“Scanning the sector for humans,” Pendrik said.
They waited what felt like several solar cycles. Eventually a readout appeared, indicating there was not only one human in close proximity, but over a dozen. No. Not all human. Part human? But human mixed with what and how had they obtained the females? Assuming they were human females. Since they’d strictly searched for human genetics, the system had only given them the information they wanted.
“Tourmalane is nearby,” Malin said. “I’ve heard they suffer a similar problem as my people. No females. I wonder if your Suki was taken there?”
“Set a course for --” Tark was cut off.
“I’m already on it,” Norkov said.
When they neared Tourmalane, Warver reached out to their royal family. After receiving permission to land, the Mystic7 and Pryxus set down on the small planet. A handful of guards, along with Prince Vandir, greeted them. As Tark’s feet sank into the soil, he tried to contain his aggression. If any of them had harmed his Suki, then he didn’t care if he started an intergalactic war. They would all pay in blood.
The prince smiled. “Welcome to Tourmalane. My father says you’re looking for a human called Suki.”
“Yes,” Tark said. “My mate. She was abducted. The slaver who snatched her came this direction, and your world was the only showing a human readout.”
Prince Vandir nodded. “Of course. We do have a few new additions to our world, all human. Perhaps your Suki is one of them. Come to the palace and I’ll arrange for the females to be gathered in a central location.”
Think it’s a trap? Tark asked Pendrik.
Might be. Only one way to find out.
Tark nodded. If I don’t make it, get Suki home. She’s all that matters.
They followed Prince Vandir and the guards through the city walls and into the palace. King Razyr and Prince Drexyl were waiting as they stepped through the palace doors. At Drexyl’s side was a petite human female. Not his Suki, but it explained at least one of the humans that appeared on the scan.
“What’s this about a missing human female?” King Razyr asked.
“My mate, Suki, was taken,” Tark said. He told the king about her capture and how they’d followed the slaver through a MECO.
“What does your Suki look like?” the female asked.
Drexyl placed an arm around her waist and drew her closer, but she merely smiled up at him.
“Forgive my husband,” she said. “He’s very protective. My name is Lucie. You’re safe here, and so is your mate if she’s among the women recently dropped off.”
“Dropped off?” Warver asked.
“We often buy human female slaves when they come through this area,” King Razyr said. “It provides them a safe place where they’ll receive any care necessary, and gives them the option of finding a mate among our people. We purchased several today off three different vessels.”
I only saw the one ship, Norkov said. Tark nodded. He too had only seen the one, but that didn’t mean the others hadn’t been cloaked. For that matter, there was no guarantee the ship they’d seen was the same slaver who had taken Suki.
“My Suki is small like you but much slimmer,” Tark said. “Her hair is dark and long. Her eyes are shaped differently than yours.”
“She’s young?” Lucie asked. “Maybe late teens or early twenties?”
Tark nodded, not liking the reminder of their age gap. He hadn’t brought it up since Suki didn’t seem to care, but he knew she had to be at least twenty years younger than him. He’d been more concerned over his cybernetics scaring her off. His sweet Suki accepted him though, no matter how he looked.
“I believe your mate is here,” Lucie said. “But she was injured. Follow me. If the woman isn’t your Suki, we can gather the others.”
Drexyl growled and narrowed his eyes, but Lucie merely patted his arm. “He’s mated, Drexyl. Nothing will happen to me. What would you do if your roles were reversed?”
Drexyl released her and Tark followed her through the palace. They entered a large room with multiple med bays. As Tark drew closer to the only pod with a closed lid, he saw his Suki through the glass. He reached out, running his fingers over the surface.
“Your mate?” Lucie asked.
“Yes. What’s wrong with her?”
“Healer,” Lucie called. An older Tourmalane came over. “This is Suki’s mate. Could you please tell him what you’ve discovered?”
The male nodded. “Your human female sustained several lacerations, some contusions, head trauma, the bones in her right hand were broken.”
Tark stared at his mate, his heart feeling heavy. He’d failed her.
“She’s also pregnant,” Healer said.
Tark jerked his gaze to the older man. “Pregnant?”
The male nodded. “If you’ll provide me with a blood sample, I’ll be able to tell you if the child is yours.”
Tark held out his non-metal arm. He didn’t doubt the child was his, but he wasn’t going to argue with Healer. Giving a little blood was easier than getting angry over the assumption his mate could be pregnant by anyone else. Healer took a small sample of blood, then inserted it into the pod that held Suki. He pressed a few buttons and nodded as he read the screen. As Tark had never been anywhere near Tourmalane before, he didn’t have the proper downloads to read the language, even though his translator worked well when speaking to them.
“The baby is yours,” Healer said.
“Will she be all right?” Tark asked, pressing a palm to the med pod again.
“The pod has healed everything but the head trauma. That will take some time. I would advise that you not move her at this moment. Give her a few days.”
“What sort of trauma?” Tark asked.
“There was bleeding on her brain. It also caused her brain to swell. She hasn’t been here long enough to properly heal.”
Tark frowned, not understanding how the slaver had gotten such a big lead on them. They’d gone into the MECO shortly after the other vessel. What had happened while they were in there? Was there a time lapse of some sort?
