Chapter Nine
Rhydek
I stalked through the halls, telling myself I was leaving for her good. Scaring her wasn’t going to help anything. She was sick and in pain, and it was wrong of me to push her.
When the Zeydrassk shifted into long-range flight, the hum of the engines vibrating through the hull, I returned to the Pit.
Four warriors this time. No pauses between rounds.
It was harder to stay restrained, which was fine since facing four warriors at once meant the odds were more balanced. If her body had to endure pain because of me, then I would endure my own.
It had the added benefit of keeping me too occupied to think of the way she’d smelled when I leaned close, or how my body had responded to her blown pupils and parted lips.
Hit after hit landed, more the longer I stayed in the ring. My lip split, my ribs protested, and I bled from too many cuts to count.
I welcomed it.
“Again,” I snarled when the warriors hesitated.
Weakness was destroyed, and I would not let myself be weak.
They obeyed, attacking over and over until there were none left to challenge. I swayed on my feet even if I managed to stay upright, and my breath tore in and out of my lungs like the veyr’karin.
It wasn’t enough.
When I returned to my quarters after bathing, Taryn lay curled on the far side of the bed, shivering despite the warmth in the room. She was still fully dressed, lying atop the bedding instead of beneath it.
I was glad to see a cup of water beside her but cursed myself for not providing it.
Even if I didn’t want a mate, it didn’t excuse me for being a bad one.
My instincts still drove me to take care of her, and no matter how I resisted, that would never change.
In my rush to leave the temptation she presented, I hadn’t given her the basic necessities, and I’d stayed gone so long she had likely gone to sleep hungry.
My stomach churned. I’d been planning to get food once I’d grabbed a clean set of clothing, but I refused to eat without her.
Moving slowly, I brushed the back of two fingers across her sweaty brow, pulling away at the heat of her skin. If Kael hadn’t warned that the same had happened to Serenya I’d have called for Saed or the Kethral, but until she told me otherwise, I would trust that her body could handle it.
Taryn stirred at my touch, lashes fluttering before her eyes opened. They were unfocused for a moment, the blue dulled by fever, before sharpening when she realized what had woken her.
“Don’t hover.”
Her voice was rough, as if she’d gone to the surface of Morrakan without a thavren to protect from the sands and breathed them in too long. I had to fight the urge to bring the glass of water to her lips and force her to drink it.
“I’m not hovering, I was checking your fever.”
She made a low sound that suggested she didn’t believe me and tried to push herself upright. Her arms trembled beneath her weight the way a child’s did when learning to crawl.
I stepped back before she could accuse me of crowding her but remained close enough to catch her if she fell.
Even though she’d complain she didn’t need the help if I was forced to.
She managed to get upright, her shoulders curled as if she carried a burden too heavy for her, jaw clenched as she hissed breaths through her teeth.
“I didn’t know where you wanted me to sleep, and you weren’t here.”
My brow arched.
“This is our bed. This is where you sleep.”
Her jaw flexed as if she were holding back words she didn’t want to let out. Kael had never mentioned if Serenya resisted sleeping in his bed, but it seemed a likely thing for a Human.
“You are ill. You need rest.”
The fight drained out of her, her shoulders curling more as she stared down at her hands in her lap.
“I don’t like it.”
The admission was quiet. As if she didn’t want to admit to weakness even when it could be seen and smelled on her.
I didn’t like her being ill either, especially when it was my fault. And on top of that, I didn’t like not liking it.
Her gaze flicked around the room before settling on the pillows at the head of the bed. She’d pulled one to the very edge to use but had left the rest. Either she didn’t yet feel the urge to nest, or she was resisting it.
“You were gone a long time.”
That had been my purpose in leaving, but I regretted it. I had to start thinking like an alpha with a mate instead of one avoiding a duty.
“I had something to handle. Do you wish to eat?”
She grimaced and placed a hand on her stomach.
“I should probably try, but I’m not sure it will stay down.”
“I could ask Saed to inject nutrients instead.”
It seemed a logical option if her stomach was unsettled, but she glared at me as if I’d threatened her.
“No, I’ll try to eat.”
She reached for the cup beside her, hand trembling as she took the weight of it. I turned away before the instinct to steady her took over.
“I will return.”
Silence followed for a moment, and I didn’t think she was going to respond until I had almost reached the door.
