“Um, sure. I mean, yes, of course, it’s good. And I’m happy for him. But I don’t think he thinks I’m his mate anymore. The firstthing he asked for was his ex.” The words came out as broken sobs.
“Oh Maya.” Her friend wrapped her arms around her, understanding dawning.
“I’m so stupid.” Maya was glad she’d found a secluded area behind some thick bushes. She was a mess.
“No, no, you’re not. I don’t know what you went through on the planet, but trauma bonding is a real thing. I didn’t think that amnesia could mess with their mate bonds. But maybe it’ll just take some time, and he’ll remember you’re his mate after all.”
“No. You don’t understand. He already had a mate. It’s not me.”
Ranek
Beep.
Beep.
Ranek did not recognize the heavy wooden beams on the ceiling, but he knew from the scent that he was in an infirmary. His brother’s voice sounded from the other room, and he pushed himself up to sitting to look around.
Memories of him giving Maya that last kiss right before locking her safe in the room away from the pirates came rushing back, followed by those long moments lying on the mining station floor as his vision dimmed and he realized he would never see her again.
But Ranek was here now, and he was alive. He had to be, because the afterlife surely did not have infirmaries.
Beep.
Beep.
And even if the afterlife did have infirmaries, they wouldn’t have that incessant beeping that made him want to get up and rip the machinery out of the wall just to make it stop.
He inhaled deeply, noting the pain in his healing chest and abdomen. Maya’s scent was in the room, sweet and enticing, but tainted with worry. She was, however, nowhere to be found.
He spotted a large wooden chair with a cushion. Had she been sitting there?
It was the chair that had him realizing where he was. This must be the medical wing in Kean’s compound. He tried to get up and swore at how weak he felt. The medical bed, reacting to his movements, let out another beep, this one louder and longer.
The door to his room opened, and Kean’s personal medic Ulkin walked in; behind him was Ranek’s brother.
“Look who finally decided to stop being a lazy ass and wake up,” Ulkin said with a grin. “How are you feeling?”
“Like dung.”
The older medic chuckled. “You don’t look much better.”
Ranek turned to his brother. “So you finally accepted his offer to work here?”
Vasek scoffed. “No. I’m here because you were in bad shape and Ulkin thought it best I come. And since you asked that, I’m guessing you’ve got your memory back? What do you remember?”
“I remember gutting the pirate after he shot me. Since I’m alive, I guess I won.”
Ulkin huffed. “Just barely. If you all keep hurting yourself, how the fuck am I supposed to retire?”
Ranek looked beyond them to the door. “Where is my mate?”
The two medics exchanged a look.
“Do you remember why you went to Fortuna II?” Vasek asked.
“Yeah. Because my ship fucking sucks and I needed to make the credits to replace it.”
“Hmm.” Ulkin bent lower, a concerned look on his face, and shone a light in Ranek’s eye. “And you remember how you acquired the ship?”
