by Kyle, Celia
But would they go? Plenty of nasty looks were being thrown around among the expressions of relief. It was obvious some of these people did not trust the Preor, even though they would not refuse their help.
With a sigh, he directed the woman into one of the areas nearby where a few others waited. One of the Preor warriors had raided a nearby secondhand goods store, paying the owner at least three times their worth for a few sofas and a television. They had created a rough waiting area to help him triage the patients, and he was already overwhelmed.
I cannot do this on my own. I need more space, more healers.
The thought was somewhat frantic, driven by the dragon inside him as it grew more anxious by the second. It was as if Sasha was near enough for the beast to smell her, track her. The urgency running through his veins set the sickness in his stomach aflame and left him shaking and weak.
I have to get to her. She will be in worse pain than I am.
He knew a couple of Preor warriors flew over the settlement, searching the surrounding streets for any clue as to Sasha’s location. The rest set up food for the humans while they waited for medical supplies.
In a sudden rush of sound, a mechanical roaring, Whelon breathed a sigh of relief. The shuttle had arrived.
“Healing Master Whelon?” A bright voice enquired from the doorway, and he recognized the male immediately.
“Kyrin. Thank you for attending me.” He welcomed the younger warrior—a field medic with a great potential for healing work. Whelon could not have asked for a better male to assist him.
He turned to greet the younger Preor and took note of the shock etched across his features. Kyrin was a field medic but had never seen battle, never tended serious injuries save those obtained by males in the training rooms. The kind of poverty these humans experienced was alien to him.
Before Whelon could explain the situation, the television in the nearby room increased in volume and a stern voice announced a special bulletin.
“We have breaking news on a situation involving the Preor aliens.” The words drew Whelon’s attention and he strode into the room, his gaze on the television. The newscaster appeared grim as she fired the words at the camera, and Whelon’s stomach dropped. He did not need that feeling with the Knowing sickness already dragging him down.
Surely, they are not reporting on my actions, he thought. I’m helping their people!
He knew nothing about humans was ever that simple, though. Any meaning could be deduced from his actions, and humans would likely take the worst perspective as the truth versus the best.
“We are switching now to a direct feed from beloved local celebrity Sasha Dane and her mother, Jenna. This is breaking news from the forefront of the tragedy. We now know that Sasha was almost abducted by the Preor and rescued by her valiant mother.”
“What the…” Amryn muttered from nearby. Some of the other Preor present gathered to watch the broadcast, all of them wearing equal expressions of disbelief and disgust.
“Switching to live feed of Sasha and Jenna now.” The newswoman disappeared and the screen soon revealed a dingy, dark room. A shaft of sunlight from the window illuminated Sasha lying flat on a bed. She appeared so pale she didn’t even look alive. Whelon made a leap toward the screen and was halted by Radoo’s strong arms and fierce grip.
A slender woman appeared beside the bed. She had the same black hair as Sasha, but it was cut into a sharp-edged bob. Their blue eyes were the same enchanting color, but Jenna’s were cold and calculating where Sasha’s had been warm and deep… welcoming.
The color of waters in which I can never swim, he thought, and the mother’s are as cold as the ice caps that no longer exist.
“Mother,” Sasha cried weakly.
Jenna made no attempt to comfort her daughter, choosing instead to focus on the camera. “Look at what the Preor have done to my poor daughter.” The woman’s tone was heavy with malice, but Whelon detected no concern in her voice. “This is what the Preor do to claim a mate. This is how they will destroy the human race.”
The silence in the room was extreme, and every Preor in hearing distance was poised to fight for their race, desperately clinging to their two-legged form and suppressing their inner dragons.
“Since her first exposure to the Preor and the sudden onset of this alleged ‘Knowing sickness’ Sasha has not been able to walk, eat or in other ways care for herself.” She shook her head, looking down on Sasha mournfully. “This is physical and mental. Some form of hypnosis. We have all heard of the Knowing, but no one really understands it. I am here to warn you, my fellow humans, that this is akin to rape. Sasha has no choice in the matter at all.”
Shocked gasps from the humans flew around the room, and the frustration of the attending Preor was gradually turning into full-blown rage at the lies this female spewed.
“I show you this footage so humans have a clear choice. These are the facts of the treaty. Our women do not give consent. They have no choice. This Knowing sickness is a chemical reaction, an addiction stronger than any drug.” Jenna shook her head and wiped her cheek theatrically, even though Whelon saw no tears.
“I don’t know if she will survive.” Jenna sobbed—another fake expression. “It could be fatal.” She shook her head and buried her face in her hands, pretending to cry.
The screen went dark and the news reader came back on, full of fervor that would fuel a media frenzy—against Whelon and his people.
“Hey, I know that place.” One of the males in the waiting room spoke up. “It’s Shirley’s Bunk and Junk over by the interstate. She’s got rooms to rent and a bar where you can buy just about anything.”
Whelon glanced around the room and saw all his friends ready to fly. He turned to the field medic and clasped his shoulder. “Kyrin, you are in charge. See to these people to the best of your ability.”