“Your Suki has been here for nearly half a day,” Lucie said.
“That’s impossible,” Tark said. “We were right behind the slave vessel that took her. Followed him into a MECO that dropped us not far from your world.”
Lucie looked at Healer, who only shrugged.
“I’m a physician, not that type of scientist,” the male said. “It sounds like you were in the MECO longer than you thought. If it’s similar to a black hole, it can be disorienting, from what I’ve heard. Never experienced it myself.”
“We’ll of course provide rooms for you and your crew,” Lucie said. “You’re welcome to stay until your Suki is well enough to travel.”
“We have other females on board,” Tark said. “Are they in danger of your males trying to take them? My world only has three mated pairs. Possibly four if the newest pairing decide to officially become mates. We’re in desperate need of females and Earth seems to be the most compatible to our species.”
Lucie pursed her lips and tipped her head to the side. “I can’t make a promise that your women will want to return with you. Tourmalane is very beautiful and the males are extremely attentive. If they come to the palace, I can assure you that no harm will come to them, but if they wish to stay when it’s time for you to return home, I don’t believe my husband or his brothers will permit you to take them.”
Tark glanced at Suki again. He knew she would return with him. Could he force the others to go as well? Would it be fair if they could truly be happy here? He knew his people were desperate for mates, but he never wanted to cause emotional or physical harm to a female. He couldn’t say that his crew would agree, or that the Zelthranites wouldn’t put up a fight.
“I won’t force them to leave if they don’t wish to, but I can’t vouch for the others with me. I don’t control their actions.”
She nodded. “Fair enough.”
&nbs
p; He had a feeling he hadn’t heard the last of it. No way she would agree so readily. If Lucie was half as compassionate as his Suki, then she’d never let those females leave if they preferred to remain here. There would be others, now that they knew how to find them, but it didn’t mean the crew of the Mystic7 or the Commander who had accompanied them would be so willing to let those females go.
“Commander Warver is in charge of my crew, and Ryx is in charge of the Zelthranites. You will need their promise,” Tark said, not wanting any confusion later.
“My Drexyl will handle it,” Lucie said with a broad smile.
“How many mated males do you have on Tourmalane?” he asked.
“You mean mated to humans?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Two, myself included, are in the royal family. We’ve managed to bring nearly one dozen human females here over the years. Most have paired with someone, but not all.” She paused. “You know. Tourmalanes only have one true mate and can’t have children with anyone else. Would you be willing to take the females who didn’t bond with anyone here? Maybe in exchange for an equal number of females on your ship? They would have to agree, of course.”
“It seems like a reasonable request,” Tark said.
Lucie gave him another moment with his mate before leading him to a rather large chamber.
“This is in the royal wing,” she said. “Your mate will need a quiet place to recover once she’s able to leave the med pod. This particular hall is for my unmated brother-in-law, Vandir. The other two hallways have children and might be too noisy for Suki.”
“Prince Vandir won’t mind the intrusion?” he asked.
“No. I’ll be sure to let him know you’re here and why. The others will be placed in guest quarters on a different level. Same for the females. I will likely put them in rooms near the ones who arrived earlier today.”
“Thank you for your generosity, Princess Lucie.”
She smiled. “I’m just glad that you seem to care for your Suki as much as the Tourmalanes love their mates. If the others of your crew and the other ship are the same, then we shouldn’t have any problems while you’re here.”
Tark couldn’t vouch for the others, especially the Zelthranites, but he would do whatever was asked of him if Healer would make Suki well again. If she died, along with their unborn child, then Tark would no longer have a reason to live. Suki had been part of his life for such a short time, and yet she meant everything to him. He would rather Healer save her than the baby, if it came to that.
Lucie left him and Tark moved to the window, looking out over the palace grounds. Tourmalane was a beautiful place. While he had no doubt that Suki would want to remain with him, he did wonder if she would prefer to live somewhere like this. Xpashta had its own charms, but it wasn’t quite as beautiful as this world. He scrubbed a hand down his face, his fingers rasping against the whiskers on his jaw. There was an ache in his chest in the vicinity of his heart. He rubbed at it, wondering if it was a mild version of the pain he would feel without her in his life. She had to live, her and the child.
Tark had never cared about a higher power, but right now he would beg every known god and goddess in all the universes for mercy if they would make Suki well again, and keep her by his side. She was his everything, and he was nothing without her.
Chapter Eight
Suki struggled to open her eyes. Every time her lids parted even a little, a bright light nearly blinded her and sent shards of pain through her head. It almost felt like someone had been pounding her brain with a sledgehammer. She lifted her arm to block the worst of it and groaned from the effort. What was wrong with her? It was like a ton of rocks were weighing her down, her movements sluggish and taking more effort than usual. Her lips were dry, her mouth having that cottony feeling people had with a hangover.
“You’re awake,” a male voice said. One she didn’t recognize. Panic filled her, her heart rate spiking, and her entire body locking up tight. Who was that? Where was she?
