Stepping closer, he opened the petals at the tips of his vines and placed them gently against her, pulling the moisture from her skin. Behind her, Odelm did the same, the cups on his tentacles wicking the water away. He traced his vines along her legs absorbing every drop of fluid.
Conscious of their audience, he carefully avoided the juncture of her legs. They were not permanently bonded, he certainly was not going to try to mate with her in public. Besides, it was up to the female to determine when it was time for coupling. As Xylo neared her buttocks, he felt a shiver pass through Selena. Though the water diluted her own body fluids, he could taste them—a saltiness from her sweat mixed with the water from the pond—a hint of sweetness along her creases.
She tasted delicious.
It was an addictive taste. Thoughts flooded his mind of what it would be like to mate with her. How Selena would taste when they came together as he gave her his bonding spore. Would her essence taste more potent? Nestmates’ bodies become biologically and chemically attuned with their nestqueens—a true addiction.
Xylo had never heard about nestqueens tasting sweet. If she accepted him, he would enjoy tasting her every mating season if she would allow it.
Kaede broke into his absorption. “You guys are into some kinky shit. I thought we were going to dinner, not indulging in some weird mating ritual.”
Xylo jerked. His vines were wrapped tightly around theapex of her legs and her torso, supporting her breasts. He hastily unwrapped himself, mortified he had lost control once more. A quick check and he noted with relief, she was completely dry though her face was even darker than it had been.
“I am sorry, Selena. I do not know what came over me.”
She shook her head at him and jerked her gaze away. He didn’t miss the confusion in her eyes. Selena turned her attention to Kaede.
Holding out her hand, she asked meekly, “Can I have my gown back now?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Selena
For the third time today, I sat in the café overlooking the terrarium. Tonight, it was bursting with people though the noise level was surprisingly low given how crowded it was. We had managed to secure a booth near the stage.
Glancing around I assumed the groups clustered in booths were what Xylo had called clans—a nestqueen and her nestmates. The clans seemed to most commonly range from three to six people, those with the brightest coloring in the center of the group. Both at breakfast and now at dinner, the group insisted I sit in the center—which fit with my assumption the center person was, in fact, female and the booth’s nestqueen.
Yes, those must be the nestqueens. The entire group's attention centered on them.
Xylo and Odelm sat to my right, Kaede on my left. We sipped our drinks as we silently ordered our meals. I finished first and spent the time admiring the males at the table.
I had noticed both Xylo and Odelm had coloring and patterns unique compared to the other males of their respective species. Xylo’s skin pattern was much more elaborate anddetailed than anyone else I’d seen even the princes. I wondered why that was, but I was thankful for it. I would never tire of looking at him.
Odelm was gorgeous in his own way. I might call his coloring more feminine than other male Ulax. In fact, as I studied him and glanced around the cafe, I realized his coloring was closer to those in the center of the booths—the nestqueens. Perhaps that accounted for the preference for solitude I’d noticed he possessed. He was an oddity to his species as much as Xylo and I were to ours.
I studied Xylo thoughtfully, his attention on his wristband. His actions today had surprised me. He’d definitely lost the ability to fully control his vines. When they’d explored me at breakfast this morning and again as he’d dried me off before dinner, he’d seemed almost in a trance, not conscious his vines were sexually touching me. It certainly didn’t seem to be on purpose. He’d been shocked and embarrassed when he’d realized what had happened. I couldn't fault him if it were a biological instinct he couldn’t control. Perhaps the tenuous court bond was the cause, and it would settle down when I permanently accepted him. Glancing around the room once more, I observed many of the Circuli kept their vines and tentacles touching the nestqueen in the center.
I broke the silence at the table. “Xylo, can you explain a few things for me about the Circuli?”
“Oh, this is going to be good,” Kaede mumbled under his breath.
Xylo looked up from his wristband, a pleased smile crossing his face. “What can I explain to you?”
I tilted my head toward the rest of the room. “In the booths, are the lighter Circuli in the center nestqueens? And the darker ones surrounding them their nestmates?”
Xylo examined the room while Odelm’s body stilled, the pained look on his face quickly replaced by a blank stare.
“Yes. Those are nestqueens. The cafe is considered a more intimate dining room, popular among clans who want to dine together. The unmated tend to stick to bars and common mess halls, or if they venture in here, they dine together as a group. Like...” Xylo nodded toward a booth by the door. He was right, that group of Circuli were all darker and talked animatedly though their tentacles and vines remained wrapped around their torsos. “Or they dine at the cafe’s bar alone.”
That explained why I’d found Odelm eating alone at the bar at lunch. I glanced at Odelm again, his expression still closed off. Turning back to Xylo, I noticed he’d closed his wristband and was waiting for my next question.
“Is touching each other with your vines and tentacles an expression of comfort? Like humans hold hands or hug?”
An awed expression crossed his face, and he exchanged glances with Odelm, who now looked at me with interest. Both males schooled their expressions as they stared at me.
“That comparison works. Humans are much more freely expressive when it comes to showing affection and giving comfort than both Wudox and Ulax. Typically, only nestmates use their vines or tentacles to touch their nestqueen. It brings them both comfort to have physical contact. Neither species holds hands, hugs, or even kisses. Those are things other species like humans do. I understand the concepts through my studies, but you are the first experience I—or any of the crew—have had with it.”
I blinked, perplexed. “What about the princes? I saw them freely touch one other.”
