Page 75 of Master
Goddess, was there any female more perfect than her?
Deep in my soul, I recognized Clara as my true mate. Mine to cherish, mine to protect. Although I did a crappy job in the protection aspect tonight.
Bartholomeus and Munroe showed up just as I caught Kerzak's scent, following as I plowed through the darkness, my only thought getting to Clara.
When I came upon the clearing, the fury on her face… the courage she showed despite facing down a creature three times her size…. If my heart didn't already belong to her, it would have at that moment.
I held her tightly, expecting danger to jump from every shadow. There could be dozens of Kerzak on the planet…out ofreach of my senses. I’d feel better about Clara’s safety once the Bardaga arrived.
As night descended upon the village, most of its residents had already retreated to their homes. The golden glow pouring out of Mei’s house served as a comforting beacon in the darkness.
Munroe veered off, taking Parlow to the local jail. He promised to check in later once he’d seen to the disposal of the dead Kerzak.
Bartholomeus and a young human male waited inside. It didn't surprise me that the Romvesian beat us here. While they didn't have the enhanced hearing or smell of a Vaktaire, the species proved impressively fast on a known path. The human looked little older than Clara, and his dark brown eyes creased with concern as they swept over her.
"Oh my God, Clara, are you alright?" Mei gasped as I carried my mate into the small sitting room just off the kitchen. She stepped closer to Bartholomeus, his long gray arm resting protectively over her shoulders.
"I'm fine." The woman in my arms insisted, a wholly untrue statement. Her heartbeat might be strong and steady, but she was pale, her skin clammy to the touch. The shirt I'd tied around her arm in a makeshift bandage had soaked through, turning the fabric deep red.
A spacious green couch and two side chairs adorned with floral patterns furnished the sitting room. I settled in the center of the sofa, thinking it would give the doctor better access to Clara. No way in hell was I letting her out of my arms. Perched on my knee, she tried to sit up but swayed woozily.
"I'm Dr. Pritchett," the human male stepped nearer, pausing to meet my gaze in greeting and gain permission to approach my female. "Everyone calls me Doc."
I answered with a curt nod, and he went to his knees beside us, reaching for Clara's injured arm.
"What happened here?" he asked, unwrapping the shirt from her arm with the utmost care.
"Grizzly bear-looking creature, big teeth, you do the math," Clara quipped, trying to keep the mood light though her wince.
"Good Lord, don't tell me you tangled with a Kerzak!" Mei's tone scolded despite the worry plastering her face. She sank into one of the chairs, with Bartholomeus standing at her side.
"I wouldn't say tangled exactly." Pain twinged Clara's tone as Doc pulled the soaked fabric from her arm.
It was my first good look at her injury. Just above the left wrist lay a circle of darkened skin as bruising developed. Two deep puncture wounds surrounded by reddened skin marred the underside of her forearm. I almost wished I hadn't killed the bastard that bit her with a single laser blast to the head—I'd like to have made him scream in agony before dying.
"You should have seen her." I boasted, grinning at the sly gaze Clara shot my way. "She was glorious standing up to the Kerzak and Parlow. As courageous as any warrior."
"The wound doesn't look too deep, but it nicked your ulnar artery, hence all the blood," Doc explained as he pulled a square, gray medi-unit from his bag. "I'll have you feeling better shortly."
He lifted the gadget, hovering it over her arm so a pale blue light glowed on the wound. Clara watched him carefully, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Feels better already, doesn't it?" Mei asked with a grin.
"Looks like the thing Doc McCoy used on Star Trek." Clara’s voice sounded heartier.
"Right?" The human healer chuckled. "Alien medical technology is amazing. I can cure cancer with this little tool."
Clara stiffened in my arms, and I could see the faraway look in her eyes, which told me that her mind focused on another male. Her husband died of the disease called cancer. She still loved him… always would. I did not expect her to forget her husband. Nor would I ask her to choose between her memories and the present. As long as there was a part of her heart for me to reside, I felt content.
"You've got inch-and-a-half deep puncture wounds as well as a nasty sprain on your shoulder," Doc said, putting the gadget away and rummaging in his bag. "I already treated the bruise and sprain with the Medi-unit and boosted your palettes to offset the blood loss. As for the bite, Kerzak saliva, while not poisonous, carries potent bacteria. I need to use healing foam inside the punctures and around the wound's edges."
He pulled out a small black canister, and my stomach clenched. It was an aseptic foam that disinfected as well as healed. It worked well on injuries like this, healing quickly, but hurt like hell.
My hold involuntary tightened around Clara's waist as Doc prepared to treat the wound.
"This will sting a bit," he promised.
Are all healers alike? He sounded just like Hakkar, promising something would sting when the reality felt like sawing your skin apart with a rusty spoon.
