She barely noticed the scenery passing as she thought about the way he was reacting. By the time he’d carried her to the medical tent, she had worked up a little panic about his feelings. He was reacting so strongly. As much as she didn’t want to be hurt, she also didn’t want to cause anyone else pain.
He carried her into the tent and put her down. The physician, Kairn, rushed in after them almost as if he’d been called. He’d introduced himself when he’d treated her that first day. She could only guess that he’d noticed the activity or someone had quietly found him and told him someone had been hurt.
“Well, hello, Ada, I see you’ve had a bit of an incident.” Kairn came up to the side of the table. His voice was soft and reassuring.
He moved around Jagger without a comment about his presence. That surprised her a little, because Jagger was in the way. The physician seemed prepared to work around him. She’d known physicians who’d kick people out even if they were standing or sitting to the side of the room.
“It’s not as bad as it seems. He carried me because he wanted to. I can walk. It’s only my neck.” She grimaced. Her voice still sounded a little hoarse.
“Well, then let me see your neck.” He stepped closer. He lifted one of the instruments and began scanning the injury to see the extent of the damage.
“He squeezed and not too long, although time seemed to drag when it was happening.” She smiled a little but then winced as the physician pressed on her neck lightly.
“If we were on the ship, I could completely heal this for you. Here, I can give you something for the pain and to take down the swelling a little.” His silver eyes met hers.
“I understand.” And she did. On the Setona, they didn’t have the most advanced medical technology. At times, on some of the longer runs, minor injuries weren’t given much treatment at all if they wouldn’t interfere with work. Supplies were sometimes precious on a small trade ship and had to be saved in case of major injury.
A low growl sounded. She looked over at Jagger, unsure if that sound had actually come from him.
“Yes, that was him. In addition to being overprotective, males can also be a little temperamental when it comes to this type of thing.” Kairn patted her hand. “Once he sees you’re safe and not in pain, he’ll calm.”
She had no idea what type of thing he meant. “I’m safe and the pain on the outside isn’t so bad, but my throat feels a little raw.”
“I’ll get you something for that as well, but drink plenty of fluids. That should help with the irritation.” He moved away and came back with a small tube and a small bottle.
“Thank you. I’m sure it would pass on its own, but a little pain relief would be nice.” She swallowed with difficulty.
“We’ll get you something to drink as soon as he gives you his recommendations.” Jagger’s hand stroked through her hair.
She looked at him. As strongly as he’d reacted, she wasn’t surprised that he was still here. Still, she was a little wary of what it meant. Although he was gorgeous and she liked him, she knew it would be too easy to get too involved with him.
“Swallow this. I’ll spread on the topical cream.” Kairn gave her the small bottle.
She popped off the top and swallowed the thin liquid. It had a slightly bitter, herbal taste, but she didn’t have any problem getting it down. It numbed the pain a little as it hit her throat. He opened the small tube and squeezed out a glob of gel. He spread it over her neck. As it touched her skin, she felt an immediate, soothing coolness.
“Better?” Kairn asked.
“Yes, how long will the cream last?” She didn’t see the rawness in her throat persisting too long. She was more concerned with the outer pain.
“It should last through the night, but if the pain intensifies or you have trouble breathing, come see me at once.” Kairn stepped back.
“I will. Thank you for checking my injuries.” She smiled at him and slid off the table before Jagger could decide to scoop her up and carry her. Honestly, she could learn to like that too much.
Jagger held out his hand. “Let’s go get you something to drink.”
She slid her palm into his and nodded. His fingers tightened slightly and he led the way out of the tent. He went straight to the table and urged her into one of the chairs.
“Stay here. I’ll bring you something to drink.” He squeezed her shoulders.
She sat and marveled at the attention. He didn’t take long and returned with a drink for her. He drew a chair near her. Then he talked, not about anything specific, just conversation. She enjoyed it and relaxed as time passed.
Chapter Eight
Jagger waited for Ada to come back out of her tent. It was hard for him to let her out of his sight at all. Last night, he’d wanted to take her with him instead of letting her walk into the tent she shared with some of the other women. He didn’t have anywhere they could be private, but the urge to find somewhere had been strong. Today, he’d stayed as close to her as possible, but he could tell she was starting to wonder why. She’d started pulling back, and going into her tent had been an excuse.
The Zarain half of him wanted her with him so that he could protect her from the danger. Especially since they had no idea who the attackers were. The animal knew that it could protect her with its size and muscle. Being with her only part of the time was pushing him to his limits. Sheer will and the knowledge that she’d probably panic kept him from changing into a shaggy blond beast and planting himself by her side. The Zarain within him wanted to rip anyone who’d hurt her apart with teeth and claws. Jagger had the distinct impression that it would be happy keeping her separated from everyone until the Vigilant arrived.
His men had tracked the attackers to the river and reported the scent had definitely been male. Unfortunately, the gender of the attackers was the only thing they knew with certainty. There had been something off about that scent. It wasn’t until they’d gotten back and checked the camp that they discovered why that was. There were tubes of salve missing from the supplies as well as a few other medications. It had changed the scent just enough to stop them from identifying who had done this.
