Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling in wonder, trying to form a complete thought. He didn’t notice Selena releasing him or climbing next to him. The next thing he knew, he was lying beside her with an arm wrapped around her waist. He smiled as he tucked her head under his chin.
All his doubts and worries drifted away as darkness took him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight Selena
Wind buffeted my nightgown as I leaned against the villa’s porch, watching Lunkai and the stars reflect off my dark ocean waters.
The space behind me shifted as a familiar, powerful presence filled the air.
Furry arms wrapped around me and pulled me close, wrapping their body around mine. “How are you, my Nova?” Zirene purred, his deep voice vibrating through me. “Any news of Kaede?”
Closing my eyes, I leaned back into his embrace. “Kaede arrived a day early and we are now en route to you.”
“It pleases me to hear that.” He ran his nose along my neck. “Did he have difficulty retrieving you?”
“Kaede likes to make a scene,” I muttered, covering his hands with mine. “But that’s not what I want to talk about.”
My Shadow stilled and pulled his nose away from my neck, slowly breathing in my ear. “I want to know what ails you.”
“I need you to do me a favor. I know you just became the Aldawi Sovereign—”
“As you are now the Aldawi Beacon,” he added.
“I know this, Zirene, but that isn’t what I need from you,” I sighed. “Can you speak with Mwe about granting CEG citizenship to about five thousand refugees from another galaxy?”
“Five thousand refugees?” he echoed, shocked, his voice the highest I had ever heard from him. “Selena, what did you get yourself into?”
“Xenak kidnapped me to save his brother, Ryzen. They are co-commanders of a base filled with refugees searching for a place to call home. About three months ago, their old base was raided and now they’re on the run. Zirene, the crew on the base reminds me so much of the citizens of Destima,” I explained. “They were all abducted and can’t return to their homes. I want to make Destima their new home. They are just lost souls like the demi-humans, the Circuli crew of the Destiny, and the entertainers from the space station. Can you help me by formulating a plan that would allow me—the Aldawi—to take them in?”
Zirene huffed. “You make a lot of work for a little gain, Selena, but I will see what I can do.”
“Really?” I couldn’t believe he was agreeing without any resistance.
“Five thousand more citizens aren’t a heavy strain in the big picture. That is a fraction of a crew on one of my new motherships. I am more worried about what Mwe will say. The galaxy just cleansed all the Yaarkins from their hiding spots; will the Assembly allow more outsiders into our territory? We already had a difficult time getting your citizenship, so who knows what they will say.”
“I have six ambassadors coming home with me to help.”
“Wait, what ambassadors?” Zirene spun me around, caging me between his two arms as his amethyst gaze locked with mine. “What are you bringing home to me, Selena?”
“You remember me mentioning last time that a clan took me in? I invited them to come with me as my ambassadors. The female who has helped me the most is human—a real Earth human, Zirene,” I explained. “Do you know how amazing that is? Seventy-two humans live on their base, though most are locked in Cryopods until they find a stable home.”
“Endangered species,” Zirene muttered, leaning back and staring at his capital above. “We claim Endangered Species Protection and the CEG will have to honor them. Since they failed to protect Earth from the Yaarkins and whoever else farmed human bodies, they will be obligated to right their wrongs. If the commanders have been taking care of the humans with help from the crew, they will be given protection and rights also.”
Cupping his face, I led his gaze back to me. “Can you get all the information I’ll need before I arrive?
“It shouldn’t be a problem.”
Biting my lip, I hesitated to tell him about Kaede.
His eyes narrowed as he took me in. “What is it, my Nova?”
“I need you to promise me something.”
His ears perked up as his tail flicked against my leg. “I am listening.”
“Kaede and I are… taking things slow,” I proceeded slowly. “And I believe I might claim him before we arrive on Destima.”
His eyes darkened and his lips curled in a snarl. “Are you telling me you’re taking my guard as your mate?”
“You didn’t have a problem when I took the others in,” I challenged, straightening my posture and daring him to fight me. “Why is he any different?”
“The others weren’t in my employ!”
“No, but why would that put Kaede off-limits?” I glared at the male. “You know that we’ve been fighting our attraction to each other all this time. You know we both felt a connection and he believes we are one in the Cosmic Order. Why are you suddenly so against us mating?”
“Because I cannot spend every waking moment with you. He can and probably will,” he snapped. “While I am ruling an empire—one I didn’t want in the first place—he will have the time to court you, as will all your other mates.”
“What do you call this?” I gestured to the dreamscape. “I don’t have this connection with anyone else, but I haven’t heard my clan complain about missing my dreams.”
“The dreamscape is different—”
“It’s a unique connection between us, Zirene.” I frowned, disappointed by his reaction. “You’ve known me the longest. I have shared this world with you for over eight years, and yet, you are jealous of someone new.” Zirene’s gaze traced the tear that fell from my eye. “You should
