Chapter 10
HAL
Even though I can tell Dawn is trying to be strong, I can see the fatigue plaguing her body as she fights to stay standing.
Once Troza double-checks the seams on the warming suit, I pick her up into my arms and head back into the main healing chamber.
For once, she says nothing, simply lays her head against my shoulder.
I glance down and notice her eyes are closed, her long eyelashes lying against her sharp cheekbones.
She opens them the tic I go to lay her down.
“Thanks for the ride. I thought the bath had woken me up, but it seems I’m still running on fumes.”
Just as she says that I hear a growling noise come from her stomach. Leaning down, I put my ear against her, only to look up, horrified.
“Why is your body so angry?”
“It’s Hangry.”
“What does that word mean? Do I need to be concerned? Troza, contact ANDI immediately and see what the cause and fix is for ‘Hangry’.”
The sound of Dawn’s beautiful laughter echoes throughout the room, and when I look down at her, truly concerned, she only laughs harder, to the point that Troza and I both begin to worry.
“I’m fine, I promise … no need to call in the cavalry. I’m just hungry guys, especially since I can’t remember the last time I actually ate anything.”
“That was not hunger, Dawn, that was anger.”
“Same thing with many girls’ sweetcheeks.”
The fact that her body is attacking itself because of hunger almost has me in a panic. “I will return shortly with sustenance. Do you have a preference?”
“Chicken Alfredo, a large Pepsi with a couple extra breadsticks would be great.”
I rub behind my ear at the translator once again, wondering if I need to have SCOUT recalibrate it, as I truly do not understand half of what she says.
“Sorry HaL, inside joke. For the most part, I’ll eat anything. I had enough time on ANDI to realize even though he tried, most of the food I crave is no longer available in any world, but thankfully even though I was allergic to almost everything on the outside, I never had any food ones.”
My feet carry me from the room, my thoughts already drifting to what still might be available in the main dining hall at this hour. Thankfully, Eira always keeps something warm waiting in the kettles. We may prefer the cold, but every one of us appreciates a hot meal.
I gather a handful of dried, wild stag meat and a bowl of the warm, salty broth we use to soften it.
I add a piece of round bread and a fresh waterskin, then turn to leave.
At the last moment, I tear off a thick hunk of bread for myself.
Ever since we began trading with Targres Four for the strange substance they call flour, it has become one of my favorite foods.
Miya has been working alongside Eira to find new foods we can add to our mostly meat-based diet.
Meanwhile, Hugo has taken several of our shed coats to their market, hoping to find buyers.
Miya is convinced tourists will love them, and if she’s right, the extra credits could help us expand the compound and pay for better security throughout the region.
My thoughts are all over the place with what I should be doing and what I am doing, but my mind cannot seem to think much further than Dawn and her immediate needs, especially since she will be leaving the medical wing soon. I almost trip over my massive feet the second that thought registers.
Where is she going to stay?
My beast shows her curled up in our furs, warm and safe beneath the weight of our presence — but I cannot simply assume that vision is hers as well.
I will not mistake my desire for hers. Lord of Light knows I am grateful she is not fighting the bond between us, yet I do not think she understands how consuming it will become until fully claimed.
What unsettles me most is the difference between our forms. I am so much larger than she is…
and if my beast were ever to rise unchecked, we could hurt her without meaning to.
The thought alone tightens something deep within me.
So, I am careful. I move with a restraint most Hallisteranians would never think to learn, for gentleness is not a trait our kind is known for.
I make it halfway through the compound before realizing I have been walking in a daze. I only come back to myself when I hear voices approaching from the corridor.
The medical bay door slides open, and my heart settles the moment I see Dawn lying calmly in bed, talking with Troza. Her smile when she sees me sends my runes dancing across my chest.
Troza slides a tray from the side of the platform, then raises the bed slightly so Dawn can eat more comfortably.
I set the sustenance down before her, watching to see what she chooses first. To my surprise, she drops the meat into the broth. Then she takes the hard bread and dips it into the mixture, letting it soften before taking a bite.
I would never have thought to do that.
Satisfied that she does not seem to dislike what I have brought, I settle into the nearby seat to watch her eat.
Almost immediately, she raises that eyebrow at me again.
I pause.
That look.
I am beginning to suspect Dawn finds my concern far more amusing than I do.
“Are you just going to sit there and watch me?”
“I enjoy watching you.”
“I’m getting stalker vibes here HaL, but at least you’re cute.”
“Are you warm enough?”
“Yes, quite toasty actually so you guys should turn the heat down in here if you’re still uncomfortable. I really am fine.”
Troza glances over at me as I wipe a small bead of moisture off my forehead.
“Dawn, we will start lowering it slowly. If you get chilled, please say something as neither of us wants you to be uncomfortable. After you eat, I am going to remove the outer layer of the healing cast. If the bones have fused correctly, then HaL can take you to his den to rest for the next few risings.”
Dawn’s utensil pauses in midair as her gray eyes seek out my own.
“So, we’re moving in together just like that?”
There are so many emotions crossing her face that my mind scrambles to come up with an adequate answer.
“I can provide you with your own room, but my beast will not allow you to be a great distance away.”
“Hmmm.”
That is all she says before returning to her meal. Troza looks over at me, her face worried, and I know this is just the beginning of many compromises. Once she is done eating, I step out while Troza is busy removing the outer layer of Dawn’s healing cast and make my way toward my rooms.
The moment I open the door, I groan. After being alone through all these risings, I can tell this space is in desperate need of comfort, as it is bare and uninviting. My kind do not need much, and the fact that I am only here to rest shows, but this is unacceptable now that I have a mate.
I bend down and pick up one of the many furs scattered across the floor, folding it neatly before realizing I have nowhere to put it.
The area I offered to Dawn is somehow worse. Random tools and half-finished weapons lie in haphazard piles, leaving barely enough space to walk. My large frame finally settles in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the mess, and I stare at it all, completely at a loss.
How in the name of the gods am I supposed to fix this quickly? Suddenly, SAGE floats in front of my face, her small form startling me.
“Just the Hallisteranian I was waiting on.”
“You were waiting on me?”
“Yup … I knew when ANDI and then the Commander informed me that Dawn had ended up on your planet that you were going to need things.”
“Things?”
“Yes … females require multiple things, and it appears that is something you are sorely missing. Lucky for you, I have everything you need. Not only to impress but also make your little lady comfortable.”
“That is great, SAGE, and please do not take this the wrong way, but you are half a solar system away, and I need this now, unfortunately. So how are you going to help me?”
“Ohh, don’t look so gloomy … It’s not attractive, and it causes premature wrinkles. Do you know what one of the nice things about being SCOUT’s mate is?”
“Ummm…”
“Never mind … males have no imagination. Anyway, one of the many perks is how quickly he can get things from one place to another, and even though I couldn’t send things through normal channels because of SiN and the investigation, I still have my ways.
Now all you have to do is give me permission and half a rotation to turn this place into something more than a bachelor’s pad. ”
I am on my feet instantly, heading toward the door.
“I take it that’s a YES?”
“Yes, and thank you, SAGE.”
I swear I hear her laugh when the door closes behind me, and I wonder if I should have asked a few questions before giving her free rein.