“My cubs?” I gasped, my lips dry.
Odelm said something to the princes and a moment later held out a cup of tea for me to sip. I nodded gratefully.
Xylo smiled and continued, “Yes, we should be done inspecting and cleaning them up by then and will give them to you to feed. Then Odelm and I will not leave your side until you are ready for us to do so. We will make sure you and the cubs are fed and taken care of.”
“We agreed to stay around and help out,” Chyox chimed in from the table behind Xylo. “It has been a long time since we have been in the presence of newborns. This is a historic moment, and we want to do our part. That is, if it is okay with you, Selena. You are the nestqueen and this is your clan.”
I gaped at him, surprised by his offer. And by his asking my permission. The others had never treated me different because I was human, but Chyox always acted like I was going to attack him at any moment.
Meeting his eyes, I replied. “If that is what you want to do, I will take any help I can get. But my nestmates also have a say in this. If any one of us refuses something, it is final.”
Chyox nodded. “We will not fail your clan.”
Closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths, I prepared myself. “Let’s do this.”
The placenta slipped out with ease. Thank the Stars.
Chyox asked if they could keep it for research, and not caring about what happened to it, I told him it was fine.
Odelm and Xylo helped me to the tub ledge, where I leaned against Odelm as Xylo pressed on my stomach and inspected me for tears, bleeding, or other injury. After a few boosters and vitamin injections, a full body scan with their portable screen, and a soothing towel dry, Xylo said I could be moved to the bedroom.
Sighing with relief, I leaned my head on Odelm’s shoulder as he carried me out of the bathroom. I allowed my eyes to drift closed, but not before noticing how red the bath water now was.
I now lay propped against a pile of pillows, a small crib nearby that Odelm had made based on examples Xylo had found in his research. We anticipated with so many willing arms to help, it would not often be needed, but it was nice to have a place to put them if necessary.
The bathroom door opened, and I heard small cries. It triggered something within me, and my breasts began to ache.
Xylo and the princes entered, beaming, each carrying a crying cub. The healers trailed behind them as they all gathered at the edge of the nestbed.
Xylo climbed the stairs and approached with one of the cubs.
“Selena. I believe you have a few cubs who are hungry and want to meet you,” Xylo whispered.
He unwrapped the towel to reveal a furry head as Odelm lowered the blanket to my waist. My eyes locked on the cub as he passed her to me.
“Here is your daughter. What are you going to name her?”
She was beautiful.
She filled both of my hands and felt so light compared to her size. Everything about her was soft to the touch. Her fur was the same color as my hair, silver. Her face and chest were a pale blue-gray. Turning her to the side, I traced a swirling pattern of black and midnight stripes with my eyes. Her bushy tail was silver on top and with the same pale blue-gray visible underneath as it curled around her body, tip flicking lazily.
I’d seen pictures of the felines on Earth, and my daughter reminded me of them—especially her triangular ears and the legs that seemed to have one more joint than a human’s, bent in the wrong direction. Tiny claws tipped her five toes and five fingers, both of which had pads, much like a feline.
A purr sounded from my daughter as she tilted her head up to meet my gaze. Her eyes matched him—her sire. They were amethyst and seemed to look into my heart, curling up in their new home.
A small chirp escaped her.
I glanced up at Xylo as I rubbed her cheeks. “What is the Aldawi word for light? Hope? Something feminine that has to do with a bright future.”
He tilted his head in thought. “Meti. It means wish, as in a great yearning.”
Meti. It was perfect.
I brought her to my chest. Instinctively, she rubbed her cheek against my breast before latching onto my nipple. I felt the drag of breastmilk as she sucked, and a pleasant feeling flowed through me.
I was a mother.
“My little girl, I’m going to name you Meti. You are the hope for the future. A gift from the Stars.” I smiled. “I’m your mother. These two males beside me are your fathers. You have two littermates who are your brothers. This means it’s you and me against a clan full of males. We’ve got to stick together,” I whispered to her, watching her eyes getting heavy as she looked up at me with trust.
Nearby, my sons were beginning to cry in earnest. I looked up from Meti to the princes, who were trying to comfort them by holding them to their chests like me. I smiled at the sight. Neither Wudox or Ulax had nipples, so would never have needed to carry offspring like that. They were obviously mimicking what I did, trying to calm my sons.
Meti released my nipple as her purrs grew louder. Looking down, I saw she’d fallen asleep while feeding.
I glanced over at Odelm, knowing he hadn’t had a chance to hold any of
