How did I deserve this?
Just over a month ago, I was an experiment, waiting for the next sleep cycle so I could get lost in the dreamscape with my amethyst-eyed mystery male. Somehow that dream became a reality. The dreamscape world I knew so well was real—along with my male I grew to care for.
Now, I was the owner of a magnificent villa built with an immeasurable amount of detail and thoughtfulness, and it was unbelievable; it was mine.
All the random questions he’d asked over the years made sense. He was trying to understand what I liked, not for conversation but to use in his design.
The sanctuary? That in itself was a masterpiece.
I could see myself relaxing in the pool or in one of the lounge chairs as I read while listening to Odelm play his gorgeous music. If I got hungry or needed a drink, the open layout allowed me to continue watching the cubs from the dining hall as they played in the sanctuary.
He impressed me with the location of the infirmary on the opposite side of the sanctuary from the music and dininghalls, nestled between the entrances to the children’s and guests’ wings. Attached to the infirmary was my own hatchery, which was connected to the children’s domed terrarium, filled with their own forest to play in.
There was a small second floor with eight suite rooms for guests who stayed for extended periods. Zirene mentioned the Fab Five had used them from time to time when they were working on the villa’s security. Kaede was the only one who was currently using one of the rooms since he was my personal guard.
Even though I was still mortified by what I did to him, I was glad to have him near. Kaede had proven himself to me. He may be anishing frax,but he was faithful and he cared—he just had a strange way of showing it.
Zirene was the same way. When you were a prince of a powerful empire, used to being in charge while getting everything you want, how did you have a personal relationship with someone? He was trying. I could tell.
The moon was his gift to his Seedbearer—but this villa? It showed how much he cared. Sure, the elaborate luxuries were a bit too much, but considering I was mated to a prince who was used to such extremes, it made sense. I was an extension of him—literally, with our Nova and Shadow connection—so it would be expected I would have the same living conditions as him.
Would I allow him to try to buy my love? No, I wasn’t a fool.
But if he continued to act the way he did so far today and treated me as if I was an equal like old times, I couldn’t see why we couldn’t try to work things out between us. He would have to understand I would not cast aside my nestmates just because the Fates decided we were destined.
Just because I was his Nova didn’t mean I would allow him to push anyone from my clan around. They were a partof me as much as he was, and I chose them. The Stars may have guided me to the Circuli crew, but it was me who made them a part of my clan—my life—and I would not let anyone take that away from me.
Not Zirene and his subtle possessiveness—or Kaede and his jealous remarks.
I would have to watch how he interacted with them because I would not tolerate bullying. Sure, more mates meant more personalities to mesh together, and I was sure jealousy and arguments would happen. Zirene’s reasoning for my mates to have their own wing made sense, now that I thought about it.
Once the princes arrived and I claimed them as my own, it would be something we would discuss. I knew the Circuli thrived on togetherness and being near their nestqueen, so I didn’t believe they would want individual nights alone, at least not consecutively.
After showing me where each of the eight archways led, Zirene introduced me to the staff, and we checked on the cubs, who were passed out in their own domed terrarium. Not wanting to wake them, I suggested we retreat back to the sanctuary for a beverage, knowing we hadn’t explored the whole villa yet, including the outside.
“Is there something you want to do? Or perhaps a place you want to see?” Zirene asked as I stared at the sanctuary’s glass dome. The sky was getting cloudy, but I could still tell it was mid-afternoon.
“I want to visit the beach—to feel the warm sand between my toes.”
“That can be arranged.” His eyes twinkled in merriment as he offered his paw. “I know the perfect place.”
I accepted it, enjoying the soft warmth surrounding my hand.
My hair whipped around as the wind blew around my raised arms.
“This is amazing!” I yelled, glancing at Zirene.
He smiled, full teeth showing as he kept his focus on driving our purple and silver four-seater hovercraft on the spiral mountain road.
There were three entrances to my villa—the personal spaceport, the set of lifts primarily used by staff and deliveries, which went straight down to the base of the mountain, and the long windy road that twisted around the whole mountain to the bottom. He explained that both of the lifts and road ended at the same location, a small base filled with Vagren’s house and office, another warehouse, staff apartment, and a few other buildings.
Zirene picked the long route, explaining it would be the best way for me to experience the wonders ofDestimafor the first time—and see the progress being made on my vision.
He wasn’t wrong.
This was my first time actually being planetside. The bright colors from the local flora streamed by as the warm sun reflected off the dark violet waters. The smell of the saltwater assaulted my nose as I watched the lavender waves crash onto white-sanded beaches. The sleek white high-speed tram track bordered along the inside of the atoll, leaving the outside-facing beaches bare, protecting their natural beauty.
As we got closer, I could make out hundreds of spider-like devices with different colored cubed bodies working on various buildings from my design. The twelve bases were done, as a group of those devices was beaming material in place on the two unfinished apartments. All the larger buildings were each in a different stage of completion.
