The capsule opened, revealing a new Anastácia. What surprised me most was how much weight she had gained.

  “Wow…” Tariel sighed, enchanted. “She’s beautiful. And so… soft.”

  “Stay still,” Julis said as she noticed Anastácia opening her eyes. “The gain was sixteen kilos.”

  “She’s exactly as she should be,” Sacha confirmed.

  “Her nose is different…” I observed, stepping closer.

  Julis accessed the capsule’s panel.

  “It was reconstructed. It was probably already broken before.”

  It was a subtle change, but one that harmonized her entire face. Lively skin, healthy hair, new curves… Anastácia had always had very beautiful features, but the visual impact was enormous. Not like it had been with Tariel, but still, it was hard to recognize her.

  She touched her fuller belly with a small jolt of surprise. It was her first confrontation with this new version of herself.

  I took her hand, letting my gaze slide over her naked body. Unlike Tariel, her curves were fuller, balanced, striking.

  “What a pleasant surprise…” I whispered, helping her sit up.

  “Wow!” Aninha appeared, hovering beside us. “A human this beautiful? Lucky you…”

  Amid laughter, I guided Anastácia toward the mirror, followed by curious, eager looks.

  “What… what is this?” Her voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.

  “You, my love.”

  Without realizing it, I spoke with a tenderness that exposed me. She noticed—and turned to face me.

  Something changed inside me at that moment. Maybe the responsibility of having her as my wife… maybe something deeper that I still didn’t understand.

  “You’re beautiful…” I murmured, awkwardly.

  “It’s so unreal…”

  “I know. I’m still getting used to these… things too.”

  “Things?” Melissa raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you call what love can do?”

  “Just a way of speaking,” I smiled.

  Anastácia touched her black hair, as smooth and glossy as Tariel’s—long, silky.

  The Xerantos drew closer, exchanging discreet glances. It was hard not to notice her.

  Then she realized she was naked. This time, there was no judgment—only admiration. Even so, she tried to cover herself and withdraw.

  “What is it? Didn’t you like it?” Aninha teased. “We can go back to how it was before…”

  “No!” Anastácia answered loudly, blushing immediately afterward.

  The room seemed warmer, the air lighter.

  Soft laughter filled the space—until Tariel approached. She took Anastácia’s hands and looked her over completely. Her gaze moved over Anastácia as if scenting territory—slow, confident, possessive.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “You are mine.” Tariel smiled, hungry; a face she had never shown before.

  “Easy, my angel,” Melissa intervened, gentle but firm. “Breathe in. Breathe out. Control yourself when the arousal rises too much.”

  Reluctantly, Tariel took a deep breath, regained her balance, and embraced Anastácia intensely. We were still waiting for an explanation—and it came.

  “Tariel’s species is predatory,” Melissa explained, amused by our reaction. “But… only sexually.”

  I never would have imagined it. A girl so sweet… with so much hunger?

  Aninha was already crying with laughter, sprawled atop the capsule.

  “Welcome to my world,” Fofinho celebrated.

  “Give your wives what they expect from you,” Sacha warned, serious.

  “Of course,” I replied. “I’ll love them with everything I am.”

  “More than just love,” Kane observed.

  “I belong to them. To you. Completely,” I affirmed, convinced.

  They seemed satisfied with the promise. Tariel and Anastácia embraced me—and there, without ceremony, my marriage to both of them was sealed. A bond that lasts to this day.

  The capsule signaled—it was Ana’s turn.

  While we waited, AX displayed images of the last Selium village. They lived well—happy, beautiful. The origin of Tariel’s beauty lay in those women—it was obvious.

  The men too… more handsome than I had ever been. Aninha didn’t waste time:

  “If we’re descendants of the most beautiful humans who ever existed,” she exaggerated, “imagine if we were Seliums. We’d be gods!”

  The lightness didn’t last long. AX then showed more than three hundred armed humans, three days away.

  “What’s going to happen?” Tariel whispered, tense.

  “Most likely the Seliums will flee and be hunted,” Melissa replied.

  “But there are so many more of them!”

  “Seliums aren’t aggressive, my angel. Even when they try… they fall far short of humans in that regard. It’s in your DNA.”

  “There will be many losses,” AX warned.

  “That won’t happen,” I guaranteed.

  “Do you already know how to prevent it, Willian?” Zircon asked from the back.

  “I’ll visit the village with Tariel. If they want, we’ll hide them before the humans arrive.”

  “If you need it, ask for a ship,” Zircon offered.

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh!” Melissa suddenly remembered. “The three of you now have Observers, like AX. Just call them ‘Observer.’ The names are… complicated.”

  Time passed quickly. Soon the capsule beeped and we went to receive Ana.

  And once again, we were surprised. Even the Sekvens seemed shaken.

  She was beautiful. I had never seen a child so lovely. I had the impulse to embrace her—but Tariel was faster, welcoming her before she moved.

  “Strange…” Fofinho murmured, voicing what we all felt.

  “The DNA of Donna’s humans carries rare beauty,” Kane observed. “Agreed?”

  “The Seliums were selective in choosing whom to bring,” Melissa added. “They wanted beauty equal to theirs.”

  “They cared more about appearance than the inside,” Sacha commented.

  “Better for you,” Melissa concluded. “Now you have a very beautiful daughter.”

  “Daughter?!” the three of us shouted at the same time.

  Night had not yet fallen when the Sekvens departed—leaving behind a newly formed family.

  Back on the ship, I took Ana in my arms. Her hair was pure silk. She wore a delicate white dress brought by the Xerantos.

  I sat at the dining table. I needed to breathe. To think.

  I had a family. A family marked by beauty—and by trauma.

  My mission was to make them happy. And for the Sekvens, that was an absolute priority. The Known Universe cared little for humans or Seliums… but it made one thing clear:

  Ana, Anastácia, and Tariel were untouchable.

  They were their loves.

  It was enough that I saw them for them to become precious. Because I was precious to them. And everyone the Sekvens perceive that way becomes the focus of their care.

  “Dinner is served!” Jazzia announced, watching Tariel and Anastácia enjoy the new wardrobe. “You look pensive, Willian.”

  “Melissa said he would have trouble accepting some things,” AX commented.

  “‘Some things’?” I laughed. “I don’t even have time to understand one before another appears. Tomorrow, we save the slaves. Then we protect the village.”

  “Human behavior,” Jazzia teased. “Do as we do: don’t think. Act.”

  After dinner, Tariel pulled me by the hand. I understood—and took Anastácia’s as well.

  “I’ll stay with Ana,” AX said, guiding her to the upper level.

  In the blink of an eye, I was lying down with one on each side. Tariel was glowing—a living invitation. I gave in, kissing her with a passion I could no longer contain.

  On the other side, Anastácia hesitated. I placed my hand on her face and found her lips. The kiss began shy, then grew warm—a request.

  “I… I don’t know what to do…” she murmured, nervous.

  “We’re still under the influence of the Sekvens. Do you want to continue like this anyway?”

  She nodded.

  Tariel was already climbing over my legs when I stopped—and surprised her:

  “How about a love story? That way, Anastácia can relax while she receives our affection…”

  Tariel smiled and slid to the other side, leaving Anastácia in the center—between us.

  “I’ll tell how Melissa, Sacha, and Kane became partners.”