“I’ll be here.”
The defeat in her voice hit harder than any of the warriors, seizing my lungs and wringing the air from them. It said she felt as if she had nowhere else to go.
I left before I could respond and reveal my turmoil.
The scent of cooked protein and grains in the mess hall made my stomach tighten, but I ignored it and kept my expression smooth.
I’d never bothered with control outside of council meetings, but now there were other considerations.
Going straight to the Pit after bringing Taryn onboard could start rumors, and I didn’t need to make it worse.
Warriors straightened when I entered but their conversations continued. Some bore bruises I’d left on them or were the cause of the ones I felt blooming on my flesh, but no one complained. That was the life of a warrior.
I gathered enough food for two and left without speaking. That wasn’t unusual for me.
The hum of the ship was a steady vibration beneath my feet, almost like a living thing. As far as space went, Earth wasn’t far from Morrakan, but it would be several sleep cycles before the red light of Vorrashan shone on us.
By the time I reentered our quarters, Taryn had moved to the sitting area, elbows braced on her knees. She’d removed her footwear but otherwise remained dressed, and I chose to ignore her continued disobedience due to her illness.
I set the tray on the low table in front of her, choosing to remain standing instead of taking a seat beside her.
“Eat.”
She stared at the food as if she wasn’t sure it was edible. I’d chosen a portion of everything I thought her stomach might be able to handle, plus a few things I’d seen Serenya enjoy. Steam curled from the dishes, carrying scents of seared meat and root mash that overpowered hers.
“It’s all safe for you, I checked.”
When she still hesitated, I took an empty plate and began spooning bites of each dish onto it before holding it in front of her. Her fingers brushed mine as she took it from me, awareness flaring up my arm at the contact.
I swallowed hard, straightening to take a step away from the table. A crease formed between her brows, but she said nothing, focusing instead on the food.
She went slow, taking small bites and chewing well, following each with a sip of water as if swallowing required effort. She finally looked up and met my gaze, confusion and irritation playing across her face as she gestured to the tray.
“You should eat too. There’s too much for me to finish.”
I dipped my chin but didn’t make any move to come closer. My stomach was clenching and my mouth watering at the smell invading my nostrils, but it was nothing I hadn’t ignored before.
“I will.”
She gave me a look that made it clear she didn’t believe me.
“Is this some alpha thing? You can only eat after I finish?”
My lips ticked up without permission, and I let out a huff.
“Do the weaker animals eat first on Earth?”
Her eyes narrowed and her lips parted, but then her face cleared as her head tipped to the side.
“Are you saying I’m the dominant one, since I’m the only one eating?”
My scoff was instant, the rejection of her statement automatic, but it had the effect of loosening my muscles. Crossing my arms over my chest, I shook my head as if correcting a child.
“It is my duty to be sure you are fed, and I must make certain you eat enough. That’s easier to do if I’m not distracted.”
The little crease between her brows returned, but she seemed curious rather than irritated.
“Why?”
“If you collapse from hunger, it reflects poorly on me.”
Her mouth flattened and she let out a sigh as if I was the hard-headed child.
“That’s not what I meant.”
I knew what she’d been asking, but said nothing more, and she let it drop, choosing to ignore me to continue eating. When she had finished half of what I’d placed on her plate, her bites slowed, and she finally set the dish on the table.
“I can’t eat anything more.”
A frown pulled my lips down as I stepped forward and inspected her plate again. I’d barely put enough on the dish to feed a young beta, much less an adult omega approaching her heat.
“You need more.”
She leaned back against the cushions, shaking her head as she denied me.
“I’ll throw it up.”
My eyes raked over her. She was pale beneath the fever flush, jaw tight with nausea. There were lines at the corners of her eyes that spoke of pain, and her pale skin looked bruised with exhaustion.
“Fine.”
I reached for one of the protein sticks but remained standing across from her. Her eyes drifted closed for a moment before opening again to study me.
“You can sit beside me. I don’t bite.”
She had gestured to the empty space on the cushion next to her but seemed to realize what she’d said, her eyes widening as a grin pulled my lips back to expose my teeth.
“But I do.”
She turned away, refusing to acknowledge the implications, but it wasn’t long before I caught her casting glances at me from the corner of her eye, a frown marring her face.
“You’re bleeding.”