Kaede
Blinking slowly, Kaede opened his eyes and took in everything around him.
The scents of their rigorous mating sessions blanketed the air and filled his nostrils. Memories of their passionate moments over the last few days flashed before his eyes, a glimpse of what he had vidrecorded for future viewing.
His star lay unconscious in his arms, oblivious to the universe around her.
For once in his life, he felt like he was where he belonged, in the arms of his mate and safe from outside pressures.
Within these walls, he could be himself—even during their heated lovemaking—without needing to worry about protocols or sharing her with her other mates. He took his time worshipping the female that the Stars had gifted him, knowing that their moments alone wouldn’t last forever.
For these short days, she was his mate, and no one else’s. He knew as soon as they landed on Destima, his time with Selena would become almost nonexistent.
Her Circuli mates were in critical yet stable condition. She would be needed in the infirmary while the medical staff slowly nursed them back to health.
He understood this. He had no reason to be jealous, not when they had all their lives to experience together as mates. Yet a part of him wished he could delay the trip just to spend more time alone with her.
No, even when his mind was filled with the desire to bury himself in Selena, he understood that her other mates were stars within her constellation, too. They needed her as much as he did, perhaps even more since their lives depended on her arrival.
Kaede had refused to give her the fine details. He sided with Z and Oeta. Revealing everything would only prematurely crush her fragile spirit.
As selfish as it may be, he wanted her as she was—only his.
While he enjoyed being with Selena, how many times he had taken her pained him. After their initial night together had triggered his mating cycle, he had made sure he remained in control each time.
His instincts demanded that she remain in their room and only leave their bed to relieve herself. This was his nest, his home for her to stay, and no other male was allowed nearby. He wouldn’t tolerate their scents tainting his dominion, polluting the air with aromas that didn’t belong.
However, he would take care of her needs, protect her from her dark thoughts of what was to come, and make sure she was treated like the queen that she was.
He would shield Selena from herself if he had to. It was his duty to not only protect her as her guard but as a mate, too.
Finally, he would shield her from himself and his desires.
Kaede had refused to use hisLuzatuto subdue her and prevent her from leaving. He didn’t need to, for she had spent the time sleeping and regaining her energy.
Something she would need for the many days to come.
The Stars had tied their fates together, but that hadn’t relieved Kaede of the feeling that he still didn’t deserve to be mated with her.
She wasn’t afraid of him and what he was.
Sighing, Kaede untangled his limbs from hers and forced himself to pull away. He needed to go to the bridge before the embers in his veins relit and became an inferno.
While he could remain in bed with her until they arrived on Destima, the assassin inside him needed to take charge. He couldn’t hide in his room while outside Aldawi territory. An instinct in the back of his mind kept him anxious about the universe around him.
He had thought that once they entered the galaxy’s borders and united with his siblings, he would feel calmer, but he didn’t want to fail once again. They were on their journey home from a rescue mission after Selena had been kidnapped due to his oversight—the mistake that had damaged her whole clan and tipped the scales to make Z the new Sovereign. He had thought placing her into the Cryopod and saving her from the impending battle had been the right choice. If he had known that Xenak’s team had been lurking in the shadows to swoop in and clean up the mess they had created, he would have stayed by her side and chanced both their survival until his siblings could get to them.
That had been his second mistake. One he didn’t want to repeat.
The Fates had led them on this path and crossed her path with Zyxel and her new ambassadors. If this was their will, he couldn’t hold on to his anger about Selena’s new relationships.
They had gifted him Selena and finally brought them together. It was his fear of losing her once again that kept him on edge. He didn’t know what the Fates had in store for them, especially since Selena was the center of attention. Many others were interested in what she was capable of, and now that she was bringing those from outside the galaxy into play, it would only make her a greater person of interest.
May the Stars bless them all.
Scanning the latest report, Kaede sighed, knowing he had better leave while he could still convince himself to go.
While Kaede trusted his Oetsae crew and REI to make sure they were well taken care of for the remainder of the journey, for Selena’s wellbeing, he needed to give her some space to recuperate.
