Xylo didn’t know what the princes were planning, or if they were even going to take part in any dates. Those two had been dealing with nestqueens and their demands since the Circuli crew settled on Destima. Xylo hoped that with time, their work would dwindle as the new population started to mix with the old, and Destima’s citizens settled into a daily routine and home on the moon.
There was no reason why Selena’s dream for Destima couldn’t be realized. Its citizens needed to come to terms with their newly designed future and stop causing problems over minor issues. There were plenty of other refugees within the CEG who would love the opportunity to live in the paradise Selena was planning here. He wasn’t going to allow a few malcontent citizens to ruin her chance of fulfilling her dream—even if that meant assisting the princes with their daily jobs until tensions settled.
It was hard for him to believe Selena had declared him as one of her Favored just two nights ago. He could never have fathomed she would officially announce her decision to the universe yesterday.
Xylo was content as a simple member of Selena’s clan and didn’t need to be her Favored or chosen to provide her offspring. That was something he kept reminding her of—and what he wanted to address with her tonight.
“Why do women take so long to get dressed?” Kaede grumbled as he leaned against his personal shuttle with his arms crossed. “My sisters take forever to get dressed whenever they have their nights off. I have never understood why. It’s not like they can be in a relationship.”
Xylo decided not to comment.
He was smart enough not to question the reason why the females in Kaede’s life were worried about their appearances. When members of certain species were mature enough, they could attempt to attract a mate if they wanted; to that end, they put a lot of effort into their appearance.
It was clear his sisters were looking for a mate. But why would Selena be taking her time? Did she want more mates now that she had claimed her Favored?
Xylo’s vines twitched nervously as he fought the urge to dive into her deep thoughts, to see what she was doing and why she was late. He refused to do so. Selena had the right to her privacy, and he wasn’t going to abuse their connection in hopes of easing his doubts.
“Why does it matter how long your sisters take?” Xylo eyed the broody male. “It’s not like you go with them.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve met your sisters,” Xylo replied, adjusting his sling bag. “There’s no plausible way they would allow you to accompany them on a night out.”
“Why?” Kaede pushed away from his shuttle and glanced down the length of his body. “What’s wrong with me?”
Xylo wished he could teleport away the way Kaede did.
The last thing he wanted was to make Zirene's top assassin angry before his date with Selena. Xylo had invited him, knowing that the rest of the clan would appreciate the added security during their outing, especially since they would visit an unfamiliar island alone.
And it didn’t hurt that Kaede knew how to drive.
Xylo was capable of piloting hovercrafts, but he’d never learned how to operate shuttles or transports. If they’d had more time, he would’ve scheduled a boat trip, but it was hard to determine how long their journey into the cave would take.
“Sometimes, you come on too strong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone fears you for who you are,” Xylo sighed, trying to conjure the right words. “So any brave souls who are willing to attempt courting your sisters would be discouraged if you came along. You’re intimidating.”
“They should fear me,” Kaede chuckled. “Anyone who doesn’t is a fool.”
“Exactly,” Xylo agreed, trying to end the conversation.
The problem was, his golden bond thread linking him to Selena hadn’t moved.
“Selena?” Xylo called out, desperate for her to save him from this awkward conversation. He wanted to return home with all of his vines intact. “Do you need help?”
“No,” she paused, confusion lacing her mental voice. “Why?”
Xylo reached out to Odelm through their nestbrother connection. “Odelm,” he begged. “Please help our nestqueen get ready. Kaede is getting frustrated, and I don’t want him to take it out on me—or our date.”
“Why is he frustrated?”
“Something about women taking too long.”
“Q takes just as long.”
“I tried to tell him that!”
“On it, nestbrother,” Odelm announced. “I will let you know when she is on her way.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Xylo reached out to his nestqueen to answer her, hoping she would appreciate him sending Odelm to aid her. “Kaede was asking when we are leaving.”
“Kaede?” she asked, her mental voice tinged with shock. “Why is he coming with us?”
Dread filled him. Had he made a mistake by inviting Kaede to accompany them?
“I asked him to escort us on our date,” he explained. “So I could focus on you.”
“Give me a few more minutes, and you can spend the rest of the day focusing on me.”
The teasing note in her mental voice told him that she wasn’t upset. She disconnected from him and draped a thin veil over their connection.
It had taken a while for him to come to terms with her covering his thread’s door and realize she was only providing privacy to them both. He was still capable of picking up any loud thoughts, but they were like a wind blowing past a curtain rather than a gentle breeze through an open, unblocked window.
Just like he reinforced his mental shields, she was just protecting her clan from stray thoughts. The silence made his days easier while he was away doing research. He could focus on the task at hand, knowing she was safe. She wanted to make sure all of her nestmates kept their individuality and were able to complete their respective duties.
She may be their nestqueen, but that didn’t mean she wanted to control them. He couldn’t have asked for a
