“You can have children?” she asked.
“Yes. Aside from my cyborg status, I’m very much like the males of your world.”
She smiled faintly. “No one on my world looks like you. I’ve never seen anyone as big as you.”
“Is that a bad thing?” he asked.
“No. You’re strong. You can protect me.”
“Yes, I can protect you, and I will. But there are others like me, cyborgs, who would treat you well. My world is full of males who want mates. There are three human females there now, but it’s my hope that one day every male will have a female.”
She paled. “They will want me to service them, like the others.”
“No, Suki. You never have to service anyone again. You could choose a mate. I believe the Earth term is husband. The two of you could start a family.”
“Husband,” she repeated then looked up at him. “You could be my husband.”
Tark felt his heart kick in his chest. “I’m too large for someone as small as you.”
Her gaze fell to the front of his pants, and Tark felt his cheeks warm under her appraisal. That hadn’t been what he’d meant, but that part of him was rather large too. And it was getting larger the longer she stared. He shifted, wanting to hide himself. No one had ever stared at him like that before. Tark was used to females fleeing in terror, not sizing up certain parts of his anatomy. She couldn’t seriously be thinking of being with him, could she?
“I heard the master tell you that I was a favorite for princes, kings, and ministers. Did you know that he often took me Palua to service the princes? Sometimes all of them at once. Do you know what a naked Paluan prince looks like?” she asked.
He did. While they were not large males, they were rather well-endowed. And she’d had to service more than one at a time? That had to have been painful for her. If he could erase those memories for her, he would. She shouldn’t have to live with any of it. But if she’d handled the Paluan princes, then maybe… No, she deserved someone better than him, someone smaller and gentler.
“What about Duadaderans?” she asked. “Their minister often requested me for his parties.”
Bile rose in Tark’s throat. How could she have been through all that and still seem sane? Most females would have lost their mind. The Duadaderans looked like monsters with their green and yellow scales, spikes along their arms, reptilian eyes, and claw-tipped fingers. He’d seen one naked before, and the thought of her being with one of those males sent a shiver down his spine. He didn’t know how she was still here and in one piece.
“I want to stay with you,” she said. “Unless…”
“Unless what?” he asked.
“I’m used. Damaged. I’ve been touched by many. I would understand if you didn’t want me because of that. Or if you didn’t find me attractive,” Suki said. “I’m dirty, Tark. If you knew the things I’ve done…”
“I don’t care about any of that,” he assured her. “You’re very beautiful, Suki. Any male would be lucky to claim you. I just don’t want you to regret making this choice now. You should meet the other males on my world. Perhaps one of them would suit you better.”
“Yoko trusted you to come and get me,” Suki said. “She wouldn’t have told you to come for me if she thought you would hurt me. She saw kindness in you, and so do I. I want to stay with you.”
“I would be honored,” Tark said.
“Do you want children?” Suki asked.
“I would never ask my mate to bear children if she did not want to,” Tark said.
“But you want them?” she persisted.
He hesitated a moment, unsure if he should be truthful. He didn’t want her to reverse the procedure just because he wanted children. It should be something she wanted as well. But he didn’t like the idea of lying to her either.
“Yes.”
“Then I will have the procedure reversed,” Suki said, lying back again.
The lid closed once more on the med bay, and the robot pressed more buttons. Tark paced the room as the med bay did its job and repaired Suki, giving her the ability to have children again. The machine hummed and glowed as it worked on Suki, repairing her reproductive system. Tark didn’t know enough about female anatomy to understand exactly what had been damaged to cause her to be barren, but he hoped being healed wouldn’t cause her more pain.
Tark glanced her way several times, uncertain what to make of the small female. How could someone as beautiful as her, as fragile and… He shook his head. It didn’t make sense. She should be quaking with fear just looking at him, much like she had when he’d first picked her up. He didn’t understand any of it.
Once she was healed, he would find her clothing and take her to theWayfarer. He would care for her, watch over her… but it would be best if he didn’t claim her until she’d seen Xpashta and realized she had other options. Better males than him.
He wanted a mate, but Suki wasn’t what he’d expected. He would be honored to claim her, to raise a family with her, but he wondered if it would be a disservice to her. After all that she’d suffered, she deserved a happy life, and Tark realized that he would give her anything he could to make that happen.
Even if it meant she wouldn’t belong to him.
