Page 25 of Adtovar
Now, alone with my patient, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. My shoulders sagged under its weight, and I buried my face in my hands, feeling the coolness of my palms against my flushed cheeks. The room was silent, save for the soft rasp of Adtovar’s breathing and the steady plop of dripping water, each sound amplifying the heavy fatigue that clung to my soul.
I’d pulled him back from the brink of death, but if I couldn’t grant him the time to heal and ensure he stayed out of Bozzo’s clutches in the meantime, what good had all my efforts truly been? I might put up a good show for Bozzo andthe females, but inside, I felt helpless. As helpless as I felt that night my aunt told me my parents died. As helpless as that day, I discovered everything I’d worked for was gone, thanks to one man’s lies.
I stood, moving to the bedside, and gently sank down on the narrow cot beside him, taking great care not to jostle his peacefully sleeping form. His features were strikingly handsome, a serenity resting upon his face that seemed to glow in the dim light of the room. The thought of how close I came to losing him made my heart squeeze with an intensity that was almost painful.
I wasn’t quite prepared to label the emotions swirling within me regarding Adtovar, but there was undeniably something there—something profound and genuine that stirred my soul.
Gently brushing a stray lock of hair from his face, I leaned closer, allowing myself to indulge in the rich, spicy aroma that clung to him—an intoxicating blend of musk and warmth. The scent evoked images of rugged landscapes and whispered promises of adventure. He smelledalive.
“I almost lost you,” I whispered, letting my fingertips trail along his jaw. “Please don’t ever make me go through that again.”
On a sudden impulse—or perhaps it was not impulse at all, but the realization of a deep-seated desire I had cherished since the very moment I laid eyes on him—I allowed my mouth to press against his. His lips were unexpectedly soft, like the petals of a delicate flower, and they carried a taste that was both salty and slightly sweet, a tantalizing blend that was utterly delicious.
I let my mouth linger softly against his, not moving, simply savoring the warmth and intimacy of the moment. I could have stayed like this all night, but a faint rustle echoedfrom the corridor, a sound that signaled a possible interruption. Reluctantly, I drew back, the spell momentarily broken.
Pale blue eyes, like the clear sky just before dusk, gazed up at me, holding a delicate balance of confusion and affection within their depths. A wave of relief crashed over me, manifesting in a torrent of tears that spilled over my lashes and cascaded down my cheeks. Adtovar’s warm palm gently cupped my face, his thumb tenderly brushing away the tears with a soothing touch, as if trying to erase the evidence of my overwhelming emotions.
“My hero.” His voice sounded thick and raspy, the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard, its tones echoing through the small room even as he sank back into unconsciousness.
Chapter 11- Adtovar
My eyelids fluttered open to a world cloaked in shadow, the darkness pressing in from all sides. My eyes, dry and gritty as if dusted with sand, struggled to focus.
Memories surged back, slicing through my brain like the cut of a razor-sharp blade. I’d fought a Leptosak. The towering, slender creature wasn’t much of a warrior. Yet its eight fingers bore foot-long claws that made it a formidable adversary.
I allowed myself to become distracted, my attention momentarily captured by what I thought was the sight of Maddie’s luxuriant dark curls in the crowd. The lapse allowed the Leptosak an opportunity to deliver a brutal slash just as I was in the process of knocking it out. I glanced down at my chest, surprised to see it cleaned and bandaged... as well as Maddie’s rich brown curls splayed over my skin as she lay peacefully beside me, her breathing soft and steady in slumber.
Because of the Ulkommanian augmentation, my wounds mended swiftly. Though I still felt an ache and tightness in my muscles, the sensation was merely a whisper of discomfort.
I recalled very little about the journey back to my cell after the fight. The memories were fragmented, like pieces of a shattered mirror—Maddie’s gentle hands tending to my wound, how she safeguarded me from Bozzo. Yet, one memory stood out more vividly than the others, the warmth of Maddie’s lips as she kissed me, a gesture that only solidified my certainty. Maddie was my mate.
A second chance.
My memory returned to a conversation with Willa, during which she confided in me the guilt she felt for falling in love with Charick after losing her first mate back on Earth. I urged her to accept the blessing and take the love and happiness fate offered. A smile crept onto my lips as I realized Willa would undoubtedly echo those same sentiments to me.
Maddie was my mate. A precious gift bestowed by the gods themselves. I would deny it no longer. However, recognizing the mate bond and doing something about it were two different things. I yearned to claim her. To hold her tight, taste her skin and lips while burying myself against the softness of her body and sheathing myself in her warmth. Yet, despite the intensity of my feelings, I couldn’t bring myself to reveal the truth to her. Not here. Not amidst the chaos of blood and battle, where echoes of death hovered in the air. I would hold my revelation until we were safely onboard theHistoria. I would wait until a promise of the future would gleam brightly before us, like a constellation of stars in the darkness of space. Only then, with the universe stretching vast and hopeful around us, would I confess to her, lay bare my soul, and ask her to remain by my side as my mate.
I shifted, not enough to wake her but to draw her more solidly into my arms. As I lay there, with Maddie nestled cozily beside me, I realized I had never felt so content. I no longer felt like taking Maddie as my mate meant forsaking the feelings I held for Keelia. No. Wanting Maddie felt like a testament to the deep love I held for my first mate and wanting to share that kind of love with another.
Slumber enveloped me so effortlessly that I was unaware of sleeping again until a faint, fearful moan reached my ears, bringing me to wakefulness. Maddie lay curled beside me, but now her face contorted with emotion, her features tense anddrawn. Tears cascaded down her cheeks like a gentle stream, and she rocked back and forth as if desperately trying to escape an invisible terror.
I woke her gently, my fingers softly tracing the curve of her cheek and tenderly brushing away the remnants of her tears. Her dark eyes fluttered open, initially clouded with confusion, then widened as she recognized me and realized we lay entwined together.
Maddie bolted upright, her hands instinctively swiping at her tear-streaked face. “Adtovar, I’m so sorry,” she murmured, her voice tinged with remorse. “I didn’t mean to wake you. How do you feel?” Her eyes, wide with concern, searched my face for any sign of discomfort.
“Not too bad, all things considered.” I let my fingertips glide over the bandage. The cloth was frayed and slightly rough from wear, yet it was clean. “It doesn’t seem like too bad a wound.
Maddie loomed over me, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed in a mixture of disbelief and irritation. “Not too bad a wound? You almost bled to death!”
I felt rather shocked to hear the diagnosis. “Really? I bled to death once before. It didn’t feel the same at all.” Nansar’s blade had pierced my heart, a wound I took willingly to save my Earth daughter Willa.
Maddie rolled her eyes as she squirmed out of my attempt to keep an arm around her waist and rose onto her knees. “Lay still. Let me check the wound.”
Her hands slid over my chest, carefully peeling away the bandage to inspect the wound beneath. I relished the sensation of her touch against my skin, a comforting blend of tenderness and care that seemed to ease the pain in my chest... and begin a throbbing ache elsewhere in my body.
I glanced downward, observing the vivid, deep red line that puckered and stretched across my chest like a jagged seam in stark contrast against the paler skin surrounding it.
“Wow,” Maddie breathed, her fingers hesitantly probing the edges of the wound. “This looks better than I expected.”
