That explained why I’d found Odelm eating alone at the bar at lunch. I glanced at Odelm again, his expression still closed off. Turning back to Xylo, I noticed he’d closed his wristband and was waiting for my next question.
“Is touching each other with your vines and tentacles an expression of comfort? Like humans hold hands or hug?”
An awed expression crossed his face, and he exchanged glances with Odelm, who now looked at me with interest. Both males schooled their expressions as they stared at me.
“That comparison works. Humans are much more freely expressive when it comes to showing affection and giving comfort than both Wudox and Ulax. Typically, only nestmates use their vines or tentacles to touch their nestqueen. It brings them both comfort to have physical contact. Neither species holds hands, hugs, or even kisses. Those are things other species like humans do. I understand the concepts through my studies, but you are the first experience I—or any of the crew—have had with it.”
I blinked, perplexed. “What about the princes? I saw them freely touch one other.”
Kaede made a choked sound.
Xylo exchanged another glance with Odelm, whose expression was steely, before leaning closer. “Unbonded males who have no interest in being accepted by a nestqueen—or who want to and have not yet been so honored—sometimes become close friends with one another. There is not the deep bond formed from the transfer of spores to one other as there is within a clan, but they open themselves up to one another mentally and seek each other for comfort. Males are asexual until they are court-bonded—at which time their bodies biologically prepare to mate and give their bonding spores to their nestqueen.”
Kaede coughed.
We leaned back in our seats as our meal was delivered to our table. I peered up at the servers and smiled in thanks.
Picking up my spork, I scooped a bite of the nut stew and blew on it impatiently. I was starving, and it smelled delicious. As the rich, hearty taste proved a match to the wonderful aroma, I made a small noise of delight. It certainly beat the monotony of the nutrition bars the Yaarkins had usually fed me. In fact, everything I had experienced so far had exceeded anything I could have imagined.
“Selena. What are your plans aboard ship?” Kaede questioned between sips of the meal beverage he was drinking with a straw, his face still hidden behind the visor that covered his eyes and the dark green cloth that hung from it.
Taking another scoop of the nut stew, I thought the question over.
“I don’t have specific plans, I’ll figure it out as it comes. Whatever Xylo says is okay to do, I guess—if he thinks I shouldn’t do something, I won’t. The only things I have scheduled are my daily morning check-ups with the healers and swimming lessons with Odelm whenever he is free. Other than that, I am hoping to explore and meet others. Xylo said exercise would be good for me, and Odelm said swimming was easy on the joints and relaxing. Why?”
Kaede tapped something into the armband with his black-gloved hand. “I need to be aware of your schedule so I can ensure I have you well protected at all times—both outside and inside the ship. I will make sure I always have an eye on you.”
I choked on my soup, gasping as I banged on my chest. “Including when I’m asleep?” I rasped.
“Of course.” Kaede shrugged.
Odelm interjected, “It is Xylo’s job to protect her. Even if it is only him at the moment, the nestbed is designed to provide the nestqueen protection. You should not have to protect her in her bedroom with Xylo there.”
“But I slept alone in the guest room at the infirmary last night.”
“You started a court bond with him and didn’t have him sleep with you?” Kaede asked as he looked between Xylo and me. “Are you planning on rejecting him after all?”
“I didn’t know until Odelm explained it to me earlier. I just needed some time alone to think after learning I was pregnant,” I murmured, embarrassed. Turning to Xylo, I grabbed his arm, and he looked down at me with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
He gave Odelm a heated glance. “Odelm should not be intervening in something he knows nothing about. Selena, I understood your need for space. I knew you had just escaped the Yaarkins, your life had been turned upside-down. Then you heard about your pregnancy in the worst way possible. You are human and had no way to know details of our society or culture. I did as you bid because I did not want to pressure you in your delicate state.”
I closed my eyes and leaned forward, resting my forehead on Xylo’s soft mossy shoulder.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would do without your patience and understanding support. I’m sorry if I inadvertently hurt you, Xylo. I was not intending to reject you. I just want you to know that.”
His hand slid into my hair, cradling my head against his shoulder as a vine wrapped around the wrist on his arm. A moment of silence fell upon the booth.
“I know you mean no harm, Selena. You have been through a lot, and we are from very different cultures. It will take time for us to learn of one another,” he whispered.
“So, are you going to tell Selena about her new room assignment?” Kaede broke in.
I jerked away and turned toward Kaede. “What new room assignment?”
“Oh, but Xylo should tell you the news since supposedly you are his to protect.”
“Jealous?” Odelm taunted from across the table.
He snapped his armband closed with an audible click and leaned back in the booth. “Just making
