Chapter 19 #2
“You are a Seedbearer to an Aldawi prince. Even though you may not be on the greatest terms at the moment, it would be foolish to believe he won’t be taking you to your new home personally. It is his gift to you after all,” V’dim warned.
“We would need to help pilot the Destiny and prepare the crew when we arrive to settle. The more we organize before arriving, the better it would be for all involved. Prince Zirene has the highest tech in the CEG, and the Destiny is an ancient model from their original expansion period. It is much slower than what he has available currently, so we would most likely arrive days behind you. One moment.” Z’fir paused, and V’dim gently stroked my cheek as we waited.
“Navigations calculate we should arrive about four days after the Aldawi.”
“I understand if you both want to wait until we are settled before we complete our bond,” I closed my eyes and sighed, leaning into V’dim’s chest. “I want to get away from all the politics around me. It’s tiring.”
“I hate to cut this short, but I am needed,” Z’fir apologized. “Selena, please allow V’dim to take care of you while Xylo and Odelm are resting. V’dim will keep me informed until I return.”
“See you tonight,” I replied before releasing his court bond thread.
“It looks like the prince collector has finally woken up from her slumber after being ravished,” Kaede chuckled.
I rolled my eyes and sat up, folding my arms as I looked at him in disgust.
Somehow Kaede’s cape ended up on the floor with the cubs sleeping soundlessly, curled up together on top of it.
“We both know Prince Zirene never informed me who or what he was, Agent Kaede,” I scoffed quietly. “Not that it is any of your business—”
“Everything you do is my business,” Kaede interjected as he walked over to where V’dim and I sat.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know,” I mocked. “So, you know why, and I shouldn’t need to explain myself to you unless you are failing to do your job. Perhaps I should see if I can get you replaced with someone who wasn’t such a—”
“It’s not needed,” Kaede barked, his neon green eyes hardened.
“Then stop acting like an ishing frax and get over yourself.”
Dark blue tentacles wrapped around my torso and pulled me away until my back hit something hard.
“I may be a prince, but I am also a member of the Warrior Class and worked my way up the ranks to Commander and became one of the captains of my ship,” V’dim said, his voice sharp with anger.
“Just because you are a walking supply of gadgets, doesn’t mean you can mock Selena.
I can defend her if needed. If she wanted to mate with all of the Destiny’s available crew, she could.
That is her right and doesn’t make her any less of a being, or anything like the Quaww with their flocks. ”
Kaede hissed and flashed his fangs.
“She would never be a part of a flock. I would never allow it.”
“It isn’t your choice,” I stated.
“One moment, Selena.” V’dim wrapped an arm around me, tucking me into his side as his tentacles gave me a slight squeeze. “He has a point. It may be your choice, but you wouldn’t want to be a member of a Quaww flock. Not now, at least.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they share partners, as in one male gathers multiple females in his home and breeds them. The richer and more powerful they are, the more females they can attract and manage. To keep a powerful stronghold, they reward any males willing to join their flock the choice of females to breed with whenever they do a good deed. Males without a flock tend to do anything to join one and have such a right. They would kill to have a chance to be rewarded a night with a female,” V’dim explained.
“And the females have no say in this?”
“It’s cultural. Males have all the power.
Females have no rights, but they are pampered and well taken care of.
Keep them happy, and other females will more likely want to join that flock.
It only takes one male to sire a new generation, so only the best get to breed with a female.
For example, if a male is intelligent, their business may be highly profitable, so they would want to attract strong males to breed with their females to create an army in return to protect them.
If they consider a female highly attractive, she would have more suitors than those less desired.
Finding a male who is considered exotic and convincing him to join the flock would attract exotic females.
Breed them, and you have the next generation of members who will keep the flock growing,” Kaede scoffed.
“Their system creates extreme loyalists, wanting to please flockmasters and their four governing Windlords. They would do anything to belong, for being without a flock makes you vulnerable.”
“Then why was Qraniebi with you if they are so… bad?” I asked, confused.
“That male is trouble,” Kaede growled. “You are best to stay away from him and any other Quaww. They are bad news, and if you could take anything away from the trial today, remember they wanted you and were almost willing to start a war over it. Stay away from them, and we will do our best to protect you and your clan.”
