Rage filled Stag. “She’s my prisoner.”
“That would imply she’s the enemy. She chose sides, Stag. You’re just being too stubborn to admit it.”
“Perhaps she knew it would be a losing battle for them to go against us. Nala is smart.”
“And perhaps you’ve grown so bitter over the years that you’re unable to see the truth. Hand Nala over to the council and I’ll petition to be her male. I owe her a life debt. That will take precedent over all others who apply.” Maze walked over to the bed and picked up an injector.
“What are you giving her?”
“Why do you care?” Maze pressed it against her shoulder.
Stag crossed the room. “What did you give her?”
“Something for pain and healing, of course.”
They glared at each other. Maze spoke first.
“I know you, Stag. I saw your reaction when she was down, and you believed her critically injured. Don’t make the mistake of letting her go. Another male will work hard to secure her affections and loyalty. They will offer her all the things you haven’t so far. Females like her want a male who is kind and loving. You’ll lose her forever. There’s no shame in having a weakness when it brings you happiness. She’s your one shot at it.”
Stag glanced at Nala, not willing to get into an argument with the medic.
“You’ve began avoiding her, which means she poses a threat. But the only thing you fear is caring too much and opening yourself up to experiencing emotional pain. We escaped Earth to live, not just exist. Your motivation to face each morning shouldn’t just be the next mission the council sends us on.”
Stag sighed. “I’ll think about what you’ve said. I need to go to Control. Move her when she can be.”
Maze motioned to his arm in the sling. “How do you suppose I do that? Make her walk? No. I want her to stay immobile for at least six hours. She suffered some bruising to her back and minor swelling. It could be uncomfortable for her. I also protest giving up my quarters unless you’re giving her to me. There’s a better place on the Varnish to move her.”
Stag held his gaze.
“It has always been courteous of you to put yourself in quarters equal to those of your crew—but that was before you had a female. She would be more comfortable in the captain’s quarters.”
“That space is for when one of the council wants to travel with us, or when we take on extra crew members so they aren’t forced to sleep inside a cargo hold.”
Maze shook his head. “We haven’t had to use it in over a year, Stag. I cleaned and stocked it after you brought Nala onboard, hoping you’d take her there. The spare bunks have been removed. She’ll be more comfortable recovering there than in my quarters. Do it for her.”
Stag knew it was the best option.
“Parqel, Veller, and Kelis will refuse to share their quarters with anyone. They tend to pick arguments. Yammer makes everyone uncomfortable by staring as though he’s plotting our deaths. He hates his personal space invaded. That leaves Hellion. Don’t make me bunk with him. Please. He’ll drive me insane while I’m healing. I just want to sleep but he’ll attempt endless conversations. I’ll be sure to tell the crew I talked you into it, and they’ll be grateful.”
Stag finally grinned ruefully. “All of that is true. I’ll take her to the captain’s quarters. Can she be moved now?”
“Yes.”
“Get out of the way then and walk ahead of us. You’re going to have to activate the lift and the door.”
“Of course.”
Stag stepped closer to his bunk, afraid he’d hurt her. He bent, very carefully sliding his arms under Nala, and lifted. He adjusted her so her head rested on his chest. Her stillness left him uneasy.
“She’s drugged.” Maze seemed to read his anxiety. “I wanted her to stay asleep until she healed more.”
Stag turned. “Let’s go.”
They left his quarters and made it to the lift. Maze activated it and Stag stepped inside, hugging a wall to make room for the medic. They went up to Control level and met Yammer when the doors opened.
“You’re taking her to captain’s quarters?” He moved back.
Stag stiffened, expecting the male to protest. “Yes.”
“Good. I’m not sharing my room, and Hellion is bitching about how he told everyone this was a shit mission and he seems convinced we’re doomed until we reach home.” Yammer smiled at Maze. “Good job. I know this is your doing. But you were motivated, since I also know you would have been the poor bastard stuck with him. Need help removing the wall bunks and storing them? I’m on my way back to cargo two anyway.”
“I already did that, but thank you.” Maze got out of the lift first.
Stag followed, carrying Nala, but paused to address Yammer. “How bad is the damage down there?”
“Nothing we want to fix until we’re doing ground repairs. They hacked the access pad and made a mess of it to open the docking door. The outer panel is sealed though, so we’re good. It’s not as if we’re planning on opening it again until we have to offload those bots.”
“Did they mess with the crates?”
“They’re marked mining equipment.” Yammer shook his head. “They had no interest in that.” He peered down at Nala. “How bad is she?”
“She’ll be fine.” Maze cleared his throat. “After she gets plenty of rest in a bed. That would be this way…”
Stag rolled his eyes and stepped around Yammer. “Keep me updated on repairs.”
“Will do.”
Maze opened the doors to the captain’s quarters and turned on the lights.
Stag felt surprised when he looked around, noting all the differences since he’d last been in there. “You’ve been busy.”
