Should I? Can I trust him again?
Looking back at Brox, his face is impassive. It’s a look that says he trustsme,and whatever decision I make. It also says he doesn’tnottrust Volethos to do this.
A low growl bubbles up from the back of my throat, and I stab my fingers into Volethos’ chest, hard enough for my claws to puncture the thick jumpsuit he’s wearing. “I swear to the stars and moons, if you make me regret this… no matter where you try to hide, I will find you,and I will not make it a quick death.Am I clear?”
“Perfectly,” Volethos says, completely serious, instead of lacing his words with his usual suave inflections.
“Okay then.” I take a step back, and my legs decide, in that moment, to nearly buckle. Thankfully, Brox is right there to catch me.
“Get her to theShade,”Volethos orders as he taps his comm, pulling up a map. “At the end of this hall, take the right, and then the first set of doors on your right should lead into the hangar. I’ll watch your back until you’re back on board theShade, in case you need backup. After that, I’ll be in touch.”
Brox scoops me up into his arms once again.
“I can walk,” I protest weakly.
“Hush, you can fight with me about this later,” Brox says as he jogs down the narrow, nearly dark corridor.
Closing my eyes, I let my head rest against his thick chest. My body feels like it’s on fire after what Kurrahstka did. Between shocking me and beating me with his fucking stick, he left very little of my flesh unbruised.
Turning my face so it’s pressed into Brox’s neck, I breathe in his familiar scent, sucking it into my lungs. One hand goes to my stomach, where Kurrahstka’s boot landed over and over. I can still hear his evil laugh when I curled up and vomited, before he landed more kicks to my ribs and back.
Worry for more than myself wriggles into my mind. What if Brox and I made a kit? It’s only been a few rotations, so even if we did, it wouldn’t be much more than a few cells. What are the odds of a kit that young surviving what I’ve just been through?
In all my life, I never thought this would be something I’d ever worry about. I never thought I wanted kits, but now that there is the possibility of one, I find I want it very much. With that realization comes self-doubt, and I find myself wondering what kind of mother would I be, anyway?
“Shhh, Igid,” Brox whispers, and his arms tighten around me. I didn’t even notice that I’d started to quietly cry. “I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you while I’m around.”
When I close my eyes, two more tears slip down my cheek, and I bury my nose deeper into his neck, letting his scent and his words and his steady stride soothe me.
CHAPTER 27
BROX
* * *
The moment I feel her body go lax against me, my heart kicks up in my chest.
“Igid?”
She doesn’t respond, not even when I jostle her. I slip from a jog to a run. Damnit, I knew she was hurt! I didn’t think it was this bad, andthis badhas me imagining all kinds of terrifying scenarios.
Thanks to Volethos and the maze of back halls that wind through Kurrahstka’s pleasure house, we make it into the hangar easily enough. In fact, the whole trip back to theShadeis pretty uneventful. No one pays us any mind, or if they do, I don’t notice, since I’m holding an unconscious female and running like hell hounds are hot on my heels.
My heart is nearly pounding out of my chest when we reach theShade.There are no guards posted, and I briefly wonder if I have Volethos to thank for that.
I’ve already remote-started the flight checks when I race up the ramp and into the ship. Pausing at the medbay, I decide to wait to put her in the medbot. Just in case we end up in a firefight and I need to allocate power, I don’t want to compromise her being inside.
So I continue down the hall to her room. When the door opens, I’m hit with the light mingling of our scents. My cock jumps eagerly, but I ignore it. Instead, ever so gently, I lay her down on her bed.
“Igid? Wake up, love.” My hand softly cups her cheek as I call to her. “Igid, please wake for me.”
Her lids flutter, and it takes a moment before her eyes manage to focus on me. “Where?” She frowns. “What happened?”
“We’re on theShade.”I softly stroke her hair back from her face. “I’m going to put you in the medbot, but first I want to get us into open space. Will you be all right for a little bit?”
Her eyes are already drifting closed as she nods. “M’fine.”
“Igid,” I call to her, giving her a gentle shake to wake her back up. When her eyes snap open again, she takes one look at me and mutters, “I said I’m fine. Go do what you need to.”
