He growled and rolled his arm, pulling it out of my hands before pushing my back onto the soft cushions. Swinging his body over my mine, he pinned me between his arms as his legs opened mine.
“Listen to me, Selena. There is nothing, nothing you can do right now to fix this,” he hissed, his eyes drilled into mine. “Not now. You need to calm down.”
I shook my head in refusal as my tears fell, blurring my vision.
“I didn’t reject them! They don’t deserve to go through what Odelm did. He came to me as a broken male, mentally scarred and filled with doubt—he still has issues even now.”
Zirene’s shadow darkened as his chest pressed against mine. His purrs rumbled through his body as he nudged my head with his nose. I closed my eyes and turned away, exposing my neck to him.
“Relax,” he whispered. “Contact them and explain to them in your words what happened. But after that? Focus on settling down, and when they arrive, you can work on mending what you had.”
“But…” I peeked at him, trying to see what he was doing.
“Relax…” He commanded gently, his lips pressing against my shoulder. Slowly, he lapped my neck, sending shivers through my body.
I closed my eyes and moaned at the sensations he gave me, allowing him to comfort me.
This was the male I knew so well.
Outside of this dreamscape, his position demanded attentionfrom all around him. His aura made those around automatically turn their heads and obey.
But here, he could relax and not put on a front. There was no one who needed to impress, to command, or to attempt to challenge his decisions.
Here, we were equals. I hoped someday it would be the same outside.
I jerked awake, sucking in a breath as I sat up.
The surrounding room wasn’t the one I fell asleep in. It was bright and much larger. Sunlight beamed through glass windows, lighting up the green and silver bed twice the size of the one on theDestiny. Jade-swirled black marble tile covered the floors as silver etched the purple walls.
Xylo and Odelm were asleep, sandwiching me between them on the center platform, each with an appendage wrapped around my legs.
How had I gotten here? Was this my new room? The room Zirene spent all this time creating to make perfect for me?
“Selena?” Xylo mumbled.
“Selena, are you okay?” Odelm asked gently, worry lacing his voice.
Both nestmates scrambled awake and leaned over me as they searched my eyes.
“Where are we?”
A weary smile crossed Xylo’s face. “We are in our clan’s bedroom in your villa onDestima.”
“We are?”
“Yes, Selena. It’s magnificent.” Odelm glanced at Xylo. “But we have explored little as we waited for you.”
“And our cubs?”
“Safe,” Xylo announced. “They have been worried about you but have enjoyed exploring the villa’s grounds. Supervised, of course.”
“Thank the Stars.”
I closed my eyes and sighed as I leaned back onto the mattress. I searched my shields; they were up and well—including my connections with both of my nestmates sitting beside me. Zirene was right. My shallow connections with my Circuli princes were missing, severed from my walls, their spots completely missing as if their windowed attachments were never there.
“I need to talk to V’dim and Z’fir,” I said, staring at the ceiling. “Please tell me that is easy to do.”
“Zirene installed a vid-screen in our sitting area and ensured you would be able to comm theDestinyalong with many others,” Xylo replied. “Let us move over there while Odelm calls for something to be delivered for you.”
