She stretched her shivering body out while A'Kosu'an opened her bandages.
"The wound is healing on schedule. Your skin is cool and dry and of a proper color for a healthy human. Where does the pain originate?"
"Here.” Charity pointed to the spot above her navel where a hot blade seemed to twist in her innards.
A'Kosu'an poked and prodded as doctors everywhere did. She frowned and hummed and muttered to herself, then poised her large hands over Charity's stomach. A stab of panic clouded the soothing vibrations emanating from the Antarean's hands and had Charity struggling to sit up. “It can't be. I'm not ... pregnant , am I?"
Just as she had at the mention of Kol's name, A'Kosu'an stilled. Her wide hands fluttered for a moment, then resumed the gentle movements over Charity's belly. “Forgive me. I thought for a moment you meant you had mated with A'Kosu'ri. I shouldn't have assumed you did not have a mate elsewhere."
"I did. I mean, I have. We have. But he told me he didn't think we were genetically compatible."
Now A'Kosu'an stopped her treatment. Her hands fell to her sides. “You are not. There is no pregnancy, but there is something else."
Charity groaned. “Oh, no. Don't tell me I've got some alien parasite growing in my gut?"
"You have A'Kosu'ri. This pain has no physiological cause. It's unrelated to your injury. Therefore it must relate to your separation from your mate."
Now Charity did sit up. “I don't have a mate."
"Your body says otherwise."
"What are you talking about?"
A'Kosu'an stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. For a moment Charity wondered if the Antarean woman might be jealous, but she looked so much like Kol it seemed more likely they were siblings or cousins than lovers. “It's best if A'Kosu'ri explains this to you. You should be with him before either of you become more uncomfortable."
A'Kosu'an left the alcove with a flourish of the fabric curtain and in her wake, Charity doubled over and rubbed her aching stomach. This made no sense. What could Kol have done to her to make her feel like this? Hopefully the medic had gone to fetch him and he'd be able to clear up all this mysterious Antarean doublespeak. In the meantime, though, Charity could do nothing but lie on her narrow bed in agony and wait for him to come to her.
* * * *
"I will not go.” Kol crossed his arms over his chest and attempted to stare down A'Kosu'an. Her true name was Gia, but even those closest to her rarely used it, as she preferred her medical title.
"This is a mating bond. There's no need for both of you to suffer. Come to the infirmary for the night and in the morning, if you are both well, I will dismiss you."
"If this was a mating bond—and it's not—but if it was, our being together now would only strengthen it. In the end, if the Elders choose to turn Charity over to the Valencian authorities, the pain of separation would kill us both."
"Kol, you've given her your name. You've filled her. How can you deny the mating bond?"
"Because of the look in your eyes, Gia. You, each of the Elders, even Barok. You are all appalled by my actions and more than a little concerned by the fact that I've brought a human home to the compound. To pursue such a bond would shame us both."
A'Kosu'an threw her hands in the air. “If that's how you feel about mating with a human, why did you? Surely that tiny female didn't hold you down and force herself on you."
Kol silenced her with a warning glance. “It was not a choice either of us made. Lebron ... the planet forced us."
A'Kosu'an laughed. “I've heard many excuses for thoughtless copulation before, but that—"
"There was a pollen fall. Spore from the trees covered the area where we crashed. I explained it all to Barok earlier.” Kol strode across his room and returned with the shirt he'd worn on the planet. It still bore yellow smudges of the infernal dust and smelled rather strongly of ... sex.
A'Kosu'an raised a brow and contemplated the
"The wound is healing on schedule. Your skin is cool and dry and of a proper color for a healthy human. Where does the pain originate?"
"Here.” Charity pointed to the spot above her navel where a hot blade seemed to twist in her innards.
A'Kosu'an poked and prodded as doctors everywhere did. She frowned and hummed and muttered to herself, then poised her large hands over Charity's stomach. A stab of panic clouded the soothing vibrations emanating from the Antarean's hands and had Charity struggling to sit up. “It can't be. I'm not ... pregnant , am I?"
Just as she had at the mention of Kol's name, A'Kosu'an stilled. Her wide hands fluttered for a moment, then resumed the gentle movements over Charity's belly. “Forgive me. I thought for a moment you meant you had mated with A'Kosu'ri. I shouldn't have assumed you did not have a mate elsewhere."
"I did. I mean, I have. We have. But he told me he didn't think we were genetically compatible."
Now A'Kosu'an stopped her treatment. Her hands fell to her sides. “You are not. There is no pregnancy, but there is something else."
Charity groaned. “Oh, no. Don't tell me I've got some alien parasite growing in my gut?"
"You have A'Kosu'ri. This pain has no physiological cause. It's unrelated to your injury. Therefore it must relate to your separation from your mate."
Now Charity did sit up. “I don't have a mate."
"Your body says otherwise."
"What are you talking about?"
A'Kosu'an stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. For a moment Charity wondered if the Antarean woman might be jealous, but she looked so much like Kol it seemed more likely they were siblings or cousins than lovers. “It's best if A'Kosu'ri explains this to you. You should be with him before either of you become more uncomfortable."
A'Kosu'an left the alcove with a flourish of the fabric curtain and in her wake, Charity doubled over and rubbed her aching stomach. This made no sense. What could Kol have done to her to make her feel like this? Hopefully the medic had gone to fetch him and he'd be able to clear up all this mysterious Antarean doublespeak. In the meantime, though, Charity could do nothing but lie on her narrow bed in agony and wait for him to come to her.
* * * *
"I will not go.” Kol crossed his arms over his chest and attempted to stare down A'Kosu'an. Her true name was Gia, but even those closest to her rarely used it, as she preferred her medical title.
"This is a mating bond. There's no need for both of you to suffer. Come to the infirmary for the night and in the morning, if you are both well, I will dismiss you."
"If this was a mating bond—and it's not—but if it was, our being together now would only strengthen it. In the end, if the Elders choose to turn Charity over to the Valencian authorities, the pain of separation would kill us both."
"Kol, you've given her your name. You've filled her. How can you deny the mating bond?"
"Because of the look in your eyes, Gia. You, each of the Elders, even Barok. You are all appalled by my actions and more than a little concerned by the fact that I've brought a human home to the compound. To pursue such a bond would shame us both."
A'Kosu'an threw her hands in the air. “If that's how you feel about mating with a human, why did you? Surely that tiny female didn't hold you down and force herself on you."
Kol silenced her with a warning glance. “It was not a choice either of us made. Lebron ... the planet forced us."
A'Kosu'an laughed. “I've heard many excuses for thoughtless copulation before, but that—"
"There was a pollen fall. Spore from the trees covered the area where we crashed. I explained it all to Barok earlier.” Kol strode across his room and returned with the shirt he'd worn on the planet. It still bore yellow smudges of the infernal dust and smelled rather strongly of ... sex.
A'Kosu'an raised a brow and contemplated the
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