Page 22 of Adtovar (The Alliance Rescue #1)
Turning from her task, the dark eyes met mine and for a moment, we simply stared at each other.
Then, with a sound that teetered between a sob and a laugh, she covered the short distance between us in a few quick steps, launching herself into my arms. We clung to each other tightly, allowing the calm stillness of the room to envelop us, soothing the chaos and panic that governed the last few minutes.
“Are you alright?” I asked, my voice thick. Maddie leaned her head back, her dark eyes meeting mine. Although I sensed her injuries were only superficial, I needed the reassurance of hearing it directly from her lips.
A faint smile played on her full lips. “I’m okay thanks to you.”
I let my eyes wander over her, taking in the sight of the deep, purplish bruise blossoming on her cheek, a stark contrast against her otherwise smooth dark skin. Her breasts bore marks of the attack, welts and scratches that marred the otherwise smooth and supple flesh.
“It’s my turn to tend to you,” I murmured, letting my fingertips trail along the edge of her cheek. I regretted killing Melakor as I had. I wished I’d taken longer, made him suffer more.
I gently lifted her in my arms, unwilling to let her take even the few small steps necessary to reach the cot.
Her dark eyes followed my every movement as I bustled around, collecting the needed supplies.
The soft gurgle of a bowl filling with cool water echoed as I poured from the battered metal pitcher.
I gathered a clean cloth and the small tin of healing salve from the makeshift medical kit handing behind the door.
Rummaging through my own kit, I found a few items that might help—something to ease her pain and ward off infection.
I eased myself onto the cot beside her, carefully peeling away the tattered remains of her tunic, which hung in shreds from shoulders.
Slowly, I dipped a cloth into the bowl of water and washed her, each stroke deliberate and tender, as if wiping away not just the physical remnants of Melakor’s touch but also the haunting memories.
My hands moved with a gentle, impersonal grace, even when applying the soothing salve over her breasts, which I adored for their softness and suppleness—one of my favorite parts of her delightful body.
Yet today, of all days, Maddie needed a gentle touch, not desire.
She remained silent while I carefully tended to her wounds, her big, dark eyes fixed on me, filled with a mixture of curiosity and trust. The only sound that punctuated the stillness was the occasional heavy sigh that escaped her lips, like a soft, mournful breeze.
Apart from her shredded tunic, Maddie had only one other piece of clothing—a flimsy, threadbare dress.
Despite my reluctance to leave her side, even for the briefest moment, I rose, going across the corridor into my own cell and returning moments later with one of my shirts in hand.
Maddie lifted her arms as I gently pulled the soft fabric over her head.
The shirt enveloped her, hanging loosely and comfortably, three sizes too large so it sufficed for a makeshift dress.
I couldn’t help but appreciate the sight of her wrapped in my clothing, a simple yet intimate gesture that seemed to tie us closer together.
I gently tucked her under the worn, faded blanket and sat beside her on the narrow, creaky cot.
The dim light filtering from overhead cast soft shadows across her face, highlighting her exhaustion and vulnerability.
I finally surrendered to the question that had been relentlessly echoing in my mind ever since I stumbled upon her on the verge of being violated by Melakor.
“Why were you in the gladiator quarters?”
Maddie’s expression flashed with regret. She reached over, snagging the bag she’d left lying on the bedside table, and pulled out a small yellow crystal.
“For this. It’s a sulfur crystal, the last ingredient needed to make gunpowder.”
Gunpowder. The gritty substance she had used to cauterize my wound.
“You think I’m going to need saving again?
” I teased, running my fingers over the faint pink line etched across my chest. The wound, now a mere whisper of the injury, didn’t bother me at all, except for an occasional itch.
My horns didn’t itch anymore either—a change that came with the acceptance of Maddie as my mate.
Acknowledging her had somehow eased the tension, transforming irritation into a serene calm.
“Maybe.” Maddie lay back on the cot, her dark eyes watching me intently. “You know there are rumors Bozzo is bringing in a ringer for your last fight?”
“So, I’ve heard.” Rumors in the pit had Bozzo bringing in every creature from a rymat to a dulozgo , but nothing that gave me pause.
