Page 45 of Sweet Giant

I placed my palm to his bloodied chest and didn’t have to concentrate very hard to summon my healing light. I was still exhausted from healing him repeatedly as he took numerous blaster hits, but the overwhelming desire to see him well and out of pain gave me the strength to mend his wounds.

He touched my hand. “Liv,” he said gently. “You don’t have to do that. I will be fine. A healer from my tribe can help me later.”

“I want to. I can’t bear to see you suffering, Mastorr. Besides, my energy will return soon. I’ll just need a quick rest and some water.” Sure, the constant healing of Mastorr while he was being blasted by the soldiers had taken its toll on me, but it was nothing compared to the long nights I’d spent healing injured rebels.

I knew from experience that I would be okay, but even if I thought helping Mastorr would cause me to become sick or pass out, I would’ve still done it. More than once, he’d risked his life to save me. It was the least I could do.

Once I finished healing him, he gazed at me with so much affection gleaming in his eyes, that my throat clogged with emotion, and I struggled to speak. I wanted to ask him what he’d done to Mountain. I also wanted to know when we would be leaving the cabin and traveling to his cavern.

Oh, and the even bigger question—how had he managed to take down over forty soldiers armed with Vaxxlian blasters?

He carried me into the cabin and sank down on the living room floor, in the usual spot we liked to cuddle. With great care, he pulled off my hat, gloves, and jacket, treating me as though I might break apart at any moment.

Regret shone in his pale blue eyes. “Sweet one, did he… hurt you?”

I opened my mouth, ready to say no, but when I shifted in Mastorr’s lap, my arm brushed along his and I winced in pain. “He grabbed me pretty hard and dragged me. I probably have bruises on my arms, but that’s it.”

With a featherlight touch, he ran his hands over both of my arms. The bruises were hidden by my sweater, but I knew they were there. Relief, along with a sense of closure, fell over me, as I realized Mountain could never hurt me again.

“I am sorry for the bruises, sweet one. I am sorry he frightened you as well.” A growl emanated from Mastorr’s chest. “I wish I could kill him all over again. He is the vilest specimen of humanity that I’ve ever encountered, while you are the purest of heart.”

I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. “Will you take me home soon, Mastorr? To your alcove in the Starblessed cavern?” I sat up and peered into his eyes.

“Yes,” he said, his voice tight. “Yes, I will. Today. We will go today, and as soon as we reach my tribe, I will have a healer tend to you immediately. The thought of you in any pain guts me, sweet one. I hope you can forgive me for failing to stop him from hurting you.” He leaned his face into mine, nuzzling my nose in the sweetest of gestures.

“There’s nothing to forgive. You saved me, Mastorr, and even if you wouldn’t have managed it, I would’ve understood. We were so outnumbered that I can’t even begin to imagine how you did it. There were over forty soldiers, and they all had blasters.How?”

“The weapon impacted my chest and carried me a great distance from the hovercrafts. I am uncertain what the weapon was, but it was the size of a small boulder. I passed out from the pain and when I awoke, I was outside my body, floating just beneath the treetops.”

What?I felt my eyes widen, and a chill skittered through me.

“What happened next?”

He went on to explain how he’d willed himself back into his body, then darted amongst the trees as he took out the soldiers in pairs, attacking them from behind before they got a chance to shoot him or even cry out.

I gulped hard when he mentioned how easy it was to snap a human man’s neck, though I didn’t ask if that was how he’d killed Mountain. Maybe I didn’t need to know the details. All that mattered was that the fucker was gone.

“That’s incredible, Mastorr,” I said as I tried very hard not to think about how close he’d come to dying.

“I had unfinished business in this life,” he said, “and I suspect the Great Spirit granted me a reprieve.” He cupped my face in his large, warm hands and stared at me intently. “I plan to make the most of this life, the life I will share with you.” He pressed his lips to mine.

Chapter38

MASTORR

It wasa relief to finally have Liv in my tribe where I knew she would be safest. It was also a relief to have a touch healer attend to her, healing the bruises on her arms.

We’d left the cabin not long after I’d killed Mountain. Liv had contacted the general before our departure, and he’d promised to have the hovercrafts removed as soon as possible. In fact, he’d seemed eager to add them to his own fleet.

To explain her impending absence from the cabin, she’d told the general she was going to stay with an old friend and that she would no longer require the general’s assistance, though she’d thanked him profusely for his help.

Her insistence that she would never need his help again gave me hope that she’d already decided she would mate with me. I prayed it was so.

We stood at the entrance of my people’s cavern. I watched with great joy as members of my tribe lined up to greet Liv and welcome her. My brothers and their mates hovered at the back of the line, allowing the others to go first. All of the females and children passed her small gifts, which she kept passing to me. My arms were brimming with rare herbs, edible roots, nuts, and even a few eagle feathers.

When a small child shyly walked forward and handed Liv two large slugs, her smile didn’t falter, and she accepted the gift with great enthusiasm.

Watching her converse with the children warmed my heart. She had a gentle way about her, and I suspected she would quickly become a respected member of our tribe, whether she disclosed her healing abilities to my people or not.

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