Chapter 6
Oh, God. She was so embarrassed. Luna couldn’t believe she’d started sobbing in front of Balarr. But she couldn’t help it. Not very long ago, she feared she would die. She thought the only way out of Zalora Biotech was in a body bag.
Not only had Balarr saved her, but he’d injected her with nanobots that would heal her injuries and keep her lab-grown organs strong.
She wouldn’t have to worry about the lab-grown replacements failing one day.
He’d also mentioned something about the nanobots targeting infections, and she supposed that meant they would heal illnesses too.
The sheer relief flowing through her was overwhelming.
She buried her face in her hands and continued crying.
I’m not going to die.
Balarr saved me.
I’m leaving war-torn Earth.
I’m going to mate with a Vaxxlian warrior and live on Planet New Vaxx.
I’m no longer alone.
As tremors racked her body, she tried to take deep breaths to calm herself.
Then Balarr touched her, moving closer to stroke a hand through her hair. With his other hand, he rubbed her back. A low rumbling noise—almost a purr—emitted from his throat. It was strangely calming, and her tears finally began to fade.
She started wiping at her face, only for a clean white cloth to be suddenly pressed to her nose.
Balarr’s kindness made her throat burn harder and for a few seconds, she feared she might break down sobbing all over again.
But she somehow managed to hold herself together, and she allowed him to clean her nose.
He quickly produced a second white cloth to dry her tears.
He stepped back briefly to inspect her face, then he tossed the soiled fabric into a bin. He moved closer to her again and resumed stroking her back and rubbing her hair. He also kept making the soothing purring noise.
Luna leaned into his touch with a soft sigh. Gratitude swelled within her, and she almost chided herself for being afraid of him at first. Yes, he looked like a deadly warrior, but thus far, he’d treated her with nothing but utter gentleness.
“Thank you,” she whispered, meeting his eyes.
Compassion, as well as a hint of wariness, glimmered in his green depths. He finally stopped making the soothing purring noise, though he continued caressing her hair and back.
“What has saddened you, sweet Luna? Please tell me. Perhaps I can fix what’s troubling you.”
She smiled through a fresh wave of tears that she successfully blinked back.
“I’m not sad. Well, not really. I’m just very relieved to finally be away from the organ-harvesting facility.
Not only am I finally free, but I’m not going to die.
I no longer need to worry about the lab-grown replacement organs failing.
Thanks to you and the nanobots you so kindly injected me with. ”
He stared at her blankly for a long moment, then finally nodded.
“When I learned VAMOB had matched me with a human female, I suspected the female would be in distress or perhaps need to be rescued from a precarious situation on Earth. I am happy to help you, Luna. You will become my mate soon, and I am duty-bound to take care of you—that means rescuing you, keeping you safe, and keeping you healthy.”
Luna had to force herself not to flinch at his choice of words. Duty-bound. He made it sound as though the only reason he was helping her was because it was expected of him—an obligation just because she was his mate.
Or perhaps it was the matter-of-fact tone he’d used, rather than his choice of words, that stung just a little.
She reminded herself that he was a Vaxxlian warrior.
They came from different worlds—and cultures.
Also, they’d just met. It wasn’t as though he could’ve had time to develop tender feelings for her yet.
Would he ever hold her in high regard? She thought of the VAMOB commercials. Would they ever fall in love?
She swallowed hard and pasted a polite expression on her face—the look of mild contentment she used to wear during her job as a barista even when fatigued from working a double shift.
“I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” she eventually said, feeling the need to break the silence, especially since he was still staring at her unblinkingly.
He gave a quick nod. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.” While his words hadn’t filled her with much warmth, his physical reaction to her emotional breakdown had.
He hadn’t quite given her a hug, but he’d stood close while rubbing her back, and he’d very gently cleaned the tears from her face.
And the snot. She flushed with embarrassment all over again at the memory.
