Scaled Heart: A SciFi Alien Romance (Project: F5 Book 2) by Jade Waltz (ereader android .TXT) 📕

more powerful than all of ours combined. Kaica was an asset to our team as well, despite the prejudice some Circuli held against her.

I was shocked that some Circuli dared to think of the demihumans’ strong mental shields as a disability. Selena was an outlier because she had been designed as a breeder, while Kaede and the Fab Five had been designed as assassins and leaders to other demihumans.

I had heard stories of the deadly Fab Five and was relieved that the earlier generations couldn’t match their strength. Other than a few capabilities they inherited from their spliced DNA, the most useful attribute of a basic demihuman was their mental shield.

Until they reproduced.

Xylo had mentioned that demihuman citizens might only be able to reproduce with the species whose DNA the Yaarkins had spliced into their bodies. That would remain a theory until any demihuman tried to have children and sought guidance with their clan—or whatever demihumans called their family.

I sat across from the princes in the infirmary’s lobby as the rest of the group filled Odelm and Xylo’s private room. Ayces had excused himself to visit Destima’s Hatchery and continue preparations for our population’s future. Many nestqueens had reported feeling the beginning signs of their heat cycle.

Praise the Stars for some positive news for once.

Now that Destima’s nestqueens were ecstatic about their renewed fertility, Ayces had little time to spare for our senior healing team.

I knew our separation was inevitable, but after spending over five years together on a ship, it was odd not to have him around as often. I was glad the team’s new additions would relieve some of the stress his absence had caused, even if it could take a while for us to get used to working together.

New teammates brought new perspectives to our work.

When Odelm and Xylo had been transferred here, Kaica had demanded the two temporary walls be removed so the injured nestbrothers could rest in neighboring beds as if they were sharing a nestbed.

The sentiment was astonishing—a kindness I had never witnessed before.

I had never cared for a pair of nestbrothers at the same time before, but I believed that Kaica, Oeta, and Xylo’s fathers would all help to create a fantastic team.

I pray to the Stars we will be enough to help Selena’s nestmates.

“How long do you believe they have?” Kaica asked, addressing the princes as she sat beside me on the couch. “You said your crew slowly deteriorated when they left their nestqueens’ homes. When did they start showing symptoms?”

Z’fir glanced at V’dim, who shuddered and stared up at the ceiling as he recalled the details of our time in the war. Z’fir gripped his nestbrother’s shoulder lovingly.

It was clear how much the two of them cared for each other and had grown close over the years. I wondered how their bond to Selena had changed them.

Instead of standing alone against the universe, they had pulled strength from both their nestqueen and nestbrothers. Now, that support had suddenly been ripped away and once again, they were forced to retreat to their old way of clinging to each other.

“After thirty days, they started to weaken, reporting low energy and disorientation. By sixty days, nearly all felt depressed and their coloring began to fade, the vibrant colors paling. At ninety days, they went immobile, losing all energy and the will to live… If they lived to one-hundred and twenty days, it was by the will of the Fates. Only a few of our original crew survived one-hundred and fifty days separated from their nestqueens.”

“So we have about a hundred days,” Kaica muttered, clutching her knees. Her hair started to turn a worried orange, matching the discouragement she failed to hide in her voice. Glancing over her shoulder, she sat up to look over my leafy hair.

“Oeta!” she shouted, gripping my mossy shoulder to steady herself. “You said your reach is almost as far as your father’s? Near the edge of the galaxy, right?”

She was touching me.

Me.

Nestqueens never touched an unbonded male unless they were interested—not even casually. Did this mean she was interested in me?

Outside a few conversations with her brother, Kaede, and glimpses of her sisters passing by on their way to meet with Sovereign Zirene, I had not witnessed any demihuman interaction. I didn’t know what they considered normal.

Selena often expressed herself with touch, though she was an outlier for her species. She had grabbed Chyox on purpose in a few scuffles, and she clearly didn’t claim him as a nestmate.

I glanced at the princes. Their gazes were locked on Kaica’s hand as if they shared my thoughts.

Maybe I wasn’t going insane from stress after all.

“Correct. My range is slightly shorter than my father’s. He is nearly twice my age, so I hope to achieve his longer range and more powerful awareness when I reach his maturity.”

“Are you able to determine how far Kaede has traveled?” she asked, curiosity dripping from her voice.

She was completely unaware of how her one simple touch affected me.

Were all the conversations she had with us, about courting someone through small gestures, planned outings, and simple unplanned gifts, her way of telling me she was interested?

She was typically a shy female who rarely spoke up, but I figured she was only keeping her head down as she adjusted from working in the field to routine life.

“He was halfway across the galaxy the last time I checked in,” Oeta replied, walking into the lobby. Her gaze flicked between Kaica and me as the corner of her lips curled into a small smirk. Crossing her arms, she diverted her attention to the female sending me mixed signals. Am I missing an opportunity? Demihumans were so confusing with how they express themselves. “Your sisters and Q are still far from reaching him. Whatever tech powers his craft is advanced beyond anything your siblings designed for the Aldawi, that’s for sure. He should be outside of this galaxy within a week at the rate he’s going.”

“How can someone travel across