by Shae Mills
"Yes, Sire."
Korba hit another button.
"Yanis, my Lord."
"Yanis, let Stose pass when he arrives, but tell him to stay by the entrance to my quarters until I come to get him."
"Yes, my Lord," replied Yanis.
Korba took a deep breath. He knew that this was going to be a battle with Chelan, but it was one he had to win. Then, almost reluctantly, he returned to his quarters and slid up beside her.
She smiled, her eyes still closed, her face peaceful. "You should get some sleep, my love," she advised weakly, and she reached out, her fingers brushing the skin of his chest lightly.
Korba reached around her, hugging her close. "I will soon," he promised as he kissed her head. He lay still for a time, the knot in his stomach growing. "Chelan," he whispered. "I've asked Stose to come look at you." Instantly, he felt every fiber in her body stiffen.
She pushed away from him. "No," she croaked. "I'm okay."
"No, you're not, Chelan. I've hurt you, and I want Stose to help."
"No!" she shouted. She sat up and hugged the blankets tightly to her. "I will heal."
"Yes, I know," said Korba softly, rising beside her. "And you will heal precisely back to the way you were with the added problem of tight scar tissue, Chelan. And when you have healed, you will split again."
"No!" she wailed as she attempted to leave the bed.
Korba grabbed her and drew her back to him, his heart aching at the intensity of her suffering. Her breathing was rapid, and he could feel her trembling with panic.
"You said that we could work at this slowly." She looked up at him anxiously, her eyes full of tears. "It won't happen again like it did." Her eyes pleaded with him. "It will be slow, I promise."
Korba felt his heart wrench, but he was determined. He shook his head at her. "Even so, Stose should help. You bled. I want him to check you. If nothing else, he can speed the healing."
Chelan went limp and fell against his chest. "I don't want..." Her voice quavered. "No one else should..." She squeezed her eyes tight and set her jaw against the pain of her past. "Only you," she whimpered.
Korba began to rock her. He held her a long time before he spoke again. "Chelan," he called softly. "Was it a doctor who hurt you?" She did not have to answer. He could feel her body recoil against her memories. He grabbed the blankets and bound her with them. "Stose won't harm you, Chelan. I would never let him. I would kill any man who hurt you."
Chelan nodded weakly and sniffed back her tears. Korba stroked her face as he laid her back and looked into her grievous eyes. "I'll stay here with you. Okay? And I promise that he won't hurt you. He is my personal doctor, Chelan, and he will take care of you as he has of me since my career began. He is a gentle man, and you will grow to trust him. I know you will."
Chelan looked up at him and saw his heartache plainly etched on his handsome features. She knew that she would probably never trust Stose, but she trusted Korba, and that was what mattered.
Korba continued to study her, her look that of a terror-stricken child. Then he drew the blankets securely across her chest. "Can I get him?" he asked quietly.
Chelan looked up at the ceiling through tear-filled eyes. She began panting for air. "I don't feel well," she cried.
Korba felt his throat constrict. Instantly, a rampant desire to personally slit the throat of the nefarious man who had caused her so much pain pervaded him. He could see her trembling beneath the pile of blankets, and he wondered if he should send Stose away. She was right, she would heal. And he could still work at her slowly.
He looked away and tried to concentrate on controlling the explosive rage that was overtaking him. He scanned her cocooned body and then watched as the undeserved tears streamed silently from her beautiful eyes. "How old were you, Chelan?"
Chelan gasped and then cried out loud. She turned and hugged into him, seeking the security of his body. With time, she caught her emotions and stilled her sobs. Her eyes grew dim, and she swallowed. "Seven," she whispered.
Korba exhaled sharply, a shockwave hitting him and knocking the wind from his lungs. "Oh no, Chelan!" he cried. He surrounded her with his arms and legs, trying desperately to protect her from further pain while his own grief struck viciously at his inner core. He had figured that she had been young, but he had not anticipated just how young. Korba had never dreamed that anyone would commit such a heinous crime against one so innocent, and his rage churned into a malignancy that he knew he needed to excise. But for now he held her tight, never wanting to let her go.