“But, Healing Master, I’m only—”
“You’re a healing warrior.” Whelon squeezed his shoulder once more. “I have given you a field promotion and elevated your rank. I must go. Now.”
Whelon walked out of the dilapidated building and raised his arms as he took a deep breath. His dragon sighed deeply within as his skin tingled, and the change moved over him with agonizing slowness.
She is near.
He could sense her, almost smell her.
Soon the pain will cease, he promised himself and his mate.
He took a handful of steps away from the building, stepping toward the center of the cul-de-sac, and leapt into the air. He shifted midair as his powerful wings grabbed the winds and launched him above the rooftops. It would only take minutes to find her now. He was so close…
Soon, my love, shaa kouva. I’m coming.
Chapter Thirteen
Pain.
All Sasha knew was pain. Her mind was a vast expanse of red and black, a formless desert where she would wander forever, everlastingly thirsty with relentless agony rolling through her in sick waves.
Sometimes she blinked her way into the real world, but the light was too bright and the shadows deep enough for her to fall into. The murmurs of voices around her were both threatening and sharp. Then she always fell back into the world of red and black.
She was far away, so very, very far away, when she heard the commotion. She had managed to reach a detached plain where the pain was bearable, but loud, shocked voices and sharp thuds brought her back to semi-consciousness.
“Hey! Fucker. Stop! Let me go!” She was certain that was Dave. He made muffled moans and grunts as if he were being held captive and gagged. She wondered who could possibly take down someone as hardened and tough as Dave so easily.
Her skin tingled as air rushed across her flesh. Something had changed. She could feel it, sense it in her surroundings. Then the pain in her joints faded and her muscles gradually relaxed.
“Shaa kouvi?” she called out, hoping against hope her assumption was correct.
“I’m here.” His voice was heaven, strokin
g her from inside out. His gentle hands touched her arms with the ghost of a caress and then he enveloped her. Sasha felt a sense of peace and completion that connected inside her and exploded through every cell of her body. Sweetness flooded her and as Whelon pulled her to his chest, tears spilled free of her eyes.
“Whelon,” she rasped.
“Sasha.” His voice was a low, throbbing growl that vibrated through her from head to toe. Part humanoid, part dragon, the beast spoke to her just as strongly as the man. She felt his power, his strength, and it was…
He is incredible, unstoppable, magnificent!
And mine!
As their heads came together, Sasha was dizzy for a moment, the Knowing seeming to reach a fever pitch as information was exchanged and the bonding between them strengthened. For Sasha, it was like being taken out of that red and black desert and placed atop a stone spire with only her and her lover in a world made for two.
Her fingers curled gently against his chest, her ear pressed to his pecs as she listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat. Every second that passed, she grew stronger. Her stomach settled and the constant trembling ceased. She could suddenly breathe without pain and her headache faded to nothingness.
He pulled back a little, his dark eyes colliding with hers. He cupped her cheek, thumb stroking her cheekbone for a moment before he lowered his head and kissed her—firm lips slanted across her own. It felt as if electricity ran through her every nerve ending, her nipples hardening to sharp points while deep inside her something woke with a sudden fire. She gasped at the force of her body’s reactions to Whelon.
The kiss was chaste and yet, she felt as if he’d touched her everywhere.
As they pulled away from each other, the real world came into focus and intruded on their reunion. Sasha was aware of her mother screaming obscenities, and when she looked over, she spied three Preor cornering her with their big bodies close together and wings stretched out to block Jenna’s movements. No one touched her, but she screamed as if they flayed her with their deadly blades.
Dave was on the floor, one of the Preor warriors holding him down with a foot placed between his shoulder blades. He grunted and flailed but couldn’t move from his position. Sasha glanced around the room, other Preor occupying the space, and knew the rest of her mother’s team was equally disabled by the massive alien warriors.
“Mother?” she called out, hesitantly.
“Sasha!” her mother screeched. “I’ll get you out of this, I swear. Get your filthy hands off my daughter, you reptilian man-beast!”
The Preor shot wry looks at each other.
“That is a new description,” Whelon chuckled with some amusement.
“It’s okay, Mother—”
“No, no! You don’t know what you’re saying. Get your filthy paws off me you lice-ridden vulture!”
“She is gifted in linguistics,” a maroon Preor warrior remarked.
“Shut up!” Jenna curled back against the wall. “Don’t touch me! You aren’t getting me with your Knowing hypnotism! Stay back, beast!”
“Thank the stars for that,” the maroon male joked.
Whelon drew Sasha close, gathering her to his chest as he slipped his arms under her knees and behind her back and cradling her tenderly. She slipped her arms around his neck and rested there happily as he rose and strode from the decrepit room she’d occupied for what seemed like forever.
Her mother screamed bloody murder and fired insults at every Preor in the area, and she noticed quite a few had accompanied Whelon. The different colored angles of their wings stuck up throughout the crowd, shifting in place like a flock of restless birds eager to fly.
“Do we wait for the shuttle or simply fly? The short flight shuttle isn’t too far from the Tower,” one Preor spoke to Whelon.
“I am not sure,” Whelon murmured thoughtfully.
Sasha tightened her arms around his neck. “What are you talking about?”
They ignored her, neither male answering her question.
