“He’s been summoned,” I replied, holding back my tears. “By your sire—”
“Someone calm your nestqueen before the stress makes her sick,” Masmi ordered, turning to my nestmates. “A female needs to be strong in front of males, or else they will think she’s nothing but a weak incubator for their young.”
Odelm grabbed the vidscreen and placed it on the ground before us. He acted as if we’d never had our argument, sitting down on my other side and wrapping a tentacle around my arm. I had to force myself not to flinch away from his touch. He wasn’t hurting me physically, but I still felt raw from the roundabout rejection he’d given me just moments before Kaede had arrived.
Kaede fetched a glass of Xowyn for me, seemingly knowing that I would need it for what was about to come.
My Circuli princes moved closer, touching my back to let me know that they supported me. I appreciated the gesture, as my life seemed to be spiraling further downwards every day. Sighing, I let my two Ulax nestmates calm my nerves as I sipped my silver drink, indulging in the fruity flavor that my males enjoy so much.
“Let’s make this quick,” Kaede announced. “As you heard, your sire has summoned your dear brother to the palace. To avoid showing interest in Selena and her clan and to keep them off his father’s radar, Zirene obeyed the summons. However, as you can probably infer from the serious tone of this call, that didn’t work. Shortly after Zirene left Destima, a royal ship appeared—”
“With summons for Selena and her clan,” Masmi hissed. “Why am I not surprised? Anything for my father to get his way.” Her mauve eyes scanned the room and landed on me. “Sister, what do you need from me?”
“My cubs,” I hesitated. “May I leave my cubs with you? They are a little over two months—”
“Moons,” Xylo corrected. “You keep using the old earth term you learned in your studies. It’s not months—it’s moons.” He winced and shot me an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry for interrupting you, Selena. Please continue.”
I pursed my lips, annoyed that he’d taken this long to correct me.
“As I was saying,” I continued, addressing Zirene’s littermate. “My cubs are two moons old. The Sovereign wants to see them, and I’m afraid he has nefarious plans, especially since he’s been pressuring your brothers to have offspring.”
Shaking my head, I pleaded, “I don’t want my cubs to fall into his hands. Is it possible for you to come and take them in? Only until it’s safe for me to return, of course. Kaede mentioned you might be willing to. I needed to ask myself.”
Masmi flicked her gaze to my guard. “You’ve done a good deed offering to contact me, Kaede. I’m proud of you. When this conflict settles, I’ll set aside a fair share of candy with your name on it.” Returning her mauve eyes to mine, she continued, “Selena Darcaw, we may not be of the same species, but that doesn’t make you any less of a worthy female. Through my brother, I’ve gained a sister, something I’ve always dreamed of. I wished we could have met in different circumstances, but this is the Star's way, nevertheless. I would be honored to take in your cubs, for I also wouldn’t want my sire to get his greedy paws on them. They will be welcomed and cared for by my people.”
“Are you sure it won’t be a hassle?” I asked, biting my lip nervously. “I don’t want to put you—”
Masmi raised a paw to silence me. “Selena, you have to understand that Aldawi females work together to build up and support each other. If one of us needs the community to watch her cubs so she can work, we are glad to help, because we know that we’ll be needing similar help in the future. It is our way, and yours, too, since you’re one of us.”
I nodded, holding back my tears once more. “Thank you. You don’t understand how much this means to me.”
“I was a mother once,” Masmi explained. “I know how it is to fear for your cubs’ lives. I was just lucky enough, by the Stars’ blessing, that my sire never took an interest in me or my offspring. I’ve never bowed to his ways, so he banished me from the palace. Since then, he’s wanted nothing to do with me other than to collect the credits I’m required to pay in tribute. I'm nothing but a thorn in his paw; he’s willing to pay attention when it benefits him, but other than that, he ignores the pain.”
“You were a mother?” I asked, glancing at Kaede, who shrugged.
She waved me off. “My cubs are all grown. One even has a litter of her own about your age, but that’s beside the point. Of course, I’m willing to take your cubs in.” Her eyes found Kaede. “How do you want to do this?”
He opened his wristband and typed a few buttons. “How fast can you get here? Selena and her clan have to leave by midday. The sooner you arrive to retrieve the cubs, the better for everyone.”
Narrowing her eyes, she nodded. “I shall be there as soon as I can get my personal cruiser ready.”
“Your cruiser, huh?” Kaede smirked. “Not taking any chances?”
“A gift from my dear brother, of course,” she quipped. “I bet he never imagined I would be using his gift to rescue his cubs.” She scanned the room once more. “We are done here. Masmi, out.”
Instantly, the vidscreen’s projection died, retracting to its flatscreen. Kaede swiftly picked it up. A few keystrokes later, he cursed.
“What’s wrong now?”
“It seems Zirene predicted this would happen,” he grunted. "My sisters’ orders are to search for your secret stalker and not return until the mission is completed."
"So, I only have you here to protect me?" I asked in disbelief.
