by M. K. Eidem
"General," he spoke quietly but with an intensity that couldn't be missed.
Treyvon's broad back expanded as he took a deep breath, but when he turned with Jennifer still in his arms, his eyes were steady. "What is it, Nikhil?"
"General, Spada is now awake and demanding to know why he was attacked and is being detained."
"What?" Treyvon growled.
"Nikhil, what do you mean?" Mac demanded and grabbing her mate's arms, made him face her. "He attacked Jen."
"What is he claiming, Nikhil?" Treyvon questioned, pulling his Second's attention back to him.
"That what happens between a male and a female offering him her friendship is no one's concern but theirs."
"What?!!" The outraged gasp came from Mac. "That's ridiculous! Not only did he nearly kill her, but she is Treyvon's True Mate!"
"I do not believe he realizes that, Mackenzie." Nikhil's gaze went to her before returning to Treyvon. "I allowed the portable repair unit to heal only the most severe of his injuries while keeping the pain reduction he received at a minimum. Because of this, he is threatening to file a grievance with the Emperor against me."
"Like that asshole has the right to complain!" Mac muttered.
"A grievance is a way for a Warrior to notify the Emperor when he thinks a higher ranking Warrior is abusing his power and no longer worthy of his rank," Nikhil informed his True Mate. "It is taken very seriously."
"But..."
"Do not worry, Mackenzie," Treyvon reassured her. "Nikhil has not, and never would do such a thing. This is entirely on me and within my right not only as Supreme Commander, but as Jennifer's True Mate. Spada should be thanking the Goddess that Nikhil was the one making that decision. For I wouldn't have allowed him to be treated at all."
"Treyvon..." Jen reached up to caress his cheek.
"You are mine, Jennifer. Mine to protect."
"I know, but I'm here, and I'm safe. Don't let Spada make you become something you are not, not because of me. Please, Treyvon."
Treyvon stared down into the face of the one he loved, running a gentle knuckle along her now unscarred cheek. It didn't matter to him whether she was scarred or unscarred. She was still his Jennifer and he saw only her inner beauty and strength. That she somehow saw him the same way was a gift he would always cherish.
"I won't, I vow, but I also need to respond to this attack. I am the Supreme Commander and I will not tolerate those under my command acting in such a manner. No female should be treated so brutally, no matter who she is."
"Then go," she encouraged with a slight smile. "Be the Supreme Commander and when you are done, I will be waiting for you."
"In our quarters. You need rest."
"But Last Meal..."
"Will not be served by you." There was no doubt by anyone in the room that in this Treyvon would not change his mind. "If Gulzar cannot handle it's preparation, then my warriors will have a cold Last Meal."
"General," Luol interjected himself into what he could see was going to be a growing disagreement as Jennifer took what she saw as her responsibility to Treyvon's warriors as seriously as the General did. "As the deep repair unit hadn't finish when I opened it, I would like to examine Jen before she returns to your quarters."
"You believe she needs more treatment?" Treyvon's gaze flashed to Luol.
"No, but I would like to verify that. She has been through a great deal. Once I am satisfied then I will personally escort her to your quarters."
"And I'll stay, making sure she rests," Mac said, knowing that would ease both Treyvon and Nikhil's fears.
"Thank you, Mackenzie," Treyvon said, giving her a grateful look.
"No thanks necessary. She's my friend."
"Good, glad that's all settled." Maysa moved out of Luol's arms and with her hands on her hips spoke to two of the most powerful males in the Empire in a tone only a mother could master. "Now, General, Commander. The sooner you kiss your True Mates goodbye and go deal with that son of Daco, Spada, the sooner we can get Jen cleaned up and examined, and the sooner we can put her to bed."
• • • • • •
Treyvon's gaze was harder than Kevtoof and glowing more powerfully than any energy crystal as he entered the room where Spada was being held. The evidence of Treyvon's fists was still evident in Spada's eyes that were nearly swelled shut, the wrong angle of his nose that was no longer bleeding, and the dark bruising along his jaw.
