Chapter 5
5
Xylo
X ylo gazed down at Selena, his body overflowing with emotions that weren’t his, but hers . His nestqueen’s excitement was palpable.
She was like the sun, filling the cabin with her contagious, vibrant energy, warming him from the inside out.
Something was different about her. Something had unlocked within her, slipping into place and bringing her instincts to the surface.
It was as if she was finally coming into her own, asserting herself as a nestqueen should.
He didn’t care much for fashion or politics, but he could appreciate the beauty of her attire and the strength it symbolized. Her strength. She appeared as regal as any leader should. The fact that this beautiful female was his mate filled him with a sense of pride.
She honored him.
Her warmth—her contagious happiness—seeped into him across their mental thread, washing over him and leaving him feeling intoxicated.
He hadn’t known that their connection could have this kind of effect. A nestqueen projecting so much positive energy to her clan that it made them feel high, a comfortable buzz, as if he’d drunk a tall, fruity alcoholic beverage.
Looking out the viewport, he took in the view of the moon with her. It was coming to life, mirroring the vision of the vibrant female he held in his arms.
As they flew above Destima’s main island at a lazy pace, he could see her amazement and awe at the progress made in her absence. The way she sat on his lap, her body flush against his, made him feel her radiance from its source.
Just as Selena was the Beacon for their people, the moon was becoming a beacon to the rest of the galaxy, a testament to their progress and unity. It was a prime example on how other governments should treat refugees who had been endangered due to the CEG’s failures. Give them a place to live and they would flourish, repaying their sponsors back more than tenfold.
Zirene, on his right, explained how Vagren had been diligent in implementing Selena’s plans, working tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly while she was away.
Selena turned her head to look at Zirene, a smile of gratitude spreading across her face. “I need to thank Vagren personally the next time I see him. His work has made Destima capable of taking in and supporting the victims left at the asteroid base.”
Xylo echoed her wishes. They owed Vagren a great deal for his unwavering dedication to fulfill their nestqueen’s vision.
“Vagren will greet us when we arrive,” Kaede said from the front of the seating area. His arms were crossed as he looked out the window, down at Destima’s royal wing hangar. “We won’t have time for a full-fledged meeting, but you can thank him before Mwe lands.”
Selena sighed and leaned back against him, her head resting against his chest. “Thank you, Xylo,” she said, looking up at him with those lovely blue-green eyes he longed to drown in. “For everything.”
“There’s no reason for you to thank me,” he muttered, brushing her silver hair back. He knew the gesture comforted her, even though her hair was much shorter now. “I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
“I love you.” She turned toward his clanbrothers. “I love all of you.”
“We love you, too,” Odelm replied, gently grabbing her feet and placing them on his lap before starting to massage her ankles. “You don’t have to worry, Selena. Everything will fall into place.”
Xylo looked over his nestqueen’s head at his bondbrother, taking him in. He couldn’t pick up on any lingering negative thoughts through their connection, nor could he see anything in his expression that would betray his calm demeanor.
“How are you doing?” Xylo held his bondbrother’s gaze. “Are you prepared for what’s to come?”
“How can we prepare for something over which we have no control?” Odelm inquired, his head tilted toward the window. “Once again, Selena is the catalyst for change. When will she be able to have some relaxing fun? A mere few weeks were not enough. When will we be able to live as a clan without worrying about the future?”
“You aren’t talking about our regrowing limbs, are you?” Xylo began to massage the muscles along Selena’s spine, eliciting a slight moan from their nestqueen. “What are you really worried about?”
“The Harvest Festival.” Odelm paused, tilting his head toward their clan’s leader. “You know we won’t be able to accompany her, right?”
“I came to that same conclusion long ago.” Xylo nodded, his gaze falling to his nestqueen’s gleaming silver hair. “Even with Euouae’s assistance and Zyxel’s healing balm, our limbs won’t have regrown enough to withstand a dry desert planet.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Someone has to stay here to maintain Destima’s mental network,” Xylo reminded him. “It might as well be us. We are her Favored. Going to Liskta would only impede our progress and make Selena sick with worry. Do you really want to add to her stress?”
“You know me well enough to know that I would never intentionally harm her—or our unborn daughter,” Odelm countered, his mental voice laced with irritation. “I just don’t want to be separated from her again when we’ve only recently been reunited.”
“ I don’t want to be separated from her either, but I also know that one of her Circuli mates must stay here to allow her to leave. ” Xylo cast a glance at their princes, who were watching them massage their nestqueen’s body. “ She’s made so many sacrifices for our people, giving them a new home and establishing a mental network to keep our old crew sane. I refuse to let Destima become a prison for our nestqueen when she deserves to be free to explore the universe, like she has always wanted to.
“ You can leave with her if you want to, but know that I will stay here to do my part while my body heals. I’ll be her hero, and when she returns, I’m sure she’ll take some time to make amends for leaving me behind. ”
“Do you really believe it would be better if the two of us stayed behind?” Odelm asked. His mental voice was almost like a whisper upon the edges of Xylo’s mind.
