The Alien's Revenge - Ella Maven Page 0,33

The men searched for you every day…”

“I was safe,” Merr-anda wiped at her face with a cloth the other human handed her. “I was safe thanks to Drak.”

The yellow-haired human turned to me. “Hi, I’m Val, Sax’s mate” she said.

“You can trust her.” Merr-anda perched on the bed next to me. “She’s a ners. Well, a healer.”

“You need to untie him,” Val said to Ward.

“Daz said—”

“I know what Daz said,” she said. “You and Sax can stand guard if you’d like, but I cannot check all his injuries with his arms tied behind his back. This is ridiculous.”

“He won’t hurt anyone,” Merr-anda insisted, swiping at my face with her cloth. The white fabric came away black and green with blood and dirt.

With muttered curses, Ward unlocked my bonds. My arms came away free, and I slumped on the pallet, the room spinning as the blood in my body rushed back to my limbs and torso.

“Help him lay down!” Val called out, and strong hands lowered me to my back.

Ward bent over me, his gaze searching my eyes. I flashed back to another time, us in battle against a foe. We stood side by side. Machets out. Arms crossed. Battle formation.

I blinked, and his jaw clenched. He moved away before I could read any more from his eyes. Val returned in my vision, but I shook my head, pointing to Merr-anda. She needed treated first. I would live. But my human mate was fragile with thin skin. Small breakable limbs.

Val gave me a soft smile, and I liked her, especially when she did exactly what I wanted and worked on Merr-anda’s wounds. I must have drifted off, because I came to with a non-bruised Merr-anda smiling down at me while Val poked and prodded me. A few needle pricks later, and my scalp itched as well as my shoulder. I glanced down at my wounds to see them sealing shut.

I tried to lift my head, but it felt heavy, too heavy. My cora beat faster as I began to panic. Had they tied me down again?

“What’s wrong?” Merr-anda asked, fussing over me. “Why’s he upset?”

“These guys won’t rest unless we knock them out,” Val said to Merr-anda. “I gave him something to force him to sleep. He’s probably fighting sleep. They always do.”

“It’ll be okay,” Merr-anda petted me, her hands warm on my chest. “Just focus on resting. We’ll worry about everything else later. I’ll be right by your side. I promise.”

She was perfection, more than I could ever deserve in my life. My eyes weren’t focusing, and my body felt fuzzy, like I was floating on a cloud. With the last bit of energy I had, I reached for Merr-anda’s hand and placed it on my throat. I’d been working on this at night after she fell asleep. My last effort before I let sleep consume me was to say in a scratchy, halting tone, “Merr-anda.”

Nine

Miranda

I was not going to cry again. I refused. But nothing had ever felt quite like my palm vibrating with Drak’s broken, “Merr-anda.”

Val didn’t speak, and neither did Sax or Ward. We sat there in silence as Drak’s breathing evened out and his arms flopped to his sides. I kept my hand on his throat, comforted in the pounding of his pulse and the echoing vibration of my name. Thank fuck for medis because I felt no pain. Even my ankle seemed good as new.

We weren’t in the healer’s hut. This one was empty except for a cleanser in the corner and the fur palette on the floor. No windows except for a barred hole in the ceiling. A prison hut.

I’d moved from sad and scared to downright fucking mad. I whirled on Sax and Ward. “How dare you? How fucking dare you!”

“Miranda—” Val began in her soothing tone.

“Do not use your nurse tone on me right now, Val,” I snapped. “I love you, but not right now. Not while my mate was marched in here in chains like a criminal.”

“He is a criminal,” Ward said. “The only reason we didn’t turn him away is because you pleaded for him. I understand your anger, but be mindful, Miranda, we are making concessions.” He waved a hand around the hut. “This is a concession.”

I gritted my teeth. I wanted to argue more but I also knew I’d get nowhere. Not tonight They’d given him medis and a bed. I’d fight for more tomorrow. I ran my fingers over the hard planes of Drak’s face.

Despite the late