“Let me go!” her mother howled from behind them. It appeared Jenna had resorted to flailing her hands and slapping the surrounding Preor in an attempt to get free of their confining presence.
“Lady, we wish you no harm,” one of the males interrupted her, “but we cannot allow you to come between a Preor and his mate, especially when you have shown such little regard for your daughter’s safety and well-being.”
“You’re the ones putting her in danger,” Jenna spat with venom in her tone. “Help! Help! We’re being attacked by the Preor.”
Sighs rippled around the circle and the same Preor stepped closer to Jenna, staring her down with a dangerous—almost murderous—expression. “You have not attempted to get proper medical care for your daughter even after it became obvious she was dying.”
“I had four doctors in here, you flea-bitten, mangy rat with wings!”
The Preor’s face tightened at the insult, but he did not retaliate. “You did not get her the help that would save her—help from the Preor—even after you admitted her condition may be fatal.”
Jenna stubbornly glared up at him, no defense for his words. Sasha felt a lump grow in her throat and hugged Whelon tighter. She realized he still spoke with the others about leaving the planet and she had missed everything.
“Wait, what’s going on?” She tapped Whelon’s shoulder to get his attention.
“We are going home, shaa kouva. Where you belong.”
“Whoa, wait, wait a minute…” She pushed and struggled until Whelon had no choice but to set her on her feet. She felt so much better due to his presence that she was easily able to free herself from his arms. She stared him down, her arms folded across her chest and a stubborn tilt to her chin. “I can’t just go.”
“Why?” Whelon’s confusion, the furrow to his brow and frown on his lips, was almost funny.
“They are kidnapping her!” Jenna screamed as she struggled to get past the Preor blocking her way and through the door.
To Sasha’s utter horror, vans began pulling up and the parking lot soon became filled with eager reporters and cameramen. They had arrived at just the right moment to hear her mother screaming. Even though Sasha was currently protesting leaving, the way the Preor gathered around her did look a bit threatening.
She nudged Whelon in the chest to give herself some space and took a good step back. The surrounding Preor spread their wings to keep her in their circle, and the news crews ran to get footage of everything.
Perfect. Sasha rolled her eyes.
“See! See?” Jenna called out. “She’s a prisoner!”
The media crews shoved microphones and cameras into people’s faces, asking the gathered humans and Preor all kinds of crazy questions.
Whelon shook his head as he ignored them all and moved toward Sasha, his hand extended. “Shaa kouva,” he whispered. “Are you rejecting me?”
“No.” She softened her voice. “Of course not. But I can’t just leave, Whelon. I have a life here. Besides, if we disappear now, we may never be able to return.” She glanced around the crowd and forced a smile to her lips as she waved for the cameras, ignoring the fact that she wore nothing more than a thin, dirty robe and her hair looked teased up for Halloween.
Not my finest look, but at least they can see I’m okay.
“You really will not come to the ship?” Whelon questioned her, surprise in every word and written across his features.
“No, not right now, anyway.” She shook her head to punctuate the point.
She hated the crestfallen look that overtook his expression and hated that he was hurt, but she just couldn’t leave the planet. She hadn’t had a chance to process the situation and even though the Knowing was comprehensive, in a lot of ways, she didn’t really yet know Whelon.
She stared into his eyes and silently pleaded for him to understand. She wasn’t leaving—yet—and if he truly did cherish her, he would respect her wishes.
Sasha was eager to pro
ve to the rest of the world that the Preor didn’t abduct women. The only way to do that… was to stay.
Chapter Fourteen
Sasha’s gaze didn’t waver and Whelon had to accept that she truly was not going to change her mind. He turned to the Preor males who had accompanied him—all of them hardened warriors and excellent guards. He gestured for them to release Sasha’s mother and her mercenary guards.
Jenna broke free of the Preor and bolted, not toward her daughter as everyone expected, but through the crowd and straight to the cameras.
“Thank goodness you came in time!” Jenna called out. “If you hadn’t come, we’d both be on their ship! Once they got their fiery claws onto us, we’d be reprogrammed! You saved us.” She went on, waving her hands and making up sensational stories that the cameras ate up so easily it surprised Whelon.
“You really will not go?” he questioned Sasha softly.
She shook her head. “I’ll stay here for a while. I know my mother has clean clothes and toiletries for me because she planned some big interviews. I’ll shower and find something to eat now that I can eat. Then we can talk.”
“I must return to Preor Tower—and the ship.” Some urgency crept into his tone. “I have duties at the tower and even more on the ship. I cannot simply remain.”
Sasha frowned, reaching out to stroke his arm, and he basked in her caress. “I’m sure we can work something out,” she offered gently. “You’re here now so you must have leave, or something?”
He shook his head, unsure how to explain things to her. “The Preor respect that finding a mate is the most important task in a male’s life. We also respect that a male may get… difficult when the mate is nearby. But I am a healing master, Sasha. Preor dragonlets are being born and I need to be there.”
Her face softened and it brightened Whelon to see her reaction to the mention of dragonlets. She loved children, that much was obvious from her expression. His heart ached as he looked her over, hoping they could start working toward their own young ones soon.