by Kyle, Celia
Of course, Argan must keep those instincts in check. Lily was treated thoroughly, and if any dared suggest she was weak, he would personally see to the removal of their tongue. His protective thoughts and feelings for Lily grew stronger and stronger, but it was a measure of growth he enjoyed. He sensed Lily enjoyed it as well—his mate appreciating the deepening of their ties—and that filled him with a sense of pride.
Like any strong Preor warrior, he bore his wounds with utmost stoicism. He would not reveal the depth of his pain through actions or words. Yes, he knew of the blood flowing from his body, but it was controllable and did not threaten his life. It was simply an injury sustained while performing his duty—the protection of his mate.
Mate.
The word echoed in his mind as he passed through the din of medical. It made his heartbeat stutter, but he reveled in how natural it felt within his heart. It felt right in a way that it had not in the past. Matters of love had not crossed his mind before his mating to Lily, but he found his attention returning to the topic more and more.
As soon as that word whispered through his mind, his attention was brought back to his mate, the sense of her thoughts and emotions nearby. Her emotions seemed to react to the feelings inside him, almost as if they had an emotional conversation.
Lily sensed Argan’s pain and was alarmed. He countered that he was fine and she need not worry. His mate filled him with the sense that he was a stubborn ass and she would worry if she damn well pleased.
Argan conceded the point.
Lily was curious—anxious about Argan’s location—and he sent a wave of reassurance and urged her to remain on her ryaapir unit within the private alcove Healing Master Whelon had assigned her.
Her response was swift—a rush of emotions followed by her voice echoing through the space. “Fuck that noise!”
Argan’s ryaapir unit was pushed into an alcove, and he grimaced when he spied his mate in the corner. At least she was not standing and waiting. He would kill all who allowed her out of bed save the one who had enough sense to provide her with a chair.
“Shit,” she abandoned her chair and rushed to him, nudging a few of the younger healers aside. The only thing that saved them was that they did not dare lay hands on her or attempt to move her back out of the way. She leaned over him, careful not to touch him as she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. At least it began gentle. The moment she seemed to retreat, he reached for her and pulled her into him as he deepened the kiss. He lapped at her lips and swallowed her flavors, tasting her so sweetly, and they both moaned with the sensual touch.
Argan gradually eased his hold and spoke against her petal-soft lips. “It is nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” she snapped and then her gaze shot to the healers. She gestured at him with her free hand. “What are you waiting for? Fix him!”
“We wait for you,” one of the healers pointed out and Argan swung his gaze at the male who spoke. At least the idiot kept his gaze on the ground and spoke softly.
Argan would not kill him.
Lily rolled her eyes and stepped away, giving the healers room to work. The moment they had space, they rushed to transfer him to a permanent ryaapir unit and attached monitors to his bare chest.
All the while, he could not tear his gaze from his mate. He did not believe she could remove her attention from him either. He drew strength through their nearness and even though the sight of him worried her, Lily took comfort in his presence as well.
Argan was not worried over his injuries. They were nothing compared to the wounds he had suffered in the past. With proper care, he would heal fully. He tried to convey that sensation to his mate, but her continued response was that he should not let his cocky attitude be the death of him. He supposed he could see the wisdom in her words, but he would not admit that aloud.
The healers worked on his chest. They cleaned the blood and applied salves that would speed healing. Nothing could repair him in an instant. Unfortunately.
Lily hovered near the entire time, waves of anxiety rolling off her in undulating sweeps of her scent. Her emotions were joined by questions—one after another shot at the healers as they worked. Argan fought against the smiles that threatened to break free as his mate harried the staff. It was good for the healers to be under a little pressure, and it amused him to see such staid warriors so frazzled.
“What happened?” She lingered just outside the circle of healers.
“Penelope was correct.” Argan growled as one of the males finished bandaging his arm. “It was Zafre. He attacked the moment he had an opening. I saw his attack coming but could not immediately defend myself without destroying the subterfuge.”
