Selena and the rest of the females took it upon themselves to go swimming with Odelm and V’dim. Oeta along the edge of the pool, kicking her feet in the water as she watched as Tori and Selena splashed each other. His Ulax nestbrothers gazed upon Selena with concern, and from his connection with his bondmate, Odelm was debating whether he should interfere to protect their nestqueen.
Ryzen sat in the shade to do something he called meditating as his psydaggers danced wildly above him.
Xylo was left to entertain Zyxel with everyone busy doing something. The serpent healer tried his hardest to get Selena to accept him as hers since he’d already declared she was his before they arrived.
After Xylo decided to relax in the shade of the pavilion, the crimson male had decided to join him, coiling around himself without a word. Xylo wondered if the male liked his silence or was waiting for him to say something—but whatever it was, he refused to sway his nestqueen.
Xylo already had to deal with Selena’s other mates, always creating tension, as if it were some game they secretly played to drive both him and Selena insane. As their nestqueen’s Primary, it was his responsibility to calm the clan—but how was he supposed to do that when she was mated with a Sovereign, a lethal assassin, and his bondmate, who always needed reassurance.
He thanked the Stars that the princes were easy to handle, mainly because they were always relaxed leaders and understood what was happening. While it was intimidating to be within the same clan as them, they were fine additions and added another layer of stability.
“Is there anything I should be concerned about,” Xylo hedged as he tried to figure out the male who had decided to sit next to him to observe the others without saying a word. He lifted his nestqueen’s new handcrafted gift. “Are there any side effects that I should know if I decide to use this?”
“Nothing that I know of,” Zyxel huffed, crossing his arms as he studied the giggling females in the pool. “I’ve taken all the precautions, crafting it with the most natural components. All of the ingredients in my medicine chest are pure—most I’ve harvested and stored myself—and completely safe to use in small doses. It’s the overdosing that I would be concerned about, which is impossible to do even if Selena used the whole canister on one of you.” He gestured to the bag. “The only thing that you would feel would be an intense tingling sensation as your body absorbed the balm as it does its job healing you. I would suggest you take it in small doses because using it all at once would be wasteful.”
Xylo agreed with the foreign healer. “I’m assuming only a thin layer is needed for the effects to kick in?”
“You are correct.”
Xylo knew the reason why Zyxel had made a show by giving it in front of everyone. It was his way of showing that he would be capable of taking care of her. Also, with Kaede and Zirene gone, he had no reason to worry about any negative fallback or resistance those two may have had.
Kaede had a grudge against Zyxel for purposely holding back knowledge he would’ve loved to have about the species genetics that was a part of him. But, unfortunately, it would take a long time before Zyxel would be able to be in the assassin’s good graces, especially since the male was only tolerating him for Selena’s sake.
Kaede couldn’t retaliate because if Zyxel were indeed a part of Selena’s constellation and fated to be with her, he would take away a part of her, which he couldn’t do.
Zirene didn’t want the crimson male to know anything about Selena. Xylo couldn’t fault Zyxel for wanting to know everything about his nestqueen, especially since she was currently pregnant, but he knew the Sovereign’s reasoning for withholding such information. If he got too close to Selena and learned the truth about her unique genetics, only to get denied citizenship, then her secret could potentially be spread beyond their control.
Xylo knew what Zyxel was doing.
He used the same tactic unmated Circuli males did when they hoped to be accepted by a certain nestqueen. By befriending the nestmates, they had a higher chance to become noticed by her if they left a good impression and got along with her clan. Being the last one to join a clan, no matter its size, was better than being unmated.
While Selena’s most overbearing and protective males were doing their business, Zyxel was taking his time to try to get to know her Primary better—and Xylo saw through it.
While Xylo had no issues with whoever Selena accepted, he wasn’t going to go out of his way to try to pressure her into adding another male. He knew that hereferredOdelm, but she had already formed an attachment to the musician and cared about his well-being. So he didn’t need to do anything other than encouraging her that she could be with them both—the rest naturally fell into place.
Her thoughts about Zyxel weren’t the same—and he wasn’t going to force her hand either. She needed time to adjust—to get over the guilt she had about what happened—and focus on getting her cubs back.
If Xylo knew anything about Selena, it was that she was as stubborn about something as her newest mate was, which was why witnessing them resist each other the whole time was both entertaining and frustrating.
On Destiny, he was just her first nestmate, but now, it was different. He was not only her Favored, but her Primary, and it was up to him to protect his nestqueen from any danger, hardships, or heartbreaks that may come.
He held the most crucial role—and he couldn’t fail to protect his nestqueen not only physically but mentally and spiritually.
If this were a game for Zyxel, then Xylo wasn’t going to play.
“What’s your goal?” Xylo finally had enough silence and needed answers. “What are you doing?”
Zyxel jerked back as if he had hit him. “What do you mean what am I doing?”
“I’veseenwhat you’ve said to Selena. I’veheardhow she feels about you. So tell me, what are you trying to accomplish here?”
“Let me guess, you are on Kaede’s side,” Zyxel huffed.
“When it comes to protecting Selena from outsiders—yes, I am on his side. I’m just not as blunt and slightly less deadly as he, but you didn’t answer my question. So what are you doing?”
“When your clan was up in the mountain base, I had time to chat with Tori and explain myself to her. She suggested ways that earthborn humans try to court any female they want to be with.” The horned male eyed Selena’s gift in Xylo’s hand. “I don’t have any credits in either galaxy, and I highly doubt that any one of you would allow me to be alone with her for a long period of time—especially Kaede. So I did the best that I could do in the situation that I’m in. Tori said that females love bags, clothing, flowers—”
“And jewelry,” Xylo added. “While all those things may be distinctive gifts that human males give their females they’re interested in seeing, Selena came from nothing, and yet, she’s been given everything. So I don’t think she understands what she has—the power that she wields.”
