Selena
When I woke up, Kaede was gone, but the sheets still smelled like him.
He had probably grown accustomed to waking up early while he had tracked me, so I wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t here.
Stretching, I climbed out of bed and grabbed a robe from the wall drawers before exiting the master cabin. It had been a while since I had last eaten something, as I had been too upset to look for refreshments yesterday.
Walking into the galley, I was surprised to see everyone—including all six Oetsae—present and staring at me. Taking Kaede’s hand, I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“Is this some sort of party?” I teased, smiling. “Or something else?”
“A few—” Kaede’s cheeks reddened as he coughed into his hand. “A certain few telepaths wanted to know what mental signatures they were sensing and Tori explained that she met Euouae.”
“Ahhh.” I knew what the trouble was. My desperation to contact Oeta—and potentially even my nestmates—had clouded my judgment and made me too trusting. “I would apologize, but Vowels told me I could trust them, so I did. I am sorry if that complicated things.”
“I just wish you would’ve told me first,” he whispered.
I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was disappointed and, now that his eyes were visible, I saw that he could even be hurt by my mishap.
Grabbing his other hand, I squeezed his fingers gently. “I promise I will refer to you before I share any more secrets or sensitive information. I’m sorry for not letting you know, but in my defense, we both know what happened yesterday. My mind wasn’t in the right place.”
Closing his eyes, he sighed and leaned forward, giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I know, Selena. We will work through this together.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, giving his hands one last squeeze before letting go. “Vowels, if you want, you can join them.”
My Oetsae coalesced next to me, dressed in a similar bodysuit to Kaede’s, though his short hair matching my length and his abyssal eyes set them apart.
“I’ve heard much about you,” he said, offering his hand to Kaede.
My guard looked between us, confused, before gently shaking his head and accepting my partner’s hand. “It will be good to work with you in the future.”
“I look forward to it,” Vowels replied with a wide grin. “Anyways, I will let you two be and socialize.”
I rolled my eyes at my Oetsae, knowing he was purposely making Kaede uncomfortable yet looking to establish a working relationship. I wondered if they would talk while I slept from now on. All I needed was to wake up to the three of them playing some sort of table game while I was in the dreamscape.
At least I would never be alone.
Glancing at the walls, I puzzled over what food was available. “Is there something I can help you with?” Kaede asked, following my gaze.
“I’m hungry. It’s been a while since I had anything to eat or drink.”
“I can help,” a sapphire-hooded Oetsae offered. “It’s my specialty. Are you craving anything?”
I spotted Zyxel watching me as he conversed with LIU, the emerald Oetsae. I realized the last time I’d had a meal had been on a “date” with the crimson Ezzaska.
“Perhaps something crunchy and savory. Though anything will work as long as it’s not too salty.”
“I have the perfect dish.”
* * *
We all shared the midday meal while the Oetsae went back to their stations. Tori’s mates cleaned away the dishes, since flying over the table was much easier than squeezing past others to get to and from a spot. Once all the dishes were put in the washer, everyone sat and we nursed our drinks.
I leaned against Kaede, who wrapped an arm around my waist as we listened to our passengers recounting their conversations with the Oetsae. It was nice to be able to relax without worry about anything but making it back home in time.
“Hey, Selena,” Tori shouted from across the table. “Where are we going?”
I glanced at Kaede, silently asking permission. He nodded and squeezed our joined hands. “A moon called Destima. What else do you want to know?”
