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* * *

The next time I wake, Hyva is sitting beside me, his feet resting on the empty bed beside me and his back against the railing of mine. In his lap is a tablet that he’s scrolling through, lines of text that I can read but not understand pass as he flips through the document. I shift my weight, trying to move to a more comfortable position, and he immediately turns his head.

“You’re awake.” He drops his feet, sets the tablet aside and stands over me. “How are you feeling?”

“Groggy.” I try to sit up, but he stops me with a hand on my shoulder.

“Here.” He presses a button, and the back of the mattress lifts me into a reclined but upright sitting position.

“Thank you.” I draw a deep breath, bracing myself for the pain I experienced last time but nothing happens. “That didn’t hurt.”

“Good. The serum must have worked.” He grabs his sensor. “I’m going to take a look, is that okay?”

“Yes.”

He pulls the sheet covering me down and slides the gown I’m wearing to the side, exposing my side. A greenish bruise covers the side of my body from my ribs to the curve of my hip. He frowns, pulling the sheet up to just below my belly button and shifts the gown until my entire abdomen is bare. I wince when he presses against my ribs, and a growl reverberates through the room.

Hyva’s lips twitch at the sound, but he doesn’t stop. “Sorry,” he says to me. “How bad does it hurt? Compared to before?”

“A lot less.” My eyes meet Raiz’s gaze from over Hyva’s shoulder.

Raiz glares down at Hyva’s hand on my skin. He looks as though he could tear him apart for hurting me. Warmth travels through me at how protective he is after only knowing me a short time. It speaks volumes about the type of male he is.

“Can’t the readings from the scanner do a better job than poking at her yourself?” he asks.

“Nothing is better than the touch of a medic.” Hyva winks at me, thoroughly amused at his friend’s irritation.

“It’s okay. It doesn't hurt much.”

“Is that normal for humans?” Raiz points at the bruises. “The color changing skin?”

“Yes. It’s blood pooling beneath my skin from broken blood vessels. It happens rather easily.”

“From what I’ve read, it’s as she says,” Hyva confirms. “Humans are delicate, but there’s an intriguing resilience to them as well. The fractures are all healed. I’m going to go grab a couple things from my office, and then she could probably move back into her quarters for a few more days of rest in a more comfortable environment.”

Raiz takes his place as he walks away. His hand settles over the bare skin of my stomach, his fingertips tracing small circles over my skin. Goosebumps ripple out from where he caresses me, and his eyes move from them to my eyes.

“Are you cold?” His voice is low.

I shake my head. “No.”

“Does this tickle?” His lips lift in the slightest of smiles.

“I wouldn’t call it a tickle, it just feels good.”

The way he looks at me, so much like he did when I straddled him in the springs, makes heat flood my body. It starts at the point where he makes contact with my skin and spreads out from there. His nostrils flare, and he yanks his hand from my flesh. He turns quickly on his heel and strides into Hyva’s office, closing the door behind him.

I’m left behind, reeling, as the effects of his touch on my body linger. I press my thighs together and take a deep breath. I’m literally laying here in a med bay and just the touch of this male has me thinking and feeling dirty thoughts. I can see Raiz through the window as he paces, his hand running through his hair while Hyva smirks at him.

I wish I could hear what they’re saying. I know it has to be about me. He’s probably stressed out because I’m so easily turned on by his touch. It’s a problem. One we’ll have to find a solution for before it comes time for me to leave.

As always, the thought of leaving forms a pit in my stomach. It’s like my body rejects the idea of being parted from him. In fact, the first thing I looked for upon waking was Raiz. He’s who I seek in every room, and I don’t even remember when it started. Maybe the first moment I woke after being taken?

That can’t be right, though, can it? It doesn’t make sense. The pull I feel to him must have an explanation that makes sense. I just have to figure it out before I get attached.

* * *

My entire body aches with the effort of walking to my quarters on the ship. Raiz wanted to carry me, but I told him it wasn’t necessary. Had I realized that being vertical would differ so much from laying on a bed in med bay, I might have reconsidered. But it’s too late now, I don’t want him worrying anymore about me than he has been.