“So you plan to find a species whose females are in charge of their fertility, and then what? Coax Selena into mating with one of their males to take on those abilities?” Odelm hissed, leaning forward as he gripped his chair’s arms.
“I didn’t say that she had to take one in as a mate,” Xylo deadpanned. “We both know how she feels about sex. Just look at her and Kaede as a prime example—”
“Kaede’s drones.” Odelm pointed to the ceiling, switching to silently communicate over their bond. “We both know that the male is infatuated with her.” He waved him off. “Those two have been locked in a mating dance that could rival the Quaww, and yet both are too stubborn to confess.”
“My research team has been making bets on how long it will take for those two to finally face their feelings and admit them to the other,” Xylo chuckled. “It’s clear to anyone who watches them interact that they’re something more than client and guard.”
“And until our nestqueen figures it out, it’s not our place to tell her.”
“No, but it will be interesting when it happens,” Xylo beamed. “There is another betting pool on how they will confess. In a heated argument? Or when Kaede rescues her from danger? Or when they’re left alone somewhere?”
“A heated argument, no doubt. Those two lose their filters when they’re furious,” Odelm mused. “It’s one of the reasons why I love her, but she has gotten in trouble for the same quirk. All I know is, the sooner those two get past whatever is preventing them from accepting each other, the better. Kaede has been different ever since she bit him just over a moon ago.”
“Zirene mentioned it too,” Xylo added. “Something about how Kaede’s senses are overwhelmed around her, which is why he’s been keeping his distance.”
“Though we have been using him as a bodyguard for our dates.” Odelm shot him a look of confusion, while his coloring finally returned to normal. “Why would he purposely accept our requests if he can’t stand to be near her?”
“Why do you think?”
“You’re the scientist. I’m the musician, remember?” Odelm smiled. “Plus, he could have simply refused.”
“We still don’t know what species he was spliced with, unlike his half-sisters. I believe all signs point to him going into some sort of mating heat. He has always been complaining about his heightened sense of smell, but he’s never actively avoided her like he does now. Zirene mentioned him complaining about an increase in his core temperature, and his sisters have noticed how much more toned his body has become, which is why he designed his newest smart fabric uniform.”
“So he’s avoiding Selena to prevent himself from losing control, just like he did on the space station when she bit him,” Odelm muttered, a sense of understanding flooding their connection. “He said that he doesn’t want to mate with her while under the influence of an outside force. If he believes he’s spiraling into an unstable lusting heat, then he must be trying to follow his moral code, even if he’s rebelling against his biological needs.”
“Exactly,” Xylo nodded. “Especially his venom. He can easily force her to want him against her conscious desires. The male may be an ‘ishing frax,’ as our nestqueen loves to call him, but he is respectful of others’ rights.”
“You mean Selena’s rights.”
“True.”
A slight pop sounded as Kaede landed in the empty chair beside Odelm, flipping his legs over one arm while he leaned his back against the other and folded his arms behind his head. Chuckling to himself, he smirked. “I felt my ears ringing—I believe that was the old Earth idiom—so I came to see what you two are saying about me.”
“I asked Xylo if he’s ever seen your manhood, and how it compares to the rest of our clan.” Odelm shrugged. “You know, for research purposes, since we never learned what species you were spliced with. The three species Selena has in her clan all carry some sort of venom, so it wouldn’t be farfetched to assume you are similar to us.”
Kaede’s sly expression instantly dropped, and he almost fell out of his chair in shock. “What does my cock have to do with anything?”
“It is scientifically proven that a species’ reproductive system can help determine common ancestry,” Xylo advised, schooling the smile that threatened to appear. He knew he was reaching with this white lie, but couldn’t resist playing along. “Plus, Selena asked which of us had the larger phallus and whether there was a connection to how arrogant and egotistical the male was.”
“And what did you find?” Kaede asked, curiosity flooding his voice as he smiled wide. “Do you need me to give you a show? You know, for your research.”
“What do you have in mind?” Odelm replied. “Because Zirene isn’t here for you to compare yourself to.”
Kaede’s smile dropped, and his eyes turned toward Selena. Taking in a deep breath, he shuddered.
“I don’t have time for this nonsense. We all know I have the largest cock out of all of you.” Kaede waved them off. “There’s no competing against what I can bring. Anyway, I have things to do.” He stood and turned to leave, only to stop and look Xylo straight in the eye. “Don’t worry about giving me updates; I have Selena’s live
