Nikhil (Kaliszian Book 1) (7 page)

“Nikhil,” she protested, “I’m soaking wet.”

“I don’t care. You need rest.” Pulling the towel from her body, he quickly covered her back up with the bed’s coverings, making sure they were tucked in close. Then he began removing the excess moisture from her hair.

“Nikhil.” She tried to free herself from the cocoon of covers that enveloped her, but his hand stilled her.

“No, Mackenzie, everything will be fine. Just rest.”

Mac found she could only do as he asked. The heat of the shower had relaxed her. Combine that with the comfort of the bed, and the feeling of safety her eyes closed and she was fast asleep.

T
reyvon frowned when he entered the medical unit and found it empty.

“She is in the deep-repair area,” Gryf told him, gesturing to the partially closed door on the other side of the room.

“She’s still in the unit?” Treyvon couldn’t believe it. The female’s injuries must be truly grave for the unit to still be treating her.

“No, she’s not,” Luol told them, walking out of his office. “I had Squad Leader Nikhil take her to his quarters.”

“What? Why?” Treyvon demanded.

“Because she is his True Mate and he is the only one that she trusts. Especially after the way the Commander treated her.” Luol gave Gryf a disapproving look.

“What are you talking about?” Treyvon spun around to look at his second-in-command.

“Commander Gryf tried to order Squad Leader Nikhil away from his unconscious True Mate.”

“He did what?” Treyvon’s gaze remained locked on his commander.

“Yes, and that understandably upset Nikhil significantly. His emotions transferred to his True Mate causing her to become very agitated. Had Nikhil not been able to calm her, she could have severely damaged herself as she was still in the deep-repair unit.”

“You attempted to force a Warrior, one of our largest, to desert his True Mate while
inside
the deep-repair unit?!!”

“At the time, I only had Healer Luol’s opinion that she was Nikhil’s True Mate. He could have been wrong.”

“But he wasn’t.”

“No.” Gryf had to break eye contact with his General and friend.

“Then once she finally calmed, Commander Gryf felt it would be a good time to interrogate her,” Luol continued.

“Commander?”

“She spoke of her time with the Zaludians," Gryf said, defending his actions. "I was only attempting to find out how long she was with them.”

“By barraging her with questions, and giving her no time to answer?" Luol fired back. "You frightened her!”

“That was not my intention!" Gryf took a threatening step toward the Healer.

“What is her condition, Luol?” Treyvon asked, interrupting the growing argument between his Commander and Healer.

“She is weak, which is to be expected after what she has survived.” Luol pulled his gaze from Gryf, giving the General his full attention. “The deep-repair unit was able to treat the injuries caused by the Zaludians, and I have begun replenishing the nutrients she was deficient in.”

Treyvon frowned at that. “Did you consider that perhaps her species does not require the same nutrients that we do?”

“I did, which is why I only gave her a portion of what the unit recommended. I did not want to overwhelm her system.”

“And?”

“Her body seemed to readily absorb what I gave her with no side effects. After she has rested, I will complete the treatment. Then she should be ready to use the educator.”

“It would have been better for her to remain here,” Gryf said stiffly.

“No, it wouldn't have. Not only would I not separate Nikhil from his True Mate but from what I’ve heard, there are going to be other survivors that need the deep-repair unit. Having other males around his weakened True Mate would raise all Nikhil’s protective instincts, which would in turn agitate his True Mate. She doesn’t need that. She will rest better in Nikhil’s quarters.”

“You are sure she is his True Mate, Luol?” Treyvon asked quietly.

“She wears his True Mate bead, General. And while I don’t think she realizes it or knows what it means, she responds to Nikhil’s words, touch, and emotions as only a True Mate would.”

“A True Mate hasn't been found in nearly five-hundred years, Luol.”

“I know that, General, and had I not witnessed it myself, I wouldn’t believe it. But I did. Her responses were true.”

“I need to see this for myself. Gryf, with me.”

Gryf silently walked beside his General, knowing some things still needed to be said. “I should not have approached her like that.”

