Page 34

Artek

I woke up groggy and with a foul taste in my mouth; my temple ached where I’d been wounded previously.

The scales had not fully healed over the gash yet, leaving a weak spot.

I’d bled from the spot when they struck me outside, and more when they struck me aboard the ship, but that did not explain why I’d passed out.

I recognized my symptoms, though, someone had sedated me.

“Nala?” I asked, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the darkness around me.

A faint glow was all the light there was to see by, and I soon discovered where it came from: me.

I sighed in relief, because that meant my mate was with me.

She did not respond, however, but as I focused on her and on my body, I could sense her.

She was at my side, lying half on top of me and snoring gently. She was asleep.

My body ached from bruises deep beneath my scales, but the hard, pearlescent natural armor had protected me from the worst of the beatings I’d received.

Only the head wound was giving me trouble, causing a sharp pain when I moved—the crust was dried and pulling uncomfortably on my flesh.

I was sore, mostly in my muscles, because they were not used to this much work on so little sleep and food.

Sliding my hand down my body, I softly patted Nala to make sure she was okay, being careful not to wake her.

Then I located my sash and began checking my pouches one by one.

They had not searched them, so I had a small amount of supplies, but most importantly, I had my healing device.

Pulling it from the special, insulated lining that should have protected it from the EM blast, I slid it onto my hand gingerly.

My knuckles were a little bruised and swollen from the fight, but I managed to make it fit.

Then came the true test: did it still work?

I held my breath, focused my mind. Picturing myself seeing Nala’s broken wrist from the inside out, and then, just like always, the images began to stream naturally.

All I had to do now was focus my will, tell the device what I wanted, and lend it my strength: knit the bones, suture the torn veins, ease the swelling, close the wound.

Nala stirred when I was almost done, and my limited strength was beginning to run out, drained by the healing device.

“Artek! You’re awake?” she murmured sleepily.

I saw the crown of her head shift against my abdomen, her silky hair brushing across my scales.

Tiredness abruptly forgotten, my body surged with the urge to mate, my cock stirring eagerly in its pouch.

“Yes,” I managed, my throat closing up tight as I recalled how much danger she’d been in before.

How badly I’d messed this up by botching my rescue attempt.

I didn’t know where we were right now, just that we were alone and she wasn’t hurt, not anymore.

I shifted my hand with the healing device, pressing it against her side, then sliding it between us to curve under her coat and rest against her belly.

Heart in my throat, I focused on the precious life growing inside her, furious with myself for not checking on it sooner.

All was well, but that did not ease the tension coursing through my body.

I’d proven with this stunt that I was not Hunter material, I was a Shaman, and I should remember that.

These mating instincts were powerful, and they’d clouded my judgment over and over.

Still, Nala was here with me, forgiving my mistakes, fighting at my side.

I knew it was thanks to her that I was not dead right now, that neither of us were.

“Good,” she sighed, and her hand curved over mine across the bump of her pregnant belly.

Still small enough to stay hidden beneath that coat, and I hoped that meant no one knew.

“I was really worried about you, Artek. I tried my best to patch up that head wound, but I only had limited supplies.” Her words made me lift my free hand so I could touch my temple, fully expecting there to be a lot of blood and a gaping cut.

But my scales and hair had been cleaned and brushed out, the reopened wound covered by some kind of smooth, self-adhering bandage. It hurt, but she’d done a good job.

“Where did you get the bandage?” I asked, shifting slowly upright and gently lifting her so I could cradle her in my lap.

It wasn’t a bandage from my supplies, this was a technology I wasn’t quite familiar with, though it was very similar to bandages I had stocked in my home.

My cock was stirring again, reminding me of the desire to mate her, all the more urgent because I wanted to reassure myself that she was okay.

The press of her soft rear did not help, but I relished it anyway, hugging her more tightly to me.

“The Kertinal gave it to me,” she said, sounding thoughtful.

