One of the android med techs, a different one from before, rolled over to them and began pressing buttons on the bay lid.
“Welcome back, cyborg,” the android said.
Tark gave him a nod of acknowledgement. The machine then scanned Suki from head to toe, multiple times to provide a reading of any injuries she may have sustained. Tark waited impatiently, watching Suki and wishing she didn’t look so frightened. When the med bay beeped and a readout appeared on the lid, Tark tried to make sense of what he was seeing. All of her blood levels seemed fine, and there was no sign of disease.
“She has been sterilized?” he asked, not overly surprised since her sister had been as well. Perhaps it was common for whores.
The android med tech set the bay to a healing frequency to remove the bruises on Suki’s fair skin. As Tark stared through the clear lid, he could see her healing, watched as the marks began to fade. When the bay had finished, the android waited for more instructions.
Tark opened the med bay and Suki bolted upright. He could see her pulse fluttering in her throat and he hated that she was terrified.
“My name is Tark, and your sister sent me.”
Her lips parted. “Yoko?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Suki, but Yoko couldn’t be healed. The med bay was able to heal your injuries, except for one. It seems you’ve been sterilized. Was it by choice?”
“I can’t have children?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Do you want a family in the future?” Tark asked. “It’s possible for the procedure to be reversed, if that’s your wish.”
She stared at him and didn’t say anything. Tark waited, giving her time to process what he’d told her. She hadn’t reacted to her sister’s passing quite the way he’d expected. Didn’t females cry when given that sort of news?
“I can choose?” she asked quietly. “Choose to have children?”
“Yes. You can choose.”
Her gaze roamed over him and he felt a little self-conscious, wondering if she pictured those children with him. And did the idea frighten her? They hadn’t spoken until now, and she had to be confused. He could tell she was scared, and he didn’t blame her. He was a complete stranger, and a brute of a male compared to most. He’d be concerned if she weren’t afraid of him.
“You’re safe now, Suki,” he said. “Did you understand what I said about Yoko?”
Suki’s eyes filled with tears. Her lower lip trembled and he heard her heart rate increase. She might not have reacted before, but she definitely was now. She placed her hand over her mouth as she sobbed. Her body shook and Tark wanted to comfort her, his hands flexing at his sides. He didn’t dare reach for her.
“She asked me to find you, Suki. I want to take care of you, if you’ll let me. I promise that no harm will come to you. I will protect you with my life.”
She took a shuddering breath. It took her a moment to get her emotions under control, but the tears slowed. After another few minutes, she could breathe easier and no longer seemed to be as distressed.
“I’m safe?” she asked.
“Yes, Suki. You’re safe.”
“With you,” she said. “I belong to you now?”
Tark rocked back on his heels. This wasn’t going as planned. Perhaps he hadn’t explained things well?
“I’m not your owner, Suki. No one will ever own you again. You’re free. I want to take you to my world, where you can find a mate. He would be like me, a Zelranian cyborg but you could have a family if that’s what you want.”
What he really wanted was to keep her, but he wasn’t about to take away her right to select her mate, not after everything she’d obviously suffered.
“Family,” she murmured, her gaze dropping to her lap.
Tark tried hard not to stare at her naked body. It had been so long since he’d been this close to a female, much less one without clothes. Yoko may have been naked as well, but she’d been so far gone he’d barely spared her a glance, and only seen someone damaged and dying. While there were three human females on his world now, he always kept a safe distance from them, worried his size would scare them. He wanted to touch Suki, to hold her. But as terrified as she was, after everything she’d been through, he didn’t know if she would welcome his touch.
She looked up at him again, once more tracing over his body with her gaze. If his size intimidated her, she didn’t show it this time. She seemed to be assessing him, but for what reason he didn’t know. Mere curiosity? Or something more? She focused on his metallic arm before meeting his gaze again.
“What are you?” she asked. “What’s a Zelranian cyborg?”
“Cyborg means I’m part machine, and Zelranian is my race. My arm is the only non-organic part you can see, but some of my organs are mechanical as well. My heart. Lungs. The bones in my body are made of metal. I have transmitters in my brain.”
