Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Well, if you can still feel him—feel your connection with him—that’s a pretty good sign he’s still alive,” Liv said comfortingly. “Would you like me to check and see how the surgery is going?”
“No need.”
They all looked up as Sylvan came through the door. Beside him was a little creature that looked like a cross between a chimpanzee and a hound dog, Imani thought. He had big, soulful eyes and long, floppy ears.
But she was much more worried about J’are than the strange alien creature beside Commander Sylvan.
“What do you mean, ‘no need?’” she demanded. “Please tell me he’s okay!”
“He’s okay,” Sylvan echoed and gave her a tired smile. “It was touch and go for a while, but luckily my colleague, Yipper here, is excellent at repairing nerve and vascular damage.”
“He also lost a lot of blood, yes he did, yes he did,” the little creature named Yipper said gravely. “But we were able to give him a transfusion.”
“It’s also helpful that Nightwalkers heal with incredible rapidity—that’s probably what saved his life in the first place,” Sylvan said. “That and the fact that you got to him and stopped the flow with your hand.”
“When can I see him?” Imani asked.
“He’s resting now,” Sylvan told her. “But I think you could go sit by the side of his bed and wait for him to wake up, if you want.”
“Maybe you could get cleaned up first, though,” Kat said to her. “I don’t want to be rude, but you are kind of covered in blood, doll.”
Imani looked down at herself and saw that it was true. Her hands and arms were coated in dried crimson and under the Med Center gown, her Yonnie Six clothes were stiff with dried blood.
“You’re right.” She nodded. “I’m going to get a shower and then go sit with him. But…could you keep checking in on him just in case?” She looked at Liv. “I’m still just so worried about him.”
“Of course we will. But you know, you can check in on him yourself, hon,” Liv said gently. “Through your bond, remember?”
“Oh…right.” Imani shook her head. “I guess I’m just not used to being bonded.”
“It takes a little getting used to.” Kat smiled at her. “But you’ll get the hang of it.”
“I know I will.” Imani lifted her chin. “Because I want to stay bonded to J’are—no matter what the consequences are.”
She was going to stick by her new mate, stick by the man she loved, she promised herself.
And she was never going to regret her decision—no matter what.
Forty-Three
J’are woke from a dream that he was drifting in space. There was blackness all around him but when he looked up, he saw light. Pink and blue and purple light from the three converging moons.
Blood over water, he thought, staring up at the three moons coming together. Bonding night…
The thought made him sad, but he didn’t know why. Didn’t understand why it should upset him so much to think of bonding…
“J’are? J’are, can you hear me? Are you okay?”
The voice was familiar—it was the voice of the woman he loved.
The woman he had betrayed.
Instinctively, J’are turned away, turned inward. He shouldn’t still be here—he ought to be gone by now. He ought to be dead so she could be free of him…
“I don’t want to be free of you, damn it! J’are, come back to me right now!”
Imani’s mental voice was so insistent that he opened his eyes at once and saw her looking down at him. He was lying flat on his back on something soft but firm and she was leaning over him.
“Where…where am I?” His voice was a husky croak.
“You’re in the Med Center recovering from surgery. Don’t try to talk—just speak to me through our bond,” Imani told him. “We ought to practice mental communication anyway—we need to get used to being bonded.”
“But…I thought you didn’t want to be bonded to me?” He frowned up at her uncertainly. “Thought you didn’t want to leave your home and your family?”
“Wherever you are is my home now,” Imani told him. “And the three of us will be a family.”
Taking his hand, she placed it gently on her belly.
J’are felt a hesitant sense of joy but then he came crashing back down to earth when he remembered how the baby had gotten in her belly in the first place.
“I hurt you, Imani,” he sent through their link, not bothering to try and hide his shame and guilt. “I don’t deserve you—or the happiness you’re offering me.”
“We got off to a rough start,” she admitted. “But I forgive you for that, J’are—I forgive myself, too. We both went much further than we should have. But, well…” She shrugged. “Here we are. We’re together and I love you and want to be with you.” She looked at him shyly. “Do you feel the same way about me?”