They’d found the clothes in the water at the river and no sign of the men. By the time that they returned to camp, everyone was there. No one could say with any certainty who had been in camp at the time of the attack. Not that he could blame them. People tended to wander to keep themselves busy or to get some time alone. Not everyone was dealing well with the close quarters, even if they did have to be together only at night.
Jagger planned to ask Ada to go for a walk so they could talk. He needed to explain why he was so intent on being near her before she decided that he was stalking her. She might think that she needed to get away from him and stay away. That wouldn’t go over well with the Zarain part of him. He knew himself well enough to know that he’d have a hard time keeping control if she tried to end the relationship.
A mating didn’t end. This wasn’t a date and she’d have to see it. Once she had fully transformed to a Zarain, she would understand. She’d feel the connection between them. He knew she felt it a little now, but she still fought it. From what he’d heard, she didn’t trust long-term relationships.
When she came out of the tent, he waited until she noticed him. He didn’t want to sneak up on her even accidentally. She might still be tense from the attack. He hoped she’d agree to walk with him, but they would talk tonight. Picking her up and carrying her out of the camp was not out of the question, even if it might cause a stir among her crewmates. He smiled as she looked at him. She took a deep breath and walked over to him. It was more than he expected.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” He held out his hand. It was time to make her see the full truth. If they’d met some other way, it would have happened already.
“Yes, we do need to talk.” She nodded, but her expression was solemn.
That wasn’t good. He knew that the truth was probably going to come out a lot mo
re bluntly than he intended. Well, it could be worse. She knew him a little better now. He could have had to press his claim without her knowing anything about him.
Grabbing a blanket from a crate of supplies, he led her out of the camp to a quiet spot near the river. It was one place that he could be almost certain that she’d be safe. When he’d decided to talk to her, he’d sent his men to patrol the area. No one was near it. They’d keep watch over the humans in the camp, especially the men. His men would keep track of them and if any of them disappeared or there was trouble, they’d contact him through the mind link. He needed time alone with Ada, but he didn’t want her in any danger.
“So how far are we going? Do you really think the discussion is going to get that loud?” The way she stressed the word discussion, he knew she expected an argument to occur.
“Not too much farther. There’s a spot up here with a nice grassy area that isn’t too overgrown.” Jagger held back a smile at the attitude. He wasn’t going to let her push him away. There wasn’t going to be an end to this relationship regardless of what else happened.
She shot him a glare but stayed by his side. He stopped at the grassy area in the trees. It was near the river but not right next to it. The trees would offer them shelter and the privacy he wanted. He’d prefer a room, but this would have to do. The shuttle would have been perfect, but he knew that it would have drawn too much attention and someone could have interrupted.
“Do you want to sit?” He gestured to the ground and spread the blanket.
She sat on the far side of the blanket. That wouldn’t last long. His scent would draw her close even if she was furious with him. The attraction burned between them. Even now, he could smell her arousal. It was low but would rise, drawing her to him. He’d just have to find a way around her attitude about relationships. Jagger didn’t fool himself that it would be easy. He settled on the other side of the blanket.
“This is getting too intense.” She licked her lips and sat up straighter.
He thought he knew what she meant but wanted to hear her complete explanation. He knew what he had to say wasn’t going to make her happy. “What is too intense?”
“This thing between us. You’ve been watching me as if there’s more between us than there is. More than there can be.” She took a deep breath and met his eyes. Her brown eyes narrowed and her lips firmed in determination.
His eyes locked on those lips and his thoughts immediately went to the feel of her lips on his skin and how he wanted to feel them wrapped around his cock. He forced his mind away from that tempting path and back to the matter at hand. She thought there shouldn’t be this much intensity between them. A partial explanation wasn’t going to satisfy her.
“What we have is more than you think is there.” He knew it wasn’t enough information for her. He wanted to provoke her and make her think.
She shook her head sharply. “It can’t be more. Jagger, we only have a little more time together. I heard your men. They only expect a few more days until the ship comes for us.”
“And you think that after that our relationship will be at an end.” He raised a brow. Their relationship was only beginning. He drew in a slow breath and kept a firm grip on his temper and the Zarain within him, preparing for her answer.
“What can there be? I’ll be going back to Central Command Space and back to running the trade routes. I don’t know if the ship has been recovered, but I have to have a job. Even if it’s not with my old captain, I’ll have to sign on with someone, at least for a short time.” She shook her head.
He didn’t know if she’d deliberately stopped herself from thinking about a future between them or if she was so set in her beliefs that it never occurred to her there could be more. Whatever the reason, he was going to show her their relationship was more than a temporary, convenient liaison.
“There is a mating,” he said flatly. He wanted to tell her a little more gently, but now, she wouldn’t recognize anything but the blatant claim.
“No.” She jumped to her feet and shook her head. Her eyes darted almost as if she was looking for somewhere to run. “No, no, no.”
