“She needed to settle into her life after she escaped the Yaarkins’ ship then defended herself in front of the Assembly. I firmly believe I had to act solely as her guard and remain in the background for her best interest. She didn’t need another male to throw himself at her when she was still grappling with the connections she had formed. I didn’t want to overwhelm her. In the end, I hurt the very female I’ve wanted since I first laid eyes on her.”
“And you think now is the best time to confess, when she is separated from her other mates?” He heard the judgment in her voice and rolled his eyes. “Why do you think this is a good idea?”
“It’s not because her mates aren’t here—quite the opposite. She’s been all alone, and she needs a distraction from her fear and grief.” Kaede sighed, clenching and releasing his fists. “I just hope that she will forgive me for failing her. I need to explain my decision to implant the Oetsae and hope she will listen.”
“She’s always listened to you before. She will again.”
“Oh, I know. I didn’t miss how she called out to me.” A smile broke over Kaede’s lips. Things were finally looking up. All he needed to do was rescue Selena and take her home, where she belonged. “Once we are on our way and within the safety of our galaxy, I will speak to her and beg for forgiveness for what I’ve done.”
REI nodded and faded away. He could still feel her presence inside him, always watching and waiting for something new to examine.
Kaede glanced at the star map, following his ship’s trajectory.
“Wait for me, Selena,” he breathed, circling the base’s maker on the star map with the tip of his finger. “May the Stars keep you safe as they lead me to you. Just know, I’m coming, and I will make sure you never leave my sight again.”
Chapter Fifteen Selena
Kicking my feet as they dangled from the ledge’s edge, I stared at the people playing in the pond below in wonder. Giggles and cheers erupted from those watching along the sidelines as two scaled aliens wrestled in the water. Their bodies were sleek and dark, making me wonder if they lived in deep waters.
After being abducted, tortured, and abused, somehow, they had been able to find joy as they tried to rebuild and survive the recent raid.
The Swynemi floating around the lifedome fascinated me. Surprisingly, I found no other sapphire-colored Swynemi among the sea of emerald, though there were a few onyx, pearl, and a handful of amethyst-colored aliens.
Cosmic Souls had to be rare or sequestered away in this species. If Celyze was powerful enough to scry my memories and reach for Kaede, and Xenak could invade the dreamdome and shove my mind into a construct from an immense distance, then I shuddered to think what others were capable of.
I wasn’t willing to stay and find out. The sooner I could get away from here, the better.
“You are safe with me, Selena,” Vowels’ voice felt like a warm blanket wrapped around me to protect me from the world. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not anymore.”
“Hey, Vowels.”
“Yes, Selena?”
“What do you think about Xenak’s brother? Is this a trap? Do you think he is capable of evil, like Xenak?”
“I’m unsure, but if I am capable of blocking Xenak, then I should be able to do the same to his brother. What worries me is that he’s been unconscious for so long. The longer someone is unresponsive, the harder it can be to wake them. There must be a reason why he doesn’t want to wake.”
“What if something is preventing him from waking up?”
“If you want, I can investigate. It should be easy once you’re in the same room.”
“As long as I don’t lose you and we both survive, I’m fine with you trying.”
“Understood…” He paused, leaving our connection open. “Tori approaches.”
“Thank you.”
“Why are you here?” the blonde human asked, sitting shoulder to shoulder beside me and kicking her legs with mine. “I was worried when you disappeared after breakfast.”
“I came out here to think and watch the base,” I replied, jerking my head toward the crowd playing in the pond. “Everyone seems carefree around here.”
“It wasn’t always like this. The base has finally settled down after relocating and now, we’re beginning to look for ways to replenish our resources. If we don’t make any connections to trustworthy outside sources, we will have to revert to pirating the pirates.” She shrugged. “It’s dirty work, but someone has to correct the wrongs in the universe. Might as well steal what we need while we’re at it.”
“Pirating the pirates… So, you are corsairs?” I smirked, thinking about the Fab Five and their missions. There was a reason why they were respected by the CEG and mercenaries like Q, who would help when needed. “How many ships are in your fleet?”
“An embarrassing five.” She frowned. “Sadly, my clan hasn’t been able to acquire a ship to pilot. They’ve been working as crew members for others in the fleet.”
“How was Auro planning to offer me a ride off this asteroid if he doesn’t own a ship?”
“By borrowing one,” Tori muttered, crossing her ankles. “One of the pilots owes Auro a favor for repairs. We won’t be sent on any missions anytime soon, so we might as well use his ship for a good cause.” She grabbed my arm, locking her gaze with mine. “Do you really believe that you can get us off this base? That your Kaede will allow you to bring us along?”
“I am going to try my hardest to convince him. Personally, I don’t see why not, but he’s overprotective of me.” I tilted my head, unable to read her expression. “Why do you ask?”
“My mates…” She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she frowned. “Well, to
