by Jade Waltz
A wide smile crossed his face, exposing his fangs as a twinkle of happiness crossed his feline-amethyst eyes. “It does. I promise you, it will be worth it.”
Rolling my eyes, I smiled. “Fine. You win. Can we go now? I believe we have been in here for quite a while, and we left your brothers in charge of keeping an eye out on our cubs.”
He let go of my hands and turned toward the group. “Are we done here?” After multiple nods and confirmations, he explained, “Okay. Close your eyes. It will be easier to return to the real world. In a few moments, you should be back to yourselves.”
Chapter Ten
Xylo
Xylo walked over and sat down next to Odelm on the couch in Zirene’s office. Odelm already had a glass of Xowyn—a silver, fruity, alcoholic drink—on the center table, waiting for him. Both Odelm and Zirene were nursing their own. Leaning forward, Xylo picked up the glass, sat back, and took a long sip, enjoying the drink’s flavor.
He still couldn’t believe Selena was the Nova to such a powerful male in the CEG. Selena being the nestqueen in their clan boosted Odelm’s importance and public presence. Their actions not only reflected on Selena but also on Zirene and the Aldawi Royal Family.
Zirene tilted his head toward the master bedroom. Xylo watched the ears on top of his head rotate the same direction before flicking back in their normal position. Swirling the Xowyn in his glass, Zirene turned toward Xylo and his nestbrother.
“She is finally in a deep sleep.”
Xylo could confirm his statement, for her thoughts had halted. There was no void as if she shielded them—just a calm silence. Selena promised Odelm and Xylo she wouldn’t shield herself from them as long as they gave her privacy when she asked for it. He knew how to multi-task, and since their permanent bond wasn’t freshly new anymore, he could pull his attention from actively reading her thoughts.
“What we experienced earlier in the Dreamdome, is that how it is every time you visit Selena in your dreamscape world?” Xylo asked, eyeing the Aldawi prince.
“Yes and no,” Zirene continued to watch the swirling silver beverage in the glass in his hand. “I always kept her outside on the porch of her property, or we took walks along the island. Mainly, I focused on teaching her basic subjects students would learn in the academy, like Galactic Common. I avoided history and anything that might cause her distress, like Biology, and I kept talks about was happening in the real world limited, but I never explained to her how to create. What she did today was something only experienced Aldawi are capable of.”
“Perhaps that is the skill she adopted from you?” Odelm stated, glancing at Xylo for confirmation.
“It would make sense. Selena’s spots started to glow in the dark after she mated with me, and they gained the ability to change color in response to extreme emotions from you, Odelm. Other than her making similar sounds as an Aldawi, she showed no other signs of things she adopted from mating with you, Zirene.”
Zirene stopped swirling his drink and looked up at Xylo.
“She didn’t want me to come to the dreamscape world while the Destiny was traveling here, and I never explained to her how to create. That would explain why she didn’t know she had the ability.”
“But what did she gain from Kaede?” Odelm asked.
A growl escaped Zirene as his ears pinned backward. He turned his focus on the drink in his hands and took long gulps until he finished his drink.
“He shouldn’t have needed to do it. No one knows what species he is a hybrid of and the effects it would have on both Selena and him. We failed Selena on that part.”
Zirene’s news about Kaede startled Xylo; the realization hit, causing him to gasp.
“Kaede is a trans-human like Selena, isn’t he? That is why he looks almost human.”
“They consider themselves demi-humans—a human with slightly altered forms. Agent Kaede and his half-sisters are the most advanced versions. They have numerous similarities to Selena since they were genetically altered and grown in a tube while being enhanced by mech technology.”
“They were also experiments of the Yaarkins, weren’t they?” Xylo demanded.
“Yes. Agent Kaede and his half-sisters were on the first Yaarkins ship we took over that had prisoners aboard. The rest only contained a multitude of non-sentient creatures, other than the Yaarkins themselves. I made a deal with them when I rescued them. They get the freedom they always dreamed of as citizens of the Aldawi Empire and would be under my protection as long as they reported to and worked for me.” Zirene eyed them both before he made his way to the drink dispenser.