They lay together for a long time, and then Chelan's soft voice broke the morbid silence. "You see," she began, "I have been torn before... and I have healed."
Korba took a shaky breath. "No, you didn't, Chelan. You have never healed." He clung to her desperately and then rolled her onto her back. He looked down into her drawn face and gently traced the line of her jaw. "I'll send him away," he said quietly, and he moved to leave.
"No!" she conceded as she reached for him. "If you stay here with me..."
Korba studied her closely. "Are you sure? I will not force you."
Chelan smiled feebly. She had only recently become aware of her intense discomfort, and she knew that Stose's attention was for the best. She nodded to him.
"I'll be right back," he whispered as he kissed her gently. Korba left his chambers and found Stose waiting patiently in the Command Center.
"Are you okay, Commander?" the doctor asked with concern, glancing at Korba's chest.
"I'm fine, Stose. But I have another patient for you."
Stose did not try to conceal his surprise.
Korba manipulated some buttons on the console and then turned to the doctor. "It's Chelan." Korba hesitated, watching a smile touch Stose's lips. "She needs some care, and I don't have to tell you how sensitive she is."
Stose's brows rose.
Korba shifted his weight somewhat uneasily. "I've hurt her, and I don't want to hurt her again."
Stose smiled in understanding. "I expected your bonding," he began. "I just wondered how long it would be before it happened."
Korba eyed the doctor skeptically. "You assumed a lot, my friend, and you expected even more than I."
Stose nodded to him, and then his face turned serious. "I bet she's not happy about my presence."
"That is indeed an understatement. But I told her I would stay with her. I would appreciate you working quickly and holding the conversation to a minimum."
Stose nodded.
Korba hesitated and then drew in a deep breath. It was time, and he walked up the stairs into his chambers. There, he sat on the side of the bed, where Chelan remained tightly curled in a ball, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. Korba shifted his position and slipped up beside her, forcing her to look at him. "It will be okay," he whispered.
Chelan nodded and then turned her vacant gaze to his chest. Korba rolled her onto her back and began loosening the blankets that bound her tight. He looked up and saw the moisture forming in her eyes once again. She looked down and quailed at Stose's approach.
"My Lady," he acknowledged softly.
Chelan remained mute, a fresh upsurge of panic invading her, steamrolling over her and crushing her to stillness.
Leaving the blankets closed over her upper body, Korba leaned across her abdomen, his body blocking her vision. He looked down at her and began caressing the side of her face.
Stose moved beside her momentarily. "I'm going to give you an anesthetic cream, Chelan. It will be cool, and it may sting a bit initially. Then I will seal any tissues that may be damaged, and you will be better than new."
Korba smiled at Stose's innuendo. Chelan also felt slightly more at ease. But her marginal repose was short-lived when she detected the man sitting near the end of the bed. She felt him remove the blankets from her lower body, and her breathing took off. Her eyes opened wide, and her fingers bit into Korba's arm.
Stose took her ankles and raised her legs
, parting them to him. Chelan was beset by terror as visions of her past flooded into her mind. She began to shake, fresh torrents of silent tears gushing forth. Korba's insides twisted. He felt like he was holding her down to be raped again, but he called on all his discipline to calm himself for her sake. He pressed into her, leaning forward and burying his face into her neck. Chelan's hand clenched his hair, and she closed her eyes. "No," she whimpered.
Korba hugged her tighter and spoke to her. "It's going to be okay, Chelan. Shhh, he's just here to help." Then he lifted his head, his azure eyes capturing hers. "Look at me, Chelan. Just keep looking at me."
Chelan felt Stose's touch as he began applying the cream, and she closed her eyes, her legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Chelan," commanded Korba firmly. "Look at me. Don't recede into your past. No one is going to violate you."
Chelan nodded, but beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her skin went clammy. She felt Stose's fingers enter her, and her defenses crumbled, her body suddenly going limp with submission.
