“No, we gave her a sedative and the nanos are already healing her from the inside. The skin sealant is keeping her from losing any more blood. She will not wake for at least twelve hours, but she will be almost completely healed by that time.”
It was a relief to CristOF to know she wouldn’t suffer any more pain. It tore at him that she’d been injured. Someone as kind and gentle as Tera should never have been placed in this situation. Goddess, he’d almost lost her. He followed the medics as they carried her to the shuttle his mind raced with all the things he wanted to say to her.
Tera had told him she loved him. He’d also told her, but he wasn’t sure she had heard him. This was not where he had wanted to say the words. CristOF had wanted to woo her with many picnics and evening meals together. He would take her dancing and make love to her. He would tell her how much she meant to him. Once she awakens, he planned to say the words of love to her again and again. He would convince her to mate him officially and he would spend the rest of their lives showing her just how much he loved her.
“The medics are going to take good care of her. She will recover and will be by your side in no time,” TylOR reassured him.
“She’s been exposed to the ugliness of hatred, and suffered being injured. How can I expect that she would want to have anything else to do with me?”
“She told you she loved you. Strong women who love don’t give up so easily. Let her decide what she wants.”
“All I want is to protect her, keep her safe. I feel that I have failed her.”
“Her abduction was not your fault. Place the blame where it should be, on the rebels. They have gone too far, abandoning their honor, forsaking our laws. We will need to meet with Prime Leader KadEN and the other leaders. Something more drastic must be done.”
“Do you think our people are on the verge of a civil war?” he asked TylOR.
“This might be what pushes us into one, we’ll do everything we can to prevent it.”
“How? What can we do to stop these rebels?”
“We have the best warriors in the galaxy. If the rebels on that island were an example to the quality of fighting they can do, they’ll be wiped out with the next confrontation. Our leaders and commanders will discuss paths to take to keep us from war.”
Once they reached the beach, several shuttles awaited them. He and TylOR would travel in the shuttle with Tera and the medics. They placed the platform she was laying on across the back row of seats and secured it. He wanted to be next to her but the medics needed to be there to monitor her the on the trip back to the prime city.
He fought his instinct to shove the males away and keep her to himself. That wasn’t a rational thought and he didn’t know where it was coming from. He gripped the arms to his seat trying to keep himself in place.
“Are you okay?” TylOR asked him with concern.
“I feel...protective. There’s this aggression like I’ve never experienced before completely took me over when I was fighting to keep her safe. Now I feel helpless and I hate that feeling. Other males are near her, touching her and I feel like I’m going to lose it.”
“I too have experienced those feelings for my own mate. Take deep breaths and remind yourself that she is safe, she is healing, and soon you will be able to take her to your home. She will be in your arms. I know you’ll want to take you to your home in the jungles, but my mate and Prima Lindsey would be appreciative if you delayed taking her away for a few months. Miss Kincaid is helping with the foster children and they would like her to be there when the children arrive to Kiljor.”
“I hope that I can convince her to stay here with me.”
CristOF had to face facts. What had happened to Tera was horrific. She might not want to remain on Kiljor. She could be so terrified that she might request to return to Earth to be with her family. So far none of the humans have asked to go back to Earth but Tera could after all this.
Looking back at her again CristOF knew he wouldn’t be able to let her go. If she left Kiljor, he would go with her wherever she decided to go, if she allowed it. If she didn’t want to have anything to do with him, he would not know what he would do. Maybe follow and watch over her. That would be difficult. He had to convince her to accept him.
Gratefully the trip back to the Kiljorn prime city went by quickly. When they landed on the rooftop more medics were on standby waiting to assist with Tera. He made to follow after her but TylOR stopped him.
“We have an emergency meeting with Prime Leader KadEN. He needs you there, now.”
Frowning CristOF growled low with frustration. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“I understand CristOF, really I do. What happened to Tera could happen to other females, or worse, it could happen to the human young. We have young coming here to live, innocent defenseless young. If we can’t do anything stop the rebels now, those young will be threatened as well. They would live their lives in fear.”
CristOF knew he spoke the truth. Tera had worked hard to build the school for these human young. She would want him to ensure their safety. An hour or two was nothing if it could help protect Tera and the young.
He nodded and followed TylOR to the lift. His mind was racing with so many thoughts, mostly circling around his female, what could have happened if he had not seen her. Taking a deep breath he focused his concentration on everything he could remember about his encounter with the rebels. It was important to report every detail he could remember.
“When will StrykER begin the interrogations?” he asked TylOR.
“Tonight. He wants the prisoners tired, and he also requested that we withhold medical treatment if possible. It will give the males more incentive to be cooperative.”
“That makes sense. Though, I don’t know how much the majority of the males will be able to share. Half of the males were not warriors, they were taken from their homes.”
“The rebel leader…he’s not the same as the one that StrykER encountered before on his last mission,” TylOR said as they got out of the lift and headed toward the Prime Leader’s office.
