Danika
“What?”
The doctor met my gaze, unflinching. “When I remove the collar linking their minds, Thomar will not survive the procedure.”
“No. Get out,” I ordered. This idiot was not touching my mate.
Neither male moved.
I pointed at Varin. “You. Stay.” Then turned to the doctor. “You, get out. Now.”
“My lady?”
“Get. Out!” This was not happening. My mate was not going to die unless he had a damn good reason. Nothing I’d heard so far convinced me that was the case. Was it stupid to be so attached to someone I had yet to meet? Probably. But he was more than a person. He represented so much more. A future. Belonging. Love. Hope. So much hope.
He was huge. Strong. So was Varin. Between the two of them I wouldn’t have to fight every second of every day. I would be safe. Protected.
Both things I had not felt since I was eight years old. Since my dad died.
I didn’t want to spend the next thirty days alone, locked up in a bedroom somewhere. I could. I would survive. But that was not what I wanted. I wanted the dream. No one was killing my hope, not when I’d had to fight like a demon to convince myself to feel it in the first place.
A human yo-yo, that’s what I was. My head and my heart battling it out like two rabid dogs tearing each other to pieces. Every bite hurt, on both sides. One minute I was determined to turn away and make it on my own, the next I wanted to curl into my mates’ arms and let them take care of me.
The doctor looked at Varin, who nodded slightly to indicate the doctor could leave. The small gesture made me even angrier.
“Get out!” I yelled.
The door opened and the doctor exited. Looking through the doorway, I saw the surprised and curious faces of the medical team before the door slid closed again.
“Does that lock?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Lock it.”
“My lady?”
“I’m not your lady. I’m not your mate. Remember. You don’t want me.”
“That is not—”
“Just lock the door, please. I don’t want anyone coming in here until I’m good and ready.”
Varin studied me intently. I stared back.
“You are, indeed, very similar to Lady Rone.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing of import. I will close the door.” He walked to the door, his large frame blocking my view, but I decided to trust that he had done what I asked. When he turned back to face me, he looked confused. “What do you intend to do?”
“Change his mind.”
“Impossible. I have tried.”
I smiled and pulled the sheet down to reveal my mate’s entire body. Thank all that was holy, he was naked beneath. Very naked. Huge chest, massive thighs, cock so big I knew I’d never be able to wrap one hand around it. He was secured to the table, held down like a prisoner by multiple, heavy straps across his chest, stomach and thighs. The strange geometric designs Varin had also covered Thomar’s entire body, denser on his chest and neck, less so on his abdomen, nearly covering him from the hips down. I traced one on his shoulder with my fingertip. “What are these?”
Varin stepped forward, his gaze locked on my movement like a laser. “We were captured by the Hive. Those are biosynthetic integration nodules they placed in our bodies.”