Page 56 of Tornn's Mate
Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. My spirits lift when I feel her understanding through the bond, and an instant later, she complies with my order. She lifts her feet up and falls down, slipping through Nathan’s grasp as he curses and fumbles not to drop his blaster.
It all happens very fast.
I hurl the shooting star at Nathan’s neck, and it sinks deep, slicing his flesh and causing him to gurgle blood. The blaster slips from his hand, tumbling to the floor with a clatter. His face turns blue, and his body convulses as he falls back against the viewscreen.
Before Ellie hits the floor, I dive forward and catch her in my arms, shielding her from the fall. I hold her close as I rise to my feet, then carry her to the sofa and place her down as I scan her for injuries. There’s a faint splotch of red on her cheek, and my rage ignites anew as I realize Nathan must’ve slapped her. I growl and peer over my shoulder at his twitching body as he chokes on his own blood while the nerve agent works to paralyze him.
I turn back to Ellie and place a gentle kiss to the red mark on her cheek, wishing I could’ve taken my time torturing her former fiancé to death. But with Ellie in his clutches, I’d needed to take him out quickly.
Behind us, the revolting male goes silent.
He’s finally dead.
I carry Ellie into the bedroom, not wanting her near Nathan’s body, never mind that he can’t hurt her anymore. I don’t know if the sight of a dead body will bother her, but I want him out of her presence. I settle on a chair with my beloved female in my lap. Lifting my wrist comm to my mouth, I send a quick message to Officer Paddax, informing him of the events in my quarters while also requesting a crew to remove the deceased male.
Ellie peers at the blaster wound on my shoulder and I feel her concern through the bond. As well as her guilt. Though she warned me about Nathan and a possible plot against the alliance, she regrets not telling me sooner. But I don’t hold her responsible for the events of today, and I try to convey my feelings on the matter through our connection.
As I send her more affection, I say, “It’s over and he’s dead. His comrades have already been vanquished. They failed. You mustn’t blame yourself for their attack on theHaxxal.”
“I should’ve told you sooner, Tornn. I’m so sorry.”
I cup her face in one hand, and she leans into my touch. “You already confessed, sweet human, and I’ve already punished you. It’s in the past. Besides, you didn’t know any details of The Saviors’ plan.”
“But you’re hurt.” She tries to get up, but I tighten my hold on her, reluctant to let her go just yet. “You need to get to the medical bay immediately.”
“It’s only a scratch, and it’ll heal on its own before the day is over.” While I could venture to the medical bay and allow a physician to run a dermal regenerator over the injury, I know the doctors are busy tending to injured security officers, and I have no wish to bother them over such a minor wound.
Her eyes go wide. “How did you know Nathan was here?” Her voice wobbles, and she blinks rapidly.
“I didn’t. But I felt your fear through the bond, and I rushed to your side as quickly as I could.” I run a hand through her hair and press a lingering kiss to her forehead. She emits a soft sigh and snuggles deeper into my arms.
“I can’t believe he was using me. For all these years, he-he only wanted me because I was the captain’s niece. He thought having me on his arm would make his claim to thethronemore legitimate. But he’s been working with The Saviors all these years. He told me everything. He never really cared about me, and I feel like the biggest fool.”
“He’s the fool, Ellie. Not you.” I send comfort down the bond and nuzzle my face in her hair.
“Thank you for saving me, Tornn. If you hadn’t come…” Her voice trails off and she shivers.
“I will always come for you, sweet human, though I hope there are no more threats to your life.” I kiss her forehead again. “You’re mine, my mate, and you are… precious to me.”
Her breath catches, and she pulls back to meet my eyes. “You’re precious to me, too.”
Chapter36
ELLIE
In the aftermath of The Saviors’attack, tensions remain high between the Darrvasons and humankind for several weeks. There are occasional uprisings on theJansonna—more factions of rebels who want to overthrow my uncle—but at least I know my mother and sister are safe. Tornn’s cousin, Officer Brute, will remain on theJansonnafor the foreseeable future, and the security officer frequently checks on my family. He also ensures they always have an armed escort when they leave their quarters, sometimes performing the duty himself.
I suspect there’s something going on between my sister and Brute, but whenever I ask, she brushes my questions aside or makes a flippant comment about how rude or arrogant he is.
But I’m very aware of her age. She won’t turn nineteen—the age at which Darrvasons believe a female is ready for breeding—until after we reach 58-Zallnanis, but in human culture, she’s already considered an adult. Tornn says I needn’t worry—he’s promised to keep her off the list of brides. But what if Brute loses control and claims her?
Pushing the dark thoughts away, I wrap a towel around myself as I exit the bathtub. I glance at the timepiece on the wall and my heart skips a beat. Tornn is due to return at any moment. He promised to come home early tonight, a few hours before dinner.
I hurriedly dress in the purple gown. It’s always been my favorite since it matches his eyes so well. I decide to forgo a bra and panties. Thanks to Tornn’s propensity for ripping them off my body, I’m running low on undergarments.
Just as I exit the bedroom, I hear the door zipping open. Warmth fills me, a combination of my own excitement over Tornn’s return and the affection he’s sending through the heartbond. The connection we share has taken getting used to—it still shocks me sometimes when I hear his voice in my head—but overall, I’m glad for it.
If not for the bond, I doubt he would’ve been so understanding and forgiving after I made the confession about Nathan. I shudder to think how severely he would’ve punished me if he’d stumbled upon the messages without context. I also shudder to think how long it would’ve taken me to earn his trust.
