“Five days?”
“Yes. I never want to experience that again.”
I looked down at my chest and noticed my breasts seemed slightly smaller than I last remembered. Sadness filled me at the loss of being able to provide for my cubs—even though it was out of my hands.
“Our cubs still need you, Selena. I refuse to let you believe that you are inadequate because you aren’t the same species—or because of the consequences of my actions. You produced three healthy cubs with no major difficulty. Things happened for a reason. Don’t let this minor mishap and the stress from the situation ruin anything else. Our cubs are being fully taken care of and will thrive on their own.”
I leaned into him, feeling his chest rise and fall as he breathed onto my shoulder. I felt disoriented with both this knowledge and the loss of days. While I was glad Odelm, Xylo, and Zirene were getting along and took care of the cubs while I was out of it, hearing about this side of Zirene I never knew about concerned me.
“Zirene. What would happen if I triggered your dominant instincts again?”
“Somehow, you and your nestmates are as resistant to it as Royak. I hope it doesn’t happen again. If it does, you would have to shake me out of it.”
I laid against him in silence, absorbing the warmth radiating from his body and enjoying the pleasantness that fell on us. Keeping my eyes closed, I focused on his breathing, allowing it to calm me as we enjoyed a moment of silence alone together.
“Selena?” Xylo’s deep mental voice asked, his mental voice slightly panicked.
“Yes, Xylo?” I jerked from the urgency. “What is it?”
“Our cubs woke up hungry. Odelm and I were surprised you weren’t between us.”
I mentally grabbed both of their golden threads, including Odelm in our conversation.
“I am sorry to worry you both. I woke up, and Zirene tended me. We are in his office. We needed to have a long-awaited conversation alone, and I didn’t want to wake any of you.”
Relief flooded through both nestmates’ bonds.
“We understand, Selena. Is it all right if we come over?” Odelm asked.
“Of course.”
“Our cubs woke up hungry. Odelm and Xylo are bringing them over. Is it too late to call your doctor?”
“Selena,” he huffed against my shoulder. “It is morning. I can send for him and for Xylo’s crew… unless you want some alone time with your nestmates since they haven’t seen you awake yet.”
Opening my eyes, I stared through the glass wall into space.
“It’s frustrating not being able to keep track of time. I got used to depending on the Destiny’s terrarium time-lapse and the wristband they provided.” I dropped his tail and gripped his arms, feeling his soft and silky black striped fur. “Call them. The more I know about my status, the more comfortable I will be. Plus, I want the cubs to be checked on with me present.”
The sound of the door opening and the cries of my cubs caught my attention. Zirene halted his purring and let out a small whine at the intrusion.
Xylo was carrying Meti against his chest while Odelm carried both twins in a sling, using his tentacles as support. They both seemed stressed and a little worried, Odelm’s shadowed coloring confirming my observation.
“Who should I feed?” I asked, eyeing both males as Zirene still had me trapped between his arms.
“Meti. We can feed the twins,” Odelm answered.
I turned in my seat to face Zirene. “Is it possible to get a replacement for my wristband or get something similar? They took the one I owned because it was designed to work with the Destiny, and since I wasn’t returning…”
His eyes trailed my body. “I can do that, but I planned for Kaede’s sisters to take you shopping to gather anything you need before we leave the station. Right now, we should make our way to the Royal Sitting Room. There won’t be enough space in my apartment to fit everyone.”
I surveyed my clan as they studied me. “Can you take our cubs there? We will follow you in a moment.”
Odelm nodded at me before turning and leaving Zirene’s office. Xylo eyed my position between Zirene’s arms and legs, his face devoid of emotion. After a few seconds of observing us, he turned and left without a word.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Gently, I pushed Zirene’s arms, signaling him to let me out. He hesitated before giving in and opening both his arms and legs. I stood up and turned to face him, placing my hands on his shoulders as I locked my eyes with his.
“Thank you for having this conversation with me. I felt it was effortless for us to talk to each other, but I still believe we have a lot to work on. Over time, I feel I can forgive you for what you have done, but at this moment, I am still upset. To be honest, I feel overwhelmed, and having cubs to take care of adds another layer to that. Even though I can’t believe it, I appreciate you hiring help for me.”
I reached up to trace my fingers along his