Maze turned. “I put down the larger bed from the wall cabinet and placed shelves where the bunks were attached, to hide the connecters. I wanted it to feel homier for Nala. I even downloaded books and entertainment vids for her enjoyment. Don’t worry. I knew you’d be wary of her having access to the computer, so it’s contained. She can adjust the lights, watch vids, and use the pad next to the bed to read preloaded novels. I locked down the shields over the viewing ports but I’d suggest you allow her access to them. It will help her feel less contained if she can see space.”
His medic’s attention to detail irritated the hell out of Stag.
Maze walked over to the large bed and pulled back the covers and blankets. “You should undress her and put her under the covers. She’ll be more comfortable. I can do it if you’re not comfortable with her nudity.”
“You’ve gone to a lot of time and trouble thinking about Nala’s needs when she doesn’t belong to you.”
“Someone had to.”
Stag crossed the room and gently put Nala down on the bed. He straightened, the urge to punch Maze filling him.
Maze was obviously aware of his anger and backed away. “Calm down. There’s a lot on this ship that I’m not permitted to do. You don’t trust me to take a shift at the helm, nor do shuttle repairs. I have a lot of spare time on my hands, and that means thinking of the wellbeing of everyone aboard the Varnish, including Nala. It wasn’t meant as an insult to your ability to care for her.”
That deflated his temper. “Thank you.”
“The crew will accept you keeping her, if that’s a concern of yours.”
Stag had neglected his duties for long enough. “I don’t have time to discuss this anymore. Stay with her. I need to go to Control.”
“She was a freighter captain, Stag. I’ve tried to think of all the excuses you’d come up with to avoid keeping her. She left her own planet to live in space. I highly doubt she’d prefer Garden over this ship, if given the choice. Some of the crew will most likely not be pleased, but you could reassign them elsewhere if they don’t adjust. The Varnish is your personal property. I know Hellion and I will have no problem with Nala as crew.”
“Maze, I really need to get to Control. It’s possible that
the pirates might check the asteroid belt for us.”
“Veller is more than qualified to kill if the need arises. Your place right now is with Nala. She’s your female, she saved your life, and I’m betting it’s your face she’ll appreciate seeing when she wakes.” Maze turned. “You stay and care for her. I’ll go from section to section and send you reports. Get her comfortable, and you might want to wash some of that blood off her.” The door closed behind him.
Stag just stood there, unsure what to do.
He finally turned, his gaze on Nala. He could have lost her.
He had a lot of thinking to do. But first, he’d do exactly what Maze had suggested. He walked into the expanded cleansing unit and got warm, wet clothes, and returned to the bed, taking a seat.
He washed the blood off her as gently as he could and stripped off her clothing, seeing the bruising on her lower back firsthand. The one higher on her back, the one he’d put there with his knee while he’d been injured, had almost faded away.
“What am I going to do with you, Nala?” He wished the answer was simple.
Chapter Fourteen
Nala opened her eyes and stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. Memory came back instantly, and she tensed. Stag’s ship had been boarded by the military.
Motion to her right had her jerking her head, staring into a pair of very familiar blue eyes in a handsome face.
Stag smiled. “I’m here, Nala.”
“The soldiers?” She wanted to sit up but he leaned over her, keeping her from rising.
“Disposed of.”
She let her body relax, understanding that the boarding party was no longer a threat. “How is your crew?”
“They are fine. Maze had the worst of the injuries but he’ll recover fast. A broken wrist, and the cuts along his arm were superficial.”
“What about you?” She glanced down, taking in as much of his body as she could, not seeing any tears in his uniform or signs of injury.
“I’m fine. They never stood a chance against my crew of cyborgs. The military caught us by surprise but it wasn’t enough of an advantage.” He took a deep breath. “Maze was the only one hurt, besides you.” He reached up and caressed her cheek. “How do you feel?”
“A little weird.”
“Maze gave you a shot to dull the pain.”
She shifted her attention to the ceiling, around the parts of the room she could see, then back to him. “Where are we?”
“The captain’s quarters.”
“Your ship was destroyed and you took me over to the soldiers’ ship?”
“No. We’re still onboard mine.”
She evaluated that in her head. “I’m confused. You’re the captain, right? So whose quarters were we in before?”
“Mine. I never stay in here.”
“Why not? It’s much more spacious.” She peered at the bed then met his gaze again. “Larger sleeping space too.”
“I felt it gave me equal footing with my crew.”
“By taking crew quarters instead of this one?”
“Yes.”
“Having the most comfortable living space on a ship is one of the perks of being the one signing their checks.”
“We don’t use a monetary system.”
“I still don’t understand. Why do your men work for you then?”
He smiled. “Cyborgs get free food, clothing, and living accommodations. We never ask for more than we need. Everyone in my society finds a job that they enjoy, and we provide for each other. My crew chooses to serve on the Varnish. We only use your credit system when we trade with Earthers. Credits are useless to us otherwise. Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
She swallowed. “Why are you being so nice and friendly to me?”
His expression appeared almost tender, and the way he looked at her…as if she were precious… “Why wouldn’t I? Are you thirsty? Hungry? Tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you.”
Fear hit hard. “Crap. I’m dying, aren’t I?”
He scowled. “No. Why would you say that?”