Her mind scrambled, trying to remember. Everything started to come back to her. The brothel. The alien taking her as a hostage. Then being attacked by that same alien before being discarded on a strange world. She’d lost consciousness as her body had hit the ground, having been shoved from the ship without the vessel even fully landing. She didn’t understand what had happened or why. Suki tried opening her eyes again, focusing on a blurry blue alien. No, the alien wasn’t blurry. Her vision was. She blinked a few more times as everything sharpened.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“Tourmalane. I’m the Healer and serve the royal family, though most simply call me Healer. Princess Lucie has been quite worried about you. I’ll notify her and your mate that you’ve woken.”
Suki jolted. “Mate? Tark is here?”
Or had they mated her to someone else? Her stomach clenched and acid burned her throat at the thought of being given to some random male she’d never met before. Never seeing Tark again made her chest ache and she rubbed at the spot.
“Your Tark is here,” Healer confirmed. “Please rest while I get Princess Lucie and your mate. You’ve suffered much trauma.”
Suki attempted to lie back and relax, but it wasn’t going to happen. Not until she saw for herself that Tark was really here. She didn’t know how he’d found her, but she was grateful. When the alien had taken her, using her as his hostage, she’d feared she’d never see her sexy, sweet cyborg ever again. As the slaver had beaten her, her only thought had been please let me live to be with Tark again. If he was here, then someone had heard her prayers and answered them.
A human woman came into the room, smiling, and Suki studied her. She didn’t remember seeing her at the brothel earlier. In fact, she didn’t remember ever having seen the woman before. As if her thoughts had been heard, the woman held out a hand.
“I’m Lucie. Or Princess Lucie as they call me around here. I’m married to Prince Drexyl of Tourmalane.”
Suki shook her hand hesitantly. “But you’re human. Aren’t you?”
Lucie nodded. “Yes. I was a slave on Keshpa. When my owner fled his planet, Drexyl boarded the ship and claimed me as his.”
“And you’re happy?” I asked.
“Very. He’s amazing, and I love him so much. I didn’t just gain a mate, but an entire family. Drexyl has a father and two brothers, who try to coddle me and I let them sometimes. We also have kids.” Lucie’s gaze dropped to Suki’s belly.
Suki placed her hand on her abdomen and looked down, wondering why Lucie was staring at her like that. Was something wrong? Had the slaver damaged her so much, he’d taken away her ability to have children? It hardly seemed fair, after Tark had given her the option of reversing her sterilization. What if the damage couldn’t be undone this time? Would her cyborg still want her?
“Suki!”
Her head jerked up and she smiled as Tark ran into the room, not stopping until he knelt beside the pod she was lying inside. Suki couldn’t stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks as she struggled to get out of the pod. Tark lifted her into his arms and held her tightly. She winced at the pain but wouldn’t release him regardless of the discomfort. She fisted his hair and buried her face against his neck, breathing in his scent.
“You came for me,” she said softly.
“Of course I did. I’m sorry you were injured, my sweet mate. I failed you.”
She shook her head. “No, you didn’t. I insisted on going, and when I thought you were hurt, I had to get to you. I’ll never forget how you looked when I walked into that room.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “It’s no one’s fault but mine.”
“No,” Lucie said. “It’s the fault of the asshole who hurt you. Not yours. Not your mate’s. Blame the alien responsible for this mess. The idiot demanded credits for you, which my mate gladly paid in order to free a human female, then just dumped you off his ship without landing. If Drexyl hadn’t already transferred the credits, he never would have paid the
asshole.”
“She’s correct,” Healer said. “Were you injured, cyborg? You never mentioned that you needed to be healed.”
“I’m fine,” Tark said. “I was healed before I arrived here. It’s why the slaver was able to get away from us so quickly. Myself and another cyborg had to be placed in med pods before we could track the slaver. My injuries took longer to heal and my cyborg brothers were hesitant to go after Suki while I was on board another vessel.”
“Are the others here too? And the women we rescued?” Suki asked.
“Yes.” Tark hesitated. “I’m not certain the females will be leaving with us. One bonded to a Tourmalane. Negotiations are in place for more human females to come to Xpashta, ones here who haven’t bonded with anyone during their stay. And the Zelthranites are discussing the possibility of brides being offered to my people if they don’t match with someone from their world. Since we’re half-Zelthranite, their council feels it would be an easy enough agreement to make with your Earth.”
Suki smiled. “It will be nice to have more women on Xpashta. When can we go home?”
“After you’ve rested more,” Healer said. “You have more than yourself to consider right now.”
Suki blinked at him. “What’s that mean?”
Tark cleared his throat, looking pleased. “You’re expecting our first child. I worried for a bit that you wouldn’t survive, or the child wouldn’t. If it came down to it, I wanted them to save you no matter the cost, but it seems you’re both doing well.”
“How long have I been out?” Suki asked.
“Nearly a week,” Lucie said. “You had swelling and bleeding on your brain. The pod did as much as it could, but the rest had to heal over time.”
“May I take my mate to our quarters?” Tark asked.
Healer nodded. “I recommend staying on Tourmalane another few days, just in case. I’ll give her some vitamins to boost her system during your stay, and hopefully it will prepare her for the journey back to your world. I don’t recommend going through the MECO again.”
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