“No. You shouldn’t have,” Treyvon agreed, continuing to walk.

“I didn’t believe she was his True Mate. I mean how could she be? She isn’t even Kaliszian.”

“You know there was a time when Kaliszians found their True Mate within other species, Gryf.”

“Before the Great Infection, perhaps, but not since.”

“True, but that only means we should thank the Goddess that she has blessed a male with one.”

“Thank the Goddess...” Gryf shook his head in disgust. “She is the one that took away our True Mates along with our ability to provide for them. If not for her, Mica...” he cut himself off.

Treyvon stopped walking and turned to confront his friend. “Mica was never meant to be yours, Gryf. If you can’t believe that by her actions alone, then believe your True Mate bead. It refused to accept her.”

“I left her alone too many times. I didn’t...”

“That doesn’t matter! Your True Mate bead still would have accepted her.
It
refused to do so, so she was never meant to be your True Mate. You have to accept this.”

“There was still a chance.”

“Only if Mica had accepted your Ashe bead. She refused it, Gryf. She has moved on, and so must you. One of our finest Warriors has found his True Mate. We will celebrate his good fortune as if it were our own.” Turning, Treyvon continued to Nikhil’s quarters.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Nikhil gathered up his weapons, worried Mackenzie might harm herself with one, and changed into a dry uniform. Now he just stared down at her sleeping so deeply in his bed, still finding it hard to believe she was there, that she was his. Carefully he reached down, lifting the section of her hair his True Mate bead had claimed. It responded to his touch by glowing slightly and giving off a sense of peace that told him she was well.

It was one of the carefully guarded secrets of the True Mate bead. The True Mate beads connected a couple. Just by touching it, one would know the condition of the other. If it were two Kaliszians that exchanged their beads, they needed only to touch the one in their hair to know if the other was okay.

Nikhil had to admit that he wished Mackenzie had a True Mate bead for him to wear. Then when he was away from her, he would know she was okay. But he was also grateful that she didn’t. He didn’t want her knowing if he was hurt during a mission, which was always a possibility. He didn’t want her feeling what he felt as he killed, even if it were justified. None of that darkness that was a part of his life should ever touch this amazing creature the Goddess had entrusted to him. She didn’t even realize how she had already lightened the load he carried. She looked at him and
saw
him, not some large, oversized male that others did. She didn’t fear him. She trusted him when she was most vulnerable, and he would never betray that trust.

The sound of a fist meeting his outer door had him releasing the bead and quickly rising. Crossing the room, he closed the door to his resting chamber so she wouldn’t be disturbed by the fist that was starting to pound harder on his outer door.

“What?!!” he growled, hitting the crystal that would open the door. The fierce look on his face would have deterred a normal male, but General Treyvon Rayner was no normal male, and Nikhil straightened to attention. “General.”

“Warrior Nikhil. I was informed congratulations are in order. You have been blessed with a True Mate.”

“Yes, General,” Nikhil took a step back allowing Treyvon to enter his living area. When Gryf followed, he found his fist clenching. He had always respected Commander Gryf, had always considered him an honorable male, but he had tried to come between him and his Mackenzie, and that Nikhil would never allow.

"I regret that I upset your True Mate, Squad Leader Nikhil," Gryf spoke first, knowing he was the one at fault.

Nikhil silently stared at the other male for several moments then stiffly nodded, knowing that was as far as the Commander would go.

"Why are you here, General?" Nikhil addressed Treyvon.

"I hoped to speak with your True Mate," Treyvon told him. "We still do not know exactly what the Zaludians were doing and why. We don't know why the Ganglians are assisting them. She might know something as they held her separately."

"She is resting, and I will not disturb her. Not when there are others you can gather that information from."

"True, but she was held separately. She might have overheard something. Has she said anything to you?" Treyvon asked.

"Only that her home world is a place called 'Earth', and that the Ganglians took them from there and brought them here."

"That's all she said?!!" Gryf's roar of disbelief bounced off the walls, and he took a step toward Nikhil. "You've been with her for hours. She had to have told you more than that!"

