Nikhil (Kaliszian Book 1) (25 page)

"I need to get back to Eric," she told him, turning to re-enter Luol's office.

"Eric?" Nikhil questioned.

"He is the human male currently using the educator," Luol informed him quietly. "Mackenzie insists on sitting with them, so they are not alone as I see to the treatment of those in the deep-repair unit."

"You leave her alone with other males?" Nikhil growled.

"I leave her alone with males that she knows and trusts. She has already spent a great deal of time alone with them, Nikhil. She is loyal to them. They are her friends, and they have bonded because of what they have survived together. That is something you are going to have to deal with and accept if you want your mate to be truly happy.

"They let her be taken, Luol, let her be harmed."

"And she seems to hold no animosity toward them for it. Perhaps you need to find out why." Luol walked away to check on the two in the repair unit.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Nikhil stood in the doorway of Luol's office, ignoring the way his massive shoulders pressed against the frame, and watched his mate sit beside another male holding his hand. His first instinct was to storm across the room and pull her away from the male. She was his. His mate. She should never touch another male. But he knew that would be wrong. That it would drive his mate even farther from him. He tensed as she lifted a hand to gently tuck a strand of the male's hair behind his ear. But as he watched, he realized she wasn't touching the other male the same way she touched him. Yes, there was feeling in the touch, but it wasn't a caress.

Moving across the room, he pulled over a chair and sat down heavily on the other side of the couch. "You care about this male," he said quietly.

"Eric."

"What?"

"His name is Eric, and yes, I do." She lifted her gaze to his. "Very much. Just like I care for all the others."

"Explain to me why."

"What do you mean why?"

"They let the Zaludians take you, Mackenzie." While he spoke quietly, there was no doubting the rage behind his words. "You were harmed because they didn't protect you. How can you still care about them?"

"Is that all you see? How you found me?" She shook her head and looked back to Eric. "You just don't understand."

"Then make me understand." He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I need to understand, Mackenzie."

"They protected me, Nikhil, when they didn't have to."

"Didn't..."

"They didn't know me. I wasn't one of their group. I was just their guide. The one they trusted to lead them up the mountain and bring them back safely. I failed."

"They can't blame you for what the Ganglians did, Mackenzie."

"They could have, but they didn't. Instead they protected me. When we first got to that mine, the Zaludians took half of us to the cave where we lived and the other half they put to work in the mine. I was put to work. I collapsed when we got back to the cave, and they took the other group. I didn't know what I was going to do. We saw how the Zaludians beat a Jerboaian to death when he collapsed, and then they beat the one that tried to protect him."

"We heard they would do that," Nikhil said quietly.

"You heard right, and as much as I didn't want to die that way, I knew it was going to happen because there was no way I could do that type of physical work... so did the guys. When the Zaludians returned with the other group, they brought food and told us we had fifteen minutes. I didn't eat because I knew I'd be dead soon and it would just be a waste of food the others needed." Her eyes began to fill with tears, and she ran the back of her hand over Eric's gaunt cheek before she continued. "The Zaludians returned and as I rose to go with my group, Eric pushed me down and went in my place."

"He..."

"He was in the group that had just returned from the mine. His only thought should have been to rest until they came for him again. Instead, he took my place."

"He worked back to back shifts?"

"Yes, and when he returned, one of the other guys took his place. They never let me return to that mine, Nikhil. Do you understand now? They all did what they could to protect me."

"And the Zaludians never noticed?"

"As long as they had six bodies they didn't care."

"Then how...?"

"Did they discover me?"

"Yes."

"My fault. You see, I discovered a crack in the back wall of the cave and J..." she cut herself off, realizing she had almost told him about Jen. "I would hide in there whenever we heard the Zaludians coming just to make sure they wouldn't realize I was female. On that day, one of the guys had gotten a bad cut, and I was treating it since I had medical training, when a Zaludian suddenly walked in. Because of the condition of my coverings, he realized I was female. All the guys rose up to protect me, but I told them not to fight."

