“In case he doesn’t return, I know.”
“I’m so sorry, Selena,” Odelm breathed.
“We will be in our nestbed when you return,” Xylo whispered. “We know it will be a difficult night for you.”
“Thank you.”
I released their threads as I entered the hatchery, glad they were still with me through their individual connections.
In the middle of the crossing pathways stood my dreamscape male with his back turned to me.
“Is it true?” I choked out. “You’ve been summoned by your father?”
“Stars, Kaede...” he growled.
“Don’t blame Kaede for telling me about this now,” I snapped. “When were you going to tell me that your father has been summoning you this whole time? When he personally comes to drag us all off this moon?”
“This isn’t how things were supposed to go,” he replied, shaking his head and turning toward me. “I did my paperwork, paid my taxes, kept my people happy, and protected my borders. There’s no reason for him to summon me, and yet he has. I thought by throwing excuses and distracting him I could convince him to ignore me. After all, my siblings require much more attention. Royak is still searching for a Seedbearer, and my brother Izyana has run his star system into the ground.”
“It’s me, isn’t it?” I shook my head, refusing to cry. “He knows how much I mean to you, and he wants to test you, doesn’t he?”
“It’s a possibility,” Zirene drawled, his tail jerking back and forth. “I tried consulting Royak, and he doesn’t even know the reason for my summons. Our father hasn’t paid him much attention—at times, he completely ignores him.”
“How will I know if you’re okay?” I asked, advancing. “When will I see you again?”
Zirene regarded me with his amethyst eyes that I had known since the beginning and sighed, pulling me close.
“I don’t know, my little Nova,” he replied, breathing in my scent. “We have our dreamscape. I will know whenever you enter and will try to visit you as often as I’m allowed. Hopefully, once I arrive at the palace, I can appease my father enough to leave quickly. He never liked the three of us in the same location for too long. Three strong dominant auras in one room only bring anger and fights to make the other two submit.”
“But you and Royak never had that issue when you were in the same room on the space station,” I remarked. “Why didn’t you two ever fight?”
“We both know our place, and won’t ever cross each other.” Zirene shrugged. “We don’t trust our father anywhere near us, so things get heated.”
“So why can’t one of you just take over the empire?” I asked. If his father was such a corrupt ruler, then I wondered why neither one of them had tried to stop him.
“Neither of us has any interest in ruling,” Zirene replied. “Royak knows if he takes over, then he would need to find a Seedbearer right away and start producing heirs to keep the line intact. My priorities lie with my Seedbearer and my clan, not planning a coup.”
“So, how do we do this?” Tears started to fall, soaking his fur as I held onto him tightly. “I have so much to say, and now I’m forced to tell you all at once instead of moving at my own pace.”
“Don’t,” Zirene murmured. “I’m afraid if you tell me now, I won’t ever let you go. I can’t, Selena. You are my greatest strength and also my greatest weakness.”
“How did we become destined for each other?” I wondered. “If you’d only told me about your summons when we arrived, I would’ve spent more time with you, instead of focusing on dating my Circuli mates. My nestmates would’ve understood.”
“They may have understood, but it wouldn’t have been fair for them.” Zirene squeezed me tighter. “I don’t want to remember our last night together as you crying in my arms.”
“Then, how do you want to remember me?”
“Play hunter-and-prey with me, my Nova,” he begged, pulling away to look into my eyes. “I’d like to see you happy before I leave—not like this.”
Wiping my eyes, I nodded. “If that’s really how you want to remember me, then I will play your game.”
Zirene gave me a sad smile. “Run. Run as fast as you can, my little Nova, because once I find you, you are mine.”
I ran. I did just as he asked and ran as fast as I could through the thick foliage of the jungle surrounding our villa. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, knowing he was hot on my trail.
Shooting a glance behind me, I saw my dreamscape male following me on all fours. Oh Stars, how fast he ran, much faster than our cubs, as he thundered after me.
Suddenly, I realized he wanted to take me like an Aldawi male took a female in heat. She would play the adult game of hunter-and-prey, teasing and testing the male to make sure he was worthy enough to sire her cubs.
He wanted to play, and I was his prize.
So I ran even faster, as fast as I’d ever run before, hoping to create one of his favorite memories for the future. If he wasn’t going to return to me, then he would forever remember me in this moment.
Just like how he teased our cubs, Zirene taunted me, advancing close enough to grab my feet, only to playfully snap at my heels before backing away. He was purposely prolonging this chase for both our enjoyments, and I was happy to play along.
Somehow, this game sent a thrill of wild passion through me. How glorious it felt to be hunted, to feel the blood pumping through my veins and the burn of my lungs as I pushed myself to my limits.
And then I dared to glance behind