This news about Kaede’s origins shocked Xylo. Why would Kaede keep who he was a secret from them? From Selena?
“Should we tell her?” Odelm mentally asked.
Xylo studied Zirene as he ordered another drink, wishing he was an Ulax for once so that he could sense his emotions.
“No. There has to be a reason. It is not our place.”
Zirene sat down across from him, his amethyst eyes locked on Xylo.
“I know you are having a silent discussion. The reason I told Kaede to keep his identity a secret from Selena was because I wanted to gauge how she was reacting to all the surrounding changes. I know she felt self-conscious about how she looked compared to the other females aboard the ship she was on. I plan to introduce her to the demi-human community living on Destima.”
“Exactly how large of a population are we talking about?” Odelm asked.
Zirene took a sip of his Xowyn.
“There are five hundred and thirty-seven second-generation trans-humans living on Destima. Kaede, his five half-sisters, and Selena are all prototypes of projects separate from the rest. The demi-human population lives in the walled building Selena helped create. Kaede and his half-sisters live in their base on the highest point of the moon, overlooking the clan’s property and the surrounding islands. The academy houses over one hundred thousand Aldawi warriors being trained and updated for the fleet. My goal was to make her moon a special military base to keep her protected while I am away.”
Xylo couldn’t believe what Zirene told him. Everyone believed the human race was extinct due to the tragedy that happened to them. Now, Selena would have a small population of others similar to her. She would finally have a place to belong.
“What about Kaede? He shared his DNA with Selena through his semen when he helped her dilate when she was giving birth. With him not knowing what species he is spliced from, we won’t know what traits Selena adopted from him,” Odelm commented.
“It is something we need to monitor. Kaede has spent a lot of resources trying to figure out what the Yaarkins did to him. There are no creatures or species in the Euph Galaxy that share the same traits as him. I am assuming he is either a spliced combination of what is available in the Euph Galaxy or a species native to where the Yaarkins came from. No matter what, he is loyal to both the Aldawi Empire and to me. His instincts would drive him to be the perfect guard for Selena.”
Odelm sighed. “He has hurt Selena with his avoidance of her. I am afraid of what would happen between those two once he comes around. Part of me wishes he would stay away and guard her from afar, but I know that may not always be the case.”
Xylo nodded. “Her thoughts about him confirm what Odelm said. She feels betrayed and used by him because you ordered him to befriend her to keep tabs on her. Now that you are around, his friendship with her is no longer needed. Whenever those two meet, it will be a heated discussion.”
Zirene leaned back and took another sip of his drink, eyeing both Odelm and Xylo.
“Kaede has never strayed from his missions and is one of my best warriors. If he believes avoiding her is something he needs to do to keep himself from distraction, I will not interfere. He is in charge of keeping Selena and our cubs safe.” A growl escaped him. “By taking in her blood when he bit her, he can now trace her location if they are on the same planet. He has always used this skill to hunt a target when he is
on a mission. Even though I do not agree with what happened, I will overlook it if it will help keep her safe.”
“When are you going to explain all of this to Selena?” Xylo asked tightly.
“Leave that to me,” Zirene sighed and locked his eyes with Xylo. “I know I messed up with Selena. It will take a while for her to fully trust me and be once again as comfortable with me as she is with the both of you. I kept my identity from her and forced her to become a mother, knowing everything would be hectic in her future.” He took in a deep breath, as his ears flicked back, before letting it out.
“How about I monitor the cubs at night in the spare bedroom so you both can comfort her and sleep through the night until we arrive at Destima? I know the three of you haven’t been able to spend time together as a clan at night because of the cubs. Selena isn’t ready for me to join you guys in the same bed yet, and until she asks me, I won’t force myself in it. I am hoping she will agree to spend some alone time with me to work things out while we are on Destima and explain everything we have discussed here during that time. To that, our cubs will need to be taken care of and watched over so she won’t worry about them. That is what I am hoping you two will agree to do. Let me watch over the cubs at night while we are still here, and when we are on Destima, you will watch the cubs while I try to court her at night.”
