The Healer's Hellion - Miranda Bridges Page 0,47
other than Camille to know. I don’t want to end up as someone’s science experiment.
I fold my arms, unable to sit still. “Basically, the Dravians are doing exactly what they said, and from what I’ve been told, we will be back on Earth sometime today.”
“Do you know if they are allowing some of us to stay?” Teresa asks, looking pointedly at me. “I don’t want to go back.”
I shrug. “I have no idea, but I’m sure you can ask.”
“I’ll do that,” Teresa snaps. “I bet if I were to fuck one of the aliens, they’d tell me everything they’ve told you and let me stay. Is that the deal you’ve made?”
Instantly my power flares to life at the hostility in her voice, but I don’t react. I almost killed Teresa the last time I saw her and only because I was jealous. Even though she was out of line, I was the guiltier party for assaulting her. I take a deep breath, silently telling myself that she’s just an ugly person who doesn’t like me. Teresa isn’t the first, and she won’t be the last.
“I haven’t made any type of deal,” I say, my tone calm.
Teresa rubs her hands together, her eyes gleaming. “That leaves the sexy doctor for me.”
“No, it does not,” comes a deep voice.
Gasps sound off like a firing squad as we all turn to find Braxton standing in the doorway.
“Skylar is my mate, the one I’ve chosen to be faithful to for the rest of my life,” he says. “There will never be another for me. And the only humans that will be staying with us are the ones we invite. I do not believe you are among them, so you should prepare yourself for transportation, since we have breached your planet’s atmosphere.”
I have to practically drag my gaze away from the physician in order to acknowledge the scoff that comes from Teresa. She looks ready to explode, and the enjoyment I find in that is downright sinful. I don’t have to say anything because Braxton has done it for me.
Love that guy.
I drop my head, swaying to the side as the realization sweeps through me. Holy fuck, I love him.
From one breath to the next, Braxton is kneeling in front of me and taking my hands in his. “Are you unwell?”
“Yes,” Camille answers on my behalf. “I think you should have her lie down.”
He doesn’t need any more persuasion. I’m in his arms, and he’s striding from the room in seconds, Camille hot on his heels as she clutches the blanket to her chest.
“Slow down,” she says, huffing. “You’ve got like two feet of height on me, and I can’t keep up. Not to mention I have a hole in my side.”
Braxton stops and turns to face her, his lips pulled down. “There is no hole. I performed the surgery myself, and it should be healing quite nicely.”
“Not literally,” Camille says with an eye roll.
I tap Braxton’s chest to gain his attention. “Why did you come to the women’s quarters? Was it just to notify us to get ready to leave?”
“I wanted to be the one to take you if you wanted to go back.”
If I didn’t hear the underlying thread of anguish in his tone, I’d be pretty upset that he sounds like he wants to be rid of me. Instead, I know he’s just trying to see what I want to do. It breaks my heart, but I feel as if Camille needs me now more than ever, and I need her too. She is a link to my past, to a time that included my parents, my identity, and everything I’ve ever known.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice soft. “You can put me down now. I just have a small headache. That’s all.”
“Very well.” He extends a hand, his face hard. “The shuttles are this way.”
Camille comes to stand by my side, her gaze darting between me and Braxton.
And she continues to do this for the next several hours. It’s as if she’s superglued her eyes to us. When Braxton buckles my seat belt, she stares. When he takes my hand right before takeoff, she stares. And every incident has her eyes widening. If Camille doesn’t stop, she’s going to end up looking like a fucking Chihuahua with her eyes bugging out of her damn head.
The second my feet are on solid ground, there’s a tightening in my chest. It’s almost as if my ribs are caving in and smashing my lungs.