At some point a chair was brought over and I sank into it, picking up the female’s hand and rubbing small circles into the softest skin imaginable. I yanked a white screen in front of us and kept prying and inquisitive eyes off my little human. Fatigue pressed in as I settled into the quiet space. I wouldn’t sleep until I knew her identity. If this was Kerra’s sister, Kacie Hargrave, I wanted to know.
When anyone came close to the screen, I growled in response, chasing them away with haste. I knew I was being overprotective, but it was my duty to remain here until Motok returned. My honor demanded that I kept my promise and never left the human alone.
I heard voices and stood, standing back for Kerra when she rushed to the female on the bed and burst into tears.
“Kacie!”
Moving to the other side of the bed, I picked up the female’s hand and held it. She was still unconscious. I wouldn’t leave until I knew she was settled.
Chapter 3 – Kacie
The room slowly came into focus as multiple voices surrounded my body on all sides. It took a moment to realize that I was resting flat on my back and covered with layers of blankets. Disoriented, the memories of my attack, Rymar, and the captivity of recent weeks took their time rising to the surface of my mind. My fingers gripped the blankets and I thought I felt a warm hand squeeze my own in return. My heart raced until I realized I was in some kind of medical facility. Beeping from machines, the clean smell of sterile surfaces, and cool air were familiar. I’d worked on plenty of starships, battlecruisers, and intergalactic vessels enough to recognize the sights and smells.
Blinking, I was surprised to find my sister Kerra standing next to my bed.
“She’s alive. My sister is alive,” Kerra blubbered, shaking her head as tears lingered in her eyes and then spilled over, sliding down her flushed cheeks. “Oh, Kacie.”
“Hey, stop all that nonsense,” I croaked, squeezing her hand as she rushed forward, practically throwing herself into my arms.
“You’re going to crush me,” I joked.
Kerra leaned back, wiping the tears from her faces with a relieved smile. “I can’t believe it.”
“Why?” I asked with a frown. “Did you think I was dead or something?”
“Or something,” a male voice announced, releasing my hand reluctantly as he stepped back. Memories of the slavers, the planet Cryton, imprisonment, and my attack surfaced as I swallowed hard. The big silver alien was staring intently into my eyes, his broad shoulders tense.
“Are you well?”
When my rescuer spoke, I was startled by the deep, rich timbre of his voice. The tone was overwhelming and commanding in the small space we occupied in the med bay and I resisted the urge to shiver. He’d spoken before but I never noticed how undeniably sensual and exotic his tone was. I’d been far too traumatized to be aware of a damn thing.
“I think so,” I answered, touched by the genuine concern in his eyes.
“You will be avenged,” he promised. His words were clipped, a rumbling growl of resolve that I completely believed.
“Thank you.” I reached out my hand, silently giving him the chance to take it again. This man prevented the greatest horror imaginable. He was my champion. A man of honor.
The silver warrior visibly trembled but shook his head. “You’ve been traumatized enough. I should leave you. This moment is intimate with your sister. Forgive my interference.”
Frowning, I dropped my hand. “Nonsense. You saved me. What’s your name?”
“Valtus,” he answered with a thump of his fist over his chest. “I would do so again without hesitation.”
“I don’t have adequate words to express my gratitude. You’re my hero.”
He shifted from one foot to the other. My words made him uncomfortable. “It was my duty. Your safety and recovery are all that matter. I do not need fancy words.”
“I disagree. You’re incredibly brave and I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”
“It was my pleasure.” A hint of a grin played upon the corners of his lips before Valtus bowed briefly. The skin on the side of his face was tugged downward by a long scar but I didn’t stare at the puffed disfigurement. “I will leave you now.”
“Wait,” I yelled, almost desperate to keep him by my side a little longer. “What if I need you again?”
This alien’s presence made me feel safe. I didn’t want to lose that feeling so soon.
A small smile appeared and then vanished so quickly I wasn’t sure if I imagined the expression or not. Valtus pulled the pin off the lapel on his uniform and approached the bed, placing it in the palm of my hand. “Keep this with you. There’s a comm device installed. I will grab another, and we can communicate whenever you wish.” Bowing again, he left the medical bay, sauntering away as if he knew I watched him all the way to the exit doors.
“Give us a moment, my love,” Kerra asked, placing a kiss on the silver hunk next to her side.
I didn’t notice him until now. He was as big and bulky as Valtus but without the scar or quiet grace. Both had a commanding presence but were vastly different from one another.
“As you wish, my Venya.”
He followed Valtus and left me alone with my sister.
“My love?” I asked with a smirk.
Kerra’s smile twitched with amusement. “We have a lot of catching up to do,” she answered as her humor faded. “I love you, Kacie. Tell me you’re okay.”
The past was something I didn’t want to dwell on. I shoved it aside. “I will be, Kerra. With time, I hope I will be.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.” She sighed, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. “You forget that I know when you’re hurting.”
“I don’t want to talk about it yet. I can’t,” I emphasized, refusing to indulge the impulse to cry.
“Alright. I’ll let it drop for now but we’re going to talk about this once you’re able. I’m not going to force you before you’re ready, but I won’t let you suffer in silence either.”
I loved her for knowing exactly what I needed. “Thanks, Ker Bear.”
She snorted. “I swear. You better never call me that in front of Motok. He’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
“Motok? Is that the sexy silver stud that looked like he wanted to devour you?”
She giggled. “Yeah. What a stupid time for me to gush over him. Terrible timing. Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I replied honestly. “Really. I want to hear all about him. Don’t worry about me. Tell me how you met.”
“Well, Motok rescued me when I was attacked by Zhorn slavers and Tylons.”
Shit! “Where? On Earth?”
“Right outside my apartment building. The same night you were supposed to arrive home on leave from the ISP.”
“Damn. I was being held in a detainment facility that orbited the planet Cryton.”
Her eyes widened. “How long were you a prisoner?”
“Two months,” I admitted, biting my lower lip. Another conversation I didn’t want to have right now. “What happened after Motok rescued you?”