Zade’s entire being rejected that. A swell of grief crashed through him as he sank into the closest available seat.
“Unless…” Ger went on, “you separate yourself emotionally.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” he asked. “She is mymate. How would you react?”
“Exactly the same,” replied Ger. “Have you informed anyone of your mated status?”
“No.”
“There is your flaw,” his father said. “You are compromised. That is natural, as this female is yours, but you have hidden her away, like a great secret. Or perhaps, you think, a great weakness.”
Zade got up and began to pace. He kept one eye on Ash as she lay still and silent on the table. “I need a solution,” he growled. “Now.”
“It is right there, son.” Ger’s voice turned gentle. “The best minds—which you trained—are there to help her. They are not emotionally invested in this female. They are, however, invested inyou. Lean on them, ask them for help. You are accustomed to dispensing advice and help, but out of practice in receiving it.”
The advice rendered him somewhat numb and dazed. The thought of allowing Yoli and Pruk in to examine or treat Ash made his hands curl into fists. He did not doubt their skill or dedication, but the bond was so new, he despised the thought of another touching her. Possessiveness was another normal element of the early biological bond. The easiest way to torture a Baylan was to put anyone between them and their new mate.
“So I must…allow others to treat her.”
“If you wish to save her life,” Ger concluded. “Which you do.”
Ger was correct: Zade was compromised. Fatally. He ended the connection knowing what he had to do. He summoned Yoli and Pruk, aware that he owed them an explanation for his isolation these past few weeks. The thought of sharing his mated status unnerved him. Perhaps his father was correct in saying that he saw Ash as a weakness. Logically, he knew having a mate would not damage his skills.
With gritted teeth, he listened to the entrance chime and admitted them.
Yoli’s brow was lowered into a frown that did not waver. “Zade, have we done something wrong? We would like to know why you dismissed us so suddenly. If it was our performance with—”
Pruk slanted a glance at Ash. “The human, patient 33-H,” he cut in. “Did we make an error with the leg?”
“It was nothing you did,” Zade said with a swipe of his hand. “The error was mine.”
Yoli’s eyes went wide. “What has happened? What error could you have possibly made?”
“You think it impossible for me to make one?” His lips twisted on a wry smile. “Oh, I have. The second one was dismissing you, but the first one was not informing you that this female is my mate.”
Pruk’s jaw slackened. “What?”
“I know,” said Zade ruefully. “I could not believe it, either.” And then he had kept it a secret.
Yoli drew herself up straight. “It makes sense, now.”
Did it?Zade was not so sure. “I need your help. Both of you.” He winced. “My mate is succumbing to the toxin released by the Gylbala-3R that attacked her on Earth, and I am…emotionally compromised. I cannot find a solution on my own. I need your help.”
His assistants both looked dumbfounded for a moment, but recovered quickly. “Of course, Zade,” said Yoli. “It would be an honor. Please tell us everything we need to know.”
Zade pulled up all of Ash’s vital statistics onto the wall behind her. Words and charts crowded the space, some in red.
They gazed at them with keen eyes. Yoli tapped a finger against her lips as she analyzed the vast amount of information scrolling down the wall. “Why did you not administer her anti-rejection drug when it was due earlier today?” she asked at last.
Ah! Zade could not stop the jolt that made him rush forward. “I was interrupted,” he murmured. “And I forgot to administer it.”
Pruk dipped his hands into the machine to get a membrane covering and then began examining Ash fresh. “Let us administer it now and see if it impacts the progression of the toxin.”
The two got to work, testing Ash’s blood, running tests of just about everything, and while it was difficult for Zade, relief moved through his veins.
Yoli slanted him a glance over her shoulder. “When did you know?”
He did not need her to clarify. “When I was preparing to build her new leg,” he replied. “I had removed the membrane on my hands to get a better feel for her bones and muscles, and began to feel strange.” He gazed at Ash, fighting the urge to touch her. “It still does.”
