Kaede pursed his lips, making his fangs more pronounced.
“You mean you.” He held up his gloved hand, silencing me. “I heard it all. You were created differently from us.Where we were altered and bred to be super warriors, they created you to be the prototype of their superspecies. A perfect breeder. The Yaarkins were dying. They tried to replace their body parts with cybernetics and started to become more android than being. Knowing this, they needed to create a form to breed with them that could easily carry attributes of newly introduced species. That is why you exist. You were their final prototype of the new form they were going to take. Through you, whenever they conquered another planet, they could easily take over by breeding with their occupants and creating the next generation.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this before?”
“Truthfully?” he sighed, avoiding my gaze. “Because Prince Zirene was supposed to. I felt it wasn’t my place, and no one knew if your cubs would even survive labor. If they died…”
“I understand. My mental stability was already messed up by my hormones… Stars… how I handled myself earlier was probably due to my postpartum hormones… it matters not. They all knew I just had my cubs but insisted I needed to have that stupid trial.”
“Selena, what Prince Zirene did to you… it was uncalled for. They should have briefed you about the Assembly. I don’t know why he kept those secrets from you when he had a chance yesterday to tell you everything. You have the right to be angry at him.”
“What about you?” I laughed, shocked he didn’t think I was angry at him too. “You didn’t leave on good terms either.” I crossed my arms and winced from the pain.
Kaede glided across the bedroom and stood before me.
“What is it, Selena?” he asked urgently.
“My arm and my hand… Zirene’s claws stabbed my arm before I injured myself slapping him,” I gasped.
He knelt down and gently grabbed my arms, examiningthe damage. “You need to get these checked out,” he said, looking up.
An uneasy feeling bubbled inside me.
“I don’t want anyone I don’t know to look at me.”
Suddenly, Kaede’s visor split in the center and disappeared behind his ears. His eyes faintly glowed in the darkness as they locked onto mine.
“Will you trust me?” he whispered.
“Not this again,” I mumbled, rolling my eyes as I tried to pull away.
“Look, I know I am not your favorite person at the moment, but Iamyour Head of Security, and right now, you are injured. So, can you please yell at me while someone examines you?”
“Only if you promise a few things.”
“What are they?” he asked, annoyed.
“First, you need to agree to answer all of my questions about what is being kept from me. Second, I didn’t miss your new suit, and I assume you used that to get us here. So, are you going to tell me how? Teleportation?” I gave him a pointed look. “And third, you need to tell me why you have been anishing frax, and why this is the first time we have talked since you left me in labor.”
“I can do all three. Now, will you let me take you to Xylo and the rest of your healer team?” He paused before glancing at the bedroom door. “Or do you want to meet my half-sisters and have them look at you? No matter what, I don’t have the equipment in my suite to aid you.”
I sighed. I was already over today. I wanted to just go to my bed and cuddle with my cubs. But all that needed to wait, I needed to fix things with my nestmates first. They didn’t deserve this friction in the clan because of Zirene’s actions and my outbursts.
“Let me get you something to drink while you think aboutit.” He glanced at his bed. “Have a seat there while you wait for me to return.”
“That sounds good.”
He nodded and gave my body one last look, then let go of my injured arms.
I watched as he left the room without a word before I sat down on the edge of his perfectly made-up bed.
“Mwe, I can’t say it’s been a pleasure meeting you today the way we did, but I would like to thank you for your help… and assisting me during my trial. I want to be unmuted, please.”
“I would like to invite you over for a meal with your clan. I hope to meet them formally and introduce you to my daughter.”
“That sounds nice, but it may be a few days before things settle down with my clan. How would I arrange a time to meet with you?”
“I know your mental signature. It was easy to memorize since it is the only golden thread connected to a bright golden shield and your—now four—bond threads. Have one of your nestmates assist you; that way, you can contact me whenever you need to while you are on the CEG Space Station. It would be a helpful ability for you to have.”