"She's been unconscious nearly the entire time, and unlike
you
, Commander," while Nikhil's anger rose his voice didn't. "I care more about her well-being than gathering information on the Zaludians."

"There could be more sites!" Gryf argued back. "More like her being held!"

"And how would she know that?"

"Enough! Both of you," Treyvon ordered. "This is getting us nowhere. Squad Leader Nikhil is right. The health of his True Mate is more important than any information she might be able to provide right now. We know from the survivors at other locations that they never traveled from one site to another. There's no reason to think it was any different at this site."

"But it could be with the number of bodies found..."

"Nikhil?" The faint voice had all three males turning to look at the closed door.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Mac tried to block out the raised voices filtering in from the outer cave into the small one where she and Jen were sleeping. It didn't often happen, since the guys were always too exhausted when they returned from the mine to argue. But it did happen.

As their voices grew louder, she frowned. They never got that loud. To do so would draw the attention of the Zaludians, which was never good. Maybe one of them was hurt. She needed to get up and find out what was going on. If she didn't, Jen would, and Jen was struggling enough as it was.

Forcing her eyes open, Mac stilled when there wasn't the rock ceiling she was used to seeing above her. Where was she? Turning her head to the side, she realized it rested on a pillow, and that her body was lying on a soft bed. There were blankets tucked securely around her. Where the hell was she?

The careful breath she took teased her senses. It was clean and fresh without the dust that was always prevalent from the mining. There was something in it familiar, though. Listening closer to the voices, she couldn't understand what they were saying, but she could recognize one of them no matter what language he was speaking... Nikhil. Suddenly it all came back to her.

Nikhil had rescued her from the Zaludians. He said they had all been rescued and even though she hadn't seen anyone yet, she believed him. He hadn't said anything about Jen, about there being another female, only that there were ten
males
. The guys must still be protecting Jen. She needed to find out if Jen was safe.

She knew she felt safe with Nikhil, but she didn’t understand why. After all, he was huge by anyone's standards, but he had been so gentle with her. Especially when that other guy, what had Nikhil called him... Commander had been firing questions at her.

Nikhil had brought her back here to his quarters, and carefully cleansed her. He could have taken advantage of her then, but he didn't. Instead, he cared for her making sure there wasn't one speck of dirt left anywhere on her body. Then he’d tucked her carefully into his bed.

Reaching up, she touched her hair and for the first time in... she didn't know how long... she could run her fingers through it. It was silky and smooth without a single snarl. Reaching the end of one strand, she frowned feeling something. Lifting the offending strand, she saw there was a bead attached to the end of it. Twirling it between her fingers, she was surprised at how warm it was, how it seemed to glitter at her. But why was it there?

Holding the bead, a feeling of anxiety filled her. She didn't understand where it was coming from, but she knew something was wrong, and she needed to get to Nikhil. Sitting straight up, she fought her way out of the covers meaning to find him. When the cool air hit, it reminded her she was naked. Looking around the room, she didn't see anything that resembled a closet or dresser, so she pulled one of the blankets off the bed. Wrapping it securely under her arms, she went to find Nikhil.

"Nikhil?" she called out, moving to where she knew the door had been when she entered the room, but now there was just a solid panel. Running her hands over it, she couldn't find a handle and panicking, she began to pound on the door. Why was she locked in? Was she a prisoner? Had it all been a trick? "Nikhil!"

One moment she was pounding on a solid, cold door, and the next on a solid, warm chest.

"Mackenzie.” Nikhil wrapped his arms around her not liking the fear he heard in her voice. "What is wrong? Why aren't you resting?"

"I heard yelling. What's going on? Why was I locked in?"

Nikhil wanted to pound Gryf into the floor for waking and scaring his True Mate again. He couldn't do it now, but the next time they met on the training field, Gryf would feel his displeasure.

"I am sorry we woke you, Little One." His large hands rubbed her bare shoulders trying to reassure her that everything was fine, then frowned when he realized she was wrapped in only a blanket. There were two other males in the room. He pulled her deeper into his embrace.