.
When Kaede had become her bodyguard, he had known he was signing his life away to stand by her side. The Stars had pulled them together, sealing the Fates’ will. They were stars in the same constellation, their souls forever calling to each other across lifetimes.
Yet, how could she forgive his actions?
Would she even want him near after he rescued her?
Had he ruined his chances with her in this lifetime—even if he saved her?
Now that he had time to reflect on that day, he cursed his irresponsible decision to form a bond with his Oetsae shortly after the Abyss had broken free of Destima’s atmosphere. He knew that he needed to heal—and quickly—if he wanted a chance to fight off the crew members who had swooped in and grabbed Selena’s Cryopod. Even in his vulnerable state, Kaede had known he was in good hands with his Oetsae crewmembers and had trusted them to continue following the unmarked vessel as he adjusted.
What revolted Kaede, however, was that he knew a day would come when he would need REI’s abilities, yet he had hesitated to form a relationship with her. If he had become a host during the month they had spent relaxing on Destima, he knew he would have been able to prevent Selena’s kidnapping in the first place.
Now, he was racing against time to save Selena and her mates.
“You can’t blame yourself for the past, Kaede,” REI shared. “Even if we did form a bond before Z was summoned to see his sire, my specialty doesn’t lie in second sight. No matter what, I would not have been able to read the Stars, for there is only so much they are willing to divulge without dramatically changing the future. They are the lights that lead each living soul to their destiny, forever changing with each decision they make or have made for them.”
“Could you at least tell me if I picked the right Oetsae for her?”
“Euouae was her match. They will make a perfect pair once they get used to each other.”
“What about us?”
“The same,” REI replied firmly. “I have joined with your biotech AI system to make it work more efficiently while I learned everything about you from your memories, thoughts, and the system’s recordings. The concept of love is foreign to my kind, but we understand devotion. You have sworn yourself to her, therefore she has garnered importance to me. I shall do whatever I need to make sure that you and, by extension, Selena, are protected and well.
“In the future, whenever you need to connect with another computer system, I can easily override and manipulate it to your wishes. I will be prepared to aid you in your rescue mission and help you bypass their security if needed. Once we return to Destima, you will be able to control more drones at once through me. I shall take on the burden of managing them so you may focus on other matters, like the relationship you want with your star. When we are done with this mission, I will make you the best guard to protect Selena from the evils of this universe.”
Chapter Eight
Selena
“This is our lifedome,” Tori announced as a pair of doors slid open.
The room beyond reminded me of
Destima’s terrarium, but instead of a dome, it was covered by a cave ceiling, the walls dotted by holes. Aliens of Celyze’s species in various colors sat along the edges of the room. The ground was flat, devoid of any holes or formations. Multiple exits were available along the walls, each equipped with a walkway leading to the center of the cave. Every open space was filled with seating, decorated with a mass of plant life I had never seen before. A variety of aliens and humans played together in a pond off to the side.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
“It’s like a nature park,” I muttered, spinning around as I searched for any view of space. I frowned when I found nothing resembling a window or a retracting wall. “Why are we in a cave?”
“An asteroid,” Celyze corrected, peering over Tori’s head as he led us off the walkway onto an open, grassy field. “Originally, this asteroid base was designed as a secret halfway point between galaxies and used as a sorting station. Anyone the commanders saved from pirates who were kidnapping innocents from your galaxy was placed here until they determined how to proceed. Usually, we try to send refugees back to where they came from, but most were found in Cryopods and awakened past their time, so they needed somewhere to call home.
“The commanders have constructed a hidden base on a small tropical planet within their galaxy, beyond their Federation’s control, to be used as a sanctuary for those who were abducted and don’t have a place to live. That worked well up until about three and a half months ago, when the Federation invaded, stealing the refugees, raiding the Cryopod storage unit, and killing anyone who resisted.”
“What?” I halted, peering at the others going by their business, stunned that they somehow escaped such a disaster. “Why would your Federation want some harmless refugees?”
“That’s difficult to explain,” Celyze sighed, the fluttering of his wings speeding to a buzz. “The Verya are part of the Axxel Galactic Federation, and originally, our two commanders worked for a secret department within its government. They handled abductions and illegal sales of sentient species. Ever since your galaxy was discovered, pirates have been using the galactic war raging in our galaxy as a cover to kidnap lifeforms and auction them off for a hefty price. Since the CEG hasn’t defended their residents adequately, we had to catch whatever the pirates brought back once they entered our territory. We didn’t want to worry about pissing off a whole other galaxy’s government by chasing pirates past your galaxy’s boundaries. That is why we stay on our side of the universe and handle whatever happens here.
“Over time, the Federation has slowly abandoned the very values they were formed to protect in hopes of coming out ahead of both the Vhalxt and the Yaarkins. Our commanders began to distance themselves from the Federation once they started committing crimes they had always fought against. Until recently, the Federation never showed signs that they knew of our commanders’ undermining work.
“Once the Federation defeated the Yaarkins, they wanted to put all their resources into finding a way to defeat the Vhalxt, as well, and becoming our galaxy’s only ruling government. Gone were the rights and protections of the galaxy’s citizens and asylum seekers. If they believed your genetics were valuable to their cause, they would take you and harvest whatever they needed to create an army. After studying all the research they found on Yaarkins science vessels, the Federation decided to turn away from their original convictions to continue their experiments.”
“And what’s better than finding a haven filled with a wide array of species not native to this galaxy?” Tori rolled her eyes. “They were the reason I couldn’t return to Earth after I was captured. The Federation caught wind that humans can be a blank slate, easily re-designed and spliced with other species’ genes to create super soldiers to defeat their enemies.”
