Stolen by the Zandian - Renee Rose Page 0,42

into focus, I realize he holds a syringe.

I scream and jerk.

The human flinches in surprise, but the Zandian doesn’t react. His expression is cool. “She’s awake,” he says to his companion. He sets the syringe down on a shiny tray. “Calm her, please.”

My whole body begins to tremble. I lurch up to a sitting position. “No,” I struggle. “Get away from me.”

The syringe gleams in the light.

The human’s voice is gentle and soft. “We’re not going to hurt you, Kailani. We’re going to give you something to help you relax.”

I’m confused by the fact that it’s a human working on me. A human in some position of power over me.

“Where’s my whimmet?” I have no idea why I’m asking about the animal now. Maybe because with Khrys’ betrayal, that little furry creature is the only being I trust.

“Your what?” The human blinks at me, her eyebrows arched up into a query.

“The animal I found. It was on the craft with me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that.” She hands me a fluid tube. “Please drink this, yes? You need to rehydrate.”

I ignore the fluid. “They didn’t hurt her, did they?” My stomach is a rock. Pain starts to reverberate in my skull.

The doctor steps forward, the needle prepped in his gloved hand.

“No! Don’t touch me.” I’m hoarse with panic. They don’t seem to have me tied down, but I’m dizzy and nauseated. My headache is coming on swiftly.

I look around me for any ways to escape. I’m in a small room that’s mostly white and silver—it looks like a med bay. The door is secure, and the window, if it even opens, doesn’t seem easily accessible.

I jump down from the table in a crouch. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will,” I warn.

The Zandian instantly steps protectively in front of the dark-haired human. “You will do no such thing,” he snaps.

“It’s going to be all right.” The human sounds so kind. She touches the Zandian’s arm in a gesture that appears more intimate than a master-slave or even boss-employee. “It’s normal to be disoriented on your first planet rotation here. Many humans have this kind of reaction. But you’re on Zandia now. You’re safe.”

I eye the needle, panic surging again. “Let me out of here. You have to let me out of here. I won’t let you experiment on me.” A terrible trembling starts through my limbs. I kick the needle out of the Zandian’s hand. At least I try to, but he quickly side-steps and wraps an arm around my chest.

“I’ll sedate her. She’s too agitated to reason with. We’ll try again later,” he says to his assistant.

“No!” I scream, jabbing him with my elbow and almost managing to get free.

“Stop!” Khrys roars, appearing in the doorway. “Unhand her.”

The doctor does release me, but he speaks evenly to Khrys. “You do not give the orders in my lab, Captain.”

“She requires medication. Can’t you see she’s in the throes of pain?”

I realize, then, that he’s holding the box with my medication. Despite my fury with him, that fact produces an instant response in my body. Relief. Desperate need. The desire to do anything he tells me to do in order to get the meds.

I rush to him, and he scrambles to open the box, producing the dropper. I part my lips, and he dribbles it into my mouth.

“Come with me,” Khrys orders, catching my hand.

“No,” the doctor barks. “She’s not cleared to leave the—”

“Dr. Daneth, I know what’s at stake here. But my mate is frightened and unwilling at this point to assist, and I must insist she be remanded to my care to ensure her emotional well-being.”

I blink, the throbbing in my head starting to ebb. My pain-muddled brain stutters on several parts of his statement at once. My mate. Unwilling at this point to assist. Emotional well-being.

I pull my hand out of his grasp and slap him hard across the face. He doesn’t dodge or parry, he just takes it, regret washing over his expression.

“Captain Khrys, clearly you are responsible for her emotional upset,” Dr. Daneth says.

“No, he’s not! You are!” I scream at the doctor. For some reason—angry as I am at Khrys —I feel the need to protect him. “You all are.” I glare at every being in the room. “But you better not hurt Kyrs. If anyone is going to hurt Khrys, it will be me.” I slap Khrys once more for good measure. “LIke this.”

The doctor makes a noise that might