Balarr straightened and stepped back, and she instantly mourned the loss of his closeness.
She wished he were still touching her. There was something comforting about the feel of his hands on her, the steady warmth that radiated from his huge, muscular form.
Despite herself, her gaze drifted over him, admiring the way his black pants and shirt clung to his body, emphasizing every sculpted line of muscle.
“Now that you are no longer in pain, and the nanobots have repaired the worst of your injuries, would you like to remove your bandage and take a shower?” His lips twitched upward in what might have been an attempt at a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
A second later, his expression returned to its usual severity.
He's an alien, she reminded herself. Maybe Vaxxlian facial expressions didn’t translate like human ones. Would she ever get used to his rigid demeanor? Every time he looked at her with that deep-set frown, she worried she’d somehow offended him.
Still, he gazed at her with warmth on occasion, so perhaps he just needed time to adjust to her, in the same way she needed time to adjust to him.
“Luna?” he prompted when she took too long to answer.
“Yes,” she forced out. “Yes, I would like to remove the bandage and take a shower.” The idea of scrubbing the hospital smell off her body sounded heavenly. Even better, she would be taking a shower for the first time in two years without being in pain. She would actually get to enjoy herself.
Balarr touched the blanket she’d wrapped around herself. “If you uncover yourself just a little, I can remove it for you.”
She nodded and quickly lifted the blanket just enough to reveal the bandaged area of her abdomen, though she was careful to keep her breasts completely covered.
With deft, gentle actions, he removed the bandage and tossed it into the nearby bin. He also applied a warm wet cloth to the area, wiping the blood away. He tossed the cloth into the same bin and turned to face her.
A glance down showed only a thin line of red remained on her flesh—evidence that the nanobots were doing their job. She gasped, stunned by how rapidly the nanobots were healing her. She hadn’t peeked at the incision while she was bleeding, but she was certain it must’ve looked bad.
Balarr’s eyes flared with relief as he gazed upon the thin mark.
“Thank you, Balarr,” she murmured.
“You are very welcome. I am glad the nanobots are working so rapidly to heal your injuries.” He stepped forward and lifted her off the table, taking care not to allow the blanket to slip off her shoulders in the process.
He set her on her feet, and to her surprise, she had no difficulty standing. In fact, she felt stronger than ever.
As he guided her from the medical bay, she took stock of her body, appreciating the absence of pain and the ease of movement.
A sudden thought occurred to her. “Um, Balarr?” she said as he led her down a corridor lined with doors and access panels.
“Yes, sweet Luna?” He stiffened and his lips curled in a brief sneer, as though he were berating himself for something, though she couldn’t imagine what and found his expression strange even for him.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any belongings. Just the clothes I’m still wearing,” she said, referring to the oversize sweatpants and fuzzy socks that had seen better days.
“My ship is outfitted with a materials replicator,” he said. “While you are showering, I will replicate some clothing for you, as well as anything else you desire. Just let me know what you need, and I will be happy to provide it.”
A materials replicator? Fancy. She realized she could probably ask for anything, and he would make it for her, but she didn’t want to seem greedy.
“A fresh outfit would be nice—pants, a shirt, and some shoes,” she said, glancing up at him. “Maybe a bra and panties, and more socks. My feet always get cold. And if it doesn’t deplete your ship of too much energy, I would appreciate a comb or a hairbrush.”
He rubbed his hand up and down her back a few times, then shepherded her toward a door at the end of a new corridor. She cast another glance at him, just in time to glimpse what looked like heat flaring in his eyes. But that didn’t make sense. They were just talking about clothes.
“What is your favorite color?” he asked.
“Dark green,” she replied without hesitation.
“Like a lush forest.” She flushed when he gave her an odd look.
“I enjoy hiking. When I was twelve, my father let me tag along on a work trip to the Pacific Northwest, and in between meetings, he took me hiking in the most beautiful, lush green places. Ever since then, dark green has always been my favorite color.”