"This is an outrage!" Spada sprung to his feet as Treyvon entered the room. "I am Elite Warrior Parlan Spada! I have done nothing to deserve being treated this way!"
"You do not think being found abusing a female a reason?" Treyvon asked, the absolute stillness of his tone belying his rage.
Onp and Nroa glanced uneasily at each other. They'd been ordered here and told to guard Spada by Nikhil, but didn't know his crime. Not that it mattered. They knew Nikhil would have a good reason for giving such an order, which included withholding medical treatment. They also knew that the less emotion their General showed, the more enraged he was. Now to hear Spada had abused a female...
"I wasn't abusing a female!" Spada spat out. "I was giving her exactly what she asked for when she offered me her friendship!"
"You are saying Jennifer asked for you to rip her covering off? That she asked you to choke her into unconsciousness?"
"Yes! That's the way she likes it."
"And you know this how?"
"Because she's been offering me her friendship ever since her arrival. It is why she wished to remain behind when the males from her planet went to Kalbaugh." Spada gave Treyvon an evil smile. "She likes what I do to her. After all, I am Elite Warrior Parlan Spada!"
"You are trying to claim," Treyvon's tone became deadly as he took a step toward Spada, who didn't have the sense the Goddess gave him to realize the danger he was in. "That the True Mate of the Supreme Commander would willingly offer her friendship to you?"
"Ye... what?!!" Spada cut himself off paling when his gaze went to Treyvon's braids and discovered his True Mate bead no longer there. "But..."
"But what, Spada?"
"She never told me! It isn't my fault that she prefers my attentions to yours!"
"Attentions?" Treyvon was on him in as instant, grabbing him around the neck the way he'd seen Spada do to his Jennifer in the recording Nikhil had shown him before he'd entered the room. Then slammed him against the wall. "I know exactly what your attentions were for my True Mate, Spada! Have you forgotten that all storage units with exterior doors have the added protection of recordings? Both audio and visual!"
"What?!!" Spada's eyes widened both because of Treyvon's words and because Treyvon's fingers were slowly beginning to squeeze.
"You attacked my True Mate from behind! You tried to abuse her the way a Ganglian would! You meant to throw her body into the storm and claim you tried to prevent it. How is that her preferring your attentions?!!"
"I..." Spada croaked out, his fingers digging at Treyvon's as he tried to breath.
"By the ancient law, I am within my rights to end your life right now for what you tried to do to my True Mate." He tightened his grip on Spada's throat, wanting him to feel what he knew his Jennifer had, and watched as Spada's battered face turned red.
"I..."
"But I will not do that." He eased his grip on Spada's throat, and the gleam in Spada's eyes told Treyvon that Spada thought he had won. "Not because you do not deserve to die this day, but because death is too easy for one like you. I will allow the Emperor to declare that judgment. I previously presented him with my recommendation that you be stripped of your Elite Warrior status, so when he reviews the recordings of what has occurred today, it will make his decision so easy that not even Minister Stepney will be able to protest it."
Treyvon finally saw true fear in Spada's gaze.
• • • • • •
"Come on, Jen, let’s get you into bed," Mac encouraged as she gripped the covers.
"You know," Jen te
ased even though she was exhausted, "in some circles that could be taken as a proposition."
"Only in your dreams, my friend." Mac returned her smile. "Now you will let me get that covering off you and you can rest."
"Again..." Jen muttered then pulling her covering off, lay back on the bed.
"Stop." Mac shook her head. "Stop teasing. Stop making light of what happened. You could have died, Jen." Mac’s voice broke as tears filled her eyes.
"Mac..."
"I can't... God, Jen, I can't lose you, especially now."
That had Jen sitting straight back up, her exhaustion forgotten. "What do you mean... especially now?"
"I..." Mac would have moved away, but Jen's hand on her arm stopped her.
"Mac... tell me."
"I think I might be pregnant," she whispered so softly Jen had to strain to hear it.
