Page 45 of Tornn's Mate
“You should’ve told me, Ellie.” He lifts his wrist comm to his mouth and speaks in Darrvason, issuing what sounds like a terse command. A vein in his temple pulses as he stares at me, and his entire body stiffens.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was a big deal.” I brush a hand along my arm, trying to resist the urge to scratch, and I glance at the jar of numbing salve.
“Your health is important to me,” he says in a matter-of-fact tone, “as you are the female who will bear my sons and daughters. I’ve summoned a physician and he’ll be here soon.”
The burning in my throat intensifies and I pretend to be very interested in smoothing out the wrinkles in the bedcovers. He doesn’t care about the rashes on my arms because he cares for me. He only cares for the children I will bear.
Breeding purposes.
That’s all he wants me for. I knew why the Darrvasons wanted human women, but hearing Tornn confirm it aloud breaks my heart, and all the warmth I’d experienced as he gently rubbed numbing salve into my backside vanishes. Surely I imagined the affectionate look he’d given me as he tended to my sore bottom.
Tornn rises from the bed and grasps my discarded gown. Then he abruptly tears the sleeves from it and tosses it at me. “Put this on immediately. I don’t want the doctor looking upon you entirely unclothed unless it’s absolutely necessary.” He runs a hand through his hair and paces the bedroom as I slip back into the gown.
Suddenly, I’m heartsick for theJansonna. I miss my mother and sister and friends and students so much it hurts to breathe. And I’m angry that I don’t miss Nathan. I’m angry that the gentle love we once shared has been fucking ruined by the Darrvasons and the goddamn alliance.
As my despair deepens, I realize what I want more than anything—to mean something to someone. But I’ll never have that with Tornn. I’m nothing but an incubator to him. A possession.
Chapter28
TORNN
I finish drawingthe covers over Ellie, whose arms are no longer inflamed thanks to a medication the physician administered by hypospray. She’s still wearing the gown with the ripped sleeves, but I don’t want to remove her clothing for bed while there’s another male in my quarters, even if the male in question is both a physician and an old friend of mine.
“Is everything all right?” Her eyes flash with worry as she glances toward the door. “Please tell me what the doctor said. Am I sick or is it an allergic reaction like I thought?” She swallows hard and blinks rapidly.
Guilt settles over me. I’d purposely conversed with the physician in Darrvason as he examined her, not wanting her to understand the questions I’d asked. Questions that haven’t yet been answered. The physician is currently in the main sitting area of my quarters as he examines the results of the various tests he’d run with his scanner.
“The doctor is not certain what caused the itching; however, I am confident that he will discover what ails you very soon. He’s reading the results of your tests as we speak.” I stroke a hand through her hair, hesitant to leave her side even though I’m anxious to discover if the physician has made any breakthroughs yet. “The medication he administered should last for about five days and keep your arms from itching. If the discomfort continues once the medication wears off, the doctor will return to give you another shot.”
“What if it’s a weird alien virus,” she says. “When was the last time your ship docked at an outpost? When was the last time any of your people interacted with another species? It’s possible one of your people, perhaps even you, is silently carrying an alien virus that you picked up at an outpost and inadvertently transmitted it to me.” She bolts upright and pushes the covers down, a sense of panic surrounding her. “Are other human women experiencing similar symptoms?”
“I doubt it’s an alien virus,” I say, placing a hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her. “It’s been several moon cycles since any of my people have interacted with another species at an outpost, but we have strict decontamination procedures in place. Please do not worry. I’m certain the doctor will soon learn what’s ailing you and devise a suitable treatment.”
“That’s how my father died.” Her face goes pale and her lips tremble. I have the sudden urge to take her in my arms, but I hesitate when I hear the physician clearing his throat as though to summon me. He must’ve found something.
“Your father perished from an alien virus he acquired on an outpost?” I ask gently.
She nods and blinks fast. “He served as an emissary whenever we made contact with new alien races. He spent a week on the Gervaxxan Outpost as he tried to forge an alliance with anyone who might be able to provide us with fuel. He succeeded in his mission, but not long after his return to theJansonna, despite all the precautions he took, he still fell ill. So did the advisors who accompanied him. Every last one of them died.”
A tear rolls down her cheek. I try to wipe it away, but she draws back from me and does it herself. A tremor racks her tiny body as she lowers her head, avoiding my gaze.
“I am sorry for what happened to your father, sweet human. But I promise the same will not happen to you.”
“You never answered my question about the other human brides. Am I the only one experiencing these symptoms, or are there others?” She wraps her arms around her center, her shaking increasing, and as I hear the physician clear his throat a second time, I’m torn between staying to comfort my mate or leaving her side to obtain answers from the male. As the admiral of the Darrvason fleet, it’s my obligation to quickly ascertain if there’s a health risk to my people and the other human females. But for the first time in my life, my sense of duty wars with my heart.
“I don’t know if you’re the only one experiencing symptoms, Ellie, but I will ask the doctor in a moment.” I try to guide her underneath the covers so I might tuck her in again, but she resists my efforts and moves to the other side of the bed, shooting me an enraged look.
“I know I’mjust a femaleto you, someone to fuck and impregnate as many times as you can, but I’m also a fucking person,AdmiralTornn,” she says, using a mocking voice as she utters my title. Intentionally showing me disrespect.
I’m so stunned by her words that for a long moment, all I can do is stare at her. Her tone and crass language are unacceptable for a female to use while speaking to her mate. Surely she must know that. I take a long breath as I try to settle the rage that simmers under my skin. I don’t understand her rebelliousness or her anger, but I will not suffer an unruly female.
“Come here.” I crook a finger at her, then pat the space she’d just vacated.
Her hair flips wildly about her shoulders as she shakes her head. “Why? So you can put me to bed and then go speak to the doctor about whatever’s wrong with me out of my earshot, never mind that I can’t understand the Darrvason tongue?” She scoffs. “It’s my health yet it seems you want to keep me in the dark. Why must you be so secretive about everything? I’ve lost count of the times you’ve refused to answer my questions or changed the subject when I ask you something, especially when I inquire about Paddax and Sheila. You said I wasn’t your prisoner, yet that’s how I feel. I’ve been locked in your quarters for over two weeks now, only to be let out for brief walks through nearly empty corridors.” Tears coat her face and she shudders. “I want to go home. I want to return to theJansonna.”
May the Star Gods strike the physician down because the rottenufullmaclears his throat for the thirdfluxxingtime in a row. I stare at Ellie as I process her words, still shocked by her outburst.
But the most shocking thing of all is her proclamation that she wants to return to the human worldship. I seethe with fury over the prospect of letting her go.
