wasn’t going to bring out the mating excuse. There was no way she and Einarr could ever be together now. Suggesting that she was his mate would open up a whole new can of worms that Einarr didn’t need and her interrogators wouldn’t understand.
“Well?” Mitzi demanded.
Frey shrugged. “I wanted to keep him safe.”
“By letting him have unprotected sexual intercourse with you?” Mitzi shook her head. “You might just have killed him before he even had a chance to live again. How selfish and thoroughly unprofessional of you.”
Well, she had been selfish. Frey knew that, but she didn’t regret experiencing sex with a telepathic mate. It was extraordinary. But had she damaged him? She hadn’t sensed anything wrong with him, and mates were attuned to physical changes in their lover’s bodies. In fact, they were more likely to heal each other than to cause harm.
Oh Gods, was she such a screw-up that one moment of spontaneity and selfishness in her entire life might have killed her mate?
“I did what I thought best to keep him alive and safe.” She repeated the words gaining some comfort from them. “If that means I should resign my commission and return to Pavlovan, then I’ll do so right now.”
Mitzi sat back. “Don’t think you’ll get off that easily, Science Officer. Have you any idea how much money FREN invested in this project?”
Frey looked Mitzi right in the eye. “Sure I do, but maybe you should be thanking me. You’ll save a fortune because he’s already defrosted. Although I didn’t cause that, I did follow orders and keep him alive.”
Gron nodded. “You did. Captain Travis agrees with that at least.”
“I appreciate Captain Travis’s support,” Frey said tightly.
After a quick glance at each other, Mitzi and Gron rose to their feet.
“We will continue this conversation after the Viking has cleared his initial health assessments. If he doesn’t clear them, we will require your presence in the medical lab.”
“To do what?” Frey looked up when Mitzi finished speaking.
“To be tested yourself. Until then you’ll be held in custody by security.”
“This is ridiculous.” Frey scowled at the female. “The Viking is here, and he’s in one piece, largely due to me. I understand that you have to follow protocol and that you need someone to blame for his defrosting. Just let me resign from my post and go home.”
“You will not be allowed to leave Alpha Three until we have completed our inquiries.” Mitzi turned and banged on the door. “If you are deemed to have breached your contract with FREN or TSA, you will be prosecuted.”
“Great,” Frey muttered as her two inquisitors went out to be replaced by four huge guards. “Not even one com call home? Or the Pavlovan ambassador to talk to? At least a word with someone who might understand and protect me?”
“Come with us, Science Officer Frey.”
She checked out the guards and realized she had no choice but to do as she’d been told. All she could hope was that Einarr was safe and that he wasn’t worrying about her at all. That would be for the best. Her chest tightened as if her heart was being squeezed tight. She refused to give in to the desire to cry. She had a sense that she would need all her strength to stand up to whatever was going to happen next.
Eventually, after walking through what felt like miles of corridors, she was gently maneuvered through a thick metal door into a small windowless cell. The door was locked before she even had time to turn around. With a sigh, she sank down onto the side of the small bed and shoved her fingers into her hair, loosening the braid.
She searched for Einarr in her mind but there was nothing, only a cold empty space where his thoughts should have been filling her. He wasn’t dead. She would have known if he was, but he definitely wasn’t conscious. Tentatively, she reached out to the only other Pavlovan she knew.
“ Slavin ?”
“ Tecky, Are you okay?
“Well?” Mitzi demanded.
Frey shrugged. “I wanted to keep him safe.”
“By letting him have unprotected sexual intercourse with you?” Mitzi shook her head. “You might just have killed him before he even had a chance to live again. How selfish and thoroughly unprofessional of you.”
Well, she had been selfish. Frey knew that, but she didn’t regret experiencing sex with a telepathic mate. It was extraordinary. But had she damaged him? She hadn’t sensed anything wrong with him, and mates were attuned to physical changes in their lover’s bodies. In fact, they were more likely to heal each other than to cause harm.
Oh Gods, was she such a screw-up that one moment of spontaneity and selfishness in her entire life might have killed her mate?
“I did what I thought best to keep him alive and safe.” She repeated the words gaining some comfort from them. “If that means I should resign my commission and return to Pavlovan, then I’ll do so right now.”
Mitzi sat back. “Don’t think you’ll get off that easily, Science Officer. Have you any idea how much money FREN invested in this project?”
Frey looked Mitzi right in the eye. “Sure I do, but maybe you should be thanking me. You’ll save a fortune because he’s already defrosted. Although I didn’t cause that, I did follow orders and keep him alive.”
Gron nodded. “You did. Captain Travis agrees with that at least.”
“I appreciate Captain Travis’s support,” Frey said tightly.
After a quick glance at each other, Mitzi and Gron rose to their feet.
“We will continue this conversation after the Viking has cleared his initial health assessments. If he doesn’t clear them, we will require your presence in the medical lab.”
“To do what?” Frey looked up when Mitzi finished speaking.
“To be tested yourself. Until then you’ll be held in custody by security.”
“This is ridiculous.” Frey scowled at the female. “The Viking is here, and he’s in one piece, largely due to me. I understand that you have to follow protocol and that you need someone to blame for his defrosting. Just let me resign from my post and go home.”
“You will not be allowed to leave Alpha Three until we have completed our inquiries.” Mitzi turned and banged on the door. “If you are deemed to have breached your contract with FREN or TSA, you will be prosecuted.”
“Great,” Frey muttered as her two inquisitors went out to be replaced by four huge guards. “Not even one com call home? Or the Pavlovan ambassador to talk to? At least a word with someone who might understand and protect me?”
“Come with us, Science Officer Frey.”
She checked out the guards and realized she had no choice but to do as she’d been told. All she could hope was that Einarr was safe and that he wasn’t worrying about her at all. That would be for the best. Her chest tightened as if her heart was being squeezed tight. She refused to give in to the desire to cry. She had a sense that she would need all her strength to stand up to whatever was going to happen next.
Eventually, after walking through what felt like miles of corridors, she was gently maneuvered through a thick metal door into a small windowless cell. The door was locked before she even had time to turn around. With a sigh, she sank down onto the side of the small bed and shoved her fingers into her hair, loosening the braid.
She searched for Einarr in her mind but there was nothing, only a cold empty space where his thoughts should have been filling her. He wasn’t dead. She would have known if he was, but he definitely wasn’t conscious. Tentatively, she reached out to the only other Pavlovan she knew.
“ Slavin ?”
“ Tecky, Are you okay?
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