“How sure are you it will work? Are there any side-effects?”
“I am ninety-five percent sure it will work. Side-effects are a possibility since it is something I have not used before.”
Shit. Shit.
“I have to ask Zandar first.”
Moroco nodded. “Of course.”
Moroco thinks he has a drug to counteract that you were given. Do we try it?
There was silence for a long moment.
Tell him to try it. We have to try something. I wish to hold you again.
Aww, Goliath, you’re turning all romantic on me.
Also need to keep you out of trouble.
There’s the big, bossy guy I know and love.
What feel for you goes beyond love. It is everything.
She took a shuddering breath. “He says do it.”
Moroco nodded and took a step forward, moving around the other side of Zandar, across from her. Keely walked over to Que, who drew her close, his face unreadable.
Moroco slowly injected the liquid while she watched with bated breath, holding on to Zandar’s hand tightly.
Zandar?
I am here, trouble.
His voice soothed her. “How long?” she croaked as Moroco pulled the needle out of Zandar’s arm.
“I believe a few hours. We now wait. I will keep watch on his vitals.”
She nodded and sat again.
Moroco says a few hours.
I will be here waiting.
Hey, that was a joke. Well done, you.
Did they discover what Ferhard attempting to drug me with?
She looked over at Moroco; she couldn’t believe she hadn’t asked him that yet. Then again, she wasn’t really operating on all cylinders right now.
“Did you guys figure out what Ferhard tried to drug Zandar with?” she asked.
Moroco frowned. “Racar is still working on it. He has been granted access to Ferhard’s records and office. He is going through his files to see if he can discover the formula.”
She nodded tiredly and the room spun sickeningly.
“Do you feel well, Georgie?” Moroco asked with concern. He picked up a med-wand and walked around towards her. He ran the wand over her without actually touching her.
He frowned. “Your blood pressure is low. How long since you ate?”
“I don’t remember,” she muttered.
“I don’t think she’s eaten since they arrived here.”
She glared at Que for throwing her under the bus.
“That is not good.” Moroco scowled. Then again, when wasn’t he scowling? “Had you been eating and sleeping well up until then?”
She shrugged. She wasn’t going to lie. But she also didn’t want to get kicked out of the room. If these guys were like Zandar, then they’d want to take care of her for her own good.
“I take it that is a no.” Moroco sighed. “You must get sleep and eat or you will become ill.”
“I’m fine. Zandar is the ill one, not me.”
Que folded his arms over his chest, giving her a stern look. “He will not be happy to find you have not been taking care of yourself when he awakens.”
She sighed. “He’ll be too happy to be awake to worry about me.”
Keely snorted. “And are you selling flying pigs as well?”
She narrowed her gaze at the other woman. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
Mate? All is well?
Everyone’s picking on me.
What? Is someone hurting you?
His voice was a roar in her head and she winced.
I’m fine. I. . .
Her thought trailed off as she felt his hand squeeze hers.
“Zandar? Are you awake?” she asked, standing up.
She felt everyone around her tense. Moroco moved over to Zandar’s other side again, but she ignored them all, her gaze firmly on her mate’s face.
“Zandar? Squeeze my hand again.”
He didn’t squeeze her hand, but he did open his eyes.
And to her horror, Georgie burst into tears.
“Who picked on my mate?” he demanded.
The tears turned to laughter and she flung herself against him, hugging him tight. He was all right. He was going to be all right.
Zandar held his mate close, staring out at the unknown faces around him. The male at the end of the bed looked enough like him that he knew it had to be his brother, Que. It was strange to realize this male was related to him and yet have no knowledge of their relationship.
The male standing to his left, he guessed to be the healer. And the dark-skinned female pressed against his brother had to be his mate, Keely. His mate had told him all about Que and Keely.
He gathered Georgie close. She felt so small in his arms. Delicate. Shudders ran through her.
“Trouble, you are well?” he asked. Thank the stars that the cure had worked. He had hated being trapped inside his own body, unable to take care of his mate properly.
It had been torture.
“I am now that you’re awake.”
“So that drug worked quicker than I thought,” the healer commented. “Zandar, I am Moroco, head healer of Zerconia. I need to check your vitals. Georgie, you will need to move back.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, trying to slip back. Zandar tightened his hold on her.
“She goes nowhere,” he stated. “My vitals are fine.” He felt surprisingly well, considering he had been locked in his own body for so long. A bit weak perhaps, but getting up and moving around and eating some real food would help that.
He was far more worried about his mate, who still shook. “Georgie?” He glared around at everyone. “Who upset my mate?”
“Nobody upset me, Goliath.” She tried to move back, to wipe at her tears, but he could not let her. He had to hold her. Needed her.
She was his anchor.
He wiped at her tears himself with his free hand.
“You said you were being picked on.”
“It was just a joke. I’m fine. Better than fine. I’m great now that you’re awake. Don’t do that again, okay? Promise me.” She managed to move back far enough to glare at him ferociously. “Promise me,” she demanded again. “You’re not leaving this bed until you do.”
