Chapter Five

 

Alice groaned as shards of light threatened to set her eyeballs aflame.

“Too bright?” someone asked. She knew that voice. The room darkened. “Better?”

She blinked her eyes open and stared up blurrily at the blob standing over her. “Rich?”

“Yeah, honey, it’s me.” His large hand engulfed hers.

She stared around her, but couldn’t make out where she was. “Glasses?”

“I don’t know where they’ve gone. Sorry, kid. I’ll get you a new pair.”

“Great. Just great. Where am I?”

“On board a Zerconian spaceship. Do you remember getting shot? Being rescued?”

Rescued? What? “I was shot?”

“Yep,” Rich told her grimly. “Just had to play hero, didn’t you? When are you going to start listening to me? You need to look after yourself first. Everyone else is looking out for themselves. You’ve got to do the same.”

To someone else, he might sound harsh, but she knew he just wanted her safe. “I know, Rich. But I was worried they’d see you guys enter the cargo bay. You actually did it. You rescued us. All the other women?”

“Safe. Most of them have been transferred over to one of the larger ships. Thank God. All that noise was doing my head in.”

“Sophie and Saffron?”

“The two that were hiding with you?”

“Yes. Are they okay?”

“Yeah, they’ve visited you a few times. They insisted on staying on board instead of transferring over to the larger ship. Said they needed to keep an eye on you. That Saffron sure has a mouth on her.”

“She reminds me of someone.”

“Can’t think who.”

You. She smiled at that thought. That’s who Saffron reminded her of. Rich. They both wielded sarcasm like it was a weapon. And they liked to pretend they didn’t care about anyone else.

“We’re really safe? All of us?”

“All of you,” he confirmed. “Stop worrying about everyone else. You were the one who was hurt. It’s been close to twenty hours since we rescued you and this is the first time you’ve woken up.”

“I was tired,” she explained. “And I’m not sore anymore.”

“You lost too much blood,” he countered. “But Racar said the regen chamber replaced all of it. You just need to rest and keep hydrated.”

“I was in a regeneration chamber? I’ve always wanted to see one of those.” She pouted slightly, sad she’d slept through the experience. “What about the women who disappeared with the crew? Has anyone heard from them? One of them is my friend.”

She hoped Maisy was all right.

“The Zerconians and the Earth Council are looking for them,” Rich told her. “God help those bastards if I find them. How dare they take all the escape shuttles?”

“Is Annabel here?” she asked, trying to change the topic.

“Yeah, she’s been to visit a few times.”

“Oh.” Alice attempted to sit.

“What are you doing? Lie still.” Rich grabbed hold of her shoulders, keeping her down.

“Rich, I feel fine. Nothing hurts, I’m sure I won’t even have a scar.”

“You nearly died. You’re not getting up. Lie down.”

“I have to get up.” She could feel her face turning red, her cheeks burning.

“No. Lie still.”

“Rich, I need the bathroom. Now, please, let me up.”

He quickly stepped away. “All right. Fair enough. I’ll find someone to help you. Stay there.”

“I don’t need any help. Rich?” She heard the swoosh of the door and sighed, guessing he was gone. Shrugging, she threw off the blankets then sat up. Her head spun. Drat, this was going to be harder than she’d thought. Maybe she should wait. But it was embarrassing having someone help her to the bathroom.

She stood and had to quickly grasp hold of the bed, which moved slightly. What on earth?

“Oh, sugar plums. Silly idea, Alice.”

She took one step away from the bed. Then another. As she moved across the floor, she realized she had no idea where the bathroom was. Or the door. All she could see were a whole lot of colored blobs. She was in trouble. Her shaking legs suddenly gave way, and she slid to the ground with a groan.

“Alice? Alice, what do you do on the ground?”

She screeched as someone leaned over her. She hadn’t heard the door open. Who was he? What was he doing in her room?

She scrambled backwards. “Go away. Leave me alone.” What should she do? Would someone hear her if she screamed? How long would Rich be?

