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Chapter 25

Lise

“Hey, Warlord, wake up. Are you awake?” I turned to Trutan, the harried and overwhelmed medic who was fussing over another warrior. “Is he awake?”

“According to his readings, he is in the process of waking up,” the medic replied.

“Open your eyes, will you? I’m worried sick.” I said it more to myself than Adrik, who had lain in this makeshift medical lab for way too long. The structure had been erected outside the main area of the Thrail, since there was no room inside it to hold the number of injured that needed to be treated. Even Gexor has been taken out of retirement and put to work treating injured warriors, which was something he did know how to do with competence.

“There are better ways to wake your mate up,” said a gravelly voice from the bed.

“Adrik!” I shifted closer, taking care not to jostle him. He had multiple injuries, some of them terrible. It had taken many medical teams to treat everybody. There was even a Heveian group led by a male named Jorok, who was said to be the Heveian king’s personal physician himself. I had not seen him. Trutan treated the warlord. The medic had no idea yet that he was being seen as a hero after having cracked—along with a whole bunch of engineers—the control the Dessicans had on the women in the Thrail.

“I’ll try a different method next time.” My voice sounded choked. “I’m just so glad to see you awake and your eyes open. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, not alive anyway.” I was babbling, rambling, and I didn’t even care. The flycam hovered over my shoulder again, filming this moment. It was my last concession to Earth Life News and Galactic Report, as I had handed in my resignation and announced my intention to stay on Mitra.

His dark eyes moved over my face as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Lise…”

“I’m here.” I carefully held one of his hands. The other was bandaged and several bones had been broken. He had a nice burn along his upper arm. Basically, almost every part of him had been injured.

“How long have I been in here?”

“Seven standard galactic days,” I replied. “Trutan had to put you back together. Yes, I was worried.”

He blinked, slowly, still exhausted. He had a long way to go before he was at full health. “How many Mitrans did we lose?”

I lowered my head as my chest ached. I hated to tell him this part. “We lost eighty-five warriors and seven women. Another one hundred thirty-some are here being treated. The Dessicans’ numbers are far worse.”

He closed his eyes. I could see the pain in the creases around his eyes as he winced. Not pain for himself, but for those who had been lost. “It’s my fault,” he said. “Had I not ordered those microparticles to be disrupted, only fifty of us would’ve died.”

“That’s not true,” I said gently. I moved a few stray brakas off his forehead. “Those chips were programmed with a self-destruct sequence. Had those two days elapsed, every single human woman would be dead now. You underestimated their ability to think ahead.”

“Earth would have…”

“Oh, yeah.” I nodded. “Our leaders wouldn’t have liked that.”

“Still.” He closed his eyes. “So much death.”

“Not anymore,” I said. “About a third of the entire Mitran military force is here.” I smiled down at him. “If it makes you feel any better, every single leader believes you made the right choices. They say you’re a hero.”

He let out a snort. “The hero is Trutan, who led the charge in figuring out those chips.”

“Actually, the hero is your mate.” This came from a tall, imposing-looking Mitran who had one horn broken off at the tip and looked as if he had seen many more battles than anyone in this room.

“Hi, Dakran,” I said with a smile. “And thanks, but no, I’m not. It was purely selfish of me. I didn’t want this big guy to die.”

“You were ingenious,” said the enormous, elderly male. “But we can argue this over an ale at dinner.”

“Ra-Dakran,” said Adrik in a hushed voice. “I’m honored by your presence.”

“I am honored by yours, Pal-Adrik. You’ve brought honor to your Thrail and to the Mitran empire as a whole. You fought bravely and helped keep this valley secure until we arrived. But it is your mate who deserves credit for our arrival.”

I tried not to grin as Adrik’s brows rose in confusion. “Lise?” He turned his eyes to mine. “What did you do now?”

I squeezed his fingers. “Don’t say it like that,” I chided. “I didn’t get into trouble this time. I sent the flycam off to Thrail Crovax. We got lucky and the wind was at its back, making it fly faster than it usually can.” I smiled, wide and happy, “I’m pretty damn proud of myself. It got within range and sent the recording that was on it. The warlord of Thrail Crovax saw it and sent the alert out immediately.” I touched his bruised face. “I’m just so glad help got here in time.”

He closed his eyes. “We were losing.”

