Project: Adapt - Failure: A Space Fantasy Alien Romance (Book 4)

by Jade Waltz

  But the other two? He could already sense problems forming.

  The things he did for Selena…

  “I didn’t think I would need to have this conversation with you, but I’d rather get it done sooner than later, especially since Selena had a rough night.”

  “Is she all right?” Tori covered her mouth. “Does she need someone to talk to?”

  REI brought up the vidfeed of the master suite. Selena was still in the same position he had left her in.

  “Not at the moment,” he replied, shaking his head. “She’s sleeping. If she is willing to talk and socialize, I’ve left a note for her to come to the galley.”

  “Are you sure she doesn’t need to be medically examined?” Zyxel narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Or are you purposely hiding her?”

  “I’ve searched the galaxy for this female for over seven years, and again when your commander went on a selfish power trip, to take her back where she belongs. Please tell me how I’ve neglected her,” he hissed, showing his fangs. “You have known her for a mere few days. Stop lashing out at me because she has rejected your advances and let me do my job by allowing her some much-needed rest. I don’t know if you remember correctly, but she was recently hurt and needs as much time as she can get to heal, instead of dealing with more problems others create.”

  Kaede ignored the silent male, who could only gape at him. How dare Zyxel question his intentions, especially after he had to witness Selena breaking down because she was too afraid to shower by herself.

  Glancing between the two telepaths on his ship, he tried to determine how to explain away their suspicions.

  < ONCE THEY MEET OETA, SHE SHOULD VET THEM ALL. SHE CAN DO THE HONORS AND GRAB ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THEM BEFORE ENDING THEIR LIFEFORCE. >

  What REI suggested was true. Oeta would be on the landing pad when they arrived. If any of their passengers grew too demanding before then, he could just eject them without any regrets.

  “Listen to me, because I am only going to tell you this once: We aren’t friends. I don’t know you and I don’t trust any of you. You are only here because Selena begged me to allow you on, so don’t betray her trust by doing something you will regret as soon as I hear of it—and I will, because I have eyes, ears, and even noses everywhere on my ship. Do I make myself clear?”

  A series of affirmatives filled the room, as each person nodded and met his gaze.

  “Second. Don’t fuck with my ship. Got it?” When they agreed, he continued, “I have what I call a ‘living ship.’ It doesn’t breathe or grow, but five lifeforms do control the Abyss. That is what you sense—my crew.”

  “Are they Oetsae, too?” Tori asked, skirting her mates to stand before him. “My clan met Euouae the day before you rescued her.”

  Biting his tongue, Kaede closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he took deep breaths. He needed to speak with his female about risking her life and doing foolish things when he wasn’t around. The universe wasn’t supposed to know about the Oetsae, yet she was sharing their existence with four strangers.

  “What did she tell you?” he hedged, pinning the female with his glare.

  Tori tilted her head. “Selena explained how you saved her with a symbiont and Euouae let us touch our hands together.” She clapped her hands together and smiled. “But mainly, Euouae wanted to ask my Celyze if he was willing to weave their mental threads together to try and reach some government official’s daughter and ask about—”

  “You guys becoming ambassadors and relocating to Destima. Got it.” Kaede sighed. If neither Euouae nor his crew had sensed any malicious intent from them, the Oetsae had to deem them trustworthy enough to be on the ship.

  < REI. ASK THE CREW IF THEY ARE SAFE. >

  < THEY ARE ALL CURIOUS ABOUT THE SHIP, SCARED ABOUT YOU, AND WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME. >

  He was glad that they feared him. The more scared they were, the less likely they would be to piss him off and try anything dumb around him.

  “Abyss crew, report to the galley.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Selena

  When I woke up, Kaede was gone, but the sheets still smelled like him.

  He had probably grown accustomed to waking up early while he had tracked me, so I wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t here.

  Stretching, I climbed out of bed and grabbed a robe from the wall drawers before exiting the master cabin. It had been a while since I had last eaten something, as I had been too upset to look for refreshments yesterday.