"What? Oh, Mac, that's great!"
"Is it?" Mac raised uncertain eyes to her friend.
"Of course it is!" Jen frowned. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because I... I'm scared," she confided, sitting down on the bed.
"Of what?" Jen moved, unconcerned about her nakedness. They'd been through too much together for that to be an issue, and wrapped an arm around her.
"Of what?" Jen looked at her friend in disbelief. "Of everything. God, Jen, we're in an alien universe, on an alien planet, which means technically if I am pregnant, then it’s by an alien. What if something goes wrong? How would I even know?”
"What does Nikhil say?"
"I... I haven't told him," she whispered guiltily lowering her eyes.
"What?"
"I haven't told him. I mean I'm not even sure I am pregnant, but I haven't had my cycle since we were taken. Have you?" she quizzed looking back up.
"I..." Jen frowned. "No. I mean, I was on the pill. But that wouldn't have stopped my cycle completely. I just figured it was because of the stress."
"I wasn't on anything since I wasn't sexually active but I was glad for it too. Can you imagine having to deal with that along with everything else in that cave?"
"It would have been horrible," Jen agreed then reached down for her discarded covering.
"What are you doing?" Mac demanded.
"Getting dressed so we can go and have Luol scan you," she told her as if it were obvious.
"No." Mac grabbed her arm stopping her. "You need to rest, Jen, and I... I'm still not ready to face this. Not yet. But I needed to tell you. I knew that you would understand."
"I do, and you know you can always tell me anything. Well..." she drew out the word, bumping her shoulder against Mac's. "I think I would prefer you not telling me how you could tell what an animal ate by its scat, again."
Her teasing had them both smiling.
"Hey, you asked," Mac fired back.
"I know, but I didn't expect you to go into such detail." The smile faded from her face and she turned serious. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Luol right now? Maysa's there, I'm sure she'd be willing to answer any questions we have."
"I'm sure."
"Alright, but soon, okay?" Jen gave her a pleading look. "Because I can't stand the thought of losing you either, and once we know, then we'll deal with it. Together. Just like we have with everything else."
"Okay," Mac nodded her head in agreement, then sitting up straighter her confidence restored, she took the covering from Jen's hands and standing ordered. "Now lay your naked ass back down and get some sleep. Otherwise, I will have one pissed off General on my hands."
"Treyvon is a pussycat," Jen denied, even as her head sank into the pillow.
"Right... that's just what I think of when I look at him."
"You’re one to talk..." Jen's words began to fade away. "Look at Nikhil..."
Mac found herself smiling as she pulled the bed coverings up and over her sleeping friend. Jen was right. When others looked at Nikhil, all they saw was this massively large, fierce male. All Mac saw was the male she loved. Moving to the couch she sat.
• • • • • •
Treyvon stood beside his bed, looking down at his sleeping True Mate. When he and Nikhil had finished with Spada, he’d ordered Spada placed in restraints and escorted him to a small, windowless room that contained only a toilet and some blankets for him to rest on. It was more than the Zaludians had given his Jennifer.
Spada had been enraged, demanding more and better, his previous fear seemingly forgotten. Treyvon knew it was only because Spada believed he would be able to escape Liron's wrath and judgment. He wouldn't. Attacks against a female of any species were always met with the harshest of judgments. It was one of the arguments that Aadi had used to defend his actions. That the females Berto had abused hadn't been Kaliszian so it wasn't his place to interfere. It hadn't been allowed then and it wouldn't be now, especially against a True Mate.
When they'd entered his quarters, they'd found both of their True Mates asleep. Jen in his bed and Mac on the couch. With a gentleness Treyvon never would have believed possible from a male as large as Nikhil, but understood as this was his True Mate, he watched Nikhil scoop his tiny True Mate up into his arms and after she snuggled in deeper, carried her out of the room.
Now he looked at his Jennifer resting so peacefully and knew he needed to join her, needed to hold her in his arms and know she was safe. But first, he needed to cleanse, to remove every trace of Spada's blood and taint, so it never touched her again.
