Page 61 of Zeke
“Please hold on.” His forehead touched the cold glass, his whisper fogging the surface. “Just a little longer, kelarris.”
A small hand slipped into his, warm against his blood-chilled skin. He looked down to find Lila beside him, but the intelligence looking through her young eyes was ancient. Not human. Not anymore.
“Have faith.” The words carried harmonics that resonated in his bones, the legion speaking through the girl’s throat. “She fights harder than you know.”
“She shouldn’t have to fight.” His voice broke. “I should have protected her better.”
“You protected her the only way that mattered.” Lila’s hand tightened on his, and he couldn’t move. Not paralyzed, but held by a will older and stronger than his rage. “Your legion chose to save her. That armor isn’t just protection... it’s a promise.”
Through the glass, Isan worked. His hands moved in patterns, the neural link glowing as he connected with Michelle’s damaged systems. The legion armor peeled back at his touch, revealing the horror beneath before his healing began knitting tissue back together.
Zeke wanted to smash through the barrier, to tear Isan away from his mate. The prince was touching her, healing her, taking over what should be his responsibility. His muscles bunched, ready to move, but Lila’s grip might as well have been steel chains.
“Don’t.” Raaze’s voice came from the doorway, and when Zeke glanced over, the warrior stood against the frame. His stance said everything… he would put Zeke down, hard, if he tried to interfere. “Let the prince work.”
Hours crawled past, or maybe minutes... time lost all meaning as Zeke watched every movement beyond the glass. His own wounds throbbed but he couldn’t look away.
“She’s strong.” Lila said. “Stronger than she looks. She chose you, knowing what you are.”
“I know.” The words came out rough. “That’s what terrifies me.”
Finally, after forever and an instant, Isan stepped back. His movements were exhausted but satisfied as he sealed the last incision. The door cycled open, and he emerged.
“Surgery went well. Between your legion’s armor and my healing, we repaired most of the damage. Her leg is completely healed.”
Zeke’s knees gave out. The strength that had carried him through the storm and the fall vanished, and the world tilted. “She’ll live?”
“She needs rest, but yes.” The prince's expression softened. “She’ll make a full recovery.”
Lila smiled and released his hand. Zeke tried to bolt for the operating theater, but his legs betrayed him. The blood loss he’d been ignoring crashed over him, and he stumbled.
Strong arms caught him before he hit the floor. Raaze hauled him upright, taking most of his weight.
“Thank you,” he managed, the words feeling strange directed at the warrior who’d been nothing but antagonistic.
“Don’t thank me. I just don’t want to see a grown feral blubber like a baby.” Raaze’s tone was sharp, but his grip steady as he helped Zeke toward the recovery room. “It's bad for our reputation.”
Zeke wasn't listening to him anymore. He was looking at Michelle. She looked small in the medical bed, but her color was already better. The steady beep of monitors confirmed what his hearing already knew... her heart beat strong and regular.
He sank into the chair beside her bed, his hand finding hers. Her fingers were warm again, the terrifying cold finally gone. He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
“I’m here,” he whispered against her skin. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
The chair was uncomfortable, and he was still bleeding from more holes in his skin than he wanted to think about, but none of it mattered.
She would live.
And for now, that was all he cared about.
Something nudged at the edges of her consciousness. Michelle fought it, burrowing deeper into the warm darkness that wrapped around her like a blanket. Here, nothing hurt. There were no broken bones, no torn flesh, or the terrible cold spreading through her body.
But the darkness wasn't empty. A presence moved through it with her, sending warm pulses against her thoughts. That should've terrified her. Instead, she felt safe. Protected. The same bone-deep security she got when Zeke's arms wrapped around her.
Zeke.
The thought pulled her toward consciousness.
The smell of antiseptic hit her nose first. That universal medical scent that existed on every planet she'd ever visited. Climate control hummed. Equipment beeped. Blankets tucked around her body anchored her to the waking world, though she kept her eyes closed.
