Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Selena
All my preparation and studying worked. The trick to dealing with the Aldawi was not to show any weakness. They preyed on those who were weak or submissive. Being human—even with my enhancements—had me at a major disadvantage.
I felt it when both Aldawi princes asserted their dominance in the lobby.
It rolled over my skin like a tingling sensation, but I couldn’t—and wouldn’t—budge.
Submitting to him would only allow him to get his way.
I was sick and tired of being in the dark about whatever plans he had for my clan’s future.
“Selena. Are you sure about this?” Odelm asked. Worry laced his mental voice, which matched his coloring.
“He can’t back down now. Not in front of all of his men or his brother.”
“Selena. You should not push yourself when your body is still recovering.” Xylo replied, his deep mental voice filled with concern.
“I have to follow through. Doing so will ensure our future.”
“She is still recovering and providing for the cubs, Sires. Her body will need time to recuperate afterward,” Xylo addressed the Aldawi princes.
“Thank you for the warning. I would have us retire in my Royal Apartment once we settle this. Once there, we will discuss what will come from our visit here.”
“Let’s get this over with. The twins will wake up hungry soon, and I would like to be sitting down for that.”
I could feel the room watch me as I pulled my hood off my head, revealing my silver hair for all to see as I took off my cloak and handed it to Odelm.
Zirene towered over me, standing taller than most of the other Aldawi in the room.
Just as Meti looked like their uncle, Prince Royak, my twins, Nocrez and Neazzos, looked exactly like their sire, Prince Zirene.
Zirene was like the blackness of space—devoid of any color.
Along his back and sides were pewter stripes that started at the top of his head and covered the whole backside of his body, except his tail.
He had a thin black tail with a dark steel bushy end.
The front side of his body was ombre, from black to midnight blue.
He had two black-furred triangle-shaped ears on top of his head and long, midnight-blue hair down to his shoulders that matched his puffy upper chest. His face was a dark steel color and shaped like a feline from Earth.
His amethyst eyes stood out as they framed a thick, high arched, triangular black nose while a pair of sharp fangs stuck out from his thick human-like lips.
His body radiated both agility and strength.
Broad shoulders turned into muscular arms as his chest narrowed to his waist, then to broad hips that turned into S-angled legs.
His hands were a strange human-feline hybrid with five thick, furry fingers with pads along their insides.
Instead of nails, they had thick black claws. His feet matched his hands but larger.
Seeing adult Aldawi in the flesh explained how the Aldawi were capable of running in both bipedal and quadrupedal stances, due to the shape of their back legs and the length of their arms.
He wore a royal purple long-tailed jacket that went to his knees, covering his elegant black loincloth. Both his jacket and loincloth had silver details and allowed his tail to move freely behind him.
Zirene’s aura screamed dominance, elegance, and power to all who looked on him.
His brother, Prince Royak, was the same, but something seemed a little different about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It was clear they were littermates, even though the same parents rarely produced the same physical attributes. They had the same coloring but different patterns and eyes. How could my cubs share the same coloring and patterns as the most powerful males in the galaxy?
I couldn’t lie and say both males weren’t attractive, but my desire was for Zirene.
Zirene slowly undid his jacket and took it off, revealing his bare chest.
“Agent Kaede, come here.” I could feel him muting his dominance on the room as the surrounding crowd relaxed and slowly stood.
Kaede hurried over, stopped beside us, and bowed.
“Hold this for me.” Zirene tossed Kaede his jacket.
“You will mark me first, then allow everyone in this room to watch you submit to me as I mark you in return.” Zirene knelt down and pulled his hair over to the right exposing his left shoulder to me as he closed his eyes.
“By allowing you to mark me, I trust you and put my life in your hands.”
This male was the one my heart knew.
The one who helped make every day of the last nine years easier. The one who taught me all I knew, and by using that knowledge, allowed me to adapt to the world around me. Because of him, I could make friends aboard the Destiny. Because of him, I learned to trust and love both of my nestmates.
My body wanted his—to feel him against my skin. My heart wanted to trust him, wanted to love him—but my mind knew better. He took my choice away from me and impregnated me without my knowledge to fulfill his own agenda.
Stepping up to him, I ignored the others around us—especially the other male who hurt me so.
