Leaning over, I rested my forehead against the translucent cover and watched him sleep—or whatever someone did when they were in these things. Hibernate? Was it like a coma? I had no idea.
“Wake up. Velik. I’m here. I’m never leaving you again. Please wake up.”
The doctors and other medical people—they didn’t call them nurses so I wasn’t sure about the official title—had, to a man, promised me Velik was going to make a full recovery.
Guess I had Helion to thank for Velik’s life. Helion, my sister, and Warden Egara. The women, especially, had figured out what I was going to do before I did it. They’d seen through the lies I’d been telling myself before I did.
Wasn’t that always the way it worked? Especially if you had a sister who knew you almost as well as she knew herself? Maybe better?
I couldn’t stop seeing Velik drag his body on the ground to get to me. Force that monster’s claw to cut him all the way through to his side. What he’d done was unbelievable. And all to protect me. To be worthy of being loved.
The thought made me want to cry. He was more than worthy. In fact, I didn’t deserve him. I knew it. I’d been selfish and obsessed with protecting myself. I didn’t deserve him. I wasn’t worthy. I didn’t fucking care. I was keeping him anyway.
I lifted my arm so I could use my forearm as a pillow and watched him sleep inside the pod.
After Helion and his team finished hunting what I’d later learned was a special kind of Hive alien that did Integrations—which Helion explained was adding all the creepy technology that took control of a fighter’s mind and body—Helion worked some paramedic, battlefield style, emergency medicine on Velik before the others carried him back to the shuttle.
Helion had tried to treat me, once the shuttle was on the way back to the battleship. I smacked his hand away and ordered him to take care of my mate. He chuckled, but I meant it. Velik was a mess with a capital M.
And now, he wasn’t.
He just needed to wake up—and forgive me for putting mating cuffs on his wrists when he was out cold. I had mine on as well. The doctor had offered to adjust them—as they had recently for human brides—so they would not cause me pain if I were to be more than—I wasn’t sure of the exact distance. I didn’t care. If I could take care of my own—baby wipe—business, alone, in the bathroom without the things hurting me, I was good.
I refused the doctor’s offer. I didn’t want to be separated from Velik. Never again.
“He’s going to be angry when he learns you have not been caring for yourself properly.” Doctor Mersan, who’d I’d started to think of as Coppertop, because of his copper colored hair and dark, nearly black eyes, said something annoying every time I saw him. I was beginning to think Helion was the sweet one.
“I’m fine.”
“You removed the bloodied armor, true. But you have not cleansed your body properly.”
“I used baby wipes.” I’d ordered them from the S-Gen machine and wiped myself down, discreetly, when I knew I’d have a few minutes between medical people walking in.
“Baby wipes?”
Did I want to tell this arrogant alien what baby wipes were normally used for? It was a good thing I had my head down. I was quite certain my smile was downright evil.
“It’s not important. I wiped myself off. I used the S-Gen to get some comfy clothes.” A pair of yoga pants, a hoodie, and a pair of slip on shoes lined with fluff so my toes wouldn’t get cold. “And I ordered food from the S-Gen, too. I’m fine.”
I stared at my mate through the glass. He was like Snow White under there. Velik was so handsome. I looked him over, especially the terrifying wound from that giant claw. There was nothing there but a very thin line. If I wasn’t looking for it, I wouldn’t have been able to see it.
His eyelids twitched. I waited for more, hoping he was waking up. But no. I sighed.
“Ms. Davis.”
“I have a mate.” I had the mating cuffs on my wrists to prove it and I wasn’t taking them off.
He sighed. “My lady, I reviewed the records of the S-Gen machine you have been utilizing. There have been only three orders for food over the last four days. You cannot nourish your body properly on liquids alone.”
“I’m fine, Doc. I promise. I don’t need much.” Besides, my stomach was so upset, my nerves raw, my worry over Velik spending so long in the ReGen pod. When I closed my eyes all I saw was those monsters trying to kill him. I was so on edge, so frazzled, that I couldn’t keep much down anyway. Even the thought of most foods made me nauseous. It was even worse than when I was pregnant...
Oh shit. No.
I did some lighting fast mental math. Eight days in ReGen pod, plus one day after he left California, three more days he spent with the girls, and the day before that?
Hot sex. Hot, begging, shove me against the wall, sex. If I’d gotten pregnant that day? I pressed my hand over my tummy and held it there. Was there new life growing inside me right now? Was I really that fertile?
Two weeks from conception to puking? Oh yes. Just like last time. Totally possible. The math worked. I. Was. Pregnant.