  Walking into the galley, I was surprised to see everyone—including all six Oetsae—present and staring at me. Taking Kaede’s hand, I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

  “Is this some sort of party?” I teased, smiling. “Or something else?”

  “A few—” Kaede’s cheeks reddened as he coughed into his hand. “A certain few telepaths wanted to know what mental signatures they were sensing and Tori explained that she met Euouae.”

  “Ahhh.” I knew what the trouble was. My desperation to contact Oeta—and potentially even my nestmates—had clouded my judgment and made me too trusting. “I would apologize, but Vowels told me I could trust them, so I did. I am sorry if that complicated things.”

  “I just wish you would’ve told me first,” he whispered.

  I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was disappointed and, now that his eyes were visible, I saw that he could even be hurt by my mishap.

  Grabbing his other hand, I squeezed his fingers gently. “I promise I will refer to you before I share any more secrets or sensitive information. I’m sorry for not letting you know, but in my defense, we both know what happened yesterday. My mind wasn’t in the right place.”

  Closing his eyes, he sighed and leaned forward, giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I know, Selena. We will work through this together.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered, giving his hands one last squeeze before letting go. “Vowels, if you want, you can join them.”

  My Oetsae coalesced next to me, dressed in a similar bodysuit to Kaede’s, though his short hair matching my length and his abyssal eyes set them apart.

  “I’ve heard much about you,” he said, offering his hand to Kaede.

  My guard looked between us, confused, before gently shaking his head and accepting my partner’s hand. “It will be good to work with you in the future.”

  “I look forward to it,” Vowels replied with a wide grin. “Anyways, I will let you two be and socialize.”

  I rolled my eyes at my Oetsae, knowing he was purposely making Kaede uncomfortable yet looking to establish a working relationship. I wondered if they would talk while I slept from now on. All I needed was to wake up to the three of them playing some sort of table game while I was in the dreamscape.

  At least I would never be alone.

  Glancing at the walls, I puzzled over what food was available. “Is there something I can help you with?” Kaede asked, following my gaze.

  “I’m hungry. It’s been a while since I had anything to eat or drink.”

  “I can help,” a sapphire-hooded Oetsae offered. “It’s my specialty. Are you craving anything?”

  I spotted Zyxel watching me as he conversed with LIU, the emerald Oetsae. I realized the last time I’d had a meal had been on a “date” with the crimson Ezzaska.

  “Perhaps something crunchy and savory. Though anything will work as long as it’s not too salty.”

  “I have the perfect dish.”

  We all shared the midday meal while the Oetsae went back to their stations. Tori’s mates cleaned away the dishes, since flying over the table was much easier than squeezing past others to get to and from a spot. Once all the dishes were put in the washer, everyone sat and we nursed our drinks.

  I leaned against Kaede, who wrapped an arm around my waist as we listened to our passengers recounting their conversations with the Oetsae. It was nice to be able to relax without worry about anything but making it back home in t
ime.

  “Hey, Selena,” Tori shouted from across the table. “Where are we going?”

  I glanced at Kaede, silently asking permission. He nodded and squeezed our joined hands. “A moon called Destima. What else do you want to know?”

  “Is it true that you’re some sort of princess?” Her gaze flicked to Zyxel. “I’ve heard rumors.”

  “She’s more like a queen, or the queen, to be honest,” Kaede replied. “Ryzen, how does it feel that your brother almost started a war to save your life?”

  “There wouldn’t have been a war.” Luwyn snorted. “Your vessel alone could have taken out our whole base without a problem.”

  “Exactly.”

  I elbowed Kaede gently in the stomach and glared at my new mate. He could be an ishing frax sometimes and now wasn’t the time for him to brag.

  “The queen of what? An island?” Tori asked. “Is that where you want to relocate us—your island?”

  Kaede chuckled behind me and I threw another glare over my shoulder.

