Page 44 of Adtovar
He trembled as I uttered his name, as though he never thought to hear it fall from my lips again. I smiled at him, my gaze steady, and his lips brushed against mine gently, as though he feared I was as delicate as a fragile piece of porcelain, on the verge of shattering at the slightest touch.
Fuck that.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my fingertips, and held him tightly. Parting my lips, I deepened the kiss, savoring the electric connection that sparked between us.
George let out a faint, almost inaudible grunt, that hinted at his unease with our public display of affection. He turned on his heel and moved away, his attention seemingly absorbed by the now dormant array of buttons and dials on the Healer.
I broke away from the kiss with a faint giggle. Adtovar appeared aggravated and cast George a look that would have swept him from the room—if looks could do that.
Instead, his large hands cupped my face, the pale eyes peering at me intently. “You are well?”
“I’m fine,” I promised truthfully. I didn’t even suffer the headache any longer—his kiss must have healed me. “What happened?”
A shadow fell over Adtovar’s face, casting a somber veil across his features. He shuddered, and his pale blue eyes reflected the worry he’d felt. “You nearly died.”
Shit! No wonder I’d spent ten days in that healing machine. Yet I was fine, and my immediate worry went to others. “What about the girls... the females? And the gladiators and Fric, they helped me get to you.”
“The females are fine, as are the gladiators... and Fric. They will be happy to know you are awake.” Adtovar told me, running his hands through my curls. He picked up a swathe of my hair, studying it curiously as though expecting to find some defect, then smiled. “We are making arrangements to have many of the females returned to their home planet. Most of the gladiators and Fric have decided to join theHistoria’screw.”
“Good,” I said, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. “What about the monster... the Uglyhead?” The final conscious thought I recalled before everything faded into darkness was hoping the gunpowder bombs blew the beast to hell and back, and Adtovar would be safe.
“Dead,” Adtovar promised, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “The bombs you threw took its head off, but it managed to grab you. You were too close when the explosion....” A sudden tremor coursed through his body, a shiver that seemed to originate from deep within and ripple outward like the aftershock of an unseen quake.
“The burns covered seventy percent of your body, including impacting your lungs. Very severe injuries, which is why you were in the Healer so long,” George said from his roost by the machine. His large, dark eyes darted from me to Adtovar, and I saw a flicker of admiration in his gaze. “First Mate, Adtovar rarely left your side, save when duty demanded otherwise.”
“I almost lost you,” Adtovar murmured with a groan, his voice thick with emotion as he pulled me tightly against hisbroad chest. His arms circled me like a protective shield, and I felt the steady thump of his heart, a comforting rhythm that seemed to echo his relief.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, letting my head rest on his muscular chest. “I’m here. Better than ever.”
“You must promise never to do anything like that again,” Adtovar insisted, his voice rough with a mix of concern and frustration. “You must never put yourself in danger for me.”
I leaned back to look at him. Determination etched his gorgeous features. But then, I was just as stubborn. “Sorry, no can do,” I replied.
Adtovar’s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing with a mix of bewilderment and frustration.
“We care for and protect each other,” I insisted, watching the irritation on his face gradually soften. That’s what mates do, at least in my way of thinking. The Uglyhead was about to kill you.” It was one thing I remembered vividly from my time in the arena.
“I would have gladly died to keep you from harm,” Adtovar swore, his voice clipped and deep, as though his every essence highlighted each word.
“I don’t want you to die,” I murmured, my voice trembling as I felt my heartbeat quicken in my chest. The thought of losing him was unbearable, even now, as we sat in comfort and safety aboard theHistoria. “I want you here with me. I love you, Adtovar.” The words were heavy with emotion, each syllable a prayer as if by saying them, I could somehow anchor myself to him forever.
“I love you, my mate,” Adtovar murmured, his voice soft and tender, as he gazed into my eyes with an intensity that made my heart flutter. His lips brushed against mine in a gentle kiss, a whisper that promised safety and love. As he pulled away, a heavy sigh escaped him, as though the weight of the universerested on his broad shoulders. “But there is something you must know.”
“What?”
Adtovar took a deep breath. “We are heading toward Earth.”
A wave of panic surged through me, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. I didn’t want to return to Earth. The very thought filled me with a sensation akin to tearing part of my soul away. “I don’t want to go back to Earth. I want to stay here with you.”
“I am glad to hear it.” Adtovar grinned, his eyes twinkling with tenderness. He leaned in slowly, brushing his lips against mine in a kiss that, while gentle and fleeting, spoke volumes of his love.
“Good,” I snuggled against his chest. “Unless you don’t want me.”
“I want nothing more than you by my side,” Adtovar said, his voice a gentle murmur that seemed to resonate with the rhythm of my heartbeat. He wrapped me in his arms, his embrace firm yet tender. “I only worried because now that you have been through the Garoot Healer, you cannot return. Alliance law forbids the return to Earth of any human who has been through the Healer.”
A pain of longing speared my heart as I thought of my Aunt Juanita. She’d worry herself senseless over my disappearance, and it hurt me to know it caused her grief. But at the end of the day, she’d want me to be happy. And here with Adtovar, I was so very happy.
“I’ve already spoken to Duke Ako,” Adtovar continued. “He has graciously welcomed you to stay aboard theHistoriafor as long as you desire.” His expression shifted, a flicker of seriousness crossing his features like a shadow. “But I will follow you anywhere. If the ship does not please you....”