“You mean blow your cover.”
Argan grunted. That was what he had said. “He did not waste his chance. I kept him from doing great harm and put him in his place.”
“Why did he do all this?” Lily shook her head, her confusion suffusing his mind.
“Jealousy.” He met his mate’s gaze, staring into her shining eyes. “Jealousy and hatred. He did not believe I was punish sufficiently and he despised what has grown between us. The first was forgivable, the second was not. He should be thankful I did not rip him apart.”
Literally.
“Yes, he should.” Healing Master Whelon strode into medical and peered down at the display on the ryaapir unit. He gave a curt nod to both Argan and Lily before turning to the work the healers completed. “Hello, Warrior Argan and Knot that is not Liquid. It is good to see you both well and breathing.”
“Yeah, I’m a big fan of breathing,” Lily drawled.
Whelon touched one of the many bandages covering Argan. “No offense intended to Warrior Argan, but Lily, you are a miracle. That you survived such an attack with no neurological damage—”
“That we know of,” Lily corrected. A new wave of anxiety assaulted Argan, but Lily winked at him, a sense of calm flowing from her to him, easing his concerns.
A little.
“Correct. That we know of,” Whelon admitted. “We will have scans arranged to confirm your wellness. I am not happy you are out of your ryaapir unit but the healers were instructed not to hold you captive.”
“Damn straight.” Lily straightened and Argan chuckled at her response.
“Argan has shown a remarkable amount of restraint while you did not.” Whelon peered over Argan’s readings. “In a heated fight, most Preor would have lost control of their dragon. I am stunned we are not sweeping Preor ashes off the walls.”
“I would not suggest giving me ideas, Healing Master Whelon.” Argan grumbled and the healing master chuckled in return.
“Well, when War Master Taulan interrogates Zafre, we may still scrape him off the hull yet.”
Argan hoped the war master would end the male’s life for what he had done to Lily, to them. He reached for his mate and gently took her hand, drawing her near once more. He pressed a kiss to her wrist and then held her arm for the healing master to see. “I could not let my dragon do as it wished. If I had, it would have harmed Lily. No matter my hatred for the male, I would not let my temper control me so freely if it meant harming her.”
“Aw, you didn’t annihilate someone for me.” Her voice was teasing, but the soft smile on her lips showed she was touched by his restraint. “That’s so sweet.”
“Yes, very sweet,” Whelon drawled. “I would like a moment to review some of the data collected. I will give you a few moments alone.” Whelon gestured for the healers to follow, and as one they perked up and quickly followed the healing master from the alcove. An opaque shield lowered into place, blocking them from view.
Alone at last, Lily stared down at Argan, a soft smile slowly growing to overtake her lips. She sat on the ryaapir unit at his side and ran a hand through his hair. She carefully caressed his flesh, fingers trailing over his bandaged wounds. There was something soothing in her touch that calmed him, that peace battling the pride and excitement over his wounds. He
liked that he had physical proof of his dedication to her—to their mating. He was a fierce warrior who had fought and bled for his mate. There was no greater honor.
“Fighting him was dangerous and dumb.” Her eyes remained focused on his chest.
“You wished him gone as much as I.” He pointed out the obvious.
“Maybe.” She lowered herself to the mattress and stared down at him—mere inches separating them. “There are perks to having your own dragon ninja.”
He chuckled and reached for her, pulling her into a deep kiss. One that lasted longer than he intended. With the first touch of their mouths, he grew aroused—excited by the mere presence of the female that had claimed him.
“I would not have let such a male to kill me,” he reassured her. “Especially not when I have you to return to.”
“Good.” She jerked her head in a sharp nod. “Tell yourself that before you take stupid risks from now on, okay?” She stroked his jawline with her thumb and a burst of admiration filtered into his heart.