“Because you’re being so…unlike you. You’re answering my questions, you just told me the actual name of your ship, and you smiled without me having to try really hard to make it possible.” She reached up and pushed at his chest. “Move. Are my legs gone or something? Was I shot after that jerk punched me? Do I have internal bleeding Maze can’t repair since nobody probably has my blood type on this ship?”
He straightened. “You’re fine, Nala. A little bruised, and you sustained a mild concussion. Maze assured me you’ll fully recover.”
She sat up, shoved the bedding to her thighs, and stared at her naked body. That came as a surprise.
“I undressed you and cleaned off some blood. There was a fair bit. I attacked the soldier you distracted and his blood sprayed over you when I killed him.”
She ran her hands over her body, even kicked off the covers from her legs and made sure everything was there. “Ten fingers and toes.”
“Stop. You’re acting irrational, and it’s making me concerned about your mental state.”
She met his gaze. “How long have I been out? Did we reach your home planet? Is this the big kiss off, where you finally get to tell me good riddance and hand me over to some other cyborg?”
“No. We’re still tethered inside the mining core to avoid pirates locating us. I estimate we won’t reach Garden for another few days. And why would you say that?”
“Because you’re being so damn nice and…well, you said it. Concerned. That’s not you, Stag. Just give it to me straight. What horrible thing do you have to tell me that would make you pity me enough to act this way?”
His mouth twisted downward more.
“Just spit it out! I can take it. It’s got to be super bad.”
He inhaled and slowly blew it a breath. “I’ve decided not to let you go.”
“You already told me that. I didn’t know it was up for debate. You said you wouldn’t trust me not to tell the authorities that cyborgs are alive and actually roaming space. You’re also paranoid and don’t trust me one tiny bit.”
“I am keeping you, Nala. I’m not handing you over to Cyborg Council to assign you to another male. You’re mine.”
She could say a lot about Stag, usually, but at that moment, he’d left her speechless. She just gaped at him, astounded.
He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m screwing this up. I’m not good at expressing myself.” He dropped his hand on the bed and sighed. “You saved my life.”
That made more sense. “So you feel grateful to me, or indebted, and you think keeping me with you is nicer than handing me over to some stranger?”
“I have decided to keep you. I am relieved that you chose me over your chance of escape.”
Her heart beat faster. “What do you mean by that? Clarify the keeping me part.”
His eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer. His mouth parted—but then the door chimed. Stag moved fast, gripping the bedding and jerking it up, covering her. A few seconds later, Maze entered.
“I came to check on my patient.”
“Never enter my quarters without permission.” Stag rose to his feet and faced off against Maze.
“I apologize.” Maze smiled at Nala. “How are you feeling? Is the pain manageable? Do you have a headache? Dizziness? Nausea?”
“Am I dying or something? Tell it to me straight, Maze. You’re a medic, so you had to take some kind of oath to be honest to a patient. I’m demanding that now.”
His smile faded. “You’re going to be fine. Why would you think otherwise?”
She hugged the bedding to her chest with one arm to keep it from slipping down and exposing her breasts and jerked her thumb toward Stag. “Did he get punched in the head too? Something is wrong with him.”
Maze glared at Stag. “I told you to be kind and loving to her, so she’ll agree to stay with you. How could you mess that up?” Maze held her gaze next, his fe
atures softening. “Stag was frightened when you were hurt, and realized he didn’t want to lose you. He has feelings where you are concerned. He doesn’t want to allow another male to have you, Nala. You matter to him. He’s horrible at expressing his emotions, this is new to him, but he—”
Clarity slammed into Nala hard, and she interrupted. “Shut up, Maze. That’s enough. Thanks. Now go away.”
He blinked, his lips still parted.
“Go.” She waved her hand. “Shoo. Bye. Stag and I need to be alone.”
The medic spun and stormed out the door, muttering something under his breath as he went.
“Don’t enter my quarters again without permission,” Stag yelled after him.
The door sealed and Nala watched Stag. He finally looked back at her. His blue eyes were hooded, a frown marring his features. Seconds ticked by, utterly silent ones, as she tried to wrap her head around what she’d learned.
“First off, you scared the crap out of me. You, suddenly being nice out of the blue, are frightening. Second, why would you listen to anything Maze told you to do? Do you know who you aren’t like? Him. Is any of what he just said true?”
Stag hesitated but then nodded.
Nala grinned.
“It’s not amusing.”
“It kind of is.” She patted the bed next to her. “Come here.”
He didn’t budge.
“Please?”
Stag reluctantly moved, taking a seat.
“Thank you. I feel for you too, if that helps. Just be yourself from now on though. The man I’ve gotten to know would just tell me he’s keeping me.”
“I stated that.”
“Are you still going to tie me to the bed every night, worried I might choke you?”
“No.”
“Lock me in the room?”
“Are you going to try to escape?”
“Are you going to make me want to get away from you?”
“We’re negotiating terms now?” That appeared to make him angry.
“Let’s just say if you teach me more about cyborg society—specifically, how you might impress a woman enough to stay with you—I’d be less likely to want to escape.”