by Sadie Carter
“Lucy? Are you awake?”
Was that Thor? What was he doing in her bedroom? Holy heck, had she finally given in to her urges and taken him to bed? Oh my God, why couldn’t she remember? Had it been that bad that she’d blocked it out? Had she been so drunk, she’d lowered her inhibitions and that was the reason for the shards of glass piercing her brain?
“Thor?”
She attempted to open her eyes, but the glaring light against her eyes sent agony waves through her head. Her stomach rolled and she fought against the urge to vomit. Quickly, she shut her eyes.
“Are you well?”
No. No she was not well. She was in crippling agony.
Not his fault, though. At least she didn’t think it was.
“Need water. Headache.”
“Here. I will hold a straw to your mouth. I’ll also get you an oral pain inhibitor.” She gratefully sipped on the water then opened her mouth and swallowed the pain inhibitor.
“Just lie there for a moment. The inhibitor should work soon.”
Normally, when she was in this much pain with a migraine, she couldn’t stand any noise, but Thor’s voice was almost soothing. He kept it low and quiet.
Incredibly sexy.
Really, she should not be thinking of sex right now. She couldn’t even open her damn eyes. How did she think she was going to manage anything more adventurous? It had been years since she’d had sex. She wasn’t even sure she would remember how. She’d kind of locked that part of her away, certain that she would never want sex again after Ricardo.
She pushed all thought of Ricardo aside as the pain inhibitor began to chase the pain of the migraine away. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking to bring Thor into focus. The lights had been dimmed, thankfully. Even though the pain was muted, her eyes were still too tender for bright light.
“Where am I?”
This wasn’t her bedroom. She turned her head slowly as she heard a soft beeping and realised there was a machine next to her. There was something strapped to her hand. Was she being monitored?
“We are in the medical ward of the ship.”
“What happened?”
“You do not remember?” He quickly hid his alarm behind an impassive face.
She thought back. What was the last thing she remembered? “I did a search for Mila. But I wasn’t sure where she was. So I insisted on searching for Koran. Then I…” Oh crap, she’d told him. Told him one of her biggest secrets. No, it wasn’t the only secret she carried. Not even the worse one. But it was one of the most devastating.
She stared at him, trying to discern his thoughts. “Why are you here? Is it because you’re my doctor?”
He raised his eyebrows. “No. Tae is currently caring for you. Although I wish it could be me, I would need to touch you and I did not wish to begin the mating process without your awareness.”
“But I cannot be your mate. Thor, do you not remember?” Please don’t tell her she had to tell him all over again. She just wasn’t strong enough for that.
Except she’d have to be strong enough. Cause no one else was going to do it.
“That you told me you were barren? I remember. It does not mean we are not mates.”
“But it has to. Why would someone who cannot have children be your mate?”
“Mating is not about children. It is about finding that person who is the other half of your soul. Who you are destined to be with, to love, to protect. That person is you.”
She blinked back tears. They were pretty words but she couldn’t let them blind her to the truth.
“Your race is dying. You need babies.”
“I am not the savior of my race. Nor are you. Yes, my race is dying. But now we have hope. You are my hope. You are my everything.”
“I can’t be.” She lost the battle to keep the tears under control. “I’m too broken for you, Thor. You need to find someone who is whole.”
“Shh. If you are broken, then I will help you gather up the pieces and make a new life. One with me. You make me whole, Lucy. I can do the same for you.”
“We don’t even know each other.”
“Then we will get to know each other. I have patience, Lucy. I know it may not seem that way. But I can hold on until you are ready.”
“What if you don’t like me once you get to know me? What if my past is too much for you to handle?”
He puffed up. “I am not some weakling. I may be a healer but I am also a warrior.”
She smiled. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I know you’re strong and not just physically. But I have trust issues. I’ve trusted the wrong person before, someone who claimed they loved me and it didn’t end well.”
He scowled. “You were mated to this person?”
“Not mated, no. But I was involved in a relationship with him. His name was Ricardo. My mom died when I was fifteen. I had nothing. She left Earth to follow my dad. He was a bounty hunter, he used his gift to track wanted people for money. It was a crazy kind of existence. We were either really flush or on the bones of our ass.”
She took note of his confused expression and clarified, “really short of credits.”
He nodded.
“My father was shot by one of the outlaws he was tracking and killed when I was seven, leaving Mom and I stuck on Mrilan. Have you ever been there?”
“Once. Yes. It is not a pleasant place.”
“No, that’s a polite way of wording it. There’s little in the way of law or civilisation. Pretty much a refuge for the scum of the universe. My mom found jobs here and there. A bit of waitressing. Taking in laundry. We survived. It wasn’t always pleasant or fun. But we made it.”
“Did your mother have no family to help her?”
Lucy shook her left. “They disowned her when she left with my dad. They thought he wasn’t good enough for her. But she loved him. She contracted pneumonia and we couldn’t afford the medicine to help her.” The memory of watching her mother die was still too tender, too upsetting. She took a deep breath in then let it out slowly.
“What happened to you after she died?”
