But not too familiar. None of them looked at Lindsey with a hint of heat. They held zero sexual interest in her. Curiosity, perhaps, at the Earth woman who’d arrived outside of protocol.
I watched my mate begin asking them her questions. She wanted to know everything about each warrior. Where he was born. Where he went to school. Why he volunteered for the Coalition Fleet, and how they ended up here. In hell.
My pride grew as she coaxed the men to talk about horrors none would willingly relive. If Kristin was good at intimidating people into answering her questions, Lindsey was a master at seducing their secrets from them. They told her everything, breaking down in tears, describing their capture and torture in detail as she watched them with those wide, compassionate eyes.
She touched them lightly. A hand on a wrist or shoulder. She touched them, held their hands in her own, comforted them…and I allowed it because I could see in them the same thing I felt when she touched me.
Peace. Acceptance. Hope where there had been none.
When she was done, they filed out in a quiet line, calmer than they had been. Perhaps relieved, even glad that their stories would be told. Was it because she was human that they’d shared, that she’d understood? While each one’s story had varied, the basis was the same. They’d come from Earth, fought and had been captured. Tortured. Escaped. Brought here to live out their lives in whatever semblance of comfort they could find.
There was no difference in that because they were from Earth. No, my story was similar, almost identical. Same went probably for the Prillons and Atlans, too. Was what they shared enough for her? Would the men’s stories be what she needed for those on Earth? Would it be enough to send back without her leaving?
Was the story why she was adamant about going home? No, home wasn’t Earth for her any longer. Home was with me. I paced back and forth, breathed deeply.
Rezzer stalked over and sat in her interview chair, submitted to the same round of questions.
“What are you doing, Rezz?” I asked, confused. He wasn’t from Earth. Far from it.
He looked from me to my mate and rubbed his huge hand over his head. “Telling the truth. They need to know what’s out here. We need warriors to fight. We need brides to heal. Earth needs to do its part.”
Rezz and Lindsey connected as she asked him about his home planet, Atlan. He partially shifted into beast mode for her, showed her what he was. Gave her his truth.
My mate was like a truth magnet. None seemed able to resist her lure, the soft safety and understanding offered in her green eyes.
Rezz was the last and Lindsey’s shoulders slumped when she was done with her last question for him. The suns had set and the room had lost its warm glow. The interior lights were harsh and overly bright. She didn’t meet my eyes and I could sense she was upset. Emotionally ragged. She tugged at the equipment to no avail, her movements awkward. Inefficient.
I came to her side, put my hand on top of hers. “Let me get that for you, mate.”
“Don’t.” Tug. “Call.” Tug. “Me.” Tug. “That!” She yanked the camera piece from its dock and it flew back, taking her with it. I caught her before she could fall and pulled her to my chest. Tears streaked her face and I waved Kristin, Rezz and the others away with a flick of my wrist. They responded quickly and silently to settle at a table at the far side of the room. She’d respected their emotions, they’d respect hers.
“Shhh. I’ve got you.” I offered comfort, but she wanted none. I wanted to give it to her, to hold her as she recovered herself.
“I didn’t know. I had no idea what it was like out here.” She sobbed, the hours of pain she’d just shared with the wounded warriors here obviously wore her down. She cried against my chest, wrapped her arms around me and clung tight as if she needed me.
I held her and I let her cry, put my cheek on top of her silky hair. It was my honor, my great privilege to be hers, to be her protector and comfort. Her soft heart and obvious concern for my brothers-in-arms made me fall even more in love with her. She was goodness and light, hope and healing. She touched the untouchable. Held their hands. Offered them solace when there was near to none to be had on this gods forsaken planet. She couldn’t solve their problems, but she could listen to them, respect them.
“I never should have taken this stupid job.” Her whisper was soft, but vehement.
Never taken this job?What the hell did that mean? She didn’t want to be here? She never wanted to travel to the Colony. To meet me. To be with me.
“Why did you?” I asked.
“I—” She pulled away from me, wiping at her cheeks with stiff fingers. “Never mind. I have a headache.”
If she was unwell, I would tend to her. It was a simple proof that I would cherish her. “Then I will take you to medical.”
“Oh. No.” She tried to push back, but I refused to let her out of the circle of my arms. “I didn’t mean—“
“I insist.” If my mate was in pain, the doctor would heal her. I lifted my hand and motioned my team closer once more. They rose as a group, came over silently. “I must take Lindsey to medical. Please be sure this equipment is sent to my quarters for Lindsey.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Kristin said.
“When do we return to the hunt?” Rezzer asked, hands on his hips. “The deep cavern sensors detected motion in section five twice in the last six hours.”
That was news to me, and information that needed to be acted upon. Ever since we’d discovered Hive infiltrators on the Colony, and the traitor Krael had cost us the lives of half a dozen warriors, including Captain Brooks from Earth, we’d set up additional sensors, especially in the miles of natural caves that ran beneath the base. Every lead had to be investigated, even if my mate was now with me.
We couldn’t afford to lose more men to the Hive. Every death brought down morale on the base. Our lives were bad enough without adding the threat of Hive capture back into the equation.