He grinned and shook his head, clearly defeated. “Damn it, Nyko. No one is going to be able to top that for years.”
Seth didn’t sound pissed, just resigned.
Nyko removed his own helmet and his smile spread, his blue eyes glowing with a carefree ease I’d never seen there before. He was having fun, too. “My name will be with Megan’s on your list. She’s mine.”
With a chuckle, Seth looked at me. “So, I assume, based on those cuffs I see, you’re out of here?”
“Yep.” I blinked, slowly. Seth blurred in front of me. “My two years was up. You knew that.”
“Yes, but I didn’t expect you to request a match the minute after you were released.”
“Yeah, well, why wait? Life is short.” My head was hurting again. The doc said I was fine, but all of a sudden, I didn’t feel fine. With the adrenaline waning, I knew something was wrong. Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea after all, since I still had Hive parts in my head.
“I’m happy for you two. When do you leave?”
“Few hours.” I wish the answer was now, because I really, really needed to get that implant exorcism I’d been promised. As if it knew I was thinking about it, it buzzed inside my head and pain slashed at the top of my spine like a hot knife working its way under my skull.
Seth held out his hand to me. I ignored it, and the growl that came from Nyko, when I hugged my friend instead.
“Take care of yourself, Seth.”
“I will.” He patted my back, then stepped back. “Look up my sister when you get to Atlan. You two would get along great. Drive these big guys out of their fucking minds.”
“I will. She sounds like fun.” And I would, assuming I ever made it to Atlan. My brain was bleeding again, I could feel the pressure building. The ReGen pod had only worked for so long. And maybe I hadn’t rested as much as the doctor had wanted. I’d fucked and fucked some more, then ran a fight simulation. Yeah, that hadn’t been resting. Bright halos appeared around everyone’s heads and I knew my eyes were going bad. Stepping back, I let Nyko wrap his arm around my waist, reclaiming his territory. I wasn’t trying to make him jealous. I didn’t play games like that. But Seth was my friend, and I might never see him again. If I wanted to hug him, I was damn well going to.
I swayed, leaning into my mate as things began to buzz in my ears. It was too much. I couldn’t fight it. “Nyko?”
He heard something in my voice and swung me into his arms immediately. “Megan?”
There was no energy left in me to resist, and I didn’t want to. I wanted Nyko to take care of me. “My head.”
Seth stepped forward. “What the hell’s wrong with her?” I heard him tap his NPU, activating comms. “Medical, we have an emergency. Training Level Two.”
“This is Doctor Mersan. Go ahead.”
Nyko’s voice was a low rumbled warning. “Megan Simmons is on her way to Med Station Three.”
“Understood.”
I thought the conversation was over and closed my eyes, tucking my head under Nyko’s chin, but Doctor Mersan’s voice hovered in the air like a dark fog. “And Nyko?”
“Yes?”
“Hurry.”
Chapter Thirteen
Nyko
Megan was unconscious. Not moving. Stretched out on the doctor’s exam chair completely helpless and small and there was nothing I could do.
The helplessness was driving my beast mad. It paced and circled, wanted to rip the head off the doctor for not healing her immediately.
“What is wrong with her?” I growled.
> The doctor passed another wand over her head and checked the readings. “You know what’s wrong.”
Yes, I knew. She was bleeding again. As if the bright red droplets leaking from her eyes weren’t a clue. Thank the gods I wore the mating cuffs. Without their steadying influence, I’d be tearing this place—and this nonresponsive doctor—to pieces. “So, stop the bleeding.”