“For a while, I continued to earn money doing bits and pieces. I was picking up some laundry from the alley behind some of the houses who used my services when this man cornered me. He pushed me up against a wall and ripped at my dress. I screamed and tried to fight, but he was too strong.”
“Did he…harm you?” Thor’s eyes glowed red.
“No. He would have, I’m certain. But Ricardo stopped him.”
“The man you trusted?”
“Yeah. I thought he loved me. I guess he was just a really good liar. He saved me that day, moved me into his place. Gave me my own room, never pressured me into his bed or anything, but I was totally besotted by him. I fell for him. Made his betrayal that much worse.”
“What happened?”
“He told me we were going on a holiday. I was so excited. The last time I had been on holiday, I was five. We went to this beach on Rolan. The sand was almost too hot to touch and the water was freezing. But I had the best time. So I was imagining something similar. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going. Said it was a surprise. It was that, all right.
“Our hotel was gorgeous. It had this beautiful swimming pool with a fake beach. That first night we had a few drinks. He must have put something in mine. A sedative. Because when I woke up I was no longer in the hotel room with Ricardo. I was locked in a small box. I screamed and screamed. I tried to claw my way out. I’m not sure how long I was in there, but I’m guessing a few hours.”
Thor muttered under his breath, his body tense.
“The box moved, as though it was being transported. When the movement stopped, someone opened it up and I found myself in a small, dark room. There was just a bed and a toilet. That was it. No windows. No cupboards or communicators. Nothing. The person who opened the box left without a word and when I ran after him, I found I couldn’t get out of the room. I thought I’d been kidnapped. I thought Ricard
o would come after me.”
She laughed and even she could hear how harsh it sounded.
“I found out the truth soon enough.”
“What did happen?”
“He sold me. To Husan Mortaf. A warlord on Lazarun. See, turns out Ricardo knew all along what I could do. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d hired the man in the alleyway to attack me just so he could play hero and rescue me. Then he would gain my trust, lead me on and sell me to the highest bidder.”
“What happened? How did you get away?”
“I—”
The door to the room slid open and Darac walked through. “Lucy? You’re awake!” He turned to Thor. “Did she tell you what happened to Koran?”
“Oh my god. I forgot about Koran!”
***
Darac stood at the foot of the bed, a thunderous look on his face. “He is on Nerif? You are certain?”
She had pinpointed Koran’s location on a 3D holographic map of the area. Immediately, both men had tensed.
“Yes. Why?”
“Why would the shuttle land there?”
“Perhaps they had no choice,” Thor answered.
Darac turned to him. “You think someone picked them up? A ship?”
“Maybe. It could be why there is no emergency beacon.”
“We might never have looked there.” Darac sent her a thankful look.
Thor rubbed his hand over his face. “There have been rumors of the Nerifs and Coizils forming an alliance.”
Darac nodded grimly. “The Nerifs are no friends of ours.”
“There is more.” She swallowed heavily. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten what she’d seen. That she’d lain here on the bed and chatted to Thor about her past like she didn’t have a worry in the world.
Meanwhile, Koran…
“What is it? Is your headache back? You have grown pale.”
“I’m fine.” She waved her hand at Thor as he stood. She struggled to sit.
“You need to rest.” Thor frowned at her.
“Believe me. I need to be sitting for this.”
Thor hovered, obviously wishing to help her, but he didn’t touch her. He helped her place a few pillows behind her back to help keep herself propped up. Lucy had to admit sitting probably wasn’t her brightest move. Dots danced in front of her eyes and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm her sick stomach.
Licking her lips, she glanced first at Darac then Thor. “They were beating him.”
Thor sat back in his seat, looking confused. “Who was beating who?”
“Two men. I use the term men loosely. They had green, almost scaly-looking skin. Like lizard but on two legs instead of four.” Both men appeared confused and she just shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. They had two arms and two legs and walked like a human. But they also had these thick tails that reached the floor. Small, beady eyes and short, dark hair. It didn’t look like hair, though. More like fuzz.”
“Nerifs,” Darac said with a nod. “They were beating Koran?”
“He was tied by his wrists to the ceiling in a dark, dirty room similar to the one where Mila is being held. His chest was bare and there was blood on his face. Both eyes were swollen and there were gashes on his chest and back. Like he’d been whipped with something sharp.”
She placed her hand over her stomach, trying to calm herself. Maybe she’d pushed away what she saw to protect herself.
Damn, she wished she was brave. Just a little bit.
Darac growled. “Did you notice anything else? Were the other warriors there?”
She frowned, thinking. At the time, she’d been so horrified by what she was seeing that she hadn’t thought she’d taken notice of much. But bits and pieces slowly returned to her. “No. There was no one else there. Just the three of them. Now that I think about it. I believe they were underground.”
Thor nodded. “I have been to Nerif once. Many years ago. They are nocturnal creatures and many prefer to sleep below the ground during the day because it is dark.”
“That makes sense. I’m pretty certain there was only way in and out of the room.”
Darac pressed on his tablet and brought up a holographic image of a planet. “Can you pinpoint exactly where they are holding Koran?”