"What?!!" Nikhil couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"Because they couldn't have won," she told him. "All that would have happened was that the Zaludians would have killed them, and I would have been taken anyway. So I went willingly."

"You were injured." That had been bothering Nikhil all along because there was no reason for the Zaludians to beat her, especially if they were planning on selling her to a Pleasure House.

"That's because once I was far enough away from the guys, I tried to escape. I almost made it outside, but then the one with the red beads caught me. He was the one that beat me."

"You tried to save yourself."

"Of course. I wasn't just going to let them
take
me. Not without a fight."

"You are a fighter, aren't you, my Mackenzie." Nikhil ran a large, rough knuckle carefully over the soft skin of her cheek removing the tear that had escaped her beautiful brown eyes. "One would never guess it because of your size, but I am coming to believe you are the strongest female I have ever met."

"A bigger untruth you have never told, Nikhil Kozar," she said but tipped her head into his touch giving him a sad smile, "but thank you."

"It is not an untruth, Mackenzie, for it takes one truly strong to survive what you have. But it is also for that reason that I never want you to have to be that strong again. I want to take care of you, want to keep you safe."

"I'm not strong, Nikhil, but that doesn't mean I'm weak either. I only survived because I wasn't alone and because I had people I could trust and rely on helping me."

"I want to be one of those people that you trust, Mackenzie. Someone you know you can rely on no matter what."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"But it works both ways, Nikhil. You have to trust and rely on me too, and you haven't been doing that."

"I... " Nikhil gave her an abashed look. "You are right, my Mackenzie, and I have no excuse except to say that it is not the Kaliszian way, and I am still adjusting to having a True Mate. A very strong, very beautiful, very small True Mate," he finished softly.

"God, if you two get any sappier, I'm going to need a shower," Eric groaned causing them both to look down at him in shock as he reached up to pull off the educator.

"Eric, no!" Mac grabbed his arm stopping him before her gaze flew back to Nikhil. "Get Luol," she ordered.

Nikhil was immediately up and out of the room at her command.

"What's wrong, Mac?" Eric asked.

"Nothing I just want Luol to be the one to remove the educator, Eric. He's the Healer. I don't want to risk you being hurt."

"Nikhil seems like a good guy, Mac," Eric told her quietly, lowering his hand.

"He is."

"Then why are you giving him such a hard time?"

Before Mac could respond, Nikhil and Luol were returning.

N
ikhil sat next to Mackenzie as they ate their midday meal. She'd refused to leave the medical area saying she needed to be there when Craig woke. Nikhil wanted to argue with her. He wanted to take her to their quarters so they could be alone. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Instead, he had retrieved two meals, and they were silently eating them in Luol's office.

"What's wrong, Nikhil?" she asked putting her half-eaten meal aside.

"Nothing," he picked up the pouch and handed it back to her. "Finish your meal."

"I'm full. You can finish it or Craig can when he's out of the repair unit." She set it back down on the table then rising onto her knees, she cupped his jaw with her hands and she turned him to face her. "What's wrong?"

Nikhil looked into her warm, brown eyes and saw her concern for him. What had he ever done to deserve that? Reaching out he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, the tips of his fingers caressing her silky skin.

"Nothing is wrong, Little One. I had just been hoping to have some time alone while we enjoyed our meal."

"But we're alone now."

"In our quarters," Nikhil added quietly. "I wanted to hold you."

Mac's eyes widened slightly then a mischievous smile crossed her lips right before she swung a leg over his thighs and wrapped her arms around his neck. "How's this?"

"Mackenzie," Nikhil's eyes flew to the open door even as his hands gripped her hips pulling her tightly against him.

"What?" she asked, pressing a kiss to his strong, square chin.

"Someone might see us."

"So?" she asked, pulling his head down so her lips could reach his. "You’re my True Mate, aren't you?"

"Yes," he growled trying to capture the lips she'd pulled away from his.

