Xylo followed their bond threads through the master bedroom into the master bathroom, hurrying as he tried to piece together what exactly happened between Odelm and Selena.
The doors opened. Steam escaped, clearing the vision of the room. The scene before him stopped him in his tracks.
Odelm had Selena pinned against the far shower wall.
One of his upper tentacles held her hands above her head, wrapping them together by her wrists. Another was wrapped around her torso, supporting her breasts from underneath, its end wiggling in the valley between her mounds. The last two had entangled themselves around her thighs, holding her lower half to him, allowing their centers to meet.
Odelm’s hands were gripping her ass, and Selena’s legs were wrapped around his waist, above his blades—away from their sharp edges. His face was buried in Selena’s exposed neck as she moaned with her eyes closed.
He was ravishing her—dominating her—something Circuli males didn’t do.
“What…” V’dim trailed off.
Not answering, Xylo stepped forward, entranced by their display. Curiosity about the logistics of Odelm’s performance battled his own instinctual need to watch—even though his body was incapable of joining in.
He opened the shower’s glass door and sat on a bench near the mating couple, watching his nestbrother take care of their nestqueen. Leaning back, he lost himself in the spiraling pleasure both Odelm and Selena fed him, unable to resist any longer.
They were sending each other their love and silencing any insecurities by feeding off each other’s wants and needs.
Odelm was battling his own instinctual need to prove himself good enough to be chosen—both as a Favored and to have the chance to sire. Selena’s decision to not have favorites messed with Odelm’s head. Even though Odelm was permanently bonded to Selena—and Xylo—the many years he spent as a severed male damaged his self-esteem.
Xylo hoped he could help eliminate those fears by forming a nestbrother bond with him. By sharing a bond together, they could work together to please their nestqueen and protect their clan.
Whatever had happened to Odelm filled his mind with one mission—to mate with Selena.
Xylo’s eyes followed the movement in his peripheral vision. Both princes slowly walked into the shower, carefully making their way toward him with their focus on their nestqueen.
He relaxed, knowing they were not a threat. It was also their right to watch the display before them. If Selena chose to accept them officially, this would be something that would occur often.
Xylo eyed the princes as they sat down, nodding when they met his gaze before returning his focus back to the couple.
There was a fresh bite on Odelm’s neck, overlapping Selena’s original mate claim.
The realization stunned Xylo—Selena had obtained Kaede’s arousal toxin, Bahzyl. The evidence was right in front of him: the fresh bite, Odelm’s confusion on how his manhood was active, his empowered drive to mate with her, combined with his own ability to transfer his feelings to Selena.
Now she could arouse them and trigger their manhood outside of what was biologically possible. But what side effects could this have? Would it affect each species similarly, or each individual differently? Would it cause them to become addicted? To crave it?
It wasn’t in their nature to want such things.
Odelm was already different… damaged wasn’t the correct term, but living as a severed male for a long time messed with his head and made him second guess everything. Would this damage him further—make him spiral further from recovery? Or help heal him?
“Is this normal?” V’dim asked, his mental voice laced with worry.
Xylo made a swift glance at his princes, the question stunning him, taking his attention away from his observations. He hesitated to answer, fumbling to string together words as he battled to separate himself from them.
“No. We have always been careful with her… we allow her to sleep by overwhelming her in pleasure.” He leaned forward in thought and unwrapped his vines, moving into a more comfortable position on the bench. His petal wings flared out before he rested his back along the cool tile. His vines’ flowered tips collected droplets of the shower’s water.
“This is something new. Never before have either of us pushed ourselves on her. Why would we? We wouldn’t have the desire to do so.” He tilted his chin toward the mating couple. “Until now.”
Xylo rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, focusing on the spiraling pleasure coursing through to him. Unnatural as it was, failing your nestqueen was instinctively hard to do.
Selena was close to her climax, her demands crying to him to aid her.
She needed more.
Xylo’s body moved on its own, his feet following his connection, leading him to Selena, answering her plea.
Odelm jerked his head away from her neck and glared at him, his eyes filled with menacing anger, stilling Xylo’s advancement.
“She is mine. I am fully capable of taking care of her, nestbrother,” Odelm growled. His hardened voice thundered in the shower, bouncing off its walls. “I don’t need your help, nor did she ask for it.”
“Please don’t fight,” Selena begged, drawing the room’s attention. Her lust-filled eyes bounced between both nestbrothers. “Odelm… I want him… I need him…” Her focus landed on Odelm as she remained pressed along the wall, held up by Odelm. “This isn’t a competition, nor did you fail me. Please allow Xylo to join us…”
Xylo watched as Odelm turned to meet her gaze, breathing heavily and body tense. It was her decision—and Xylo waited to see if Odelm’s mind was too clouded to comply, lost in his lust haze. Odelm would go against their instincts and traditions if he refused. Would the aggressiveness caused by Selena’s venom bite make Odelm attack? Xylo was unsure. He hoped their triad connection would
