“Only in the Atlans. It is the reason most Atlans do not survive the integration process. Their bodies’ natural defense attacks many of the Hive integrations.”
I rolled my eyes and looked at my friend. “I knew you were part beast, you bastard.”
Thomar actually grinned, which was a huge improvement over his previous glower. “No. I can trace my Prillon bloodlines back thousands of years.”
“Oh yes, your royalness. To a fucking beast.”
The doctor chuckled and we both returned our attention to him. “So, what do we do?” I asked.
Dr. Surnen shook his head. “I’m not sure yet. As I said, Lady Rone and I are working on it.”
“Lady Rone?” Thomar asked.
Dr. Surnen nodded. “She is a scientist and researcher. Quite talented. She has saved many lives since her arrival here. She looks at things from a refreshingly odd angle.” He pointed to a strange piece of equipment resting on a counter in the far corner of the room. “That is her workstation. She uses the same equipment she worked with on Earth. It is ancient technology. Inefficient, but she insists it helps her think.”
We all stared in silence at the black contraption with nobs and peeping holes for the eyes. Earth females were unique, no doubt. Now that I had one of my own, I would do whatever I needed to in order to keep her. Protect her.
Claim her.
“So, we have seven days?” I spoke freely, knowing Thomar would prefer the truth, as I did.
Dr. Surnen shook his head. “I believe so, with daily time in a ReGen pod. Much beyond that and I fear he will lose his mind.”
* * *
Danika
“Here.I’m guessing you need this.” Lady Rone—Rachel, as she insisted I call her—placed a tray loaded with piping hot food, coffee, tea, water, and a strange device that looked like a sci-fi remote control of some kind in the center of the table. I had no idea what it operated.
The scent of the food hit me, and my stomach rumbled. With a laugh, I dug into the meal as she leaned back in a chair sipping on her own cup of hot tea. Neither of us spoke as I shoveled food into my mouth like a starving lunatic, but I realized I really was hungry. And thirsty. And exhausted.
And happy about all three. When I finished, I sat back and smiled. “Thanks. I needed that.”
Her grin was infectious. “I am mated to a pair of Prillons. Believe me, I understand.”
When I was done blushing, my curiosity came roaring to life.
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
“Three years, give or take.”
“Wow.” Three years. That was… “That’s a long time.”
“Seems like yesterday.”
“Are you happy here?”
“Very.” She leaned forward and lifted the remote control thing from the tray. “This is called a ReGen wand. It’s one of the technologies the Coalition has not shared with Earth.” She pushed some buttons, and the top half of the wand turned a bright green. She held it out to me. “Place this on your lap, right against your body.”
I did as she asked. Instantly my lower half became warm and tingly, the soreness leaving my core and my thighs. “What?” I looked down, shocked.
“Keep it in your room. I have one. We all do. They are big, our mates, and sometimes a little extra healing goes a long way.”
When the tingling stopped, I lifted the wand to the side of my head where I had the beginnings of a stress headache. The same sensation filled my skull—my face and sinuses, everything felt…good. “Wow. What else can this thing do?” I moved it to my knee, which ached pretty much every day since I’d taken a fall in gym class when I was fourteen.
“It will heal most small wounds, colds. Anything that makes you feel like hell or causes lingering pain. If something major happens, they have full-sized ReGen pods in medical that will heal major trauma. If you can make it to a ReGen pod alive, they can pretty much heal anything. It’s like laying in a coffin, but it works.”
“Holy shit.” I put my hand over my mouth. “Sorry. l curse like a sailor.”