“I happen to have direct access to Zirene’s sister, Masmi’s private line.” He gestured to his temporary setup on my desk. “Just give me the order, and I can page her.”
I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “And what am I supposed to say? ‘Hello! You may not know me, but I’m your brother’s Seedbearer and wanted to have a chat’?”
“I don’t see why not.” He shrugged. “It beats sitting here doing nothing.”
“Fine,” I sighed, instantly regretting agreeing to his insane suggestion.
I could already hear Zirene lecturing me about why I hadn’t included Vagren, my princes, or him in the conversation. Quite frankly, I shouldn’t need to. Destima was my moon, and I had full permission to do whatever I wanted with my colony.
Yet something about Kaede’s suggestion thrilled me.
If I could close on a trade deal all by myself, I could prove to my citizens that I was fully capable of moving forward with my private-resort idea.
“Excellent,” Kaede purred as he jumped out of his seat and grabbed my vidscreen off the center table.
Kicking off his boots, he jumped onto my bed and sat beside me. I watched as he hurriedly typed some commands into an unfamiliar program before swiping it closed and opening the pager. Scrolling down a list of various locations and names, he selected ‘Masmi Darcaw of Liskta.’ He activated the 3D display option and sat the vidscreen on my lap as it projected the Aldawi royal crest before me.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” I asked, shooting Kaede a nervous glance as he fiddled with his wristband, unfazed.
“Give her your time and respect,” he assured without lifting his gaze from his wrist. “It will work.”
A breath later, the Aldawi symbol disappeared, revealing piercing mauve eyes.
“Who are you? And how did you access this private line?” the female hissed.
“Masmi,” Kaede soothed. “How goes the business? Do you have any of those candies that I love?”
The angry female Aldawi instantly softened, redirecting her attention to the male next to me. Now that she was distracted, her face reminded me of a gentler combination of Royak and Zirene. She had Royak’s softer coloring but Zirene’s striping.
“Anything for you, Kaede. You know you and your sisters are always welcome here.” She pinned me with her stare. “And who might this be? Is this your new sister I’ve heard rumors about?”
“She isn’t my new sister,” he coughed, making a few strangled gagging noises before sighing. “But, she is yours.”
Instantly, her gaze traced my body, moving from my chest to the silver-crown hairstyle on my head.
“Oh, Stars!” she gasped. “You’re Selena, aren’t you? Have my brothers been treating you well?” Her fierce eyes locked onto the fading bruise on my forehead. It was almost gone, but somehow she noticed it. “I’m just a short flight away, and I am not afraid of sinking my teeth into their hides.”
“Yes, I’m Selena.” Covering my forehead, I grimaced. “Your brothers have been treating my clan and me very well. I’m sorry for interrupting . . . Oh, Stars. I can only imagine how I look.”
“You look fine,” Kaede said. “I’ve never understood why females are so concerned about their appearance.”
“You are your same sweet self, as always.” Masmi rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him. He gets this way when he doesn’t have his treats.”
I turned toward the male in question. “Treats, huh?”
“He’s one of my top product testers,” she replied, gauging my reaction. “No one told you about my company?”
Kaede snickered.
“Nooo,” I drawled, racking my memory for any mention of her business. “Should they have?”
“Kaede,” Masmi growled, pinning him with her gaze. “I want you to bring her to my planet at once. I can’t believe none of you have told her what I do here.”
Kaede snapped his wristband closed and met her gaze. “I can’t do that, Masmi.”
“And why not?” she demanded.
“Prince Zirene’s orders,” he replied, folding his arms behind his head as he made himself comfortable against the cushioned wall. “And you know full well that I have to follow them.”
Masmi waved him off. “Don’t even start with my brother. I know he’s been keeping the six of you on a short chain lately. You guys deserve a break and should spend it here. In a few moons, the fruit will be in season. You should bring Selena here to the harvest festival.”
“Harvest festival?”
“Yes, the harvest festival,” the Aldawi princess repeated. “At the end of the year, we celebrate gathering another great season with a week’s worth of activities.”
“It also starts right before all the females go into heat, so they celebrate another year being without a male,” Kaede mumbled.
“Hush, you!” Masmi hissed. “No one asked your opinion about our mating rituals. Let us females talk.”
“You wound me, Princess,” Kaede mocked. “How shall I go on, knowing I’m not allowed to talk about the male genitalia?”
“The last time I checked, you didn’t have any,” Masmi deadpanned.
“Oh, he does—” Instantly, I covered my mouth with both hands, feeling my cheeks redden.
“Oh, do tell!” Masmi purred. “I have always wondered how . . . Well, let’s say he often joined us in our underground pools when he used to visit, and he never showed any interest in the females that bathed there. I just thought he’d been snipped.”
“Just because I’m a gentleman of many talents—”
“A gentleman, my frax, Kaede,” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “This male decided to try and fight my nestmates because he didn’t believe they deserved me.”
“And now he’s in your bed,” Masmi muttered, glancing between the two of us. “It all makes sense now!”
“Selena and I are not together,” Kaede waved his hands in staunch refusal. “I am just cub-sitting her until your brother or one of her nestmates decides to return.”
“Oh! So you are into males, then!” Masmi clapped her paws together excitedly. “I knew you were one of us!”
Kaede groaned. “I don’t know why I put up with you two.”
“Because I’m your assignment,” I replied, smiling sweetly. “Perhaps you can go get me