He should not allow her to make demands of him in front of others, but he could not scold her. “I promise, trouble.”
She dropped to his chest again, as though she no longer had the energy to hold herself up.
“I missed you, Goliath. Missed having you hold me, missed having you to talk to; hell, I even missed having you boss me around.”
“Then I have much to make up for.”
She snorted.
Moroco cleared his throat, drawing his attention from his mate. He frowned up at the healer. “We require privacy.”
“I wish I could grant that, but I am concerned about Georgie’s health.”
He stiffened. Her health? “What? Why? She is ill? Georgie?”
“I’m fine, Goliath.” She rolled so she was lying on her side next to him. “Moroco is being a worrywart.”
“I am not a worrywart,” Moroco said stiffly. “I have been accused of this by my mate. I can assure you that I have reason to be concerned. Her blood pressure is low. She has not been sleeping or eating enough for several weeks would be my guess. She is near collapse.”
He turned his head to his mate and truly studied her. She was very pale with dark smudges under her eyes and her cheekbones were more pronounced than usual.
“Mate, you have not been taking care of yourself,” he growled.
“I’ve had other things to worry about, like freeing you from those bastard slavers, then getting us safely here, then some whacked-out healer trying to drug you with God knows what. Me sleeping and eating hasn’t exactly been at the top of things for me to worry about.”
Her pet chose that moment to jump onto Zandar’s stomach and poke out his tongue. He scowled at Noodle.
“You n
o longer need to worry about of those things, mate.” He hated that she’d had to deal with everything herself. He was supposed to take care of her, not the other way around. He pressed her head into his chest.
“I had to take care of you,” she told him. “I was so worried about you.”
“You did good job, mate. Did everything should have. Even protected me from Ferhard.” He wished he could remember more about the healer. “Now time look after you. You need do what healer says.”
She sniffled. “Fine. I guess I could eat a little something. But only if you do too.”
His stomach grumbled. “Agreed.”
She let out a small laugh.
“I’ll go get you both something,” Keely said. “I’m Keely, by the way, Que’s mate. Nice to meet you, Zandar.” She smiled at him then looked up at her mate, who gave her a nod.
Moroco’s communicator went off and he stepped out of the room as well, with a promise to return soon.
“So, ah, I shall leave now,” Que said awkwardly, taking a step back.
A sound at the door had him turning and Zandar looked around his brother as a tall, blond-haired man entered. Something stirred in his brain.
“Emperor,” Que said.
This was the Emperor of Zerconia. Dexanon.
Zandar pushed himself up so he was sitting.
“Zandar, careful!” Georgie sat, reaching for him. But he drew her against him so her face was tucked into his chest.
“I am fine, trouble,” he told her as she looked up at him worriedly. “Emperor.”
“Zandar, I had heard you were awake and came to check on you.”
Surprise filled Zandar that the Emperor would take such an interest in him. He was no one important.
“I am much better. Thank you for your help.”
The Emperor waved his hand. “You are one of ours, Zandar. Of course we would help you. Do you mind if I sit?” He gestured at the free chair on Zandar’s left side.
“Of course not.”
Dex sat and Zandar met Que’s surprised look.
“I shall leave,” Que said, taking a step back.
“Stay, Que. You need to hear this too.” The Emperor leaned forward. “You know that all charges were dropped against you for harming Elise when she told what really happened.”
“I know. Georgie told me. I hold no anger towards Elise.”
“She’s very grateful for that,” Que told him.
“The human council sends their apologies. Although they were not happy that you harmed three guards during your escape.”
“Be a different story if they were actually dead.” Georgie glared at him, retribution in her gaze.
“Tried tell you, mate.”
“Yeah. Not hard enough.”
The Emperor cleared his throat. “Georgie told us that you have little memory after you were enslaved by the Arans.”
“Yes.” He frowned, little bits pulling at him. “Thought they did something. Or I hit head when crashed. Now wonder if Ferhard.”
The Emperor frowned. “Yes, that is also why I am here. We have had several healers checking Ferhard’s records as well as what was in the syringe he attempted to inject you with. He kept vid records. They go back to before you disappeared. Back on that ship, he injected you with a trial drug he invented.”
The Emperor’s face was dark, his voice shaking with anger. “The drug was supposed to mimic mating fever. However, he had no cure at the time. He thought to sacrifice you in order to test the mating fever drug.”
“That bastard. I’m going to slice off his balls!” Georgie stated, trying to climb off him.
He held her back. “Easy, trouble.” He looked over at the Emperor then his brother. “My mate can be bloodthirsty.”
The Emperor’s gaze softened as he looked at Georgie. “In my experience, human females can be very ferocious in their protection of those they love.”
“Damn straight. Nobody hurts my man.”
Zandar had to fight a smile. It seemed odd that he could smile at such a time, but that was the power of his mate.
“Do you think the drug affected Zandar’s memory?” Que asked.
“Very possible,” Dex allowed. “However, the other warriors infected show no issues with memory loss. But then, he has had years to perfect the drug.”
“So he did inject Axel and the others?” Que asked.