“Alice. I will not harm you. I wish to help. Have you hurt yourself? Why are you on the floor?”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“My name is Jaxan. I am one of the Zerconian warriors who rescued you.”

Her heartbeat slowed. She peered up at him, wishing she could make out his features. “Can you come closer?”

“Ah, of course.” He sounded confused. Well, she had kind of just screamed at him to get away from her.

“I can’t see without my glasses,” she explained. “I can see a little better if something is close.”

Suddenly, he was right in her face, and she bit back a screech of fright. She studied his features as best she could. He seemed handsome. Light brown hair was pulled back from his face. He was still a little blurry. Then he smiled at her and her breath caught, her heart beat quickening.

Just then, her bladder protested sharply, and she bent over, crying out.

“What is it? Is it your wound? I will call for Racar.”

“No! I need…the…bathroom,” she gritted out between her clenched teeth. “Please.”

He scooped her up gently, and her head swam, blackness threatening to pull her under. Time stood still for a moment as heat flooded her. Then the pain of her bladder intruded, pulling her back into the present.

“Hurry. Please.”

He moved quickly. Soon, she was lowered to the ground.

“The toilet is behind you,” he told her.

“Leave. Please.” This was humiliating enough.

“I will leave the door open and wait outside in case you have need of me. You should not move around on your own yet.” There was clear disapproval in his voice.

“Unless you guys wanted me to wet the bed, I didn’t have a lot of choice,” she snapped. Immediately, she felt ashamed, but another burst of pain made her forget about her lack of manners. “Out!”

She pulled at her clothes, and realized for the first time she was dressed in some sort of gown, with nothing on underneath. Not wanting to think about who had stripped her, she reached back and felt her way onto the toilet.

But try as she might, she just couldn’t relax enough to pee.

“Sing a song,” she called out.

“What?”

“Sing a song. Please. It always relaxes me.” She knew she sounded crazy, but she was desperate. Tears of pain and embarrassment swept down her face as she huddled on the toilet.

A low, crooning noise filled the room. She didn’t recognize the song, but the melody was soothing, and he sang beautifully. Finally, she managed to relieve herself. Relief filled her, and she sat for a moment before cleaning herself up and standing.

“Thank you,” she called out.

“Have you—”

“Alice!” Rich’s voice cut off Jaxan. “Jaxan, what are you doing? Where is Alice?”

“She is using the bathroom,” Jaxan told him.

“Alone? What were you thinking? Alice? Hey, let me in.”

Alice frowned at Rich’s words, wondering what was going on.

“You may not go in there,” Jaxan told him.

Her eyebrows rose. She was surprised he’d dare to deny her cousin. Rich was a powerhouse, and he always got his way. But she was grateful. She needed some time to sort herself out. And to clean herself up a bit. She wished she could see. She bumped into something, her hip taking most of the impact. She bit back a groan of pain.

“What do you mean, I can’t go in there? Get out of my way. She shouldn’t be moving around on her own.”

“She is using the facilities. When she is done, I will help her back to the masic.”

Alice shook her head at their arguing. She’d found a hand washing station and ran her hands under the sanitising spray. She tried to study herself in the mirror. She sighed.

She looked awful, no doubt.

“Get out of my way,” Rich half-yelled. She winced. He sounded ready to explode.

She opened her mouth to tell Jaxan to let him in when the Zerconian spoke, “Raise your voice in her presence again, and I will be forced to remove you until you have yourself under control.”

“What the fuck?” Rich’s voice was filled with fury, and she winced.

“What is going on in here?” another male asked. “Where is my patient? And why are the two of you here? She needs rest.”

“She is using the facilities,” Jaxan explained. “Alice, are you well?”

“Um, just peachy,” she said weakly, not wanting to step back into that room.

“Alice? I am Racar, the healer. May I come in?”

Actually, she wasn’t sure she wanted to face anyone right now. She was so tired she just wanted to lie down and sleep for a week. The shock of what had happened ran over her. She’d been kidnapped. Shot. Rescued. She slid to the floor, her whole body shaking.

