Conscious of Xylo waiting in the next room, I hurried through my ablutions and headed back to the master bedroom. The lights had been dimmed and a tinted curtain covered the glass wall, cutting the glare from the terrarium lights.
I blushed when my eyes fell on Xylo. He lay on top of a silver blanket on the raised area at the back of the nestbed. My eyes traced his strong body, the way the grass-like strands of his hair fell across his pillow, simply appreciating how gorgeous he was. He’d removed his wristband and placed it on the table beside the nestbed. A second silver blanket had been placed in the sunken platform at the center of the nestbed along with one of the navy pillows.
“I prepared your bed.” Xylo gestured to the central space as I shucked my gown and wristband and ascended the nestbed steps. “If you need any more blankets or pillows, let me know. I will be happy to get them for you.”
I eyed the sunken platform as I stepped down onto it. The black sheets were silky smooth, and the mattress felt soft, yet springy. Giggling, I bounced up and down a few times, testing the mattress’s elasticity. I heard Xylo’s answering chuckle at my antics.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” I glanced up at Xylo, peeking through the fall of my hair.
“The center is reserved for the nestqueen and her Favored—”
“You keep forgetting I’m human. And what do you mean ‘Favored’?”
He avoided my gaze, staring down at the center of the nestbed.
“Only the nestqueen’s Prime and Second sleep with her regularly in the center, her Favored occasionally. Everyone else sleeps up here. And we are not even fully bonded.”
“Then why don’t we correct that?” I whispered, my cheeks aflame at my brazen suggestion.
His eyes snapped up to mine, face shocked. “Right now?”
“I told you I wasn’t going to reject you.”
“But are you sure, Selena? I don’t want to rush—”
“I know what I want for the future. For my family. And I think you do too.... We may not love one another yet, but I feel I could fall for you...” I looked away. “I don’t even know if your species is capable of love,” I whispered.
Two arms wrapped around me—I hadn’t even felt him move—crushing me against a smooth, felt-soft chest. I listened to the strange double beat of his heart—or perhaps hearts—as my ear pressed against his firm muscles. His voice rumbled through me.
“Our species do love, Selena, but usually it is reserved for the nestqueen and her Favored. The others are left in the shadows—bonded but ever on the periphery.”
“I don’t want that. You know I don’t. Whoever I take for my mates—nestmates, husbands, whatever—I don’t want to place one above another. I want to share my love equally,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and stroking the base of one of his vines.
“Yes, I do know. You said that, but now I can feel the truth of your words. I sense the kindness in your soul and feel your need to be accepted and loved.” He stepped back, searching my eyes. “Are you certain you want to accept my bonding spore right now?”
I burst out laughing, covering my mouth with my hands. He looked hurt.
“I’m sorry, Xylo. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just... I can’t believe you just said that. It sounded so weird.”
A strange expression crossed his face, and I lightly pushed him farther into the center of the nestbed. I glanced down at the apex of his legs, but there was still nothing to distinguish his gender.
“So, how do we do this?” I gestured at his lack of genitalia.
“You have to prepare me. But I do not know exactly—you are human.”
I looked up into his kind eyes and smiled sheepishly.
“I’m only slightly more experienced at this than you. We can learn together.”
Xylo smiled, then took the lead, lowering himself to the mattress, leaning back against the pillows until his petal-wings spread behind him like a blanket. His vines spread out on the nestbed as his arms lay loosely at his sides. The position of his waist petals formed a natural seat atop his thighs.
When he met my eyes, I felt again that instant pull, that awareness, that connection I felt when I first met him.
Caring. Gentle. Safe.
He mumbled something under his breath—a curse or a prayer, I couldn’t tell.
I lowered myself onto his lap, wiggling my ass against his smooth waist petals to find a comfortable position.
The contact of our bodies felt right—he felt right. I didn’t know how to explain the instant comfort I felt with him. Perhaps it was part of the court bond. Perhaps it was just him.
Xylo.
Whatever it was, I knew he wouldn’t harm me.
After a life of solitude, I was thrilled at the chance to be friends—to be more than friends—with someone of Xylo’s worth. Waiting, when I knew this was what I wanted, would’ve been wrong. I’d been telling the truth when I said I wasn’t going to sever my court bond with him. Maybe this wasn’t love—yet—but it had the potential to be, and I didn’t want to risk losing it—losing him.
“Will you be mine?” I whispered as I leaned in to touch my forehead with his.
“Always.”
Closing my eyes, I kissed him. The fuzz on his lips tickled mine. I nibbled, teasing his lips, tasting. I bit at his bottom lip, provoking a gasp, allowing my tongue to sweep into his mouth.
He tasted sweet—addictively sweet. I wanted more.
His hands tightened on my hips, holding me still as I felt his vines gently trace my body. Their soft touches flowed across my skin. My nervousness and apprehensions melted away.
I sighed against his lips.
Eyes closed,