“That will only push me to do greater deeds for you.” He kissed her palm. “Knowing I shall return to you, I will take any risk and survive.”
“I figured you’d say that. You take it as a challenge.” She sighed, but even she smiled. “There’s something else we should address…”
He knew of what she spoke.
“I feel it too.” Argan cradled her wrist, staring at the Bind that tethered them to one another. “The Binds. There has been a change.”
Lily was silent for a moment, expression changing until there was a physical ache visible in her expression.
“I saw the moment you got this,” she whispered, fingers drifting over the aged scar across his face. Argan tensed and forced himself not to flinch. He knew he had viewed what had to be very private memories of Lily’s past but had not realized she could do the same to him.
“Did you?” He struggled to keep his voice even.
“I saw a lot of things, actually. I even felt what it was like to be a dragon. Wind under my wings. Fire in my throat.”
He should be concerned with her message and not focus on any particular words, but he could not. Not when he was captured by a single thought. “You would have made a fine dragon if you were born Preor.” He grinned and stroked her chin. One finger just beneath her chin and then he drew her closer, pulling her to his side. “With mighty wings and a breath that would shake the strongest fortress.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“But you do not need to be a dragon.” He stroked her hair. “You have the fire of ten warriors and double their strength, shaa kouva.”
She stared at Argan for a while and he simply returned her extended look. Her eyes reflected the pristine white lights of medical and Argan experienced nothing but pure, unfiltered love as it swelled within his small human female. His heart beat faster, picking up pace to match his mate’s, the space between the two of them lessening more and more.
Argan pulled her into a kiss once more, their tongues twining and stroking each other as he delved deeply and sought out every hint of her heated sweetness. Desire unfurled its wings and his cock hardened beneath his katoth pants. He ached for her, lust driving his need to fly higher the longer they kissed. He reached for her, grabbing her around the middle and dragging her atop him. He did not care if he hurt or ached due to his wounds and her sudden presence.
He simply needed more of her. More of her mouth. More of her touch. More of her scent on his flesh. He caressed her sides, the thin gown from the medical staff not doing much to hide her body from him. Through the delicate fabric, he teased the sides of her breasts, the dip of her waist and the flare of her ass. He fed off her mouth as they both fed off each other’s emotions and desires. That fact told him this experience was new—daunting and strange. He did not simply stare into the eyes of a female he loved. This was so much more.
“I feel…” He tried to explain himself. “I feel as if we stand atop a cliff as we did when we stared across the Gulf of Mexico.”
“Sandy and horny?” she murmured between soft kisses to his jaw.
“No—” He shook his head and changed his mind. “Partly, yes.” He held back a laugh. “I feel I am looking out over a vast, glittering ocean I had never known existed. Those glorious sparkling waters are you, shaa kouva.”
“Obviously you aren’t talking about the time when I was six and my BFF dared me to eat a termite we found on a park bench and—”
Argan smiled as she rambled. Not because he did not find her words interesting, but because he experienced the emotions beneath the words. A moment later, she failed to suppress her blush when she realized Argan watched her with a growing hunger in his eyes. She stopped her story and bit her lower lip.
“I… seriously though. That was pretty poetic coming from you, big guy.” She sighed. “I was trying to think of a way of saying that being with you gives me the same joy as hacking the FBI, CIA, and Department of Defense in the same afternoon.”
“That is very romantic.” Argan decided and gave his mate a solemn nod, to which Lily burst into giggles, which trigged his own laughter. He cuddled her closer and even though a twinge of pain accompanied the movements, he felt stronger than he had in a very, very long time.
He had his Lily at his side, and she was his. That meant more than anything else in the starry galaxies ever could.
As before, their wordless thoughts danced back and forth between them. They pondered releasing what remained of their inhibitions and exploring each other—fully. They debated doing as Lily preferred—saying “fuck it” and getting handsy—yet all thoughts were stomped upon by the heavy thud of someone’s footsteps as they approached.
