“Take her now,” the commander says. “She needs help.”
“Let me take her,” Khrys entreats, but the warrior Gabin takes his arm. “You’re only making it worse,” he says.
The two warriors take me by the arms. “You’ll be okay very soon,” one of them promises me. “We’re taking you to Doctor Daneth.”
He says this like it’s supposed to bring comfort. Instead, I nearly swoon from the panic. The hyperventilation starts. The taste of the vomit is acrid in my mouth.
One of the warriors walks by holding Whimmie with his thumb and middle finger away from his body like she’s diseased.
I scream. “Don’t hurt her!” I wail. “She’s mine! She’s mine. Please.” I collapse completely, my feet dragging like a limp doll.
A Zandian picks me up with ease although his arms are dispassionate. “Hurry,” he says to his companion. “She’s precious to Zandia. We need to get her to the doctor immediately.”
The last thing I remember before blacking out is the sound of my hiccupped breaths and the pain of a headache breaking my skull apart in a million pieces.
Chapter 11
Khrys
I’ve never experienced pain like this before—not even when my brother died. It’s all true what they say about human females. They activate emotions in us. Bring us to life. Make us vulnerable to this life-crushing heartache.
Because Kailani—the beautiful, strong, sweet being I vowed to protect—feels betrayed by me.
Veck!
I did betray her. It was my own idiocy in not explaining the situation. I put it off, wanting to win her trust, to bond her to me. But I should have told her before we landed. Instead, I selfishly claimed her again and again, forgetting about what was important.
Zandia.
Except that doesn’t feel right.
Not Zandia—Kailani.
Stars, yes. It’s true. That female means more to me than my honor. Even more than aiding the ailing halflings. If I’d handled myself better, it wouldn’t be a choice. If I’d been able to convince Kailani to help before we arrived.
Veck it all! This is my worst mistake of all.
Gabin leads me into an interrogation room and sits with me. “You’re to wait for the council, I believe.”
When I don’t answer, he says, I’m sorry, my friend.”
I shake my head. “No, I deserve this and more. All of it. My mate—”
Gabin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Did you mate her? Without permission? I didn’t see any piercings.”
I drop my head into my hands. “No, not officially. But I claimed her, Gabin. She trusted me. And right now, she’s afraid and alone, and I’m here in this holding cell for questioning, unable to do anything.”
Gabin shakes his head. “It didn’t seem to me like she wanted you there.”
The terrible weight on my chest grows even heavier. “Veck. I know. I never told her why we wanted her. She’s been traumatized by her former masters. She hates doctors and needles and surgeries. I didn’t want to scare her. I thought I’d win her trust first. But I made it so much worse.”
“Not worse,” Gabin says, but I know he’s just being kind.
“I need to be with her. Even if she doesn’t want me there. We’ve bonded.”
Gabin’s wrist comm lights up. “Take Captain Khrys to a holding cell. The king doesn’t want to see him until the human has been evaluated.”
I shoot to my feet. “No!” I shout. “That’s too late. Master Seke, my mate is highly distressed. At this point, she is unwilling to give any samples. Are we going to force her? Treat her as badly as the rest of the galaxy treats humans?”