  “My new full title is Selena Darcaw, Beacon of the Aldawi Empire, Seedbearer and Nova to Zirene Darcaw, and ruler of the moon Destima of the Lunkai Sol System.” I shrugged. “Unless I’ve gained any more titles since I left.”

  “Which means she’s the mother of the heirs to the Aldawi Empire, the second largest and most powerful empire in the CEG. Last time I checked, they are also the Primary Officer of seventeen Secondaries,” Kaede added. “You see, the Aldawi have grown so powerful not due to aggressive expansion. No, unlike the largest empire in the galaxy, the Quaww, they don’t command and conquer. Instead, the Aldawi have amassed power by gathering vassal states of less powerful species in their empire, which pay a small tax for protection and the right to govern themselves, as long as they obey the laws of the Aldawi and the CEG. To top it all off, the Aldawi have funded the majority of the war against the Yaarkins and were able to thrive off their stolen technology and experimental results, so they have secured their position as the strongest empire within the CEG.”

  “Basically, Kaede is saying that the Aldawi have become strong not by defeating and killing innocents but by creating allies and taking others in,” I interjected. “This is why welcoming ambassadors and relocating the five thousand or so members of your base won’t be a problem for us, as long as the CEG accepts your applications for citizenship.”

  They all stared at me, speechless. I didn’t understand why Kaede had joined in unless he was trying to drive home that they were messing with the wrong people.

  “Tori, you’re right; I am planning on relocating everyone to an island. My villa sits atop the main island of the moon I rule. We have quite a few refugees who recently made Destima their home. I was working on community plans before I was kidnapped. My goal was to make my moon self-reliant and maybe, over time, open a private resort where guests must apply and be invited to attend.” I shrugged. “I might need to delay those plans since it seems I’m returning to more responsibilities.”

  “I’ve been talking to royalty all this time?” Tori murmured, covering her mouth as fear flashed in her bright-green eyes. “Are we supposed to bow or call you by your title? If I had known, I would’ve done that from the beginning!”

  “No, I don’t do titles.” I waved her off. “It gets confusing when you start involving my other mates’ titles.”

  “How many mates are we talking about?” Zyxel interrupted. I didn’t miss the glare he shot Kaede. “Tori has three. I’m sure it can’t be that difficult.”

  “Including Kaede, I have six—a sovereign, two exiled princes, a Master Scholar, a musician, and now a royal guard.” I squeezed his hands around me. I could feel his chest puffing with pride when I mentioned his claim.

  “Highly trained royal guard,” Kaede corrected with a smirk.

  “Your Sovereign allowed you to mate with his brothers?” Ryzen splattered. “Why would he do that?”

  “No one is related,” I explained. “Most of my mates belong to different species, so there shouldn’t be any conflict outside of the rules of the clan, which I have already established.” Sighing, I stared at the ceiling as I tried to keep from crying in public. “Everything was magical when I left. I just hope they’re all okay when we arrive.”

  Reaching out, I checked my connections, which were still the same—so diminished that I was afraid to attempt contacting my nestmates.

  At least the bonds were still there and untouched, which meant my mates were still alive and waiting for my return.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Selena

  Waking up in Kaede’s arms felt like a dream. If I hadn’t visited Zirene in the dreamscape, I would’ve believed it was a dream.

  Solely his presence gave me a sense of home.

  His scent. His body’s warmth. His leg wrapped between mine.

  Somehow, I knew that I was safe now that he was with me.

  When I opened my eyes, the dimmed lights of our master bedroom greeted me. Gazing at the walls, I smiled at all the vidscreens filled with images of my clan.

  I must’ve been too tired or otherwise occupied to notice them until now.

  Somehow, Kaede had been able to capture the time Zirene and I had won Hunt and Prey against our cubs. There we were, holding each other and kissing in the branches of a tree in our own little world.

  The vidscreen beside that displayed the time I had fought Pavryn alongside my cubs as my mates watched us from the shore. We splashed around the Sanctuary’s pond, teaming up to defeat him. The vidrecording had been filmed from Kaede’s point of view from his spot on the ledge above us.

