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Her silver-white hair fanned out beneath her on the turquoise moss, flashing as brightly as her smile.
I dragged my broken body toward the shelter of the cantina. Searing agony flooded me. My vision dimmed and angerconsumed me. Another Rock Dweller would have to service my mate.
“NO BLANTING WAY,” I roared.
The prickly sensation under my skin had disappeared, but a new irritation drove my eyes open.
“It fits perfectly.” My mate’s sweet voice washed over me. The soft one she used after her treatments. Only she wasn’t talking to me.
“It’s a little tight,” a male voice grunted.
Despite the sting, I forced my heavy eyelids open. Even in the dim, magma-lit cave, the brightness blinded me. A threat lurked beneath my nose, and I would eliminate any males vying for my female’s attention.
“You might have to wiggle a little to get it to fit.” My mate’s giggle lit a spark deep within me.
Ginger didn’t giggle. Irritation swelled under my skin. The prickly waves overrode the pain surging through my head. My eyes cracked open and narrowed on another male’s blurry outline. Too close to my mate, in my territory. Was he touching her?
Possessiveness thrummed through my veins, and I bellowed, “OUT!”
Ginger rushed to my side. Her pallid skin, slick with sweat, heightened the dark moons under her eyes. Her usual heady linnea scent filled my nose, only this time, a sour tang dampened the floral aroma. She needed medicine. My medicine.
The blanket pooled in my lap, and I shook my head as Nebula nuzzled my palm and cloaked herself. Or at least I thought she did. With my vision fading in and out, I couldn’t be sure. Groaning, I slung one leg off the blanket bed into the moss. Pain rocketed through my thigh. What the blant was wrong?
“JayJay!” Ginger’s tiny palm, a cooling balm against my chest, urged me back into the bed. “What are you doing? You can’t get up yet.”
I’d prove my strength by showing my mate I could provide for her in all ways. As I forced myself to my feet, my body screamed, each tug of swollen muscle and barely knitted together bone begging me to stop.
“Mine,” I boomed. My vision blurred as if I were deep underwater. I doubted I made much of an impression standing naked and broken in front of my competition. Images swam into focus and grew murky again, out of my reach. “I’ll be the only male who provides treatments.”
“Steady there, my friend.” The silhouette rushed toward me as if to attack, but my eyesight turned black. Left useless, swaying, my fists turned to hammers with no one to punch at.
Ginger’s voice grew distant. “Thank you for your help, D’Rasma, but you should go until his mind has returned fully.”
“Whatever you need. I’m in your debt for selling my plants at the market and designing these wonderful clothes…” D’Rasma’s voice trailed off as I fell back to the bed and drifted to sleep.
A cool hand smoothed across my forehead, and water loosened my swollen tongue from the roof of my mouth. Half-awake, I wrapped my hand around Ginger’s wrist. She steadied me while I emptied the entire container into my mouth, swallowing every drop.
As my vision cleared, I took in Ginger’s sallow face. “You’re not well,” I groaned.
She brushed her lips across my forehead casually, like she’d done it a hundred times. The outward affection stirred my soft coil to life.
“I’m so happy you’re okay, King Kong. I was worried about you.” The gold, green and amber of her eyes shone with moisture.
“What happened?”
“Hill just left. I can catch him if you want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth?”
The image the translator created left my muddled brain even more scrambled, so I nodded.
“’Kay. One sec.” She jogged toward our open door, popped her head out and called him back.
But I had no desire to see Hill. Right now, my eyes were only for Ginger. Despite the heat, she wore a fluffy pink tunic and loose stretchy pants and looked as soft as a cloud. Nebula nosed her head under my hand, drawing my attention, and I sifted my fingers through her coarse hair, surprised to see her so exposed.
A moment later, Hill appeared with Efred in tow.
“JayJay, you’re one lucky Rock Dweller,” Hill said.
“Blessed by the goddess Sola herself.” Efred shook his head, dismayed.
