Page 24 of Alien Guardian's Vow
"Turn slightly," I instructed. "Keep blocking the entrance but give me access to your shoulder."
Varek hesitated, then adjusted his position, angling his body so I could reach the worst of his burns while he maintained his protective stance.
"In my pouch," he said, nodding toward a small leather satchel at his hip. "There is a cooling leaf. It will help with the burns."
I reached into his pouch, my fingers brushing against his hip. His lifelines flickered at the contact, and I felt an answering pulse in my own markings. I quickly found the leaf – cool to the touch, with a faint blue tinge.
"Apply the human gel first," he directed, his voice low and strained. "Then the leaf over it."
I squeezed a generous amount of med-gel onto my fingers and gently applied it to the worst of the burns. Varek inhaled sharply but didn't pull away.
"Sorry," I murmured. "Almost done."
His skin felt fever-hot beneath my fingers, his lifelines pulsing in time with his heartbeat. I worked as quickly and gently as possible, conscious of every touch, every brush of my fingers against his damaged skin.
The intimacy of the situation struck me suddenly. Here in this tiny space, with death raging just outside, I was touching him with a gentleness I hadn't known I possessed. The warrior who minutes ago had thrown himself between me and certain death now stood vulnerable, allowing my hands on his wounds.
I placed the cooling leaf over the worst burn, pressing it gently until it adhered to his skin. Varek shuddered, a tremor running through his powerful frame that wasn't because of the pain.
"Better?" I asked softly.
"Yes," he answered, his voice rougher than before. "Thank you."
Through our strange connection, I felt his surprise at my care, his gratitude mingling with something deeper, more complex. The bond between us strengthened in this small space, impossible to ignore with his pain resonating through me, sharp and clear.
"There's a cut on your back," I said, reaching for another application of gel. "Let me?—"
The chamber outside lit up with another massive energy discharge. Varek instinctively pressed closer, shielding me completely, his arms bracing against the walls on either side of my head. For a moment, we were practically embracing, his face inches from mine, our breath mingling in the small space.
His golden eyes met mine, pupils dilated in the dim light. I felt his heartbeat against my chest, rapid and strong. My markings responded to his proximity, silver light dancing beneath my skin, seeking his gold.
"I think," he said carefully, "we may be trapped here for some time."
"Could be worse," I replied, suddenly very aware of every point where our bodies connected. "At least the company's decent."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "High praise from you, Rivera."
Another explosion rocked the chamber, sending a shower of debris against Varek's back. He grunted but didn't move, his body a living shield between me and the chaos.
"You're still bleeding," I said, reaching around to apply gel to a gash on his lower back.
"It is nothing."
"It's not nothing. You're injured because of me. Because I had to know what was happening with the facility."
"Because Hammond is destabilizing ancient systems he does not understand," Varek corrected. "Not because of you."
My fingers traced the edge of a cut, feeling his muscles tense beneath my touch. "Still. Thank you. For coming after me. For this."
Varek's lifelines brightened at my words, pulsing in a rhythm that somehow matched the flutter of my own markings. The resonance between us deepened, a current flowing back and forth that made it hard to tell where my sensations ended and his began.
"It is my duty," he said, but the words felt hollow, a thin excuse for something neither of us totally understood.
"Right. Duty." I finished treating the last visible wound I could reach. "All patched up, at least the parts I can see."
Varek shifted slightly, testing his injuries. "Your skill with field medicine is impressive."
"Basic training for all Seraphyne engineers," I explained. "We had to be prepared for accidents in isolated areas."