"So why is it wrong for someone to see us kissing?"

"It's not," he told her and lifting a hand gripped the back of her head, holding her still. "It's what I want to do after we kiss that others aren't allowed to see."

With that, he captured her lips for a hard, deep kiss.

Mac rose up on her knees, her arms wrapping around his head as she sunk into the kiss. Goddess, the man could kiss. Her hips involuntarily moved against his washboard abs as their tongues sparred and she suddenly realized Nikhil had been right. They should have gone to his quarters because she wanted to do more than just kiss him, a lot more.

"Ahem," followed by the clearing of a throat had Mac and Nikhil breaking apart to find Luol standing in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt," he said not looking sorry at all, "but the repair unit is about to finish, and I'm about to wake the male... Craig up. I thought you would want to be there."

"I do," Mac said her cheeks flushing.

"Then I suggest you finish your... midday meal and meet me at the unit," Luol told her, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile and walked away.

Mac buried her face in Nikhil's neck for a moment before lifting her gaze to his. "Next time we go to your quarters for midday meal."

Nikhil gazed down at her, trying to regain some control over his body. Goddess, all he wanted to do was strip her bare and plunge his throbbing shaft into her. He knew her channel was slick and wet. She was ready to take him because her covering had risen as she rose to her knees and it had been those soft folds she'd rubbed against his abs that the vest didn't cover. All he had to do was release himself, and they would be one. He looked into her eyes and saw the desire in them. Desire that told him she wouldn't stop him if he did, but he also saw her need. Her need to be there for one that had been there for her.

"We will," he growled then slowly set her on her feet. "And we will be taking last meal in
our
quarters tonight."

"Agreed," she whispered, noticing the way he stressed the word 'our.' "Thank you for understanding."

As they turned to walk out, Nikhil reached for his comm that had started to beep and after a short discussion, returned it to his waist.

"Mackenzie..."

"You have to go," she said.

"Yes."

"It's alright."

"I want you to remain here in medical until I return for you." He put a gentle hand on her cheek tipping her gaze up to his. "Vow it to me, Mackenzie."

"I'll stay here until you come and get me." When he just stood there, she added, "I vow."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The sound of the repair unit opening was the first thing that registered in Craig's mind. The next thing was the sound of Mac's voice softly talking to someone in a language he didn't understand.

Mac.

He would know that husky voice anywhere.

It reached into his dreams and reminded him that he was still a man.

But what was she saying?

Who was she talking to?

Turning his head toward the sound of her voice, his eyes flew open and there she was looking up at the Kaliszian called Luol.

"Mac..." he croaked out, surprised at how dry his throat was.

"Craig." Mac turned her gaze to him, a gaze full of warmth and happiness for him. "How are you feeling?" she asked in English.

"Thirsty," he told her and watched as she immediately turned to get him what he needed.

"Here." She put a hand behind his head lifting it to help him drink.

"How long was I out?" he asked after he drained the glass.

"Almost five hours."

"Five?!!" Craig gave her an astonished look. It hadn't felt that long to him. "I don't even remember falling asleep."

"That's because Luol gave you something to help with that."

"He drugged me?" Craig arrowed straight up turning furious eyes to Luol.

"I told him to, Craig," Mac quickly defended Luol, who couldn't understand what was being said. "You needed to relax and let the unit work, and you weren't. It was my call."

"You were out when you were treated?" He was going to be pissed if she said no.

"Yes," she told him. "Now you need to start speaking in Zaludian so Luol can help you."

"Where's Paul?" he demanded, but it was in Zaludian.

"He's back with the others. So is Eric, who also used the educator while you were being treated," she told him.

"Both of them?"

"Yes," Luol answered him this time, "and they tolerated it very well with no side effects. Now how are you feeling?"

Craig took a minute to think about it. "Good. All those aches and pains are gone." He lifted a hand and saw that all the scars he'd accumulated in the mine were gone too, and turned stunned eyes to Luol.