“I’m sorry, Selena,” Kaede choked.
I felt him softening within me as he withdrew.
I wanted to scream in denial but couldn’t. My body was burning up—and he was done? He stepped away, his warmth gone, and I wanted to weep, to rage, to cry out in frustration. He was going to leave me like this?
I heard water splashing as someone—probably Kaede—exited the bathtub.
“You are correct. Kaede just left and is gathering his things.”Xylo’s mental tone was livid.
“What did you do to her?” Xylo demanded.
“I have my own venom. It is not like the Circuli venom, though, and is produced through two venom sacs attached to my fangs. One of these isBahzyl,designed to enable me to easily subdue my prey. It sends them into an extreme state of arousal while suppressing all voluntary movement andblocking pain receptors. They are, effectively, paralyzed but aware and able to feel sensory stimuli.” Kaede explained in a detached voice.
Chyox spoke up, “What is its purpose? Why combine such—"
Odelm vibrated beneath me as he interrupted, all but shouting, “That is irrelevant right now! The question is why you did not mention this earlier! How do we know it is safe for her or the cubs? If we were unwilling to test any of our pain medications on her, why we would be okay with—”
“I believed it to be safe for her,” Kaede interjected. “I did not mention it because I knew precisely what you would all begin arguing about and Selena would be left in pain. And I know it is safe for the cubs because I have used it with no ill effect on Aldawi in the past.”
“But why did you not just give her yourBahzyl? Control the pain?” Chyox interjected.
“Because it was not just about easing Selena’s pain, it was also about trying to induce her labor, remember? Master Scholar Xylo said that she needed someone to ejaculate in her for theprostaglandinto take effect. You’re welcome.” Kaede snarked.
I wanted to spit, I was so angry, but all I could do was drown in my arousal. I moaned again.
Ishing frax.
“The venom should last the remainder of her labor but begin to wear off before delivery. You will need to keep an eye on her dilation. If she becomes fully dilated and the cubs are near to delivery before the venom wears off, she will not be able to push. You will need to either assist in the delivery in that event or remove the cubs by some other means.”
Xylo’s outraged voice chimed in, “Do you not think we would have already performed surgery by now to remove the cubs if we felt it was safe? That would have been our firstcourse of action before resorting to this... to this...” His choked voice cut off as I heard someone breathing hard not far away.
“So, what? We are supposed to leave her like this? She is supposed to lie there, unable to move, tortured with arousal?” Odelm shouted, incensed.
“A small price to pay for removing her pain.”
I heard the bathroom door open and close as silence fell over the room.
“Should we ease her arousal, Xylo?” Odelm inquired.
“I do not know if it will be possible, but we need to try.” Xylo agreed and I heard splashing as someone entered the water and approached.
Cool hands slid up my thighs and I felt Xylo’s vines sliding through my folds.
Oh Stars, yes. Oh please, yes.
“I love you, my nestmates.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Selena
As it happened, it wasn’t possible. Odelm and Xylo brought me to climax over and over, but nothing slaked the hunger, the burning, agonizing arousal. We finally gave up and I’d tried to focus on how wonderful it was that I was no longer feeling pain. And that my cervix was finally dilating, and my cubs were preparing for birth.
But as wonderful as these thoughts were, they’d not been enough. Not enough to blunt the arousal.
Only the anger was.
I focused on my anger, letting it fill me. Its heat seemed to be the only thing capable of pushing away the desire. Odelm held me, stroking my hair as I seethed. He and the other Ulax had stopped using their empathic abilities to keep me calm, allowing my fury free rein.