Xylo felt that Zirene’s offer was fair. They hadn’t been able to have any time to comfort Selena at night since the cubs were born. Trading the responsibility for the cubs would benefit everyone involved.
He kept his gaze on Zirene as he asked Odelm. “What do you think?”
“I believe it is a reasonable request. We’ve had the cubs in our bed with us, and our focus has been on making sure they are taken care of while Selena recovered. Zirene is correct that by doing so, we haven’t been able to spend time sleeping with Selena. It is an honor to do so, but I miss waking up entangled with both you and her. Trading time with the cubs would allow us to treat each other as equals, regardless of our ranking or career. Selena wants her clan to respect each other and get along, and this would add to it.”
“Then it is settled. If Selena ends up sleeping with Zirene someplace without us on one of those outings, we need to make sure she knows it is fine. They need to rekindle what they originally had, and we should support them both in doing so.”
“Even though it would feel odd not sharing a bed with our nestqueen, I understand the reasoning and would rather have her happy. At least we will still be able to feel her.”
A smile crossed Xylo’s face as he nodded at the Aldawi prince. “We both agree to your terms. It is for the betterment of our clan for both of you to work out your differences. We hope one day soon, you will share the same clan bed with us where you belong.”
Zirene relaxed in his chair. “Thank you both. I will remember this.” He glanced at Xylo and his nestbrother. “It is getting late. How about you both help me move our cubs to my spare bedroom, and we all go to bed? Tomorrow is an important day for us all, and it will be here before we know it.”
Chapter Eleven
Selena
A gentle squeeze from an arm draped over my waist woke me from my slumber. My dreams seemed so lonely without Zirene after spending almost every night with him in the dreamscape. They didn’t feel the same with him missing.
Opening my eyes, I surveyed the dimly lit room. Both nestmates had their appendages entangled around me as they slept—Odelm’s arm rested on my stomach as Xylo’s hand held a few strands of my hair. They both faced me as their deep breathing tickled my exposed skin.
It felt odd waking up without both breasts feeling full. Sadness gripped me at the thought of my lost production, even though my body had had enough time to heal from the pregnancy completely. Somehow I felt more well-rested than I should be. The cubs should have woken up by now for a feeding. I scanned the room once more, wondering where the cubs were, since they weren’t curled up in our bed.
Fear gripped me when I couldn’t find them. They were missing from our room.
“Xylo! Odelm! Where are the cubs?” I yelled, panicked.
Both males jerked awake and scrambled to their feet. They stood in a defensive stance with their appendages and arms spread out, looking around the room as their bodies’ patterns glowed brightly in the darkness.
“Where are they?” I demanded as I stood up. “Where are our cubs?”
As one, they both turned to me as they lowered their limbs, relaxing from their defensive stances, Xylo’s face softening.
“Zirene offered to watch the cubs so you could get a full night’s rest. He said we had not been alone together since the cubs were born, and he wanted to allow us to do so.”
My fear dispersed as I calmed from the news, and I felt my rapid heartbeat slow down as my breaths normalized.
It was kind of Zirene to help my nestmates give me an undisturbed sleep, but I wished they had told me before I excused myself for the night from the Royal Commons.
A slight tickling sensation trailed down my cheek—tears. I hadn’t realized I started crying. I turned away from Xylo and wiped them. A sigh escaped my lips as I sat back down on the bed.
“Do you believe we can trust him?” I glanced at both of my nestmates.
“Trust him…?” Odelm asked in confusion.
“Yes. Selena, don’t waste time thinking about Zirene betraying you again. He is determined to get back in your good graces. Allowing anything to happen to our cubs would ruin his chances.”
“It’s just… I’m scared.”
Odelm stepped forward and pulled me close. I could feel him trying to soothe me through our bond.
