by L M Lacee
‘They are well, I have sent them back to their Hex’s to rest for the remainder of the day.’
‘Okay and the Warriors?’
‘They too will heal and are being treated as we speak. Netta was very precise and only cut deep enough to let them know they had been wounded, but not enough to do any damage.’ She looked disapprovingly at the Commanders and told Peyton. ‘Unlike what was done to Trina, who will scar.’
‘I see, can you send the Warriors to my office when they have been discharged please.’
‘Of course, oh here is Patty, she can look at the Commander’s knee.’
Peyton turned to Dinas and asked. ‘You are injured?’
‘I am Madam.’ He brushed it away, saying. ‘It is of no consequence.’
Peyton retorted. ‘It is to me Commander Dinas.’
Dinas smiled, acknowledging her concern. ‘I did not realize Madam. I apologize for my lack of consideration.’
‘Commander Dinas, you should know by now I am concerned with all our Warriors. You are all important without you we cannot do what we must. What we have to do in this Universe. And on a personal note, I… well, actually all of us would be less for you not being in our lives. Dinas, I know you only used as much force as you deemed necessary, to stop Netta hurting you or herself. You are part of our family and mean as much to us as Netta does. So we can tell you she would not like to wake and find she had hurt or killed anyone, especially you. So please, if you are concerned I or any of us are angry forget it, we are not.’
‘Thank you Peyton.’ He bowed his head in acknowledgment and relief, then turned his head to Heather as she moved to his side. ‘Heather, I swear I am fine.’
With a laugh in her eyes, she said. ‘Again I will tell you I am the chief medical officer, so you will allow Patty to scan and heal you.’
He smiled. ‘Of course.’
Heather reached out and snagged Patty’s arm as she came close, saying. ‘Oh Patty, I don’t think you have met Dinas yet.’
Dinas turned around fully and his knee was instantly forgotten, as his hearts started to beat as one. He like Heather had studied the phenomenon when mating happened to the Warriors. He grabbed at his chest and felt the strange sensations overtake him. His head became light and his knees weak. He must have made a sound because she turned her face toward him and he saw for the first time the face of his mate. Her beautiful smile lit her hazel eyes with sparkles, until she realized he was looking at her. Then it was if a cloud dulled their beauty.
‘I displease you?’ He asked while his hearts banged against his chest and a pain like he had never experienced before slammed into his needar. He dropped to the floor never feeling the pain from his broken knee, this agony he had never been taught to put aside. He choked out. ‘I do not know what I have done to displease you, but I will change whatever it is.’
Patty gulped as she watched the male she had yearned after for luneras drop to his knees. Words long held in her heart tumbled and fought each other to be said. Her mind blanked, her eyes flew to the ceiling, and she hissed a breath out between her teeth, finally letting words form and spill from her lips. ‘There is nothing to change, you are perfect. Dearle stars, you are too perfect for me. Look at you, even banged up, you are beautiful. I am not what you need.’
‘You will not allow me to prove you are mine, you will disavow me?’ Dinas asked, shock and hurt haunting his voice.
Peyton said. ‘Rise Commander Dinas.’
He determinedly struggled to his feet and limped to her, asking. ‘Madam, what is happening?’
The others looked on as Dinas’s body trembled and a hum came from him. Then his muscles tensed and relaxed, like he was fighting a war within himself.
Peyton took Patty’s hand and placed it in his, instantly the shivering and hum subsided. She told Patty. ‘He is yours, wanted or not.’ Patty opened her mouth to argue when Peyton raised a brow, and she snapped it shut. A twinkle lit Peyton’s eyes as she said. ‘You and he are destined to be together. What you see is a small manifestation of a thwarted Elite. They do not feel the symptoms of the mating heat like regular Warriors. He will not succumb to passing out, his breath will not stop in his chest or any of the other manifestations of finding his mate we have seen. He is an Elite, his hearts beat as one for you Patty, to deny him is to give you both a death sentence. I speak now, not in jest. You too will feel the manifestations of the mating heat, your appetite will fade and sleep will elude you, eventually you will just cease to be. If you do not follow what is between you to its conclusion. Tell me, Patty, are you sleeping and eating well?’
