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Kaelen’s expression had gone hard and cold. Without another word, he turned and stalked away.

Before he had gone far, Zoran said, “She will ask for you. Mia. She will want to thank you for saving her. You are welcome to visit, should she recover enough for visitors.”

“She will,” Kaelen said with a certainty Zoran envied. “Lady Kerus is no weakling.”

“Then you will be welcome among us.”

Kaelen swept his gaze over the garden, then nodded once. “Peace be unto you, Zoran, and unto your beloved mate.”

Zoran bowed respectfully. “And unto you, Kaelen, Lord of Clan Drexus, honored warrior of our people.”

Chapter Twenty

Mia woke from the strangest dream. Brilliant green eyes. The echo of a bone-chilling, animalistic scream. A dark, insidious pain. It lingered in the clammy sweat coating her skin, in the hoarse dryness of her throat, and in the pins and needles prickling up and down her legs.

Her eyes opened to a blurry, unfamiliar room, clearly part of a clinic or hospital, and she caught the scent of woodsmoke and jasmine lingering in the air.

“Darling,” her mother said.

Mia tried to focus on the woman approaching her through the kaleidoscope of light prisming her vision. “Damn hallucinations. You’re on Earth.”

The vision snorted out a laugh. “At least you know where you are, a decided improvement.”

“No idea where I’m at, but it’s pretty,” Mia confessed. She turned her head to take in her surroundings and felt twin waves of dizziness and nausea roll over her. “Gah.”

“Zephyria,” the hallucinated facsimile of her mother said. “Do you remember now?”

“Like I could ever forget being kidnapped by a giant, horned alien.” And a horny one, too.

“By the sappy grin on your face, I’d say you remember that quite well.”

“We’re going to make babies.” Mia’s eyes fluttered closed and she smiled again. “He’s really good at that.”

The dream woman choked on a laugh. “Well, the drugs haven’t worn off yet, I’m sorry to say. Rest now, love. I’ll go get your horned alien.”

“Yeah,” Mia said dreamily, then drifted back into much more pleasant dreams.

A stabbing pain woke Mia what felt like days later. Her eyes went wide as she inhaled and tried to sit up.

Zoran’s hand pressed against her chest, pinning her down, then his face appeared above her. “Easy, mate. The medics are conducting a nerve test.”

“I can tell,” she croaked out. “Water?”

“A moment more.”

One moment turned into dozens. Finally, after a small eternity of uncomfortable bursts of pain, the medics wheeled away their torture devices and Zoran helped her sip water.

“Your mother and father will return shortly,” he said.

Mia peered at him through squinted eyes. The room was still a little bright. At least the psychedelic auras had disappeared. “I thought I dreamed that.”

“You dreamed, but not of this.” He set the water aside and took her hand, gently stroking her fingers. “I sent for them when…”

Her fingers tightened on his. Even in her current state, it was easy to see that whatever had happened to her had hit him hard. His eyes were hollow, and he looked as if he’d lost weight. There was a desperate air to him, as if something terrible had happened, a lonely, agonizing brand of grief and heartache.

“Shh,” she said. “I’m ok now. At least, I feel ok.”

“The damage was not quite as extensive as I feared.” His eyes slid shut and he swallowed hard. “You must undergophysical therapy.”