V’dim and Z’fir looked at each other in horror as the other two shook their heads.
“I never heard of such a thing, Selena,” Odelm replied.
“I can promise you neither of our mothers did such an act,” V’dim said, his face scrunched up in disgust.
“And even if they did, let me tell you, it is not something I am interested in sampling.”
“From a technical standpoint, human urine differs greatly from Circuli waste. It is reported to be about ninety-five perfect water, with the rest being excess minerals and compounds. Our systems should be able to break down what they consider toxins and reject them in our normal excretion,” Xylo explained. “In fact, humans used to drink—”
“Xylo!” I snapped, refusing to listen to any more of his technological rant. “For one, I need to use the facilities… bathroom… the waste unit, whatever term you want to use, I don’t care. Second, I need each one of you to remove yourself from me so I can do so. And finally, third, I wasn’t suggesting whatever Xylo was trying to explain. Even though I enjoyed waking up snuggled by all four of you, now is not the time for some clan conversation about how I need to pee.”
They got the hint. In an instant, each one of them untangled themselves from me and each other, wrapping their appendages around their own torsos in their default state.
As soon as Odelm’s tentacle untangled itself from my leg, I jolted, leaving the sleepy males alone to think about what had just happened.
The embarrassing moment passed. As a clan, we ate breakfast with the cubs and staff. Vagren was worried about housing and wanted the princes to go with him to assist him with their crew. Xylo left soon after with the new medical staff to help at the island’s hospital.
Now, I laid spread out on a cushioned pad in the middle of the Sanctuary, basking in the sunlight as it poured from the glass dome. The cubs were swimming in the pool under Pavryn’s watch, enjoying themselves as the sounds of Odelm’s music flooded the room.
Hearing him play pleased me. I was afraid our time on the space station had affected him more than he let on. He was the most sensitive male out of my now four but was always afraid of looking weak compared to the others. I wished he would understand his own self-worth.
I didn’t need him to be brainy and demanding like Xylo or a strategic commander like the princes. I loved him for who he was, even when he had his moments of self-doubts and clinginess.
While it was refreshing to be away from the politics and stress of the CEG, I felt as if I was hiding from the universe. Zirene shoved this moon on me and gave me unlimited power to do whatever I pleased to it. I understood that by Aldawi laws, he needed to give me something as a status symbol of how much power he had, but that didn’t mean I was fully comfortable using it.
Yes, I’d already used what power I had to protect the princes and their crew—and to provide starving artists a place to flourish—but what if this was a mistake?
I needed Zirene.
It worried me he’d left without a trace and hadn’t been in my dreams for the last five days. What happened to us needing to strengthen our void chamber’s walls? We couldn’t protect ourselves if we kept avoiding each other.
A flicker of movement caught my eye.
Kaede stood, leaning against the railing of the balcony’s ledge, his focus on me.
If anyone knew where Zirene was, it would be him. Whether he would tell me would be a different story.
“If you are going to stare at me all day, you could at least come talk to me. I promise I won’t bite… again,” I shouted.
He stood and disappeared, only to reappear directly next to me.
“No, but by the Stars, you sure fucked up the princes' shoulders from what I saw this morning.”
“The deeper the mark, the better others see it,” I shrugged.
“Have you ever thought that perhaps you have a biting habit?”
“No, but from what was said last night, I like to suck too.”
“Noted,” he mocked, adjusting his posture as the cubs' splashes drew his attention. “I am assuming you did not call me down here to talk about your aggressive mating habits.”
“No. I called you down here because I want to know what happened to Zirene.”
“That is classified, Selena. You know this.”
Hissing, I reached for his hand and yanked it, making him stumble to his hands and knees. Using the momentum, I flipped him over onto his back, throwing my leg over to straddle him as I pinned both of his hands over his head.
Glaring, I lowered my face to his, hovering just above his frustrating visor.
“Now listen here, Agent Kaede… my Shadow left without a word and hasn’t visited me in our dreamscape after we both agreed we needed to work together on our differences and visit each night… It has been five days since I last saw him, and I haven’t had any updates about him. Now. Tell. Me. Where is my Shadow? Or do I have to—”
“Do what, Selena?” Kaede scoffed. “The only reason our positions are not reversed is I swore never to hurt you. Countering your attack and flipping you onto your back has a high potential to cause you bodily harm.” He wrenched his gloved hands away and tucked them behind his head. His long silky dark strands cascaded around him, making him quite attractive. “Now, I know you love riding your mates…”
“How do you know that?” I demanded.
“Records, Selena. I have told you this. My drones are everywhere, and now that I am back on Destima,