She dared her to lie, and Patty could not. She shook her head and lowered her eyes. ‘I am not.’
Peyton nodded. ‘What will happen to you is nothing compared to what will happen to Dinas.’
‘Death sounds bad to me.’ Darby said to Esther who agreed with a nod of her head. Peyton ignored her as she shook her head and told them.
‘Dinas, will not sleep or eat, he will fight a war with his body. He will suffer from tremendous bouts of fear, and he may even feel claustrophobic or something.’ She gave him a look of understanding, as he realized he was not going crazy, it was just the mating heat causing all his symptoms.
‘Eventually, at some point, if it goes on too long he will slide into madness, a horrible, debilitating madness. Whereby nothing will seem real and Hawk his brother will be forced to take his life and if he cannot. It will fall to me to do so… please.’ She begged. ‘Don’t let that happen, I really believe you would not want that. So I ask you to talk and find out why you are mates and Patty…’ She warned as Patty looked at her. ‘How one thinks they look cannot be a reason to deny your destiny, which stands before you. He will never break your heart, bruise it at times, as you will his, as you have done here, but never will he falter in his devotion to you. Do you not think you owe it to him to at least be brave enough to believe in yourself?’
Patty nodded as she sucked in a breath and felt her heart hurt. She had caused him pain, her beautiful Warrior, staring into his intense eyes, she saw the wound she had inflicted.
Peyton told them both and the others listening. ‘The Stars do not give us mates who have no substance or honor, they give us compatible partners to love and cherish for eternity, however long that is. Dinas and Patty try to remember that when you are talking, also remember a hug is a need, not a want.’
Patty dipped her head. ‘I will Peyton, thank you.’ Shyly she said. ‘Dinas, if you would like to come with me. I will see to your knee, and we could talk.’
He took her hand in his. ‘My heart, I can think of nothing more I would like to do.’
‘Oh my, that was nice.’ Patty whispered as they left for her office.
Peyton looked after them. ‘A nice match, they make a delightful couple.’
Heather agreed. ‘She needs someone like him to look after her tender heart.’
‘He will do that.’ Hawk replied. ‘He needs someone of his own to love, he has a need to belong.’
‘Don’t we all?’ Melody whispered.
Darby hung her head while Melody’s words washed over her. Hawk thought on that as Peyton said. ‘We need to adjourn to my office. Come on, Esther. Apparently you are needed to soothe the savage Madam Peyton.’
‘You know you are sounding awfully full of yourself, young lady.’ Esther told her and then stated. ‘I have decided to defer my travel to Halcyon until after our away mission returns.’
Peyton mumbled. ‘Oh, goodie!’
‘Was that sarcasm Missy?’
Peyton hurriedly assured her it was not. ‘Nope, never, I am shocked you would think so.’
‘Is that so?’ Esther took Melody’s arm, and they left in the transfer circle. Hawk and Darby traveled after them with smirks on their faces.
Heather told Peyton before she left. ‘When they are treated, I will send them to you.’
‘Netta included please.’
‘She will be coming round any
min, if she checks out alright. I will have her come to your office.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Darby is angry with me!’ She blurted out.
Peyton sighed. ‘Yep, she is, but this is Darby. You knew this was going to happen, your dreams told you so. She will be angry, sad and lost for a while. She does not do change well, but trust me we will look after her and she will not stay that way for long. She loves you as we all do.’
‘Okay.’ Heather looked sad but turned away before Peyton could say anything more, not that she knew what else to say. She stepped into the transfer circle and thought of her Hex, then stepped out to be handed a cup of coffee from Helen. ‘Thank you.’
‘How are Netta and the girls?’
‘She will be here shortly, they are okay. Heather is sad.’
‘Of course she is. It will be okay, we will make sure it is.’
‘See, that is what I said.’