I brushed his long, midnight hair back, feeling its thick silkiness between my fingers.
A small groan escaped him—shortened to a light purr.
I traced his neck, feeling him shiver from my light touches as I searched for the perfect spot.
I gripped his shoulder and fisted his hair as I brought my lips to it.
Closing my eyes, I lowered my face to the side of his neck and swiftly bit down.
His fur coat made it hard to break his skin as the fur tickled my tongue.
I locked my jaw and jerked my head back and forth until I broke his skin.
The taste of blood flooded my mouth, soaking the fur between my teeth.
The hiss that escaped Zirene radiated through my grip on him.
“Selena. That is enough. You made your mark,” Xylo cautioned.
“The guards…” Odelm warned.
“They will hold!” Royak barked.
He was mine and no one else’s.
I would not allow our differences to change that, even though things were still uneasy between us.
It was done.
I released him from my grasp and stepped away, spitting out his fur. His blood and fur covered my face, but I didn’t care. Let those within these walls know what I had done.
All the guards from the three species had a range of unease and wariness on their faces and in their stances. Prince Royak watched Zirene with a smile on his face.
“That looks like the mark will stay.” He glanced up at me. “I didn’t know you had it in you. Your kind seemed ill-equipped to do such damage.”
I blushed as my gaze fell on the mark I left. He was right. Gruesome as it may be, the bite mark looked like it would indeed scar.
“Now, it is your turn.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Pull your hair to the side and expose your neck as I did to you. I will try to make it as quick, but it won’t be painless.” He glanced behind me, addressing my nestmates. “Am I right?”
I turned to face them.
Did I really hurt them amid our passion?
Xylo looked sheepish. “The bliss of our coupling and having my bonding spores accepted by her overrode the pain of her bite. It was more surprising than painful.”
“I felt the same way.” Odelm locked his light jade eyes on mine and winced. “Selena, it will hurt. Humans do not have the protective skin that Aldawi and Circuli have.”
“It needs to happen,” I shrugged. “Pain is something I am not afraid of.”
I pulled my hair over my shoulder, exposing the left side of my neck to Zirene.
“Selena. I know things between us aren’t ideal, but whatever you do, don’t move,” he cautioned.
Nodding, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Soft pads pulled me closer, my body pressing against his as my face rested on his furry chest.
Slowly, he ran his paws along my body, tracing my sides before resting them on my hips. I felt heavy breathing against my ear.
“I am using all of my restraint. Please don’t tempt me.” A low rumble escaped him. “I will make this up to you. I promise.”
Gentle kisses pressed behind my ear and traveled slowly down my neck. The sensations, heightened with my eyes closed, caused my body to react to him.
My body knew him. So did my heart. Yet my mind knew better.
I could feel the slickness starting to develop between my legs as my body reacted to him, not caring we were in front of everyone.
He was the male who had spent almost every night with me in our dreamscape and he was now caressing me with kisses.
If he hadn’t made me a mother against my will, I would have thrown myself at him—had him take me away to somewhere private, so we could explore each other in person.
I would have been excited to be together again.
But this wasn’t a happy reunion.
There was still an unsettled atmosphere between us. We were going through the motions to protect my clan, surrounded by everyone to make it official.
Zirene purred as he placed his lips against my collarbone.
A sharp pain exploded. My mouth opened to a silent scream, but I refused to allow myself to wince, to cry, or to make any noise.
I was stoic, as I always was when they experimented on me. I willed myself to ignore everything around me—to become numb to the world around me.
This was my price for safety for my clan: making it known I was his.
Claws dug into my waist. I could feel blood seeping out and soaking my dress, but I refused to move. Moving would mean I failed; that I wasn’t strong enough to be his Nova and to be connected to one of the most powerful males in the galaxy.
A scratchy tongue lapped the blood inside his bite, causing him to growl.
Holding steady was a force of will when my body wanted to respond to him on a primal level. I was torn between wanting him to pin me against the ground and mount me or to jerk away and have him beg for forgiveness for everything had done to me.
A distant part of me wanted him to hold me close as he lapped my neck and begged for forgiveness.
I could feel my knees becoming weak, but I refused to let them buckle.
I tried to open my eyes, but my lids prevented me from doing so.
Slowly, I could feel myself give in to him and the darkness that came from him.