“We?”
“My sisters and I.” Kaede raised his head proudly and winced, turning toward the wall. “They have been demanding to meet you and your cubs. I keep telling them to give you more time to settle down, but they are becoming impatient.”
“They can introduce themselves tomorrow over breakfast,” Xylo interjected groggily. “That is, if that works for everyone. Some things need to be discussed tonight.”
“And Selena needs to be fed,” V’dim added.
Xylo sat down next to me and brushed my hair back, tucking it behind my ear. I leaned into his touch as I searched his worried teal eyes.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Are you all right?”
Xylo gave me a warm smile. “Other than wanting to know what happened to our clan, I am well enough.”
I glanced over at Odelm, who still hadn’t moved from his location, and peered at the sleeping cubs as I tried to form the words.
“Odelm was… hurt. I offered the princes the chance to sire the next offspring before you and him.” I grimaced at the memory.
“He believed he wasn’t good enough to have a chance—not with the princes and your mental capability or the fact that you were my first.” I returned my gaze to Xylo and licked my teeth, noticing a pair of lumps near my fangs.
“Something came over me, and I bit him.” I chuckled at how ridiculous that sounded.
“It was as if some part of me needed to remind him he was mine, and I wasn’t going ever to let him go. ”
“Did you notice anything different? Any changes?” Xylo’s eyes roamed to Kaede for a split second before returning to mine. “It is important for me to know.”
“There was a slightly tangy taste in my mouth right before I bit him,” I confessed.
“Stars… that changes everything,” Kaede murmured.
“Changes what?” V’dim asked.
“She gained my Bahzyl venom,” Kaede said in disbelief. “Thank the Stars, it isn’t Vusyte. All we need is you going around, killing whoever you have the urge to bite.”
Xylo removed his hand as his face turned serious.
“What can you tell me about Bahzyl?” he asked as he stood up and studied the room for a moment.
“I need to know what aftereffects it has. Selena’s bite somehow triggered Odelm’s manhood to become active outside of her heat cycle and blinded him in a lust rage.
” He walked over to a table with multiple medical gadgets to pick up his scanner and returned to me.
“Bahzyl puts the victim in a paralyzing state of arousal and would remain in their system until they burn it out. It varies between victims.” Kaede cringed. “Other than that, there are no lasting side effects.”
“Can it be controlled?” I asked, worried every time I had the urge to mark one of my mates—or bite someone in defense—I would inject them with Bahzyl accidentally.
Kaede met my gaze and licked his fangs, his black forked tongue flicking in and out as he studied me.
“You didn’t inject Prince Zirene when you marked him on the day of your arrival.
I can control what glands to use and when.
I assume it is the same with you. You weren’t trying to mate with him, so the venom wasn’t needed. ”
What he said was true. I wasn’t trying to comfort Zirene when I marked him.
It was political, even though we had a connection and a history together.
Odelm’s bite was different. I wanted him to know how much I loved and cherished him.
I needed to show him how much he mattered to me.
Wrapped up in my thoughts and feelings about him, I must have triggered my new glands to release their venom as if my body was telling me I needed to be united with him.
Was that the reason why mine didn’t paralyze like Kaede’s? Or was it because my body only absorbed that effect from his venom?
I fell silent as Xylo examined my arm, although my injuries were long gone.
He explained firsthand what had happened from his point of view.
When I injected Odelm with Bahzyl, his mating rage poured over his connections with both Xylo and me.
While Xylo’s body wasn’t capable of performing, through both of Odelm’s and my bonds with him, he needed to join us.
Odelm almost fought him before I asked him to allow Xylo to aid my release.
While Odelm ravished me, Xylo focused on kissing me.
My release made Xylo’s legs give out, the effects echoing through Odelm.
When Odelm climaxed, he collapsed because of the rush that coursed through him.
“If my Bahzyl did that to both of you, what would happen if I accidentally use it on either of the princes?” I faced V’dim.
“You both have shared a nestbrother bond since you were hatchlings. I am afraid of what would happen to the crew if I caused either of you to faint like I did when you searched me on the Destiny.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”