Lily’s attention snapped to the opaque barrier and she hastily slid from Argan’s side before the shielding could be lowered. She straightened and smoothed her clothing, running a hand through her long tresses. Tresses he wished to fist as he took her mouth in a passionate kiss.
The thought earned him a glare from his mate.
Argan decided he did not care.
Healing Master Whelon was the first to appear though the male was not alone.
“It is fascinating,” War Master Taulan murmured to himself as he traveled in Whelon’s wake. Penelope burst into sight alongside the war master as he approached as well.
“Lily, keep your panties on. War Master Taulan is on his—” Penelope paused mid-warning and squeaked in surprise only to follow that with a rough clearing of her throat. Digitally, at least. “Ahem. He moved more quickly than I anticipated.”
“Thanks for that, Penelope,” Lily drawled and rolled her eyes, an action Penelope mimicked with unerring precision. The two really were too similar for comfort. “So helpful seeing as he got here first.”
Penelope sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. At least for a moment. She went into motion as Taulan padded forward and drew nearer to Argan and his mate. The ship’s hologram adjusted her stance and moved to place herself between the war master and Argan. Why?
Taulan stopped a few paces from the ryaapir unit and crossed his arms. He drummed his fingers on his bicep, expression thoughtful as he peered between Lily and Argan. They turned to each other, both uncertain of the war master’s thoughts. Argan specifically sense Lily’s urge to speak “snark” due to the war master’s attitude, and he fought back the urge to smirk at his mate. She was—apparently—attempting to be “good” for him.
“This new development of yours, Argan, interests me,” Taulan spoke at last. “Whelon, you say Argan was able to control his dragon during his battle with Zafre?”
Argan was unsure why Taulan voiced the statement as a question. The male had been on the bridge and Argan had not shifted. The fact that many were not dead of being crushed by his larger dragon form was a testament to his lack of shifting.
“That is correct,” Whelon was quick to reply.
“Fascinating,” Taulan stared at him as if he were a mystery. “Argan, you i
nformed Healing Master Whelon that you did not shift out of concern for Lil—”
“Liquid Knot,” Lily coughed the reminder to the war master, earning her a glare from Argan’s superior. Argan sent a soft bit of censure toward his mate, but she mentally giggled in return. It was obvious she did not care if she angered the war master.
“Liquid Knot,” Taulan corrected himself through gritted teeth. “Is that truthful?”
“I would sooner harm myself than cause my mate pain,” Argan reassured his leader and reached for his mate, tugging her closer. It was possessive, but he sensed his mate liked being claimed so obviously.
Taulan exchanged a look with Penelope, one neither Argan nor his mate could decipher. “That is highly unusual. You are both used to combat and have a fierce streak of rebellion. You should have been unable to keep your dragon captive while battling an enemy whose dispute was so personal.”
“So, we’re taking that as a compliment, or…” Lily tilted her head, eyebrow raised.
“Yes, it is a compliment.” Taulan was blunt as always. “A Preor can be misleading, but his dragon cannot.”
“That means what, exactly?” Lily’s impatience filled her voice as well as crept into him from their connection, and he found his own emotions merging with hers.
“What I mean,” Taulan glared at Lily, and Argan’s dragon responded to that anger directed at his mate. He glared in return, smoke escaping his nose in a subtle threat, “is that the dragon’s behavior is a reflection of Argan’s true character.” Taulan turned to him, his expression peaceful and calm before he spoke once more. “I have used this in conjunction with Healing Master Whelon’s reports to decide you are an honorable warrior.”
“Say what now?” His mate furrowed her brow and kept her eyes trained on the war master. “Just like that?”
Taulan spoke to Argan. “I believe your other half was aware of Liquid Knot’s place in your life. That is significant and more observation is necessary, but I find this to be an adequate test of your character.” Taulan turned to Penelope. “Tell me your theory of the Binds once more.”