She looked at the planet. Most of the planet’s surface was covered in forest. “There.” She pointed at a large piece of flat land. “Can you zoom in closer?”
Darac frowned. “Unfortunately, I cannot. We do not have good satellite images of Nerif. We will need to get closer. We must plan carefully how we rescue Mila, Koran and the others.”
She couldn’t believe she was about to say this. She would much rather stay as far away as possible from those lizard men as possible.
But the image of Koran being beaten haunted her. She couldn’t rest without doing everything she could to help.
“I need to go with you. To Nerif.”
“What?” Thor gave her a stern look. “You just awoke from a coma. You cannot risk yourself by going to Nerif. Rescuing Koran and Mila will be dangerous.”
Rather than annoy her as it probably should have, his overprotectiveness was starting to make her feel safe. She wasn’t used to someone looking out for her. Ricardo had, but he had an ulterior motive. Once Thor discovered they weren’t mates, she knew he would direct his attention elsewhere.
“Do you think I want to go? That I want to place myself in danger? I haven’t felt safe in years. I’m naturally a wimp and I’m fine with that. I’m the person who hides under the blankets in the hopes that the monsters won’t find me. I wish I could be more like Willa. Kick-ass, take-no-prisoners, but I’m not. I’m a scaredy-cat.”
“What monsters?” Thor asked.
“All of them,” she replied sadly. “I’ve certainly known a few in my life.”
“I will allow none of them to hurt you. I will be your blanket.”
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She took a deep breath, trying to find some courage. God, it would be so tempting to wrap herself up in him. This wouldn’t last. But for the moment, she’d wrap his protectiveness around her like a blanket and revel in feeling warm and safe for once.
“But I still have to go. I have to, Thor. What if they move them? We don’t have an in-depth map of the planet for me to pinpoint where they are. Trying to get closer to get a better map will take time and risk alerting the Nerifs to our presence. I’m not used to working this way. It’s easier for me to trace someone the closer I am to them physcially. I can be more certain of my accuracy. I need to go.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek and he stared at her, his gaze arctic cold.
“Lucy is right. It will be much easier if she comes with us.”
“Do you plan to take Willa?” Thor growled.
“No. It is up to you.” Darac nodded.
“Actually, it’s up to me. I’m going.” She turned to Thor. “I won’t go near where they’re being held. I’ll wait back while Darac and his warriors go in. Believe me, I have no desire to be anywhere near any violence or fighting.”
“Fine. You can go.”
Ahh, like there was ever any doubt.
“But I’m going as well.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter Seven
She shivered as the damp air seeped through her clothes. Now she was grateful Thor insisted that she wear the large jacket he’d produced. It was monstrous on her and she hadn’t wanted to wear it in case she needed to move quickly. But now she realized she’d been cold and miserable in minutes.
No wonder the natives here resembled lizards. No way could you survive without a thick skin to protect them from the damp.
Darac landed the shuttle in darkness. Nerif was a low-tech planet, but the risk was too high of someone seeing them if they attempted to land during daylight.
“Are you well?” Thor asked.
“Never better,” she told him cheerfully. She was cold, scared and her head still
pounded. But no way was she going to complain. She had no doubt Thor would use that as an excuse to send her back to the ship.
There was any going back now.
“Let’s go.”
Before they’d set out from the shuttle, Darac had handed her some night vision contacts. Uncomfortable as it had been to stick something in her eye, they allowed her to see perfectly in the dark. An hour later, after trudging their way through mud and trees and up and down hills, they reached the city. She was exhausted, woozy, filthy and cold. Which was weird since she’d been moving non-stop. This place just got into your skin and settled there.
They were crouched on the top of a hill. In the valley below lay a city. It wasn’t large. The buildings were only three levels high at the most.
They had encountered two patrolling guards, but had managed to avoid discovery. The last thing they wanted to do was alert the Nerifs that they were here. “We need to climb up,” Thor stated, pointing to the trees above them.
Ahh, say what now? No way was she climbing a tree.
“I don’t think so.”
“Thor is right. The Nerifs cannot climb. We can remain undetected up there. They have very little sense of smell.” Darac looked around him. “After you trace Koran. You, Thor and Lucan will climb this tree and remain here until we return.”
That left Darac with just five warriors and Rye to rescue Mila, Koran, the former Empress along with seven other warriors. Hopefully.
“I can remain alone if you all want to go.” What the hell? That did not just come out of her mouth. No way. There was only so much self-sacrificing she could do.
Darac shook his head. “No, Thor and Lucan stay. And before you argue, I am in charge.”
She shut her mouth and nodded. Sir, yes, Sir.
She turned to Thor to ask for Koran’s weapon when lights blinded her. Darac pushed her down, covering her as they all took cover. She peeked out when the lights passed. Darac moved away, giving her a chance to breathe properly again.
Willa hadn’t been impressed about being left behind. Lucy had heard part of the argument. Hard not too, Willa hadn’t been exactly quiet. But Darac had been equally as adamant that she remain on the spaceship. Surprisingly, Darac won.