“Selena doesn’t have Favored,” Xylo snapped.
“No, she doesn’t, but there is a clear divide. Everyone looks to you for answers about Selena. Odelm may be highly tuned in to her emotions—so much, I fear he may get lost in them. He can sense when there is a disturbance. But just because you don’t have a title, doesn’t mean you don’t matter.”
“I am not worried about my position in the clan,” Xylo scoffed. “Selena is my nestqueen, and that is all I need. I am satisfied being hers even with the difference in our species. As her clan continues to grow, I will have nothing to worry about, knowing she will be taken care of when I am not around.”
The whooshing sound of the Royal Apartment Common’s doors opening caught the room’s attention. Oeta carried Meti cradled in both arms, the cub's silver fur popping against her dark green robe. Pavryn and Vikvez followed closely behind her, carrying the twins over their shoulders.
The cubs had grown considerably in the last week. They went from being easily held in one hand to the size of his forearm, which to Xylo’s amazement followed the Aldawi growth charts. He hoped they would continue the trend without any difficulty.
Xylo didn’t voice his fears about the cubs’ behaviors. They were at a disadvantage compared to other Aldawi cubs by not having a mother of the same species. Typically, the new mother would only grant a select few females access to her dwelling. No one outside of her home would see the cubs the first month, and any visits would be short, due to their extreme protectiveness. After that, the mother would introduce her cubs to the community, and they would raise them together as a unit until they were six months old, when they started their training and learned to be independent of their mother.
Selena didn’t have that. Zirene had a mentor already teaching them about their instincts and a doctor to keep watch on their growth. He hoped she wouldn’t feel inadequate—and that other female Aldawi wouldn’t look down on her for not raising her cubs on her own, needing males to aid her.
Her thoughts hadn’t reflected those emotions—yet—but she had been pressured and stressed by everything that had been thrown her way. Selena hadn’t had a chance to relax—to not be on the defense or needed for something—and it was starting to wear on her. He was excited to soon be at their new home and be planetside for once, to be able to plant his feet in the rich soil.
His new mission would be making sure Selena relaxed once they settled into their villa. She could let Vagren take care of everything—it was his job and expertise.
Once the princes landed the Destiny, they could help ease her mind off things. After all, their need to complete their court bond and make it permanent would be riding them as their bodies would be at their prime.
Xylo’s only hope was that Selena would have enough time to relax before she entered her next heat-cycle.
Chapter Thirty-Four Selena
Lounging on the circle couch in the Royal Aldawi Commons, I watched Pavryn play with the cubs, glancing periodically at the ships passing the glass wall.
Everything about me felt drained—my body, heart, mind, and soul felt as if all the pressures and stress that piled on top of each other, each day on the space station, finally became too much. I couldn’t handle another incident or have another problem manifest itself with no warning.
Xylo left right after breakfast with both princes to help prepare for the Destiny’s embarkment, scheduled for after dinner. It would be about a five-day journey to Destima.
Five days away from both princes.
They said the journey would have more strain on them if they were permanently bonded with me, but the thought of them trying to resist smothering me with their advances was both sweet… and concerning.
I knew they were grateful I invited them into my clan—that wasn’t the issue—straining themselves by controlling their appendages instead of focusing on shielding themselves from their crew’s net was. No wonder they were tired by the time we got to our nestbed every night.
I wasn’t much better.
Zirene’s news about the foreign presence almost killing me created an awkward silence in the room—combined with the calming feelings both Odelm and V’dim were sending me, which made my eyelids heavy.
One moment, I was watching Zirene pace along the glass wall, and the next, I woke up entangled with my nestmates without the cubs nearby.
Xylo reassured me Zirene had insisted on watching over them so I could get a full night’s sleep. I knew he was trying to get into my good graces—whether I accepted him into my clan was to be determined.
Zirene was an Aldawi—and it was true that Aldawi weren’t used to being in a relationship. In his own way, he was trying to protect me the best ways he knew how—as flawed as they might have been. His heart was in the right place, he just failed at the execution.
Eventually, he would need to stop watching the cubs at night and purposely avoiding our shared time. It would be awkward at first, but I didn’t want to be attacked again just because we couldn’t get over our differences.
Why did things have to be so difficult?
I sighed and sipped my glass of water. I wouldn’t be drinking anything else for a while. Nope, that was for sure. I had enough to deal with and didn’t need another incident from being drugged or drinking something alcoholic that would alter my logic. Perhaps, once things settled down, and there wasn’t something looming in the near future, I would be able to enjoy myself without fear or guilt. Until then, I needed to remain level-headed to tackle what would come.
And then there was Kaede…
He’d left in a huff and hadn’t come back. If it wasn’t for what
