“You are right,” I mumbled as I combed my fingers aimlessly through Odelm’s sea anemone-like hair. “He was adamant he remain on duty the whole way home even though the Fab Five were escorting us through our galaxy. It took a lot of convincing to get him to leave his commander’s chair.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now—convincing?” Kaede chuckled. I turned, surprised to see him at the base of our bed. He must have teleported in. “Because I remember it differently.”
“We all do,” Odelm mumbled, closing his eyes. “I still don’t understand how demi-humans can mate so often.”
“We didn’t!” I giggled, rolling my eyes as I gave him a gentle shove. “You make it sound abnormal.”
“You two mated as often as some nestqueens would in their whole lifetime,” Xylo said, rubbing his thumbs along my stomach. “I am surprised that Kaede was so resilient and took so much convincing. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to resist you as soon as you presented yourself.”
“Why is that?” I peered over my shoulder at my Primary. “I thought you were only capable of mating whenever my body sends you signals that my fertile peak is near.”
“You are correct in that regard, Selena.” Xylo combed back my hair and smiled. “But it’s my nature to give you what you want. If you were in need, I couldn’t resist because your essence is like the finest beverage in existence.” His gaze flicked to my neck and traced one of my newer bite marks. “Plus, if you had the drive to be filled, all you have to do is bite me with yourBahzylvenom, and my body would produce a new bud for you. At least, I assume that’s how I would react based on Odelm’s reaction on the space station. An Ulax’s manhood doesn’t fall off, so they don’t need to grow one before every heat cycle like the Wudox do, but they do need to recharge their pulser. Just like Wudox need to produce mating pollen, they need energy to prepare a nestqueen for mating.”
“I would feel uncomfortable pushing your body into anything,” I muttered, biting my bottom lip as I glanced at my Circuli mates. “Especially when you are trying to heal. I don’t want to somehow reverse or stunt your progress because of my selfish desires.”
“You wouldn’t,” Xylo soothed, palming my face as he directed me to face him. His teal eyes searched mine with fierce determination. “Don’t ever be ashamed of your needs. My nestbrothers and I may be on the mend, but that doesn’t mean you should be neglected. We would be failing you as your nestmates otherwise.”
“Besides, there are many ways to please you,” Kaede added as he stepped beside Zirene and nodded his head to him. “If my clanbrothers are out of service for the time being, then Z and I will be of assistance.”
Rolling my eyes at his cockiness, I sighed in defeat. He was right. I had multiple mates of different species, which worked out in the end.
“Feeling your bliss is enough of a reward,” Z’fir chimed in, climbing onto the nestbed with V’dim. “A treat even if we aren’t the ones actively pleasing you. It is beneficial for the clan and a commodity of sorts. You give us peace by calming our biological urges, and we make sure you are pampered.”
“You make it sound like that’s all I want,” I muttered, leaning against Xylo as I covered my eyes with my arm. I could feel the heat of embarrassment creeping from the base of my neck to cover my cheeks. “You know there’s more to me than just my pleasure in this clan, right?”
“There are our cubs,” Zirene proclaimed proudly. “It’s you, our cubs, and the Aldawi empire… and your Circuli citizens since you are now their queen.”
“How have our cubs been?” I dropped my arm and peered at the vidscreen.
Four screens were displaying different angles of a live feed from the recording stealth drones following them.
Sucking in a quick breath, I covered my lips as I stared in awe at three oddly familiar Aldawi. I hadn’t seen them awake since I had returned. They had always been curled up together and sleeping whenever I had peered at the screen.
I almost didn’t recognize my very own cubs.
Seeing them awake and moving around with other Aldawi, it was easy to see how much they had grown since the last time I had seen them. It seemed too long ago when I had said my goodbyes and watched them depart. Now, they were almost the same height as the adult Aldawi, but they hadn’t filled out at all. They lacked the muscle, fuller hide, and mane length of more mature Aldawi.
The only way I could tell who they were was by their unique silver markings.
Standing tall on her hind legs, Meti’s silver fur reflected the sun, creating a subtle glowing aura around her. Her dark stripes defined her femininity, curving elegantly around her body. Her tail had filled out and become bushier, acting like a fan blowing the sand about whenever she passed.
My twins—Nocrez and Neazzoes—looked like copies of their sire if I had known him at their age. They lacked the sleek muscles defining Zirene’s body, but I could see them starting to develop, silver stripes adding to their definition. Their manes had grown thicker than their sister’s, as was typical for male Aldawi. It was easy to tell the difference between the two twins because their silver markings had thickened over time. The silver lines rimming Nocrez’s eyes were almost twice the size they had been at birth, and the mark on the middle of Neazzos’s nose bridge now covered much of his nose.
My cubs were eating grilled fish beside about ten other cubs on a white sandy beach. Masmi and their instructors sat nearby among a few unfamiliar female Aldawi.
“Who are they?”
“Who’s who?” Zirene’s ears drew back as he turned to follow my gaze. “Oh… you have nothing to worry about, Selena. Those are Masmi’s assistants and their youngest cubs. The older ones are at the academy at this time of year, training to become a warrior, businessperson, or otherwise respectable member of society.”
“Can I speak to them?” Hope inflated my chest as I stood and excitedly made my way to Zirene. Hooking his arm around me, he embraced me and locked his eyes with mine. I could feel the tears gather at the sense of loss seeing my cubs had brought me. “I miss them so much, and I didn’t realize how much it hurt until I saw them awake. Do you think we can call them? I need to hear their voices.”
“Not only are you their mother, but you are the Beacon.” Zirene chuckled, rubbing my shoulder as he wrapped his tail around my ankle. “You can have whatever you want, including a ship prepared to make the journey to Liskta right now.”
“I would pilot,” Kaede offered. “Stars, we can take myAbyssif you want. It’s the safest ship in the galaxy.”
“What about Mwe? Would he be offended if I’m not here to greet him?” I peered over my shoulder at my nestmates and frowned. It seemed too soon to leave them behind, even if it were to gather my cubs. Regardless of how much progress they had made, seeing them sealed in their Cryopods on the brink of death had been enough to convince me I should stay. “It would be irresponsible for me to leave when there are too many here who need me.”
“Mwe will arrive in about two days.” Kaede turned and pointed to the opposite side of the nestroom, where the galaxy map was displayed. He waved his hand, and the map expanded, showing only the Aldawi empire. Thousands of dots, mainly purple, covered the space between the planets. A golden star blinked while moving slowly along a path lit with tiny dashes to Destima, trailing across half the territory to the edge. A small box with the amount of time remaining until he arrived hovered near the star. “I can leave the map like this so you can check the live update whenever you wish.”
