Page 11 of Captured By the Dragon Warrior
No one spoke to me after that. I was just held off to the side by a hand gripping my biceps while they loaded Ram onto a floating gurney. They’d removed the tablecloth, rinsed the whole area, and put some kind of rubbery-looking cap on his shoulder. That they had that stuff with them told me this wasn’t anybody’s first rodeo with a fire-roasted limb. That they collected his arm in a metal box proved it, too.
I didn’t fuss when they walked me outside to where a shuttle was waiting. In the distance, a line of cop cars flashed in front of a huge crowd of people and all sizes of flashlights—camera lights?—pointed in this direction. I hoped someone would set the story straight about what had happened. Last thing I wanted was for Murray to be portrayed as the good guy.
Everyone filed into the shuttle, and I had a moment of worry. I was about to leave Earth, go up to a spaceship, and get interrogated by aliens. Not the way I’d thought my weekend would go—ha! And also, oh fuck, I was going to go intospace.
I distracted myself by paying close attention to the little things like how my cuffs could be separated to attach to the seat they pushed me onto. A five-point harness got strapped to me and tightened up. The alien who’d done all of that sat down opposite me, but their baton was off now and stowed in a sleeve down the outside of their thigh. Nobody got issued an oxygen mask or helmet, which felt wrong, but what the hell did I know? Last time I’d noticed, humans couldn’t get more than, like, six people into space at once. There wereeasily fifty aliens on this shuttle with me and every last one of them was as big as Rampon.
The liftoff was smooth as shit, though. I knew with everything in me that I was not on any vehicle a human had designed—we were nowhere near this sophisticated with our space tech. Would we ever be? I’d thought I remembered hearing about negotiations for tech, but there’d been such a fight for everything else, I had no idea if we’d get more. And after an abduction and Rampon losing his arm? Fucking hell, it was entirely possible everything I did and said from here on out could be critical to all of humanity’s relationship with the Norlons. No pressure!
“Quincy!”
I jumped in my seat. That was Rampon, and now he was thrashing on the gurney like he was trying to get free of the straps holding him onto it.
“I’m here!” I hollered toward him. “Everything’s fine! Calm down, okay?”
He stilled again, the sheet covering him rising and falling with his big breaths. Everyone else was staring at me with questions in their eyes, but no one said anything.
“We’re friends,” I said mostly to my guard. “Seriously, it’s cool.”
They looked me up and down like they couldn’t imagine why, but fuck ’em. I might not look like much in comparison to all of them, but I was the one who’d rescued Ram. I’d explain everything and be nice about it all, but they could also kiss my ass.
CHAPTER 7
RAMPON
Iawoke with a snort, my nose full of the scent of medical-grade disinfectant. Instantly, I knew I was no longer on Earth and that had to mean?—
“Quincy!”
When he didn’t answer, I tried to look around me under lights that were entirely too bright only to realize I was restrained. And had only one arm. Goddess, that was horrifying! I remembered what we’d done, how Quincy had tried to care for me, how I hadn’t been able to stay conscious. But still, to see it gone…
“That’s enough,” a commanding voice said nearby as strong hands pushed my shoulders down. “Calm yourself, Sergeant, or I’ll tranquilize you.”
The lights dimmed, and I could see Doctor Revazi leaning over me. Believing his threat, I made myself still. I’d been unconscious long enough. “Where is Quincy?” I asked quietly.
“I don’t know a Quincy,” Revazi said. “Now be still and let me finish my examination.”
“He’s in the brig, sir.”
I turned my head to see Munni standing nearby. “The brig? Why?”
“You said to take him.”
I groaned. “With us. Take himwith us.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked confused. “He’s provided a great deal of information regarding what happened after we were separated, but we wanted to verify it all with you before?—”
“Everything he’s told you is accurate.” I flinched as Revazi prodded at the rounded nub of my missing arm. “And he’s my mate.”
Everyone paused to stare at me then. I let them look and said nothing more. That I was not tearing the room apart to reach Quincy said we had already begun our bond. Let them imagine what they would about that.
“I, uh, can have him released?” Munni said uncertainly.
I thought about that for a moment. Did I want Quincy to see me in yet another medical-related situation? Less blood, less pain, but still me incapacitated due to injury? Naked again instead of in my uniform and looking strong and capable. Broken and hurting this time.
But I had been vulnerable in front of him and still he had wanted me. His presence throughout our ordeals had been a balm on each volatile situation. I wanted him with me.
“Fetch him, please.”
