“He wanted to be here when you delivered your speech, knowing you would want him to be—that you would appreciate his support when facing Destima’s citizens,” Z’fir added. “He stood by your side to prove to the empire that you’re a united front, working together for the common good, even if you're the one making all the decisions.”
Opening my eyes, I pulled myself from Odelm’s embrace to see the princes already sitting up and watching me from Xylo’s other side. Glancing over to the corner where Zirene usually slept, his bare spot added to the proof that he was indeed gone. The nestbed suddenly felt too big for just the five of us.
“I’m sorry for waking everyone up,” I sighed, wiping my face. “It wasn’t my intention.”
“We woke up as soon as we felt your emotions spike. We know you will need the four of us close during your time of need,” V’dim explained, lifting my chin with his tentacle. “It’s okay to be upset and angry, but you need to get this out of your system now, or you will only upset our cubs. They mustn’t find out about the danger their sire is about to face. It would be better to tell them he had to leave due to a diplomatic dispute.”
“How am I supposed to go on knowing he’s fighting for his life on the other side of the galaxy?”
“Selena,” Xylo breathed, stilling his hands. “You are supposed to live. Think about how he would feel if he heard you spent every day he was away sitting in your room, crying non-stop? He would feel worse than he already does. His concern for you may even distract him enough to make a mistake. Would you want to be responsible for causing him to make a fatal mistake? For injuring him? No, you would feel guilty and would never forgive yourself.”
There was truth in his words.
My Scholar was wise, aware of precisely what I needed to hear to pull myself together. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I were to blame for any punishment inflicted upon my Shadow.
And yet, everywhere I looked, all I saw was him.
He had designed this perfect villa for me. Every detail was carefully planned to fit my every want and need—he’d even thought to add extra rooms for staff, guests, and future children. What male purposely added a wing of suites for any future mates that I may take?
He’d known this day would come.
Zirene had often told me that he would have to leave soon to fulfill his duties, but I’d always thought he meant making the rounds across his territory, visiting bases and dealing with any trouble along the way. I didn’t know—didn’t want to believe—that his father would take Zirene away from me against his will.
Zirene was one of the most powerful males in the galaxy, so it had taken his own flesh and blood to make him yield. He’d acquiesced to protect the one thing that he cared about—our clan.
My gut instinct told me that I needed to finish what I had started. If Zirene could be taken away from me without warning, then who knew when my other males could be?
Sitting up, I pulled away from my Favored’s embraces, wishing Zirene was here to witness this critical moment in our clan’s history. My nestmates surrounded me in our nestbed, staring impatiently as if they knew what was about to happen.
Knowing them, they had already heard my thoughts.
“I want to make an announcement,” I said, licking my lips nervously as I grabbed Xylo and Odelm’s hands.
“You don’t have to do this,” Xylo breathed, rubbing his thumb along my hand. “You weren’t in the most favorable position when you declared. Don’t make any rash decisions that will change our clan’s dynamic just because you feel the need to regain some control over your life.”
I snapped my gaze to my scholar, taking in his serious demeanor. I wouldn’t let him convince me to delay the inevitable.
“I want this.” I lifted our joined hands. “I want to do this, Xylo, so please don’t stop me.”
His teal pupil-less eyes held mine as if daring me to look away, to submit, to test me and my resolve. Was this a show of strength? Or a tactic to make me reconsider my options?
I didn’t care. He was the male I turned to whenever things went awry—they both were.
“When you first showed me our clan’s nestbed on the Destiny, you explained to me the importance of the two tiers within the bed,” I announced, holding my cosmic scholar’s gaze. “You told me that only the nestqueen’s Primary and Second slept with her regularly in the center, while her other Favored joined them occasionally, and the remaining males were left to forever sleep upon the upper level. Zirene knew that I didn’t want such a hierarchy, yet he wanted the males I took in to have enough room to stretch as they pleased, so he created this enormous nestbed. As a compromise, he created a whole wing for my mates to have their personal spaces, knowing that I would want some time alone with each member, or someone may not want to join us in our nestbed.” I glanced at the ceiling and tried to will myself not to cry once again, though I could feel tears threatening to fall from the corners of my eyes. “Despite the unique customs of our clan, one thing has held true. Almost instinctively, I have unconsciously claimed my Primary and Second.”
Returning my gaze to my first nestmate, I nodded. “Xylo, you took me in on the Destiny, not caring that I wasn’t Circuli. I was your patient and a pregnant female who needed support. I may have accidentally started our courting bond in my excitement, but after learning more about your character and the loyalty that
