“Um…” The reasons were obvious. But I’m human, and there are slightly more women than men. Eskar’s culture is very different and having a mate means something more than a temporary relationship or convenience sex.
I wash my hands in the scalding water, then use a sanitizing wipe and put on gloves, well aware that the med kit is already looking rather empty. We’ve had far too many emergencies in the few days we’ve been here. I examine the wound, washing it and looking to see where the blood is coming from. Something liver like is cut. I give the organ a prod, and Eskar groans.
I don’t think I’ll be able to stitch it on my own. The kit has a small stitching gun, as well as needle and thread, but the wound will need to be held open so I can get in there. Wraight has the light and Harding is on prisoner duty.
I study Eskar, he’s too calm. Like he’s already resigned himself to fate. If he has, am I wasting my time and resources trying to fix him?
“Hey…can you hold open the edges so I can stop the bleeder?” I’m aware that the toxin slowing his heart is probably all that’s keeping him alive.
Eskar considers me for several heartbeats. “You really want me to live?”
Maybe it is the drug, but I don’t want to lose him when I’ve only just found him. “I don’t care that Noil is next in line for a mate. It’s my choice. And I want you.”
Chapter 13
Two stitches later,the bleeding has all but stopped. I tip a little wound sealer into the hole—hoping that Eskar doesn’t have an adverse reaction to the human drug. Then I bandage him up.
“I’ll check on Harding.” I take the burning torch from Wraight with blood-sticky fingers and make my way over.
Harding has bound Noil’s hands, even though the Paohl is still unconscious or doing an excellent job of faking it. The skin on the left side of his face and body is melted and blistered. A terrible burn, even if I had access to more supplies. Out here? He’ll be lucky to survive, as the risk of infection is high.
“Will the other one make it?” Harding asks, his arms are crossed, and his gaze remains on Noil as though he can’t bear to look at me.
“Maybe… if I became his mate.” I wait for Harding to say something, but the silence grows. “Spit it out. You don’t like it.”
He pulls a face. “It’s your life, but from the sounds of it, we’re going to be here for a while.”
“Forever.” I don’t know if I could commit to forever. If I ever left him, he’d die. I guess that means the Paohl males take good care of their mate because divorce is rather final.
“You know nothing about him.”
“No.” I don’t really know my shipmates either. We’ve been thrown into this, expecting to find the survey ship and Sawle and Daley, before heading home with a story to tell. Fat flakes of snow start to fall. I tip my face to the sky and the flakes dot my skin like cold kisses. “You think I should let them both die?”
He shrugs. “I think when the other one gets back; we’ll have to act fast. He’s either fetching their captain, or he’s getting his friends. Either way there’s only three of us and Wraight is out of action, and you are hot property.”
“What should we do? Leave?”
“Fuck, I wish Milford was here. She’d know exactly what to do.”
“We should look for her.”
“Not tonight. We are already too vulnerable.” He shakes his head. “It might take a week, maybe two, but we won’t last the hundred days.”
“We might…” It’s possible, but unlikely. “Wraight won’t. He needs more care.” As did Eskar.
“And what do we do with him? And his friends?” He points at Noil, then shakes his head. “No, surrendering to the Paohl captain is the smart move.”
“There might be other aliens out here?” Other groups of survivors, but that didn’t mean they’d be friendly.
“You’d walk away from him and let him die?” Harding jerks his head at Eskar.
I glance at Eskar lying on the ground where I left him, and I know I can’t leave him not when there’s a chance that we could work out. Maybe that’s just the drug in my blood making me want to try. It’s certainly winding up my libido. I’ve never even wanted to kiss an alien before, now it’s all I can think about…assuming he survives his injury and that isn’t a given. Having a Paohl mate will offer me some protection in this place. And Eskar was adamant that mates should be valued and cared for, and that sounded like a damn perfect dream.
“No, I can’t leave him. But you don’t have to stay and wait for the Paohl to arrive. You can search for Ava. Go back to the ship…whatever.”
“I’ve thought about it.” He draws in a breath. “But I’m staying. There’s a lot of single Paohl men, there’s got to be a couple who want a bit of company?” He gives me a crooked smile, and I realize I’m not the only one hoping for a mate.
I give him a single nod. “Okay, shall we get the wounded out of the snow and try to sleep?” I’m feeling a little frayed and I’ll be checking on the wounded during the night.