“I believe I’m strong enough to hold the mental web on my own,” Xylo pathed, fully opening himself to him, so he could hear the truth in his words. “However, having you as my bondbrother for support would make things easier, especially since I wouldn’t have to worry about your condition when you’re by my side.”
“Then I’ll remain here with you.” Odelm sighed and turned back to their nestqueen, smiling. “When will we inform the others?”
Xylo instinctively reached for the princes’ mental threads; with the way Selena had rearranged their clan’s threads to be an inner shield around her brilliance, as a layer of protection from Destima’s Circuli mental web, it was effortless to touch them. Their clan was accustomed to freely conversing and naturally accepting one another in order to work toward a common goal: to serve and protect their clan’s nestqueen.
Their four mental threads twisted and merged into one, forming an instant mental link.
“ What’s the matter? ” Z’fir inquired, his mental voice alert.
“ Nothing is wrong, nestbrother, ” Xylo reassured the two princes. “ I wanted to inform both of you about what Odelm and I have agreed to do for the sake of our clan’s well-being. ”
“ And what is that? ” V’dim pathed, his gaze flickering between them.
“Xylo and I will stay back when the clan travels to Liskta for the Harvest Festival in a few days, ” Odelm replied, his mental voice filled with resignation that left no room for doubt. “ We’ll work together to hold the mental web so Selena can leave with the two of you and the rest of the clan without worries. ”
“ Are you certain? ” Z’fir asked, turning to his bondbrother. “ We were going to offer ourselves to be the ones to stay back. The two of you are her Favored and should be with her when she’s introduced to the Empire. ”
“We haven’t recovered enough to make the trip, ” Xylo explained. “ And it would be best if we didn’t cause any more problems for our nestqueen, especially during these delicate times. ”
“ Understood. ” V’dim nodded. “ We appreciate your sacrifice. Once the two of you are completely healed, we will gladly take our turn and stay behind so that the two of you can travel the stars with her. ”
“ And we will do our best to protect our nestqueen while we are gone, ” Z’fir added. “But I have a feeling that our help won’t be needed, with how much Kaede has been hovering.”
“I agree,” Odelm pathed, audibly chuckling, drawing the clan’s attention toward himself.
Kaede’s head snapped toward Odelm as he kicked away from the wall. “What’s so funny?”
“I was telling my nestbrothers that Selena won’t have any problems with security at the Harvest Festival,” Odelm replied, unbothered by Kaede’s demeanor. “If there is one place where we must remain vigilant, it is the space station. No matter how tightly High Assembly Leader Mwe keeps it under lockdown, it is still considered neutral territory.”
“I’m already working on finalizing our security for the space station, so when we’re called, we’ll be ready.” As he approached, Kaede tilted his head. His piercing gaze hardened as he studied the musician. “But I don’t see how any of that is funny.”
“Kaede…” Selena warned him as she reached for his hand and drew him closer to where she was lying, forcing him to stand beside Xylo’s legs. “We’re about to welcome Mwe. Let’s not start fighting within our clan.”
“Odelm and I were discussing with our nestbrothers who should stay behind to maintain the mental web when the clan departs for the Harvest Festival. We agreed that it would be best if Odelm and I stayed here.” Xylo explained their reasoning, attempting to assuage any concerns.
Kaede immediately relaxed and bowed his head in respect. “I agree. That is for the best.”
Selena cupped Xylo’s cheek, searching his face. “Are you certain?”
“As certain as I am that you’re my nestqueen.” Xylo pressed a kiss on her forehead. “We have the rest of our lives to spend exploring the galaxy together. Helping you will be our honor. Who else, besides your clan, can claim to be mated to and loved by the Aldawi Beacon?”
“No one,” Kaede quipped. “There’s only us. You don’t need anyone else. You have enough mates.”
“Kaede!” Selena hissed, glaring over her shoulder. “Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?” He smirked. “I am only stating the truth.”
Selena sighed and glanced above, muttering, “Oh Stars, give me strength.”
“There’s nothing to be concerned about, Selena,” Odelm assured her. “Xylo and I are more than willing to do this. You can concentrate on other things, such as your pregnancy and providing a home for the asteroid refugees. Let us support you from afar while we continue to heal.”
“Let them do this, Nova,” Zirene urged, grabbing Selena and transferring her to his lap. As they locked gazes, he brushed her short hair back, a calming habit that he too had picked up, even though it lacked its normal length. “If we’re going to change the Empire, I’m going to need my Beacon by my side.”
“And that’s where I’ll be.” Selena sighed and pressed her head against his chest, staring out the window. The ship was descending slowly, preparing to land.
Xylo was relieved that they were able to reach a decision and share the news with her right away. Now that the matter was resolved, the clan could turn their attention elsewhere.
As Selena stared at her blossoming moon, his chest filled with a warmth only she could bring.
This was his Queen—his nestqueen—the one he would fight and die for.
And seeing her finally coming into her own, embracing the destiny that the Fates had written in the Stars with such grace and determination, filled him with a sense of pride he couldn’t put into words.
She was his, and he would do whatever it took to protect her brilliance, shield her from harm. He would sacrifice everything—even his own limbs, again and again—to ensure she would never be harmed again.
For without her, his world would’ve lacked color.