“I think he even gave me a veiled warning about when to be gone from here. Tomorrow morning. We’ve got all night to think of an escape plan.

” I racked my brain, trying to figure out who she was talking about, the big gray one or the horned one with the far-too-clever eyes?

But several hours to come up with a plan sounded…

good. The room was small and all metal—so was the door—but the hinges were exposed on this side. I could work with that.

“You think this Kertinal might secretly be an ally?” I asked, and I did not like how grumpy my tone was.

Any hint of a male showing interest in my Nala set off my instincts.

I hoped that would ease once I’d claimed her sexy body in every way that mattered, but I was beginning to think this response was hardwired in my brain.

Her soft laugh made it obvious she’d heard the jealousy, and she was amused by it rather than offended.

Truly, this female was extremely forgiving of all my quirks and my fumbling.

She had raised her hands and was carefully taking off the improvised splint and rags, testing her range of motion now that the bone had healed.

“Thank you, Artek. I know how much it takes out of you to heal another. Is there any way I could use that device and heal you?” She touched her fingers to the healing device still hooked around my hand.

“I heard that Cosima has an aptitude for it, but it’s not something most Naga or humans can simply do.

” I slipped it off, then took her hand and carefully slid the rings and bracelet around the small limb.

So tiny, but the device adjusted automatically so it wouldn’t slip off.

That didn’t mean anything, and though I didn’t want her to exhaust herself healing me, it would be very helpful if she could ease the pounding headache behind my eyes, radiating from my wounded temple.

I gave her quiet instructions, then bit back a moan when she twisted in my lap and flung her legs around either side of my hips.

It brought my slit awfully close to hers, and my cock began pushing to extrude, the tips twisting and writhing within the confines of the ring I’d slipped around them.

“Like this?” she asked, as she held the hand with the device over my temple, lifting a little on her knees to reach.

There was a furrow of concentration on her brow, her teeth digging into her bottom lip, but I felt no heat.

What I did feel was her breasts through the leather coat, pressing up against my chest.

Distracted, I nodded and hummed a noise of agreement, my fingers working to open the coat and slide it from her shoulders.

This was not the most comfortable place for a mating, but it was private.

My EM pulse had also disabled much, if not all, of the ship; they could not use sensors or cameras to spy on us.

“Artek,” she said in a chiding tone, her hand lowering from my temple to rest against my shoulder.

“Is it working or not?” she demanded, then laughed when I curled my hands beneath her ribs and lifted her.

Looping my tail around, I got hold of her boot and pulled it off, then did the same to the other.

She helped by lowering her hands to the leather pants I’d sewn her so she could shimmy out of them.

“Okay, no healing then? You want to do this instead?”

If by “this” she meant letting me fill her with my cock and linking our bodies together in an irrevocable mating bond, then yes.

I only hissed, my tongue flicking out to test the air.

Her scent of arousal hit me like a punch to the gut, and I was done talking.

I didn’t even remember how to make my mouth shape words; all I wanted was to pleasure her.

With my hands, my mouth, like she’d shown me, and my cock.

I pulled the shirt over her head with the sound of something tearing, but I did not care.

She was naked, her pale, smooth skin lit up by the soft silver glow of my mating sigils.

It was beautiful, she was beautiful. Gorgeous with her softness, the heavy breasts tipped with pink, and the soft swell of her belly.

A small tuft of brown hair sat at the top of her slit, which was so foreign but so enticing.

I had to touch her. All my instincts were roaring at me, take her, claim her, make her mine. Now! UNEDITED

***

Nala

When Artek slid the healing device from my hand and put it aside with a low growling sound coming from his chest, I gave up trying to look after him.

That healing device wasn’t working for me anyway; that much was obvious.

I saw none of the stuff I was supposed to see, and felt nothing either.

But he was moving with a lethal grace, prowling like a hunter as he disrobed me and let his palms slide over my flesh.

It wasn’t like I wanted to think about anything other than his touch, anyway. It felt too good.