He stood, thankful that she hadn’t actually run. He didn’t want to have to run after her. The Zarain inside him already wanted to grab and prove his hold on her. He didn’t want to scare her, and a snarling man chasing after her would. If she wasn’t scared then, she would probably be startled at the least when he caught her and started kissing her. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from at least a kiss.
“The mark on your shoulder says differently.” He kept his voice calm and even, but he watched her.
She looked down to the shoulder where he’d bitten her. “But shifters bite.”
His mark was covered by her shirt. He’d rather have it in the open where everyone could see it, but their clothing options were limited. The shifter males knew though. They could smell his scent on her.
“We only bite that way, puncturing the skin, during sex with our mates. Our canine teeth lengthen, a sort of partial shift to make the claiming mark.” He relaxed a little as he saw red rush up her cheeks and her body stiffened with anger.
She wasn’t going to run now. An argument or fight was more likely with her current mood. Judging by the way her fingers clenched, it would be the latter. Jagger smiled. He loved a woman with a temper.
“You think this is funny? I didn’t agree to anything. You didn’t even ask me. What happens when you get tired of me? Am I supposed to go back to Central Command Space and try to start some kind of life there?” She glared at him and paced a little away before whipping around and coming back.
“Mating isn’t a choice. It’s biological. You are my mate. I’ve seen a lot of Zarain couples, and I’ve never come across one where either of the two has walked away for any reason. They don’t get tired of each other. Yes, there’s work, because life sometimes isn’t easy. As long as no one gives up, it works.” He lifted his hand and tried to brush the hair away from her face.
She jerked back. “No. It’s my choice. I can’t do that.”
He smelled the fear but also heard it in her words. He knew she wasn’t afraid of him. She wouldn’t have gone for a walk with him if he scared her. The only thing he could think of was that she was scared of the commitment.
“You’re in Shifter-Protected Space now, Ada. We don’t let mates walk away. Why are you scared of it? I know you’re angry, probably because this isn’t what you planned, but you’re scared too.” He took her hand and held on to it even when she tried to pull back from him.
“I’m not scared.” She straightened and her eyes narrowed to brown slits. “I don’t want a man, not as a permanent attachment.”
“You’re scared. I can smell it as surely as I can smell your arousal. We’re mates and it’s not going to change simply because you fear it.” He again lifted his hand, this time to touch her shoulder.
She batted his hand away. “I don’t care what you can smell. I can’t do this.”
He had to nudge her out of the fear that was beginning to override her emotions and he thought that anger might do the trick. Anger he could deal with, but fear made him want to rip apart whatever as causing it. Since he was fairly sure that he was at least behind part of the fear, stopping the source of it was going to be a little hard to accomplish. He’d have to show her his understanding later.
“You can, you have and you will. You’re my mate and you’ll be staying with me when the Vigilant arrives.” He raised an eyebrow and waited to see how she’d react to that challenge.
She drew in a sharp breath and blinked at him for a moment as if she couldn’t believe that he’d said that. “I won’t. You can’t make me.”
He laughed a little and shook his head. “You were found in Shifter-Protected Space and you’re my mate. It’s the law here. Anyone who comes near our space knows that if a woman is found to be a mate, then she’ll be kept with that shifter. You can’t tell me that you were unaware of the law. Even
if you were, it wouldn’t matter.”
She lunged at him, her fist swinging wildly. He turned, taking the blow on the shoulder. He grabbed and held her wrists to keep her from trying that again. She jerked in his arms. A smile curved his lips. She wasn’t near calm yet. Her chest heaved as she drew in a shuddering breath. Hell, if she kept lifting her chest like that he’d be lucky to hear anything she said.
“Damn you, Jagger, I can’t. I can’t do relationships.” She shook her head.
“You might not think you can, but you already are my mate. That relationship is for life. Regardless of your fears or doubt, neither of us is going to walk away from it.” He tightened his hands and tugged her a little closer.
She shook her head and a sad little laugh fell from her lips. “Forever. There is no forever. Relationships never last.”
Her eyes held such sadness in them that he almost drew her into his arms. He resisted. She’d take that step on her own very soon.
“Really. My mother and father are still together. My grandparents are as well. Leaving isn’t an option. They work through their problems, not walk away from them or turn to someone else.” He ran his thumbs over her inner wrists.
“You make it sound as if there’s no other way.” She leaned close and her head rested for a moment against his chest.
“Do you really think I’m going to let it be any other way?” He chanced letting go of one of her hands and curled his arm around her waist.
She smiled and shook her head. “You’re not the only one involved.”
“No, but you wouldn’t give it up even now.” He stroked his fingers up and down her spine.
“You don’t lack conceit, do you?” She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “How can I want you so much? Especially now.”
“You’re my mate. Of course, you want me.” He was tempted to leave it at that but knew he had to explain more. “It’s my scent. The pheromones of a male Zarain are especially strong to his mate.”
“Pheromones, I should have realized. Is it all the way you smell?” Her eyes narrowed, but her hand stroked his chest.
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