“Of course you were losing,” boomed Ra-Dakran. “You weren’t just outnumbered. You were profoundly overwhelmed in numbers, firepower, and positioning.” The old Mitran crossed his arms and shook his grizzled head. “But you will not have to worry about the Dessicans again.”

Adrik cracked his eyes open and looked at the elder. “Why not? Have they all been destroyed?” He said it as if that idea, despite all he went through, was painful.

“No. We have opened talks. It is a first step, but this cannot go on. Neither of us can exist this way, and your Thrail deserves to exist without the shadow of constant threat.”

I had met this elder days ago, so I already knew that he was Adrik’s predecessor. The previous Warlord of Thrail Tyvor.

“That is good.” I could hear the relief in Adrik’s voice. “We can share this planet, hopefully in peace in the future.”

“That is the plan, boy.” Ra-Dakran glanced at me and winked. “He will always be a boy to me. When he arrived at the champion tournament that would declare a new warlord of Thrail Tyvor, he was gangling and skinny, with flawless horns so shiny and smooth, I could see he had never been tested in battle.” The elder looked at Adrik with fondness. “But he prevailed in the battle of the fittest; against all the best males that I had recommended to compete for warlord, this whelp succeeded. Thank Skrah for that.” He nodded and leaned back, leather armor creaking as he shifted his considerable weight. “I will leave you to the gentle touch of your mate, but I am pleased to see scruffs and chips out of those horns, now. You area proven warrior, and not as skinny.” He lowered his head in respect, and stepped back. “And you, missy. You will join us for the evening meal.”

I grinned up at him. “I won’t miss it for anything.”

He chuckled and walked away, leaving Adrik gaping after him in surprise. “The elder called you ‘missy,’” he said scandalously. “You are dining with him?”

“Well, what else did I have to do while waiting for you to wake up?” I ran my fingers over his cheek, wishing I could wipe away the bruises and cuts. “He’s like a grandfather, and he loves telling stories about the old days of the Thrail.”

The flycam adjusted its position, catching Adrik’s eye. “That thing is still here?” He glared at it. “You still have a column to write, I suppose.”

“Just one more,” I said gently.

“One more?”

I nodded. “I promised Hans one last column before my resignation.”

“You’re quitting your job on Earth?”

“No, I have quit my job on Earth. I’m staying here with you. That is, if you still want me to.”

“Of course, I do.” His whole face brightened, bruised and battered as it was. His smile was wide and full of joy. “I thought I would have to do so much more convincing to get you to stay. Yaran was likely looking forward to selling me more jewelry to win you over.”

I laughed. “I don’t need jewelry. I just need you. And Yaran sends her best to you, as well. She and her shop emerged mostly unscathed.”

“That is good news,” he said, but he did not take his gaze off of me. “When I am well, we will have to plan a wedding.”

I raised my brows. “A wedding? That’s a human thing.”

“You are human. I want to celebrate this. I want an event for all of the Mitran males and human females who have found love.”

“Oh boy. I think you’re delusional and you need to go back to sleep.” I patted his shoulder gently. “What medicine are they giving you? And can I have some?”

“You are my medicine, my sweet, wonderful little troublemaker. You are the object of my desire, Lise. I need nothing else but you.”

“Well, you’re getting my cat too, you know. We’re a package deal.” I winced, hoping this wasn’t going to be a thing. “Nugget and I are currently staying in one of the cabins on a battleship while the buildings here are being rebuilt, but I won’t give up Nugget.”

“I would never ask you to.” He made a face. “He is a pleasing little creature.”

I smiled. “Oh, speaking of creatures we’re smitten with, a team of warriors has recollected the ugris herd. Besi is back in the barn with her calves as if nothing happened.”

He closed his eyes and smiled. “That makes me very happy.”

“I’m sure she’s looking forward to seeing you, but you’re going to be in this bed for a while longer.”

His thumb stroked my wrist. “When I get out of here, I intend to put you in bed and keep you there for an obscene amount of time.”

I leaned down, brushing my lips to his. I was so grateful that I had the chance to kiss him again. That I hadn’t lost him after all. My incredible warlord was all mine. “I will hold you to that, Warlord. I haven’t even begun to have enough of you.” I kissed him again, gently. The kiss of a promise, the kiss of forever.

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