Korba was calm externally, but inside he seethed. Her fear radiated from every pore, her terror palpable. Finally, he leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. At first she refused him, protesting to his move, but he held her head firmly. "It's me, Chelan. Only me. I want you to look at me. I want you to concentrate only on me."
Chelan took several deep breaths and swallowed hard. She looked at him intently and tried to focus on him alone.
He reached for the end of the blanket and wiped the moisture from her forehead. "That's it," he cooed. "It's only me." He studied her eyes. He continued to touch her, kissing her, calming her.
With monumental effort, she smiled at him and touched his lips tenderly with her fingers. She watched as a wave of relief washed over him and he took a badly needed breath.
Then Stose spoke quietly. "I'm finished, Chelan, and all is well." He hesitated. "I'm going to pour an antibiotic over you as there are many fine tears in some of the surrounding tissues. You will feel the liquid flow over some areas, but it won't hurt. It will prevent any infections while you heal, and it will reduce any swelling."
Chelan flinched as the fluid trickled over her warm folds. Quiet allayment flowed over her as she felt him cover her with the blankets, and she instantly relaxed, letting her legs fall heavily to the bed.
Stose stood and walked to the side of the bed. He smiled down at her. "Now, here comes the good doctor's lecture," he began warmly.
Korba looked up and shook his head, smiling.
"No... and I mean NO... anything for at least one full day. And that's one full Iceanean day."
Chelan glanced at Korba's smiling face and watched as he began to chuckle. Stose tapped him on the head and demanded his attention. "And you, my Lord, may not even think about assaulting this poor girl during this time. Furthermore, the next time you enter her, it will be done with a little more patience and finesse than the last time."
Chelan finally smiled, her grin broadening as she looked from Korba to the doctor. "It wasn't his fault, Dr. Stose," she whispered.
Korba looked at her, his eyes twinkling.
Stose hesitated. "Someday, you can explain that one to me, Chelan, but for now, I'll let it go." Stose put a lid on a container and left it by the bedside. "Korba will need to apply this fluid twice a day. It will speed the healing greatly. You may resume intercourse as soon as it is comfortable. Now," he said in an authoritative voice, his face alight with amusement. "I expect that my orders will be followed exactly, as there will be hell to pay if I have to return here to repair my handiwork. Is that understood?"
Chelan warmed. Maybe she could grow to trust this doctor.
Korba glanced at her and then looked up at Stose. "It is understood, my good doctor." He rose off of Chelan. "I'll see you out."
Stose smiled down at Chelan and nodded at her. "My Lady," he bade.
"Dr. Stose," she replied quietly, and she watched him as he followed Korba out.
The two men remained silent until they reached the Command Center. Korba turned to him. "Was it bad?"
Stose shrugged. "She had a small split in her vaginal tissues in the perineal area. But it came together fine." He looked at Korba critically. "She said it wasn't your fault. I've examined hundreds of the young virginal women that you initiated in your days of tutoring, and not one of them was ever torn, not one drop of blood spilt." Stose raised his eyebrows. "So needless to say, her injury, no matter how small, surprises me. I would have expected that to occur in such a small woman entered by any man save you. That's not your way."
Korba smiled. "Actually, it wasn't my fault, my friend, but I'm not going to elaborate."
Stose smiled back, knowing that his curiosity would possibly never be satisfied. "The medication I gave you will resolve all the soft tissue swelling and any pain in no time," he informed. But then his face became serious. "I don't mean to be the prying doctor, my Lord, but there's something you should consider if you plan a future with her."
Korba's eyes narrowed. "Like what?" he asked warily.
Stose shuffled nervously. "This might be a little presumptuous of me, but as I mentioned long ago, I would like to run a genetic series on her."
Korba knew what Stose was implying, but he said nothing while he pondered the doctor's request. Then Korba looked at him critically. "You do presume a lot, my friend."
