It would be unfair for me to force Zirene to blindly accept strangers after what had happened with his sire. His flesh and blood had betrayed him and sent me away after severely injuring my Favored.
I understood why he required utter transparency in matters concerning our family’s safety. Due to our Shadow-Nova connection, he required my presence to avoid spiraling into insanity. Until his siblings had cubs, ours were the future of the Aldawi empire.
I couldn’t allow more harm to come to my clan. If I had learned one thing from this, it was that my life wasn’t entirely mine any longer. I never fathomed I would live such a deeply interconnected life.
Oeta flashed a smile. “Anything for you, Sister. My father is on his way here.” She paused as her eyes dimmed briefly. “He sends you his blessing on your return but regretted to inform me that his trip was delayed some, due to the recent Quaww civil war. The neighboring territories are worried about an increase in Quaww refugees and are demanding more funding to support them. He has pacified them for now and can’t wait to speak with you, but he says he is about a week away.”
“What do you want me to do with our guests until then?” Kaede asked, uncrossing his arms as he scanned the island. “The villa must be crowded with everyone who came to help, but I don’t see where else we can safely host them. Do we really want outsiders roaming around Destima when we don’t have permission from Mwe and the rest of the Conglomerate of the Euph Galaxy? The CEG may believe we are being reckless and risking our citizens’ lives by allowing them such freedom.”
Zirene scanned the crowd that had gathered and growled.
We were on the same dock that theDestinyhad crashed into, only rebuilt. It was the largest one in Destima’s only spaceport. The crowd had grown larger, but they stared at us in complete silence.
I knew my return was a cause for celebration for all who personally knew me, but these strangers, curious about my arrival, told me that I mattered to the whole moon. The citizens were interested in my well-being. If I had, indeed, unintentionally taken over the moon’s mental network, I could understand why they wanted a peek at their new ruler.
I never wanted to be the type of ruler who hid from her people behind gates and walls. I was only royalty by mating, not by blood, and after my time with the Yaarkins, I didn’t want to be cut off from the world around me, no matter what elevated social status I had acquired.
“We can discuss living arrangements once they’ve been thoroughly vetted,” Zirene answered, addressing Kaede. “Report back to me when it’s done. We have much to do.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“Take care of any who fail.”
“It will be my pleasure.” Kaede chuckled. “My will is yours.”
“Let’s go, Selena. Your nestmates await you.” Zirene gave me a gentle squeeze and tried to turn me to a shuttle parked nearby. “They will take care of everything.”
Something about departing didn’t feel right, as if I were abandoning my duties in a rush to reach my clan.
Looking over my shoulder, I locked eyes with my newest mate. He had been by my side all this time, silently watching others join my clan, waiting for his chance to become mine.
“Give me a moment.” Halting, I pulled away from Zirene, who watched me in confusion. “I need to do something.”
Pursing his lips, he glanced behind me and nodded, his dark, ethereal flames flaring. I sighed, a wave of relief coursing through me. I thanked the Stars for his understanding nature. After my kidnapping, he had a right to be territorial. I was his Nova, his Beacon, and his greatest weakness. If anyone tried to follow through on his sire’s plans for me, my demise would entail his.
Now that Kaede was my mate, I knew my clan would require an adjustment period as its dynamics changed and settled. But Kaede wasn’t an outsider. Zirene knew him better than the others in my clan, due to their working relationship.
This moment was the first step toward accepting Kaede as a nestbrother.
The world faded away as I ran to Kaede, and a sense of rightness washed over me.
Palming his cheeks, I smashed my lips to his and sent all my love into the kiss. His stiff posture instantly softened as he gripped my hips, and a soft growl rolled through him.
Pulling away, I caught my breath and watched Kaede lick his lips, savoring our kiss. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes through his visor, I knew he was studying me, and I could tell my display of affection had shocked him.
“What was that for?” His voice was a whisper in the breeze.
“I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done,” I confessed, running my hands down his face and pressing them against his suited chest. “It felt wrong leaving without saying ‘goodbye’ to you… I don’t want you to fade into the shadows now that we are home.”
“I won’t, Selena.”
“I don’t believe you will intentionally, but I don’t want you to fall back to old habits just because you are still my bodyguard.” Glaring playfully, I leaned in and nipped his bottom lip. “There are questions left unanswered between us. I want you to come back to me as my mate once you take care of your duties.”
Stepping away, I held his gaze, satisfied. This male was loyal to me, but he also had a job to fulfill, and I wouldn’t keep him from his work.
As I turned to address the crowd surrounding us, he gripped my hand and pulled me to him. His chest pressed against my back, and his breath fanned across my ear.
Aldawi, Circuli, and demi-human eyes were fixated on us. An Aldawi or Circuli female would never allow a male to handle them the way I had allowed Zirene and Kaede to do publicly. Kaede had shifted suddenly from being my bodyguard, lurking in the shadows, to my affectionate mate—two extremes to our audience.
