“I wasn’t alone, though,” I protested, leaving Zirene to grab my princes’ hands and lead them to the bench Kaede had placed earlier. They sat down, leaving me enough room to wiggle into a seat between them. “If you were worried, you both should have stayed.”
“Or you could learn to behave.” Kaede smirked, making me want to wipe the cocky grin off his face.
“The Cryopods are ready for de-stasis,” Kaica announced from the center display table, her eyes focused on the charts projected before her. “I’m ready to engage when you are.”
“I’m ready.” Blowing out a long breath of air, I prepared myself for what was to come. Recalling how the princes had reacted when they awoke, I feared how my Favored would respond. “I feel deep down that this is the right move, but that doesn’t make it any less unnerving.”
Hissing air pierced the room when the Cryopod lids rose simultaneously before sliding open. Standing, I watched and waited to see who would be the first to respond.
As one, my mates gasped, gulping air, their bodies thrashing wildly. Their hands clawed at the rim of their Cryopods, too weak to grip on to them.
“What’s happening?” I screamed, grabbing at their hands, desperately trying to show them they weren’t alone. That I was here. “Why are they acting this way?”
The infirmary came alive with bodies blurring around me, but all I could focus on were their weak hands clasping. Closing my eyes, I drowned out the noises and the voices shouting status reports, homing in on the mental strands around me.
My gut told me they were leaving me, forever slipping away from my life. Over my bond threads, I felt their struggle to live—to sense me and collect themselves within the burning flames consuming them.
Frantically, I grabbed at the golden threads from their mental doors and yanked the strands to me. The harder I pulled, the more resistance I met. It was as if their bodies were giving up on their souls like mine had, once before.
“Selena,”Vowels pathed, his voice slicing through my concentration.“Do you trust me?”
“Always!”I shrieked.“Just do whatever it takes to bring them back to me.”
“My will is yours.”
Chapter Nineteen
Xylo
Searing pain coursed through him, burning up his insides as he begged forgiveness for whatever he had done to cross the Fates. Xylo swore he had followed the Stars’ path and never resisted the impulses they gave him.
He had always done his best to protect his nestqueen from danger, even though he had failed this time.
Was the pain he felt the punishment for his failure? It had to be. Why else would his body be rejecting him?
He refused to believe this was it—that the Fates were welcoming him among the stars to watch over those he knew and loved.
It couldn’t be his time. There was too much he still wanted—needed—to do.
He couldn’t fade away without seeing his nestqueen one last time. He needed to tell her how much he loved her, and that he thanked the Stars every day for crossing their paths.
He had begged the Stars to gift him a chance to court a nestqueen and feel like part of a clan. He never asked another unmated male to be his bondmate and curb his biological instincts to pair with another, because he’d still had hope. He’d hoped one day, a nestqueen would look past his appearance to his accomplishments and see he would take care of her.
Yet, after Odelm had joined his newly formed clan, he knew an extra layer of security was needed to protect and serve their nestqueen, which was why he had been willing to become more than a nestbrother to him once he had joined the fold. The better a clan got along, the better they could care for their nestqueen and create a peaceful environment.
His privacy mattered little, if his nestqueen wasn’t successfully cared for.
It was a sacrifice he had been willing to make, and he had never regretted his choices, even on this day.
Every unmated male yearned for some form of companionship. Some settled for a platonic bondmate, desperate for a chance to be with someone—anyone. A bondmate beat a lonely life, but couldn’t compete with being welcomed into a clan’s fold.
Every year, his faith that a nestqueen would believe he was worthy of joining her ranks waned. He had almost given up and considered asking one of his coworkers, perhaps Chyox, to be his bondmate once theDestinyhad found a new home.
This was why he had to fight through the pain. The pain reminded him of all the years he’d spent alone. If he’d been able to survive it once, then he could do it again.
She was worth it all.
She had taught him it was all right to look different and had helped him become comfortable in his body. Shelovedhis appearance and reminded him often. Her compliments had helped him gain more confidence than he’d ever had alone.