"Oh, come on, Korba. We go back too far. I know about the choices you have made in your life and the personal reasons behind them. I know you wouldn't choose to break twelve years of abstinence for a fling with an alien woman. You've just come back from months of the most intense fighting you've ever endured, with virtually no sleep. And yet you look more alive than I've seen you since..." Stose stumbled. "I'm sorry, my Lord."
Korba nodded to him. "It's okay, Stose. You were going to say, since Sabina."
Stose looked to the floor as he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. He looked back into Korba's piercing eyes and swallowed with apprehension. "You don't even know if she can conceive," he whispered.
Korba studied him coolly. The Commander noted Stose's defensive stance, and he knew that the doctor half expected to be struck for his boldness. But Korba looked away. Stose had just verbalized Korba's unconscious desire for Chelan to bear his child, and emotion filled him quickly. Korba returned his attention to the tense man. "She's not ready to go through the tests."
Stose smiled with relief. "I know."
Korba turned away from him. He realized that the face of the Empire was about to change at his decision to be with Chelan, and he knew that the road ahead would be hard for both of them.
"There's one more thing to consider, my Lord."
Korba turned to him and waited for him to continue.
"I know that the testing would be more or less a curiosity, as I know that you would still want her child, but assuming that she can conceive, you'll have to consider carefully the health risks to her. My Lord, our people are large, and her people are much smaller. Even though she is tall for a woman of her world, she is fine-boned and tiny compared to us. A pregnancy for her, by you..." Stose hesitated, looking at Korba's densely muscled body. "Especially you, could cause all sorts of complications for her and the baby." Stose took a deep breath. "Plus I don't know her physiology well enough, Sire. I may not be able to help her adequately."
Korba looked away. His mind had sifted and sorted through nearly every problem that would come about as a result of his desire to keep Chelan as a mate, from the effects on him and his career, his men, the Emperor, the Empire, the Breeders, and her protection. But he had never considered the threat to her that could come from within. He turned to Stose. "We are looking a long way into the future, my friend, and the final decision will be hers." Korba straightened and his eyes pierced Stose. "But should the day ever come, my order to you now will be the same as it will be then. Regardless of what she says, any pregnancy between us, no matter how far along, is expendable if there is even the
slightest chance of harm or damage coming to her life or limb. Is that clear?"
Stose nodded. "I expected no less, my Lord."
Korba looked down, his mind shifting quickly. "How's Fremma?"
"He's doing well, considering."
Korba nodded, looking somewhat guilty. "It seems I am causing a lot of damage even though the war is over."
Stose chuckled. "Yes, well, drawing blood has always been your specialty."
The corner of Korba's mouth quirked. "So it seems, only the last two incidents were seriously misdirected."
"Well, I'm sure you will manage to get yourself under control soon, for all our sakes."
"I hope so," he chuckled. "And thank you for coming. We will talk again soon."
Stose smiled and touched Korba's shoulder. "We will, and you know that our discussion today will go no farther."
Korba nodded, and Stose turned and left.
Slowly, Korba straightened. He felt the months of fatigue catching up with him, beating him into submission. Purposely and forcefully, he pushed all his troubles into the recesses of his mind. Right now, all he wanted to do was crawl in next to his beautiful woman and sleep long and deeply with her in his arms. He knew the warmth and serenity that would overcome him would be like nothing he had ever experienced before, for he was in love again, and this time, it was forever.
Chapter 42
Korba awoke, his mind at peace and his heart warm. He could smell Chelan's sweet, alien scent, and he was comforted by the sound of her quiet breaths. He could tell by the lighting in the room that they had slept for nearly ten Earth hours and, although he felt phenomenal, he knew that it would take several more days of rest before he was himself.
His mind persisted in wandering over his duties, but he knew that everything was on hold right now. His men needed time to recover, and Dar would retain command of the ship until he was ready to resume it.
He felt Chelan stir, and he looked at her still bundled like a delicate butterfly in her chrysalis of blankets. She rolled toward him and instinctively sought the warmth and security of his chest. Korba smiled. She was even more beautiful as she slept, if that was indeed possible for such a goddess.