“Everything will work out. Zirene won’t let anyone take you—or our cubs—away from him. Not again,” Xylo whispered as he wrapped his arms around me. “We won’t let anything happen to you or the cubs either. This, I swear.”
“I swear,” Odelm murmured and squeezed me slightly. “Having you unconscious and recovering for five days was too much. I knew why, but it reminded me of the moment on the Destiny with the princes… I don’t enjoy being unable to aid you.”
Their words stunned me. I understood the logic behind them, but Odelm’s confession about feeling useless struck a chord with me.
“You both have done so much for me. You are my base. My shelter. Because of you both, I feel like I can be myself. I feel appreciated and loved by the simplest actions… I hope I am doing the same.”
“Selena. You are everything I hoped for.”
“Everything we hoped for,” Odelm corrected.
“Are you sure?”
“Let us help calm your worries and put you back to sleep,” Odelm whispered.
“Let us take care of you, Selena.”
I nodded and pulled away from their embrace. They let me go willingly, and I climbed back into our bed.
“We can help you get some rest, Selena,” Odelm said as he knelt next to me.
I closed my eyes as one of his tentacles bolted to my stomach, tickling me. The sensations of the little suction cups slowly traveled up toward my breasts. Even though I was used to the body temperature differences between the three of us, I still got goosebumps during moments like this. Whenever they touched me sensually, I felt cherished and loved. At this moment, I could feel my body awaken with need.
Xylo’s gentle hands guided me to lie down on my back.
As soon as my back hit the bed, a pair of lips attached themselves to my breasts and sucked.
My eyelids burst open to see Xylo looking up at me. He paused as his mouth curled up in a smirk. Odelm watched me as he continued to assault my breast.
I watched both of my nestmates as they sucked my beaded nipples. Their dual attacks sent sensations down my spine to my center. I could feel my arousal heighten as they nibbled. The slight nips from their teeth made me squeeze my legs together from the wetness forming between them.
A hand traveled slowly from my knee up along my leg to my inner thigh. I shi
vered from its coolness on the bareness of my body. Unconsciously, I opened my legs for him to ease my growing, throbbing need.
He cupped my center and inserted two fingers, dragging them along my upper wall. I moaned and watched as he detached his lips from my achy mound. Xylo removed his fingers from my pussy and brought them to his mouth.
A groan escaped him. “Odelm, taste this.”
“I plan to,” Odelm’s mental voice chuckled as he remained focused on my breast, his eyes locked onto mine. “I can’t wait to sample your essence from the source.”
“Let me help prepare her for you, nestbrother.”
Xylo moved his fingers expertly, cupping my pussy. A gasp escaped as I arched my back, feeling of his cool hand on my warmth. He slid a finger between my nether lips into my damp vagina. I moaned loudly as his smooth finger entered—returning to where he started.
Xylo’s smooth thumb rubbed my clit while he pressed two fingers against the entrance to my pussy. They slipped inside easily, stretching my inner walls before he slid them all the way out again. He added a third before sliding back in. I could feel my walls stretch to accommodate all three. He crooked his fingers, sliding back and forth against the front wall of my passage. His thumb slid across my oversensitive nub with every stroke while the other tickled my ass.
Odelm grabbed onto the breast Xylo had abandoned, pinching its nipple. Xylo worked in tandem with Odelm’s attacks, setting a regular pattern. Xylo’s fingers probed deep inside me while his thumb gently rubbed my clit with each thrust. My hands fisted the sheets in pleasure with my need to ground myself.
My body kept getting hotter as they played me as a perfect team. Their connection to me allowed them to know what I wanted—what I needed. My nestmates skillfully manipulated my body, building the pressure inside.
Suddenly, Odelm detached himself from my breast and peered at my face, keeping his jade eyes locked with mine. The coolness of the air hitting my peaked nipples sent a shiver down my spine. His gaze twinkled with mischief as a smirk crossed his bright speckled-framed face. His body glowed in the room's darkness, showing off all of his beautiful angles. His purple anemone hair burned brightly as it dangled, creating a curtain between us and the world.