“When will we tell her she’s the true queen of Destima’s population?” He asked V’dim. “Citizens are starting to notice. Chyox himself called her ‘queen’ just two days ago.”
“Soon,” V’dim mumbled, preoccupied with stroking Selena’s back as she lay across his lap. “Let her recover from this invader situation. Perhaps we should even wait until Chamber Master Mwe eliminates the threat before we tell her. That way, she doesn’t have another concern on top of being attacked again while she’s home.”
Kaede parked the hovercraft next to the shore under the shade of the jungle canopy. The vibrant colors of the flora caught Selena’s gaze.
“You three have fun,” he announced. “I will be here keeping watch. Let me know if you need anything.”
Z’fir leapt out of the hovercraft and assisted V’dim in helping Selena down.
Standing between them both, each holding one of her hands, she smiled. He didn’t need to be an Ulax to know how bright her golden aura was shining because of her excitement; her mental shields told him enough as it glowed blindly.
“Where to?” she asked, oblivious to her effect on them.
“This part of the island isn’t inhabited, so we have it all to ourselves.” Z’fir glanced toward the white-sanded shore, spotting their private beach gazebo in the distance. “Before we start our shell-hunting, we need to put some lotion on you, to shield you from the power of both of the sun’s rays.”
Amused thoughts flooded through their connection, as she gave them a sly grin. “You just want an excuse to put your hands on me. Is that it?”
Z’fir’s jaw dropped as he flicked his gaze to his nestbrother. “No. We wanted to make sure you are protected. Xylo made it known how fragile demi-human’s skin is compared to ours, and how long exposure to the sunrays can burn you.”
“I’m sure he is only being dramatic,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes. “But I will entertain his suggestion since he is a Master Scholar and knows more about my biology than I do. If he believes it is needed, then I will let both of you rub some on. The last thing I want to do is to return home in pain from our date because I dismissed his advice.”
Z’fir sighed in relief. He was afraid that he would have had to convince her to allow them. Little did she know, her clan knew massages were her secret obsession, and she rarely ever turned one down.
Slowly, they led her threw the sands, as the gentle ocean breeze blew through is leafy hair. He tightened his vines around his petal wings, preventing the wind from furling them.
Laughter escaped from Selena as she swung their arms between them, staring off into the lavender waters. Holding her hand felt . . . different, something he’d never done before. Typically, Circuli entwined their appendages, as males tried to court their nestqueens. Only Favored could freely touch their nestqueen without repercussions. Something about the feeling of her hand in his felt more intimate, as if it was made to be there, and its uniqueness only made it that much special.
He now understood why her Favored loved doing it.
They passed through the gazebo’s curtains, welcoming the shade from the sunlight’s heat. A display of various foods and drinks sat on the center table, surrounded by a semi-circle shaped couch. A bottle of lotion Xylo made for their nestqueen sat on the nearest end table, ready for them to use.
“You prepared this for me?” Selena asked, her voice laced in awe.
“Yes, Selena,” V’dim replied. “This is where we will eat our lunch, and if we leave anything we found here, Symi will bring them back to the villa for us when she cleans up.”
“Do you really think we will find that many shells nearby?”
V’dim flicked his gaze at Z’fir, who nodded. “Yes, I saw a few farther along the shore on the way here.”
“I can’t wait!” She released their hands, pulling off her scarf as she discarded it on the back of the couch. Z’fir watched as she laid down onto her stomach, smiling as she turned her head their way. “The longer you take, the less time we’ll have to search for those shells.”
“Do you want to do the honors? Or me?” Z’fir pathed his nestbrother.
V’dim’s shot him a worried glance. “What if I do it wrong?”
“Is there a wrong way to do it?”
“I don’t know!” V’dim’s coloring turned a nervous yellow. “How does our nestbrothers able to do this all the time? One of us should’ve asked one of them, or even perhaps Kaede, for advice.”
Z’fir grabbed the bottle, unlatching its top before taking a sniff of its oceanic plant-like aroma. Unwrapping his vines from his petal wings, he poured a dap of lotion on the inside of each flower, seeing no harm in using them to help spread an even layer on her skin.
Tossing the bottle to V’dim, his nestbrother gave Z’fir a confused look as he copied his actions, covering his tentacle’s suctions with the sunscreen.
Sending a prayer for the Stars to guide him, Z’fir sat next to her head as his vines did their task. V’dim shortly followed his lead, sitting near her feet as his tentacles worked along her legs.
A moan escaped Selena’s lips as she closed her eyes, her back arching into his vines, as if she was silently demanding for more. Suddenly, a burst of pleasure-filled thoughts coursed their connections, as an echo of wants and needs. Her loud thoughts gave them the directions they needed to make sure she felt good while they did their task.
Was this the trick that their nestbrothers used? By actively listening to what she was thinking, they were able to give her everything that she wanted.
Scanning her backside, Z’fir couldn’t spot any spots which lacked any shimmer from the lotion. He withdrew his vines, instantly retrieving a groan from his