She captured the hand I had laying on my chest, her fingers entwining in mine. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“You can’t promise that,” Maddie huffed, shifting into a sitting position. “We don’t know what will happen. Just like I didn’t know that Melakor....” Her voice trailed off as an angry frown creased her features. “I want to be ready, no matter what Bozzo throws at us.”
“We will be,” I soothed, gently pressing her back against the mattress. She acquiesced without a hint of struggle. “But now, you need rest.”
Maddie stayed immobile as I tucked the blanket around her shoulders. “Stay with me?”
I had no intention of leaving her side. Not now, not ever. “Always.”
Maddie shifted slightly, creating space for me on the narrow cot.
I lay down beside her, gently pulling her into my arms, her head finding a resting place on my chest. We remained motionless and silent for what felt like an eternity, wrapped in a cocoon of quietude.
Above us, the muffled sounds of the arena signaled the end of the fights, and a cacophony of footsteps and voices signaled the gladiators returning to the underground, marking the passage of time.
We dozed, but the bouts of sleep were fitful for both of us.
I came awake fully, later in the night, listening intently for clues that Melakor’s death had been discovered.
The stillness of the underground held nothing but peaceful silence.
Despite Maddie’s stillness beside me, the rhythmic rise and fall of her breath betrayed her wakefulness. Each inhale and exhale a soft whisper.
“You should sleep, my sweet,” I urged, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“My mind won’t settle.” She shifted, moving her head to rest on my bicep, so she could gaze up at me.
“Don’t,” I admonished softly, pressing a kiss to the tip of her adorable nose. “Don’t let Melakor take anything else from you with the memories.”
Her lips pressed together, and she gave a short jerk of her head. “It’s not him. I was just thinking that... in a couple of days, we will all be free.”
“Yes.”
“What’s going to happen to the females?”
Her question caught me off guard. Primarily because I had spent little time contemplating what lay beyond our escape.
Her safety and that of the other females was paramount.
Once they were aboard the Historia , away from the threat of harm, then I would contemplate the future.
Her dark eyes studied me curiously, and my heart stuttered at the uncertainty painting her expression.
I understood wanting to know what one’s future held—more than most.
“We will return them to their home planets if they wish.If not, there are other places that offer sanctuary.”
“What about me?”
You will stay by my side, as my mate. I yearned to say, to claim her as mine. Yet the words froze on my tongue, refusing to be spoken. Despite the intensity of my desire to keep her with me, I could not bring myself to prevent her from returning to Earth, if that was what she wanted.
“Our healers will see you, and if you haven’t been altered, then you can return to Earth.” My voice sounded rough, the words choking.
I felt the deep breath Maddie drew with the rise of her breasts against my chest. “What if I don’t want to return to Earth?”
My heart pounded erratically, each beat resonating with a surge of hope. Yet I restrained myself from indulging in dreams just yet.
“There are several places human females can be safe,” I told her. “Tau Ceti. The Ardeese Valout space station....”
“What about the Historia?” Her question interrupted my recitation of choices, slicing through my words like a sudden gust of wind that scatters a carefully arranged pile of leaves.
“You—you would wish to remain on the ship?” Uncertainty weighed heavily on my tongue, each syllable reluctantly escaping my lips, a swirl of thoughts vying for clarity in my mind.
Her dark, soulful eyes met mine. “You’ll be aboard, right?”
“You would wish to remain… with me?” I fumbled over my words, feeling like a wide-eyed youngling receiving a long-awaited, most cherished gift, which perfectly captured the overwhelming sense of joy and wonder flooding through me.
Maddie’s full lips quirked upward in the sweetest of smiles. “Melakor said something, and it got me to thinking.”
Melakor?“You should take none of his words to heart,” I grumbled, resenting the intrusion of his presence into the moment.
“Hopefully, I can,” she murmured. Maddie shifted, raising upon an elbow, putting her gaze even with mine. “Melakor told me that for an Aljani like you, having your horns itch is a sign that you’ve found a mate.”
“That is true,” I whispered. If my heart’s desire came to me because of something Melakor said.... Well, I still didn’t regret killing him, killing him quickly didn’t chafe quite as bad.
“When we first met, it seemed like your horns itched a lot.” As she spoke, I felt the gentle trace of her finger circling the base of my horns, like a streak of lightning sparking across my skin. “Was it because of me?”