‘Are the Warriors alright? Did Netta really cut them one hundred times with her knives?’
‘Heather said they will be okay, as will Dinas’s knee. She didn’t cut them all up, it was just one, and it was fifty- one cuts.’
Helen looked confused as she asked. ‘The one that hurt Trina?’
‘Yes, Netta is deadly with those knives.’
‘Why fifty- one?’
‘See, again. I asked that and I am still not clear on why.’
Helen laughed. ‘Well, I am grateful they are alright. Off you go, they are waiting for you.’ She made shooing motions with her hands. Peyton made a face as she started toward her office. ‘Oh, goodie!’
TWENTY-TWO:
Heather moved slowly to Patty’s office, she could hear intermittent murmurs. It seemed like the couple were having a very stilted conversation.
Looking around the edge of the door, she spied Dinas sitting on the med bed as Patty ran the scanner over his knee.
‘You two alright?’
Patty shook her head as Dinas sent her a pleading look, walking over to where Patty was finishing healing his knee. She looked at Heather, who tipped her face up toward hers with a finger under her chin. ‘Patty, this is a time for celebration. You found your mate. He is here for you.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because mating is all about our hearts. Are you telling me when you saw Dinas for the first time? You did not know who he was, remember I was there.’
Shocked, Dinas asked. ‘You have seen me before?’
Patty placed her hand in his and said. ‘Yes, when we first found you, when you were in stasis.’
Dinas shook his head and no matter what he wanted his voice sounded wounded with a touch of betrayal in its tones as he said. ‘I am confused, you have not come to seek me out, and we have been here for many luneras. I have been plagued with fatigue and dreams, an unsettled temper. Patty why?’
‘I was scared you would reject me. I am not beautiful or even pretty. Males leave and never come back. I just assumed you would realize after a while you could find someone as beautiful as you and you would learn to hate me. Oh Dinas you are so very handsome, how could you even want someone like me?’
A dawning understanding took the place of the wounded look in his eyes as she spoke and a small smile played around his mouth. Heather, seeing that she had given him enough data to understand her friend, smiled and silently withdrew to see to Netta, who was starting to stir.
Dinas pulled Patty closer as he softly told her. ‘To reject you would be to deny my heart. How could I do that my sweet love? You are the most beautiful female in the world, every male will be jealous when they know I have stolen you from under their noses. The jewel of the Universe. I will have to guard you well my heart.’
Patty blushed and dipped her head. ‘You don’t have to say that.’
He placed his finger under her chin and brought her lips to his. ‘Yet I find I do, for the rest of our lives I will say it and show you how much you mean to me. Mine to love, to cherish, to adore.’
‘Oh!’ She breathed and said the first thing that entered her mind. ‘I should tell you my name, I am Patty Cooper.’
Dinas grinned. ‘I am Dinas Serapera.’ Then he pulled her even closer as he whispered. ‘You are my heart, Patty Cooper, my life for yours.’
Patty stood frozen as she swallowed and whispered. ‘Do not say that, please I could not bear to think you were gone from me. My heart would cease to beat if you were not in my world.’
Dinas lowered his lips to hers, and their first kiss was long and deep. Patty held securely in his arms, found she remembered the words Peyton had said earlier. A hug was indeed a need, not a want, and she knew she would need a hug from her mate for the rest of her life. Then she forgot everything but the feel of his arms around her and his lips on hers.
Finally, they pulled slowly apart and Dinas brushed the hair from her face. Then he placed his forehead against hers.
‘One day you will tell me who it was that left you, my Patty.’ He stared into her guarded eyes. ‘When you are ready.’
She nodded and hoped one day she would be able to. He whispered against her forehead. ‘You are mine. I will never let you go.’
‘There is nowhere for me to go. I am yours.’ She pulled away as she smiled with eyes filled with happiness and said. ‘Remember, you are mine as well. Now what do we do about our names? People are combining their last names.’
‘Do you wish to do this?’
Patty shook her head shyly, saying. ‘I would like to have your name, is that alright?’