“What is going on? Alice? Alice, are you okay?” Annabel’s voice barely penetrated the buzzing in her head.

“She is in shock,” someone said. She thought it might be the healer. “Lay her down.”

Someone picked her up, but instead of Rich as she’d expected, it was the Zerconian. Jaxan. He had a nice scent. Masculine, but not sweaty and gross the way her father smelled after a vigorous sermon on the weakness of females.

Warmth filled her, chasing away the chilling tremors that had engulfed her. Why did she have the urge to wrap her arms around this guy and never let go? She’d just met him for goodness sakes!

He laid her on the bed, and those tremors returned.

“I-I—”

“Alice? It’s Racar. Alice, take low, deep breaths. In then out. Follow my voice. In then out.”

Gradually her breathing slowed. “W-what’s wrong w-with me?”

“An attack of nerves. Alice, can you look at me?” Racar asked.

“W-wish I c-could see y-you.” Although she guessed he was the blob now standing over her, so she tried to look up where she thought his face would be.

“She can’t see without her glasses,” Rich told him.

“I have something that should help. Please hold still. I am going to place some drops in your eyes.”

Before she could tell him that staying still at this point was kind of impossible, Racar had gently pulled her eye lids open and pressed some cool drops into her eyes. She closed her eyes then opened them. Amazingly everything came into focus. The surprise of being able to see cut through her shock.

“I can see!” She glanced up into a handsome face. This must be the healer.

“It’s temporary, I’m afraid,” Racar told her. “The regeneration chamber could not fix your eyes, but I was able to mix these eye drops up based on what information it fed back to me. I should be able to create something more permanent once we are on Zerconia. But if you place these drops into your eyes every two hours, it will aid your eyesight.”

“That’s amazing,” she breathed. Already she felt better, just from being able to see clearly. “Th-thank you.”

“You are welcome. How are you feeling?”

“Like I was run over by a truck,” she told him, a shiver running over her. Racar ran a wand over her body.

“Your blood pressure is a little high. You need plenty of fluids.” He grabbed a glass and held the straw to her mouth.

She sipped on the water gratefully, then sat back with a sigh. “We’re really safe?”

“You are safe.” Jaxan moved into her vision. She studied him greedily. The calm vibe emanating from him soothed her, and she found herself breathing easier. He was even more handsome than she’d thought. His blue-green eyes were kind, his jaw was strong, his skin smooth, his shoulders wide. Muscular and tall, he seemed to tower over everyone else in the room, overshadowing them.

“Hi. I’m Alice.”

He gave her a small smile. Her heart went into overdrive. What was wrong with her?

“I know. I am Jaxan.”

“Thanks for before. For you know, picking me up and taking me to the, um…” She trailed off, feeling shy.

Rich cleared his throat. “If you two are finished with the staring contest, perhaps Annabel and I could have some time alone with Alice.”

“You can. As long as you do not tire her out. She needs a lot of rest and no stress. If I hear raised voices in here again, you will all be banned.”

And here she’d thought the healer seemed so gentle and sweet. He’d turned into a protective warrior right before her eyes.

Rich snorted, but she didn’t notice him arguing which was a surprise. Racar left, but Jaxan stood close by the bed.

“You want something, big guy?” Rich asked rudely.

“No.”

“Then there’s the door.”

“Rich,” she protested. She glanced up at Jaxan. “Sorry about him.”

“He got his manners from a fortune cookie,” Annabel added. “It said ‘will piss people off and die young’.”

“Shut up,” Rich told his sister. “This is private family business. You get my drift?”

“I understand,” Jaxan replied. But he didn’t move.

Rich sighed. “Then what are you still doing here? You’re not family.”

“Yes. I am.”

“What do you mean?” Alice asked him.

He stared down at her, his eyes warming. “I am your mate.”

***

The fuss Rich made after Jaxan made his announcement soon had Racar racing back into the room and demanding that they all leave. When they all ignored him, he called in Macon.

