“What is happening?” Kaede asked from the door, his voice laced with confusion.
I turned from my nestmates to Kaede. “I accepted Odelm to my clan. I’m assuming this is some Circuli Clan Welcoming Ritual.”
“So, there isn’t going to be a fight? Xylo is completely fine with this? No dominance testing?”
Xylo and Odelm moved to flank me on either side. Each wrapped one of their appendages loosely around my waist, above my increasingly pregnant stomach. I was surprised by how comforting the gesture was.
“I read from Selena what happened. I knew what we were walking in on. And we had already discussed her adding Odelm to her clan—I just did not realize it might happen so soon. She has already stated she wants this clan to be different. I will not fight Odelm unless she decides she wants her nestmates to establish a pecking order. I am not sure whether she will want that, as some nestqueens do, or if she will prefer to choose on her own.”
Shocked by this news, I looked between them.
“No fighting. Xylo, you know I refuse to have a Prime or Second. No Favored. I want equality in this clan. There won’t be a pecking order.”
“But who will lead your nestmates?” Odelm asked, his voice filled with confusion.
I turned to him. “Do you need someone to micromanage you?”
“What she means is she wants us to coexist with eachother in a familial environment. To raise her children as co-fathers, no matter who sires them. For this to work, we must be open-minded and respect each other as well as our cultural differences. We may not always agree with certain things, but arguing and fighting among ourselves is prohibited,” Xylo explained.
“Truly?” Odelm questioned in disbelief.
Meeting his eyes, I tried to read him.
“Yes, truly. I know I’m socially awkward and clueless about the cultural differences between our species. Even what I know of my own species has been learned from history texts. So, I need open communication and understanding because I will screw up. We won’t always agree. I’ve always dreamed of a large family though I had no idea it could look like this. I want to make this work. And now there will be still more unknowns when we arrive at CEG HQ. Having no idea what to expect or how to behave? That frightens me. I don’t want to offend someone in ignorance—nor accidentally bond with anyone else...”
I could feel tears forming, covering my face with my hands. A growl of frustration escaped. I hated how my pregnancy hormones were causing my emotions to go from one extreme to another.
Arms wrapped around me from behind, and I felt Xylo press himself against my back.
“It’s okay, Selena. We can continue this discussion later. I believe both Odelm and Kaede understand what you are trying to say,” Xylo whispered into my ear.
Hands grabbed my own, pulling them away from my face. His thumbs traced the backs of my hands in understanding.
“I can feel the confusion and worry rolling off you in waves. There is no need. I completely understand what you are saying. Listen to me when I say the way you want to runyour clan feels like water on my skin. The freedom. Your vision for our clan. For a family. You are a gift from the Fates,” Odelm said as he let go of my hands and used his thumbs to wipe my tears away. “Be easy. Do not leak—no need for your crying...”
I watched as he brought his thumbs to his face. A long, thin, black tongue slid out of his slit of a mouth. It had three little grasping ‘fingers’ at the end. My mouth fell open in awe as I watched his tongue lick at my tears. At the first taste, his tongue ‘fingers’ grabbed his thumbs like mini hands, greedily attacking the salty water of my tears.
I could feel myself become aroused by his display.
My heart sped as moisture pooled between my thighs. Between Xylo pressed against me from behind and my new wicked thoughts about how that tongue would feel between my legs, desire to take them both to the bedroom and complete the bond with Odelm filled me. Odelm seemed oblivious as he focused on licking every salty drop from his thumbs.
I squeezed my thighs together trying to ease my arousal.
I felt Xylo lean forward and place his lips by my ear, their downy fuzz tickling my earlobe.
“I am not against those thoughts, but I believe we should get something in you first.”
His phrasing did nothing to extinguish my arousal.
My hunger could wait.
Letting his hands drop, Odelm smiled at me. “Even though I hate to see you cry, your tears are delicious.”
Xylo pulled his lips away from my ear and leaned his head against mine. “That is not the only delicious thing.”
Shock flooded me at their open discussion about how I tasted—with Kaede still present in the room.
“Now, that’s something I’d like to hear more about,” Kaede called out from the door.
