Page 38 of Havik: Warlord Brides
“Sit still. I’m sure this will sting.”
Havik remained still as she covered the laceration with the foaming cleanser. The bubbles and fizz stung for a second. He kept his eyes focused on the kit in his hands because the female pressed her uncovered chest to his back.
It should not feel pleasant.
He should not enjoy the brush of her soft skin against his, and his tail wouldremain still, even if he had to chop the blasted thing off.
“Are you a medic?” he asked.
“I didn’t have time for medical school what with all the thievery.” Her voice warmed with amusement.
“But you are familiar with blood.”
“Familiar, yes.” A sterile cloth wiped away the foam. Gently, she applied a layer of gel to the wound and continued to speak. “I was apprenticed to a doctor, I guess you could say. I have no formal qualifications. Mostly I cleaned the equipment.”
“Apprenticeship sounds unusual.” He meant primitive. Advanced worlds had formal education and training, not a relic from the dark ages.
Thalia hummed, as if in agreement. “I sort of fell into it, but it was better than the alternatives.”
“Explain.”
“My mom wasn’t the best. Not abusive but she just wasn’t able to take care of herself and a kid, so I mostly had to fend for myself. It was fine. I made my own food. I kept myself entertained.”
She covered the wound with a bandage, taping it down. In a day, the laceration would be completely healed, and he would not require such covering, but he kept that to himself.
“Then she died in the Invasion. Not from the Invasion, exactly. She got sick. The flu, I think. Lots of people had it. After that, I was on my own,” she said.
“There would be relief camps. Field hospitals.”
“Sure, but let me stress this, I was eleven. I spent my whole life dodging social workers. I wasn’t about to walk into an alien camp. They’d take me away from my mom.” She unwrapped her legs and Havik’s chest hitched at the loss of contact.
Thalia moved to position herself in front of him, her hair fanning out in the zero gravity. He handed his tunic to her. “You will grow cold,” he said.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“If she required medical attention—”
“Enough with the Monday morning quarterbacking, Danger B.” She slipped the tunic over her head. The fabric swallowed her, but he felt enormous satisfaction seeing her in his shirt. “I don’t have a time machine. Bitching ain’t going to change anything,” she said.
He understood the individual words, but together they made little sense. Why would an athlete on a weekday morning imply she required a time machine? Terrans were odd.
A smudge of his blood marred her cheek, and his blood stained the right sleeve of the tunic. Where it fell on her frame gave the appearance of a scarlet armband. His chest swelled with unreasonable pleasure at seeing Thalia adorned with his blood. An injury sustained in combat would have been better, but he appreciated the way she did not hesitate before springing into action to mend him. His words had purposely been harsh, and she rightfully should have let him deal with his injury on his own, but Thalia had a compassionate heart.
She continued to speak, unaware of the effect she had on him. “So, Nicky took me and some other kids like me in.”
“He sounds charitable.”
She snorted. “He fed us and gave us a roof over our heads. All we had to do was a little burglary. Skinny kids are good for that.”
“That is criminal. Did no one report this Nicky to the authorities?”
Another snort. “I know you aliens are all moral and upright, but no. No one cared, unless we got sloppy and got caught. Then the system wasn’t very interested in, I don’t know, street urchins. Waifs. Anyway, that lasted until I reached the inevitable destination of a kid getting three meals a day and puberty. I know I ain’t,” she waved a hand at her chest, “but it made enough of a difference that I couldn’t climb through windows anymore.”
“Are you referring to your breasts? They seem adequate.”
She blushed a pleasing pink and rolled her eyes. “Adequate. What every girl dreams of hearing.”
“They are small, but they have their appeal.” He nodded, satisfied at his statement.