“Quiet,” Macon yelled. Everyone fell silent, although Rich muttered something under his breath as he continued to glare at Jaxan.

Jaxan stood back, watching him calmly. The other male could protest all he liked. It did not change matters. Alice was his. He’d felt the connection when he’d first touched her.

She was his mate.

Elation filled him. His mate. He had waited for this day forever. He had found her. Finally.

“She is your mate?” Macon asked Jaxan.

“Yes. The connection is unmistakable. She is mine.”

“No way,” Rich countered. “You are not claiming my cousin just because you’re desperate to get laid. You need to stay away from her.”

Macon turned to Jaxan and gave him a nod. “Congratulations. I am happy for you.”

“What?” Rich yelled.

Jaxan noticed his mate frown. Then, as though she sensed him watching, she turned to him, shrinking back a little. Was she afraid of him?

“Is that all you have to say?” Rich yelled, moving up close to Macon. “What use is that? Congratulations? There are no congratulations because she is not his mate. I won’t allow it!”

Jaxan scowled. He understood that Rich was trying to protect Alice, but Jaxan would never harm her.

“She is his mate,” Macon replied calmly. “Their bond has nothing to do with you.”

“She is my family. I have everything to do with it!”

“Rich,” Annabel started to say before the door opened once more and the two female sisters walked in.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Saffron asked. “We could hear yelling from down the passage.” She peered around everyone to look at Alice. “Alice, you’re awake! Not that you could sleep through that racket. How are you?”

“Ah, good. Pleased to see you two. Are you okay?”

“We’re fine,” Sophie said quietly.

“You don’t look okay, you look scared.” Saffron scowled at them. “Why are you all in here? What’s with the yelling? Alice looks like she’s about to keel over. She doesn’t need any stress.”

“She needs rest and quiet,” Racar stated. “All of this fighting is not good for her.”

Jaxan stared over at his mate again, noting how pale she had become. The freckles across her nose stood out against her white skin. Dark bruises coated the skin beneath her beautiful pale blue eyes.

“You must all leave,” Jaxan stated.

Rich placed his hands on his hips. “Uh-uh, I’m not going anywhere until this is sorted out. Alice is upset because you just tried to claim her.”

“Claim her?” Saffron said sharply, staring over at him. “What does he mean?”

“Alice is my mate. I have felt the connection.”

Saffron studied him for a moment. “You don’t know her.”

“I do not have to. The connection between mates can sometimes be felt with a simple touch. Even before touching her, I felt something towards her. A tie. Our connection is strong.”

“This is preposterous!” Rich told him. “Over my dead body are you claiming her.”

“That can be arranged.” Macon gave him a dark glare. “You cannot come between mates. If Jaxan says the bond is there, it cannot be broken or removed.”

“Wait, are you saying that this mating thing can happen with one touch?” Saffron asked. “And it can’t be broken? We were never told this!”

“The Earth Council has kept a few things from you guys,” Annabel told her darkly. “We’re looking into that.”

“Sophie, don’t touch any of these guys,” Saffron said urgently.

“Does Alice get a say in this?” Sophie asked, moving closer. She slowly grew closer to Alice. “Have you asked her what she wants?”

Alice stared at them all, her eyes wide. “I-I—”

Jaxan moved closer to her, wanting to soothe her, but she shrank back once again. She was afraid of him. Perhaps he had not handled this as well as he could have. He knew that human females had different ideas about mating. Maybe it would have been best to discuss this with his mate first. But he had not wished to leave her. Not even with her own family. She had come so close to death. He had nearly lost her. He could not allow any risk to her and the only way to ensure that was to watch over her.

“Alice, are you okay?” Annabel asked. “I know this is all kind of weird and scary, but Jaxan is a good guy.”

“I-I—” Alice looked around at them all, her eyes wide, her breath coming in harsh pants.

“Alice?” Racar stepped forward. “What is it?”

“I’m going to be sick,” she stated, right before she leaned over and vomited on the floor.