He grinned with delight over the yentas he had become accustomed to his name. ‘My heart, it gives me great pleasure to know you will wear my name, are you sure?’
She nodded. ‘I am, my name has memories I would rather leave behind.’
‘I see.’ Dinas looked thoughtful for a moment then said. ‘I should tell you I stole my name from a healer I admired, many yentas ago.’
She grinned. ‘I find that just perfect.’
‘It is. We will unite under a name we both like.’ He grinned, and she sighed with delight, shyly she asked. ‘Where should we live?’
‘Where do you wish to live?’
Patty thought about it, Heather was leaving and as much as she liked the others at her Hex, she would feel strange with her and Dinas there. ‘Could we live at your place?’
He grinned with pleasure as he said. ‘That is ideal. I was worried about leaving Hawk alone. It is not that long since we found each other.’
‘Oh, I know. I don’t want him to be lonely either. It is how I feel about Heather leaving.’
He hugged her. ‘I know, but you have me now.’
Sighing with delight, she said. ‘Yes.’
‘We shall move you in as soon as…’ He stopped talking and frowned.
‘What… what have you thought about?’
Dinas said. ‘I do not want to say this, but I must go to Madam’s office to tell them what I know. I will return for you afterward.’
She nodded. ‘I will wait for you here.’
He lightly touched his lips to hers. ‘Yes, sweet Patty, wait for me here, and then we will go and find out how much we mean to each other.’
Patty scrunched her nose up at his words, an adorable expression that Dinas rewarded with a deeper kiss.
When he released her, she said breathlessly. ‘Umm Dinas… I have never you know?’ She waved a hand between the two of them. He looked puzzled for a minute, and then it dawned on him what she was referring to.
‘Ahh! I have never you know either, but I have been to the classes and I am top of my class. Also, I have studied much on the data stream, so I have a very good idea what we must do.’
Patty felt slightly flustered and a bit awed at his easy acceptance of an act neither of them had any experience in. Dinas mistaking her flustered look for concern hurriedly reassured her. ‘Do not worry, if we get it wrong, we can ask Kerol to come and observe our technique and give us some ideas.’
Patty’s
horrified expression stopped him. ‘That is not a good idea. I am sure Kerol will not mind, he explains making love, which is what it is called my Patty. Making love, is that not nice?’
She nodded her head as she whispered. ‘Yes it is, very nice.’
Dinas smiled. ‘Kerol says he is very good at sex, he tells us Penny is very satisfied. He too was top of his class.’ He frowned for a minute, then his face cleared and he puffed his chest out as he told her. ‘I do not think Kerol studied on the data stream, so maybe I know more.’
‘Umm… that is wonderful, I am sure you do. Dinas does Penny know he is giving out advice?’
Dinas asked seriously. ‘I do not know, should I tell her?’
Hastily, Patty assured him. ‘No... No, I will. It is alright, go to Peyton’s office. I will see you back here.’
With his knee fixed, he slipped off the bed and walked from the med office with one last look at her. Patty took a few minutes to pull herself together before she left her office, grinning she went to where Netta and Heather were talking. With one look at her flushed face, Heather ordered. ‘Go and do paperwork, I have this.’
‘Thanks Heather, I should tell you… so you can tell Penny.’
‘What?’
Patty explained what Dinas had said once they all got pass the horrific images that came to mind. They struggled not to laugh as they drew straws to see who was to tell Penny. Netta lost!
TWENTY-THREE:
Dinas arrived not long after everyone had just settled into Peyton’s lounge. She gave him a quick look, checking to see if he was well and walking alright.
Then asked him. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Madam, I need to report to you and explain what I saw.’
‘Oh, okay, is Patty alright with that?’
‘She is a very understanding female.’
‘She is a delight, and I respect her very much. You will care for her tender heart, I am sure.’
Dinas did not for one minute miss the warning in her words, he bowed his head as he assured her. ‘I will with all that I am.’
‘Please give her my thanks. So Commander Dinas, what did you see and feel?’