The door they were approaching zipped open, and he ushered her inside a large bedroom that smelled strongly of him. Her heart jumped in her throat. How soon would he claim her? Directly after her shower? Her blood heated, and warmth panged between her thighs. Perhaps he wanted her clean first.
A faint growl left Balarr, and he turned her to face him as he leaned closer to her and took a deep inhale. His eyes met hers. “You are aroused,” he announced in a voice thick with desire. “I can detect the slickness growing between your thighs. Your body is preparing for the mating act.”
She stared at him, stunned to her core. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing sensible came to mind, so she pressed her lips together and continued staring at him.
Should she deny the arousal she was experiencing?
Another surge of warmth pulsated in her center, and she found herself breathing a little harder than moments ago.
Well, they were going to become mates soon, and Vaxxlians mated for life. Perhaps she should give him honesty. She lifted her chin and tried to summon her courage.
“I was thinking about how you will probably want to consummate our mating union soon—perhaps after I shower—and I started to feel… excited.” Her face heated as she stared into his unblinking green gaze.
His eyes flamed brighter, practically glowing, and she had the sudden urge to move closer to him.
Reaching out, she placed her palms on his chest and took one step toward him, even though she was forced to crane her neck to keep holding his stare.
Another delicious growl rumbled from him, and the sound vibrated straight to her clit, causing the warmth undulating in her center to increase. Flutters rose in her lower stomach, and she found herself pressing her thighs together as a shaky breath left her.
He combed a hand through her hair, then cupped the side of her face. Her heart pounded in her ears.
If she stepped even closer, allowing their bodies to touch, would she feel the evidence of his arousal?
The mere thought of his cock growing hard and thick as he considered mating with her caused the warmth panging in her core to deepen. She struggled to take her next breath.
He leaned down, as though preparing to kiss her, only for an alarm to beep and the lights to flash red. He straightened and glanced at a device on his wrist, frowning at whatever he saw.
“Another Vaxxlian vessel has just opened fire on us,” he said, “though my ship automatically took the evasive maneuvers necessary to avoid impact.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Worry clutched Luna. “Why would one of your people fire on us?”
“I’m not certain why one of my people would attack us, however the ship has just fled the area. It’s being chased by three other Vaxxlian cruisers.”
He issued what sounded like a verbal command in his own tongue. The alarm ceased blaring, and the red lights stopped flashing. He lowered his wrist and drew Luna closer, placing his hands on her shoulders as he gave her a somewhat tender look.
That abrupt softness in his eyes, however slight, brought Luna hope.
“I’m glad the danger is over,” she said. “Your ship must be powerful if it can automatically avoid weapons fire.”
“I design auto-navigation systems for Vaxxlian cruisers, and my ship—the Cormma—is one of the most technologically advanced vessels among my people. Please don’t worry.
Even if the ship who fired upon us returns, I doubt they would manage to strike us.
And if they did manage to hit us, my ship is equipped with a protective shield that would lessen the impact of any weapons fire.
Please rest assured that you are very safe on the Cormma. ”
“That’s impressive.” Most of the worry drained out of her. She was starting to trust Balarr. She didn’t think he was lying—or overestimating—the capabilities of his Vaxxlian cruiser.
He removed his hands from her shoulders, then nodded toward the bathroom. “Go and take a shower. I’m going to attempt to contact the three Vaxxlian cruisers that chased the other vessel away. I will also replicate clothing for you, and I will set the items right outside the bathroom door.”
“All right, thank you, Balarr. I appreciate all you’re doing for me, and I’m glad we’re safe on your ship.”
He nodded, gave her a strangely profound look, then spun on his heel and marched out of his quarters.
She placed a hand over her racing heart.
He’d almost kissed her. If not for the rogue Vaxxlian cruiser opening fire on the Cormma, he would’ve definitely kissed her. She emitted a dreamy sigh and headed for the bathroom.