Jen woke and without moving a muscle listened intently. It was something that always happened since being taken by the Ganglians. She woke never sure where she was or if she was safe. Unless she woke up in Treyvon's arms.
Treyvon... that's what had awakened her. She'd sensed him near but now he wasn't. Why?
Just as she opened her eyes, she heard the cleansing unit turn on and she knew where he was and why. Knowing she wouldn't sleep until he came back to her, she went to him.
Stepping into the cleansing room, she suddenly realized she'd let herself get distracted in their earlier shower and she hadn't given Treyvon's back the attention it deserved. For while his chest was an undisputed masterpiece with all those bulging sexy muscles. His broad expansive back was just as impressive, with all that smooth taunt skin that tapered down to cover the most perfect taunt ass she had ever seen. And while she hadn't seen Raiden's ass, she doubted it could look near as good.
Stepping into the running unit, her attention was on correcting that lapse of attention, and she missed how the force of the wind outside seemed to grow for a moment.
The soft touch had Treyvon stiffening before he relaxed and whispered, "Jennifer..."
"No, don't turn around," she ordered quietly. "I've never had the chance to really explore this part of you."
"My back?" Treyvon didn't try to hide his confusion or disbelief.
"It's part of you," she said, as her hands journeyed over the mountain range of muscles that ran along each side of his spine, her thumbs exploring the valley in between. "That makes it important to me. Don't you know that?"
Her lips kissed first one shoulder blade and then followed her thumbs when they too investigated the sexy indentation that marked the top of each firm buttock.
"That every part of you is important to me? That I want to know and appreciate it." She let her hands move down, caressing the amazing muscles that had created it. "Goddess, Treyvon, you are perfection."
"I'm not," he gruffly denied. "If I was, Spada never would have been able to harm you."
"Stop that!" Jen commanded and the hands that a moment before had been softly caressing now painfully pinched. "You can't prevent what you don't know about."
"And why didn't I?" Treyvon demanded spinning around to face her, his arms pulling her up and off her feet. "Why didn't you tell me Spada had been making advances on you even after you discouraged him?!!" he demanded.
"I... I honestly never believed he'd take it that far and..."
"And?"
"And I've gotten so used t
o handling so much on my own that... No!" She raised a single finger when she saw his eyes start to blaze and knew what he was going to say. "That is no reflection on you. I know I can rely on you. I know it, Treyvon. But sometimes... sometimes I still forget. Like when I first wake up and don't know where I am. All those feelings of being helpless and at the mercy of others overwhelm me, and I have to fight to break free of them. The only time that doesn't happen is when I wake up in your arms."
Treyvon was silent for a moment as the water continued to cascade around them before saying. "Then we shall make sure that you always wake up in my arms."
"Treyvon, that's not possible."
"It is, because you are all that matters to me. Which is why, as much as I want to keep you in this stall and Join with you," leaning down he captured her lips for a quick gentle kiss. "I am going to take you to our bed where we will rest and when you wake, it will be in my arms."
Chapter Thirty-One
Treyvon was true to his word and when Jen woke it wasn't with the sudden, heart-pounding fear she'd come to know. Instead, she woke slowly with the feeling of safety and security that she only experienced when Treyvon was near.
Opening her eyes, she found she was on her side, staring up into Treyvon's softly glowing eyes. Her head was resting on one of his biceps, with his arms wrapped around her keeping her close.
Tears filled her eyes as she gently caressed his cheek. She knew there would be times when he couldn't be here, but for him to make sure he was this morning...
"Thank you," she whispered.
"You don't need to thank me." He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. "You are the most important thing in my life now. Nothing comes before you and your needs."
His words caused the tears that had been trembling in her eyes to fall. When had she ever felt so important to another being? So loved? Treyvon was giving her everything he was. His love. His commitment. His everything. She could give him no less, especially not when it was within her power to give him something he greatly desired.