“Yes. That is in his records. He developed the drug that mimicked mating heat, a violent form of mating heat, and he also developed the cure. He wished to make himself a hero. To have power. Prestige.”
There was disgust in the Emperor’s voice.
“So if Zandar takes this drug, this cure he developed, will his memories return?”
“I know not,” the Emperor admitted. “Like I said, he has changed the drug he first gave my warriors over the years, so it was different from the one he gave Zandar.”
“But why wait so long to inject the other warriors?” Georgie asked. “Zandar was enslaved years ago.”
The Emperor crossed his arms over his chest. “Ferhard did something to upset my father and mother when he returned from that mission and he was sent to the academy as punishment. He said he wanted revenge on the warriors who captured him and took him to the academy.”
“Let me guess, the five warriors who suddenly got mating fever?” Georgie asked.
The Emperor nodded. “Exactly.”
“What happens to him now?” Georgie asked.
“He is not reacting rationally to any of this. Moroco believes his mind has become twisted. He attacks anyone who comes close, so he has put him in stasis for the moment.”
The door opened and Keely stepped in with a large tray of food. “Oh, sorry, am I interrupting? Shall I come back?”
The Emperor stood and shook his head. “I am leaving.” He gave Zandar and Georgie a nod. “I am glad you made your way back to us, Zandar. Remember, this is your home. You are welcome here.”
Noodle bounced over to the Emperor and climbed up on his shoulder.
“Uh, mate, your pet. . .” Should not be sitting on the Emperor’s shoulder.
Dex gave him a resigned look. “It is fine. The monkey has taken a liking to my family. With your permission, I will take him back to my mate and children. I do not believe Moroco is happy having him here in the medical center.”
“Of course. I’ll come get him later,” Georgie told him.
Dex turned, and Noodle waved his ass in the air at Zandar.
“Here you are. I grabbed bits and pieces of everything I thought you might want,” Keely said, setting the tray down on the small floating table next to the bed. She directed it close to them then walked back to Que. “I guess we should leave, let you both eat and sleep.”
Que nodded and half-turned away.
“Que,” he called out. The other man turned back to face him. “I do not remember you, but I do feel something seeing you. A kinship. And I would like to get to know you.”
Que’s expression didn’t change, but he did give Zandar a nod. “I would like that too.”
Keely sent Georgie an odd look, like she had a tummy ache. Then Keely and Que left.
“Wow, that was beautiful.” Georgie sniffed and wiped at her cheek.
“You cry again, mate?” he asked, appalled. His Georgie was not one given to tears. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m not crying. It was sarcasm. I thought a reunion between two brothers, one of whom has basically returned from the dead, might have been a little more emotion-filled. That there might even be a hug.”
Zandar frowned. “I hug no one but you.”
“Aw, Goliath. I love you too.”
“That is as much emotion as warriors show,” he told her arrogantly.
“I’ve seen you show way more emotion.”
“That is with you. You bring out more emotion than thought had.”
“I’m gonna take that as a compliment.”
He would allow her to do so, even though it had not
been. He lay back, drawing her to lie over him. She wiggled in an attempt to move off him and he held her tight. “Settle, mate.”
“I’m too heavy for you!” she protested.
“You are far too light, trouble. Not happy you neglected yourself.”
“I wasn’t worried about me! I was worried about you!”
“I was fine. You more important.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re important to me.” She leaned up to look down at him. “I didn’t think I could ever love someone again after Annie died. I didn’t want to because I didn’t want to go through that pain of losing them. Having you in a coma for these past few weeks has been hell. I never want to go through this again. If I hadn’t been able to talk to you through the bond, then I might have gone mad. Please tell me we’re going to stay here. I need you safe. I need you with me.”
“I need you too, trouble. I promise never to leave you. Never again. Now we home. We together. That is how it will stay.”
Epilogue
He scrapped his teeth across her taut nipple and she let out a scream of pleasure.
Holy. Shit. Fuck.
She tugged at the cuffs he’d secured around her hands, but they didn’t budge. They were hover cuffs, so they weren’t actually attached to anything, but they kept her hands secured above her head against the masic.
He moved his mouth to her other nipple, giving it the same harsh treatment.
Fuck. Who knew she could like pain with her pleasure? He ran his tongue down her stomach to the top of her mound then down to her slit before he sat up.
“Nooo, Zandar, please,” she begged.
How long had he been teasing her for, drawing her to the edge of pleasure then pulling back? She had lost track of time. Lost track of pretty much everything. All she knew was him. He knelt between her spread legs, his weight resting on his hand, and he leaned down to kiss her.
“Please what, mate?” he asked in a low voice.
“Please let me come. I have to come. I’m in pain.”
“Pain. We cannot have you in pain.”
She shook her head back and forth. “No, we can’t. We really can’t.”
“But you were naughty.”
“I was not!” She pouted at him. All right, so technically, she hadn’t told him that she was teaching Zoey and some of the other human mates how to pick pockets. But that wasn’t such a big deal, right? They weren’t actually going to steal anything. It was just for fun.
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