With a sigh I looked at the giant lurking in the doorway. “Stop.”
All four warriors froze, as did the doctor and the men still milling about on the other side of the wall.
I lifted the strange collar to my neck and let go, surprised when it locked itself in place around my neck.
Instantly, I was flooded with battle rage and a fierce need to protect what was mine. I realized the feelings were coming from both of my mates and I lifted my shaking hand to my neck with wonder. There would be no lying, no games. I would know what they felt when they were near.
As I lowered my hand, the large intruder bowed low and held up his hands to ward off Nial’s strike. “My apologies, princess.”
Perhaps Nial’s fierce orders had not been because he lacked romance, but because he actually feared for my safety. They’d vowed to protect me with their lives, to knock out, hurt, or even kill any male that would get near me. The one person they couldn’t protect me from was myself. They were willing to take on every male in the Colony if need be, but they couldn’t force me to put the collar about my neck.
In a backwards sort of way, they had been showing me how much they cared.
I looked at Nial, and the others, noting their complete change in attitude since I’d placed the collar around my neck. Nial hadn’t been exaggerating the danger to me, and I suddenly felt foolish for denying him and risking all of our lives. I spoke directly to Nial’s challenger.
“No, I am the one who is sorry. My lack of understanding caused this mess, but I am not interested in any men but my mates.”
Ander backed toward me, as did Nial, completely cutting off my view of the two men who had barged into the room. The doctor knelt on the floor next to the warrior Nial had thrown into the window and I sighed in relief when I saw the warrior’s arm move. He wasn’t dead. Good. That was a dose of guilt I did not need.
The challenger’s second spoke for the first time. “Are there other women like you on Earth, princess? Women who might be willing to mate with a contaminated veteran, as you called us?”
I sighed. Single women looking for smoking hot, honorable warriors? “Absolutely. Thousands and thousands of them, but you are not contaminated.”
The doctor coughed. “Gods, my prince, you had best get her out of here immediately. She’s going to launch an invasion of Earth.”
“What?” I wondered. “I’m not either. All I have to do is call—or whatever it is you do from space—Warden Egara. She’ll help them find mates once I explain the situation to her. She takes her job very seriously. Trust me. She’ll be happy to help.”
How I knew this, I wasn’t sure, but I was completely confident that I spoke the truth.
The warrior at the door tilted his head. “Lady Egara of the battleship Wothar? Catherine?”
I shoved at Ander’s arm so he would move aside a couple of inches. I needed to see this man’s face. “I don’t know her first name and I know nothing of a battleship. I’m fairly positive she’s never been to space, for I’ve been told that no woman ever returns to Earth once matched.”
“She would be smaller than you, princess, with dark hair and gray eyes?”
“That sounds like her.” I frowned at him. “How do you know her?”
“She was mate to my brother and his second. They were both killed six years ago in an ambush. We lost an entire battle group that day.” He nodded at his second and pointed to his own silver skin. “The rest of us were recovered several hours later, but we didn’t get to go home.”
He meant that they had all been sent to the Colony instead because of their new contamination.
Nial stepped out of sight then reappeared with my dark red blanket, which he draped over me before lifting me into his arms. I realized I’d been naked as I had a conversation with two complete strangers. With a plug in my butt. God.
“I can walk, you know.”
He shook his head. “Not today. Today you cause too much trouble even when your feet do not touch the ground.”
I chuckled at that and he looked to Ander.
“Let’s go, Ander. It is time.”
Ander fell into step beside us and the others bowed as Nial carried me past them all out into a long corridor lined with doors. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder, allowing him to take me where he willed. “Where are we going now? Time for what?”
“Time to teach you exactly what it means to be a bride of Prillon.”
* * *
Nial