They didn’t need to know what I was. For now, they probably thought I was a hybrid product of a human bred with another species, not a demi-human crafted by one of their greatest enemies. I couldn’t let them use me as a template to fight against both the Federation and the Vhalxt. I needed to get back to my mates. They could fight their own battles without my involvement.
“You said you were originally from Earth?” I scanned Tori’s body, still finding no demi-human features. “How can that be?”
Tori bit her lip and shot a glance at Celyze. He nodded as a silent conversation passed between them and she released a deep breath.
“Yes, I come from Earth,” she muttered, fiddling with her hands. “Originally, I was abducted by the Vhalxt, who had mistaken me for a Swynemi—a delicacy for their kind—and tried to breed me with Celyze’s crew.” She shivered and Celyze wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead. “Celyze was able to reach out to the commanders for help, and they came to rescue us, along with others who were imprisoned on the Vhalxt’s pirate vessel. Somehow, mating a Swynemi has lengthened my lifespan, stalling my aging so that I look twenty-one even though I’m almost one hundred and forty-two.”
A pair of thuds echoed behind us, catching my escorts’ attention. Spinning around, I crouched into a defensive stance, ready to fight whoever had decided it was wise to sneak up on me.
Standing tall with their green wings fluttering wildly stood two white-haired, emerald Swynemi dressed in nothing but a black loincloth like Celyze.
“Is everything all right?” the emerald-eyed male asked my companions. “We came as soon as possible.”
“Are you the one who’s supposed to save us?” The lavender-eyed male studied me with pursed lips. “You don’t look like much.”
“Luwyn!” Tori hissed, shoving the male. “You can’t say that!” She stepped between us and turned to me with arms wide, worry etched onto her face. “I’m sorry, Selena. Please, forgive his rudeness. Typically, he is better behaved.”
“Isn’t he the one who fights Zyxel for your honor?” I eyed the male in question. His lean, muscular body and pair of fragile, membraned wings didn’t impress me. My cubs had better natural defenses, and their adult fangs hadn’t even come in yet. I would bet credits that the three of them could take this cocky male in a solar flare. “My cubs look more dangerous than you. I’m more afraid of them accidentally clawing me than whatever you could do.”
Luwyn’s cocky smirk fell as laughter exploded from the other two males. Tori squinted as tears formed in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip but failed to stifle the escaping chuckles.
“Should I trust them?”
“Both newcomers mean no harm,” Vowels confirmed. “Celyze senses that you are more than human and is interested in what you are. The emerald-eyed one is curious about you and your relationship with Tori. Luwyn is protective of his mate and leery of change.”
“Haven’t the Stars told them?” I teased. “It seems like I’m the incarnation of change.”
“To answer your original question, I don’t know what you’ve heard I can do, but I haven’t agreed to anything.” Relaxing my stance, I crossed my arms as I studied the group’s sudden change in demeanor. All three males almost instinctively surrounded Tori as if they were suddenly wary of me. “Though he’s been a complete ishing frax, Xenak has demanded that I heal his brother. Why should I? He has threatened my clan’s lives for the sake of someone I didn’t even know existed until recently.”
“Is it possible for us to move this conversation to our nest?” The emerald-eyed male’s wings stilled as he glanced around the room warily. “I don’t think we should have this discussion out in the open.”
“I agree,” Celyze replied, grabbing Tori’s hand. “Want me to carry you?”
Tori gave him a quick nod before biting her lip again as she glanced at me. “Are you willing to allow one of my mates to carry you to my clan’s nest?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in climbing into your bed.” Flicking my gaze to the tunnel holes that dotted the stone wall, I tried to estimate how high we were and whether I would be able to survive a fall. “I don’t know if I’m comfortable heading to a private location
at the moment. It seems every time I do, something bad happens.”
“Selena, please trust me—trust us—enough to visit my clan’s housing unit.” I flinched when Tori grabbed my hand. She frowned as sympathy crossed her face. “I’m truly sorry about what happened to you. I don’t wish that on anyone, nor do I like that Xenak has no qualms using your clan’s lives to blackmail you into doing his bidding.”
“He was always the hostile brother,” the emerald-eyed male muttered, crossing his arms. “Normally, he isn’t a bad guy, but he’s been unstable ever since his brother fell unconscious.”
“I don’t care. That doesn’t excuse the way he’s treating me.”
“You’re right.” Tori grabbed my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Which is why I’m on your side.”
“I’m surprised that Xenak didn’t demand Zyxel keep me in that deluxe infirmary room.” Scanning the lifedome, I searched for any signs of the two males I was trying to avoid, finding nobody resembling them. “But Zyxel said I was free to roam the base as soon as I had an escort. I guess he spoke the truth after all.”
“Well, you can’t go far without a communicator,” the lavender-eyed male, Luwyn, quipped. “And even if you could freely roam the base, there is only one way on and off this asteroid, and that’s the hangar, which is hidden from any passersby’s sight. I highly doubt you can pilot a ship, and there aren’t many in the base who could aid your escape.”
“So, in a sense, this base is my jail, and he is my warden.” I sighed, blinking back tears as I tried to keep it together. “I’m going to have to do what he wants me to do in order to go home, aren’t I?”
“Unfortunately,” Tori replied, frowning as she released her grip on my shoulder and stepped back. “Please, reconsider visiting our clan nest and having some refreshments with us. I would like to get to know you better. If anything, it beats being stuck in a room with Zyxel.”
