A shiver passed through him. My focus landed on his face as he closed his eyes in response, the sounds of purrs sounding once again.
“We need to continue this conversation at a later time. But know, I don’t want any fighting among Odelm, Xylo, you, and me. I don’t want to raise our cubs around constant hostility. I would appreciate it if we talk about things we disagree on and not keep secrets from each other. I know you are a prince and have a lot of secrets about your Empire, but not between us—our clan, our family—whatever we decide to call ourselves.” I paused, tracing the mark on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, and studied him.
“Zirene, we have a lot to work out both between us and everyone else. The Destiny’s crew deserves some reward. Stars, you can even aid them in finding a new home to settle on. The princes will request that from you when the drama regarding our cubs and myself passes over. Their nestqueens can’t reproduce. Since they don’t have a stable home, their bodies won’t ovulate. Until then, they are just roaming aimlessly in Aldawi territory in hopes of finding a planet that both fits their needs and that your empire doesn’t want. Could you please help them out?”
Zirene slowly opened his eyelids and locked his gaze on me.
“You are now one of the most important members of the Aldawi Empire—both by being my Nova and Mate, and by delivering the first interspecies offspring. If this is something you wish, I will make a few changes in my plans and have a discussion with the princes of the Destiny. My hope is by doing this, you will be happy—including with what I have created for you.”
“They deserve to have a happy ending too… Without them, I wouldn’t have my own by being reunited with you.”
Chapter Six Zirene
Zirene watched Selena interact with her two nestmates as they fed the cubs, studying their every movement as they continued to have a silent conversation.
Was he jealous of their connection?
He often pondered that question. What Selena had with him and what she had with both Odelm and Xylo was unheard of outside of their three species. She spent the last nine years getting to know him. They connected easily right away, despite their drastic differences. Over time, they had become close, and it didn’t matter he wasn’t with her physically… other than knowing she was still in the hands of the Yaarkins. It pleased him that their conversation allowed them both to reconnect. He wasn’t jealous of Odelm and Xylo, for he also had his own special connection with her. She was his Nova. Their souls unconsciously connected to intermingle with each other when their vessels were in a deep sleep. That was something no one else could have with her, and no matter where he was in the universe, his soul would know when hers called out to him.
Zirene was comfortable enough with his connection to Selena not to feel any hostility or jealously around Odelm and Xylo. They were both respectable males, and by their species’ instincts, they would always put both Selena’s and their cubs’ needs above their own. They had taken care of and loved Selena while she was on the Destiny. Zirene knew they would continue to do so when he was away managing his star system and protecting the Aldawi Empire. That was the main reason why he was fine with Selena having consorts. It wasn’t Aldawi nature to have any relationship—even when a royal claimed a mate, they never lived with them. He was breaking tradition by wanting to reside with her when he was able to and allowing her to have other males.
He hoped they could get everything they needed to do at CEG HQ over with soon. Zirene wanted to take Selena and their clan to the place he had been building over the last nine years. There were more people moving in than he originally thought, but he had made sure there would be plenty of space. Zirene wanted to see how she reacted to everything and be able to spend time with her before he had to leave for his next mission.
Selena and their clan with their cubs. That was something he needed to process.
Aldawi typically only kept familial ties with members of the same gender because that was how their society was split. Now, he had both a mate who was his Nova and a daughter. Having them live among males would be something others in the Aldawi Empire would question. He hoped having Selena and the rest of their clan reside on the property he had prepared would suffice for now. Sooner or later, she would want to explore the stars.
Zirene focused on his tablet, using his implant to write out the documents as he moved his fingers along the 3D projection. The minimap on the lower right stated his brother Royak was almost here. He was bringing both the Aldawi doctor, Vikvez Veycan, and their half-brother, Pavryn Ayvar.
Aldawi recently adopted an implant similar to Agent Kaede’s full-body implant’s AI system, which allowed the user to sign in and connect to the Aldawi Empire’s new technology as long as their permissions allowed. Only certain high-ranking members of the Aldawi Empire had implants designed like his, giving them special customizations and permissions in their respective fields.
They were something no one in the CEG could duplicate.
These implants allowed the Aldawi to fully upgrade all of their fighter ships to be pilotless, smaller, and more lethal. The pilots could log-in their personal dreamdome and have full control of one of their assigned ships on the carriers. The fighter’s new technology allowed them to see everything around the ship