  Sunbathing with Xylo and Odelm.

  Swimming with my Circuli princes during our group date.

  Precious moments that I could never have imagined as a prototype trapped on my masters’ ship. Not too long ago I had been in a cell, waiting to be experimented on again.

  Now, my life had meaning.

  It was full of so many bright colors, often blinding in its intensity. Smiles and laughter painted the dark walls, making me pray I would never revert to the way things had been before I escaped.

  Closing my eyes, I focused on my precious golden threads and prayed to the Stars that my mates would be okay.

  I couldn’t fathom how Zirene must have felt when his sire betrayed him and he was forced to kill him to protect his clan. Now, he was leading an empire he didn’t want to rule while trying to hold himself together for not only my sake but also our cubs’ and his fellow clanmates’.

  I was not the only one suffering, and yet, I was the one who needed comfort.

  Zirene had no one other than his brother, Royak, and perhaps Oeta to support him now. I could only provide him temporary relief while we were in the dreamscape together. Outside of that, he had nothing—especially since I couldn’t reach out to him.

  Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision as I watched the vidfeeds. While I was happy to finally have Kaede as a mate, I missed the rest of my clan dearly.

  Reality hadn’t hit me in full force until now. Perhaps the need to focus on surviving in a foreign location with strange people until I could find a way to escape had distracted me. Now that Kaede had rescued me, I knew I was safe. Able to relax and let my mind wander.

  “If I’d known you would be this upset about waking up beside me, I would’ve slept in my captain’s chair,” Kaede breathed against the back of my neck as his arms tightened around me. “Now, tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”

  Rolling my eyes, I snuggled against him as I wiped the tears away.

  “You’re mine now, Kaede,” I muttered, gripping his arm around my waist. “Just because I haven’t marked you yet, that doesn’t mean you can back away.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Selena,” he whispered against my neck, squeezing me tightly again. “You haven’t marked my body, but you’ve left your claim on my heart and soul. I am already yours for all of eternity.”

  Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply
and took in his calming scent. His warmth surrounded me like a comforting blanket as his pounding heart pulsed at my back.

  I needed him.

  While I loved all my mates for helping me grow and flourish, Kaede could ground me in ways the others couldn’t. He was the stability I needed to become a better mate to my clan and a better mother to my children, so I wouldn’t have to depend on my mates as much as I did now.

  “Talk to me, Selena,” he begged as he gently nipped my ear. “I am not like the others. I don’t have a gateway to your mind.”

  “The wall.” Surveying the collection once more, I took in all the saved moments he had displayed. “How did you do this?”

  “I’ve told you plenty of times.” He lifted his arm from my waist and held his palm out in front of me. A metallic, spherical drone appeared, floating just far enough above his outstretched hand to avoid touching him. “I am always watching not only your every move, but everyone else’s, too.”

  “You always say that, but I didn’t think you meant it.”

  “I meant every word.” Kaede tossed the drone into the air with a snap of his wrist. He caught the orb as it fell, balancing the sphere on his index finger before bringing it in front of my face. “Every night, I index every important moment, filing it away to study or view later. Knowing how much you would appreciate being able to see occasions I’ve deemed special again, I programmed the screens to project them for your pleasure. I can’t fathom how you are currently feeling, especially after everything you have gone through, but I want to help you in any way I can.” Kaede snapped his fingers, making the drone disappear as he wrapped his arm around my waist once more. “I can erase them if you want—”

  “No!” I jerked around to face him. His slitted neon eyes flicked to my lips before meeting my gaze. “I want them. Other than my children, they are the best and most thoughtful gift I have ever received.”

  “Then I will keep them on that wall until we arrive on Destima. Then I will install them wherever you want so you can watch them whenever you please.” His eyes softened as he studied me while he combed his fingers through my short hair. “Even when this is all over, I will continue to record your best moments for you.”