Page 37 of Her Alien Mercenaries
“Come back to us,” he kept saying.
At first, he didn’t think the nanotech transfusion had worked. She lay so still, her breathing shallow and her golden skin a disquieting shade of gray.
“Do you see?” Zanyr asked? “Look at her mouth. She’s not in pain anymore.”
Torren saw the change, but he didn’t know what it meant. Was she getting better, or was this the end? “Blossom, you have to live because I can’t do this without you. One day wasn’t enough.”
Was she getting warmer? Torren wanted to think so, but it was so hard to be sure. Yes, her color was improving. Her fingers moved next, and he took his first deep breath since he’d seen her lying so still.
“She’s still with us.”
Zanyr swiped at his eyes with the back of one bloody hand. All he managed to do was to smear streaks of red across his face. “Welcome back,mahaya.”
They stayed with her until help arrived. A veritable army of help. Medics and healers swarmed into the house while members of the royal guard took up positions around the doors and windows.
“You have to move so we can help her,” a human female said.
He focused on her face. He knew her. Dr. Clark. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I think so. Whatever happened, the nanotech you gave her seems to have stabilized her. At least for now.” She looked him over, and he realized he was still bleeding. “Whatdidhappen?”
“We don’t know. We only left her alone for a few minutes. Then Zanyr got a call. She asked for help and then the line went dead. We broke into the house to get to her.”
“Ah. I wondered.” The doctor cast a learned eye over his injuries. “Do you need treatment, or do you want to let the nanotech take care of it?”
He kissed Jenna’s hand and then placed it carefully on her stomach. “I’ll be fine. I have something I need to do. If there are any issues, I’ll see to them later. You take care of her for us. Please.”
“I will.”
Zanyr was already on his feet, and he reached down to help Torren rise. They moved aside, allowing the medical staff more room to work.
“She was holding this.” Zanyr showed him a comm unit. “I think this is the one from outside. She must have sent the message.”
It made sense. They couldn’t be sure she’d done it until they spoke to her or cracked the encryption. But it was the most likely scenario.
“I don’t like it. She told them she was quitting, and immediately afterward this happens? It’s not a coincidence.”
Torren kept his voice low and casual, as if they weren’t discussing the attempted murder of their mate. “I agree with you. But think about the timeline. She couldn’t have sent that message more than half an hour ago. How far do you figure it traveled in that time?”
Zanyr bared his fangs. “Not veryfraxxingfar. Whoever read the message is in the system.”
“I think they’re closer than that. They’d have to be. Because not only did they receive the message, but they were in a position to react immediately, and they needed access to Jenna to pull this off. Whoever they are, they’re here. In Haven.”
They locked eyes, both of them understanding what had to happen next. Without a word, they touched wrists, scar to scar.
Zanyr lifted the comm unit. “I’ll get this to someone who can crack the encryption.”
“And I’ll order up our party favors.”
Zanyr snorted. “You mean the ones you swore we’d never need to use?”
“Shut up. That was then. This is now.” He looked back to where Jenna was being loaded onto a stretcher. “This time, we’re going to war for the right reasons.”
16
Zanyr wasn’t surprisedto see Skye outside. She stood out of the way, watching everything with hard, unhappy eyes. He trotted over, and she nodded in greeting.
“Is this when you tell me what thefraxxhappened?”
