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I was definitely sure that I did not like the fact that Tasha and Warden Hallum had been alone together this entire time.

But I was alive. And healing far more quickly than I ought to be. So, really, did I have any grounds for complaints?

“Who paid for it?” I asked. Gingerly, I tried sitting up, and when I found it did not hurt beyond the feeling of someone pressing on a bruise, I continued until I was propped mostly upright against the bed’s wooden headboard.

Tasha watched me closely for signs of pain. When she was satisfied I wasn’t about to pass out from the simple act of sitting up, she cleared her throat, tucked a non-existent hair behind her ear, then mumbled, “I did.”

“You did?Sonic freight?That must have cost a fortune!”

“Well, I’m saving quite a bit now that I’ve given up my lease on Elora Station. So it all balances out. Besides.” Something sparkled in her eyes. Mischief. Or maybe wickedness. “I’m sure my husband’s got some credits to help get me through.”

Her husband.

The agony was back. But this time, it was not physical.

“You’ve… You’ve taken another husband.”

A wealthy one, it seemed. Did she do that simply to pay for my treatment?

I would have rather spent the rest of my life in pain than that.

“I haven’t taken another husband, you dope,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m talking aboutyou.”Tasha rose from the chair, then came to sit on the edge of the bed.

My tail went ’round her waist. Just as it had so many times before.

Husband, she’d said.

You, she’d said.

I pulled her against my chest.

“Careful!” she gasped. “Your collarbone!”

“It’s fine,” I growled, pressing my nose to the top of her head and inhaling deeply.

“Are you sure? Zohro said that it was badly broken.”

“I’m sure.”

It really didn’t hurt much. In fact, everything hurt less now than even a few moments ago, when I’d first awoken.

“I’m so glad,” Tasha breathed. “I got you the good stuff. Obviously, it’s working. It’s repairing everything from the inside out. Rebuilding bone. Creating new blood cells. Repairing tissue.Before it arrived, we thought we might need to do a blood transfusion. Warden Hallum was able to check your blood type in some files.”

Tasha nuzzled closer. My body buzzed at her proximity.

“Out of everyone in the province, Xennet was the only match,” she said. “He offered to donate right away.” Her voice quietened. “Those three saved you, you know. They got the beam off you. Carried you inside. They did everything Zohro told them to, without complaint. They really made a great team, all in all.”

“Remind me to thank them,” I murmured against the top of her head.

“Oh, I think I’ve thanked them enough for the both of us.” She drew back so that I could see her face. “I’ve decided that the bride program will go ahead. When I saw how they all jumped in to help you without a second’s hesitation… I mean, Xennet was literally about to open his freaking veins for you!”

She plopped herself back against my chest.

“They’re good men. Now, we are going to make some changes to the program. We’re going to be operating on a province-by-province basis, with Warden Hallum’s men being next in line. Nobody’s going to get a bride without any sort of screening. And I’m going to bring the next group of potential brides here for some kind of social event. To meet Oaken, Zohro, and the other three men before they decide if the want to marry. Plus a few other things, like weekly wellness check-ins for the first few months after a wedding takes place, completed in person by the wardens.”

“It seems you and Warden Hallum have made many plans without me,” I grumbled.

She raised her head once more. Brought her face close to me.