His lips smashed into mine.
“You are mine,” he growled and nipped my bottom lip. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his tongue dove in.
“And I will prove it to you and the others.”
Our tongues danced as my hands found his hair.“There’s nothing to prove.”
“Trust me.”Kaede combed my hair back and forcefully pulled away, nipping a trail from my lips to my neck.“I’m part of your clan now and know how important it is to share amongst the others. You carry my daughter, and they are healing. It will be a long time before any of them rise up to the challenge to mate with you unassisted. Let me show them how they can please you working together… and without using any extra appendages.”
“My Favored…” I muttered and stilled my hands, opening my eyes to glance at where my clan’s strands led. “You want to help me restore their confidence to them.”
“I know how disabled and injured Circuli are treated.”He halted on my shoulder and gently pressed down, his fangs barely puncturing my skin.“Show them that they can pleasure you and make you orgasm using only their mouths and hands. Give them the comfort that they need. Ease their doubts.”
“But I’ve told them…”
“Sometimes telling them isn’t enough,”Kaede countered, flicking his tongue teasingly along my skin.“You can repeat yourself multiple times, but until they can see for themselves, they won’t fully believe it… Especially Odelm.”
He was right.
Xylo had accepted what had happened to him and was willing to work past the problems being vineless had caused, knowing full well that it was temporary. Odelm was devastated that he wouldn’t be able to use many of his instruments—and felt too embarrassed and ashamed to perform in his performance hall.
Letting them pleasure me would show them that they could still satisfy me and give them the confidence boost they needed. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that it would automatically solve them and provide them with the capability to cope without their appendages, but it was a start.
I hoped if they knew that their nestqueen would not attempt to replace them—permanently or temporarily, it would bring them to ease.
Showing them was the only way to achieve it and prove that I would be with them forever, no matter what.
“Help me show our clan that I love them… That I will stand by their side as we work through this and anything else that the Fates have planned for us.”
A shiver traveled along my spine, and the blanket fell between us as I felt the world shift.
Gasping, I opened my eyes as my knees landed on the familiar softness of my temporary nestbed. Kaede took the opportunity to move behind me, cupping one of my bare breasts as another hand pressed gently against my stomach, locking me in his embrace.
My Circuli mates instantly turned their attention to us from their leisure locations around the room, snapping them out of their relaxed positions. I frowned when my gaze didn’t find my Shadow within the nestroom.
“He hasn’t returned from his meeting with his officials,”Xylo pathed, instantly silencing my worry as his teal eyes found mine.“He told us he would be back in time to retire with the clan.”
“I’m sure you heard that I’d told Selena that we are expecting and felt our celebration,” Kaede announced as he traced his nose along the marks on my neck. “But your nestqueen wants to extend the celebration with the rest of the clan and get lost in the shared bliss. I believe she has a craving—and that’s to be pleasured by all of her mates. Together.”
“Is that what you want?” Odelm pulled himself from the stream.
I didn’t miss the hesitation in his voice. Nor did my eyes miss the way the water drops clung to his frame, demanding for me to lick them dry.
The way his jade eyes lit up in shock in reply to my sudden thoughts was enough for me to know that what Kaede had said earlier was correct.
My Favored had doubts that I was still attracted to them—and perhaps even regressed to believe they didn’t deserve me. I knew it was ingrained in their Circuli culture that appearances and rank were the two most important factors upon which a nestqueen judged the available unmated males. Both of my Favored were unique—I still hadn’t found another Circuli similar in appearance—and weren’t of a respectable profession from their standards.
“What Kaede said is correct.” I nodded and met each one of their gazes, letting the truth of my words set in. “We’ve been apart for so long… I want to come together as a clan. I need to feel that each one of you is still here with me.” Placing a hand over my scar and another on top of Kaede’s hold on my stomach, I leaned against him and felt his arousal press against my buttocks’ cleft. “Our clan needs to heal… both mentally and physically—”
“And the first step to that is to prove to Selena that we are with her, no matter the circumstances that were out of all of our control,” Kaede interjected. “Let’s come together and prove to your nestqueen that we are here for her, each other, and whatever future the Fates have in store for us.”
“We will always be here for you,” Z’fir replied, swinging his legs over the nestbed’s back as he settled on top. “There isn’t anywhere my clanbrothers and I would rather be than by your side. You have given us so much. Your love, a clan, and a new home—that it doesn’t matter if either of us don’t sire any offspring you have.”
“What my bondbrother said is true.” V’dim nodded as he placed a hand on Z’fir’s shoulder and sat beside him. “You’ve given all of us things we never fathomed we would have, and now we do; what more can we ever ask for?”
“I don’t know about my nestbrothers, but you should know that you never have to ask for me to bring you to climax.” Xylo smirked, settling beside the princes. I didn’t miss the twinkle in his pupilless teal eyes nor the playful teasing in his light tenor voice. “Tasting you has always been a favorite pastime of mine, including feeling the overwhelming bliss that radiates from you each time.”
“Are you volunteering to be first?” Kaede chuckled, slowly sliding his hand to cup my nether lips. My mouth opened to a silent moan as his middle finger parted my folds, tracing gently across my skin. “You are lucky. It seems our mate is already wet from the mere thought of us ravishing her. Together.”
