“Pavryn has them. He planned to teach them basic hunter-prey games Aldawi cubs play. Odelm came with me, and Vikvez insisted on helping to fill the ranks,” he said, his mental voice sounded stressed, and I thought I sensed a hint of worry. “I really need to focus on this task at hand, Selena—”
“Fine.”
I pulled away, dropping his thread, feeling rejected.
If he wasn’t going to tell me, that meant the others weren’t either.
Were they upset with me about whatever I did?
I stared at the metallic ceiling and tried to piece together what happened.
Kaede’s sisters and I went to the club, some guy felt me up, and B threatened him. They led me to a table as I comforted my nestmates, then offered me a strange drink. I could recall Q being there, but it was foggy—everything was black and flashing lights.
How did I go from a girls’ night out to being naked in Kaede’s bed? Why didn’t I return to my clan’s bed?
Time passed, but I couldn’t come up with the answer. My mind was blank, only able to recall flashes of moments. Frustrated, I growled and sat up, studying the unfamiliar room.
My clothes were missing in the dark, bare room withnothing laying out, waiting to be stolen. Even though I didn’t care if others saw me, I couldn’t walk around the space station in the nude like other species who didn’t display their genitalia. Everyone who had swinging cocks or pleasing womanhoods covered them, some more than others.
Kaede had to have something to wear in his room that wasn’t a high-tech uniform or equipped with random objects only he would be capable of understanding how to use. But this was Kaede—everything had to have an alternative function, nothing could be basic with him.
There were a few locked chests against a wall and a dresser. Opening the drawers, I found to my disappointment that they were mostly bare, with only a few random articles of clothing thrown in haphazardly. I opened the bottom drawer to find a pair of black slacks and a royal purple dress shirt.
I sighed in relief. I could handle a shirt multiple sizes too large and slacks that needed a belt. Good thing there was a plain silver one in the second drawer.
Wearing my new outfit, I combed my hair with my fingers as I walked into the shared apartment space. Surprisingly, it was also bare of people and personal items.
“Hello?”
No reply.
I felt my wrist, instantly regretting its bareness.
I didn’t have my wristband nor my tablet to check the time and my messages. If my nestmates were awake and working, that meant I’d slept past lunch.
A sense of not belonging filled me. I wasn’t welcomed here. There had to be a reason why no one was around. Either something had happened, or they were called away. Or his sisters were upset about Kaede and me.
I was used to Kaede running away whenever things didn’tgo as he had planned—but for no one to be home meant something.
“Hello? Anyone here?”
I sighed. Somehow, I messed up once again and pushed away not only Kaede but his sisters as well.
My nestmates were busy with their work and didn’t want to be bothered—at least, I shouldn’t bother them. Something happened last night to make Xylo uncomfortable enough to have to tell me in person.
Was I destined to have everyone leave me?
I walked to the Dreamdome in silence, ignoring the strange looks from others as I passed by.
To be honest, I didn’t care. They didn’t matter, and soon enough, I would be taken away toDestima, perhaps never to travel the stars again at the rate I was ruining everything.
I needed to not mess up the one goal they gave me—to update and design the new additions toDestimafor my liking. I was the owner of the moon. It was my vision that needed to be graphed out for the dream-engineers to make any needed changes, then enter it into their fabricator before theDestinylanded.
Everything needed to be perfect.
The Dreamdome wasn’t in use. I smiled—perfect. No one to harass me as I worked in peace. I pressed my hand on the display, and the security system scanned both my hand and eyes, blinding me with its blue beamed light. The screen lit up green, and the sound of the main door opening filled the lobby.
“Welcome, Selena Darcaw.”
