Four

Chapter

“Mindy is an excellent name for her.” The smirk Norem had been throwing their way turned to a smile. Rom wasn’t buying it. Neither was Mindy.

The dog growled low in her throat, glaring at Norem as if she’d like nothing better than to tear his throat out. Rom was starting to share that opinion. He still needed more data before he could act. From what he had seen and heard so far, and what his hearts were telling him, this man and everyone in the room was an enemy. Everyone except Hayley and Mindy.

Mindy whined and shifted closer, pressing her head against Rom’s chest and scooting her backside closer to Hayley. The dog was so big, she nearly knocked Hayley over. Rom slid his hand farther across Hayley’s back, helping her keep her balance. She cast a grateful glance his way. His hearts started pounding even from that little glimpse of her glacier-blue eyes. She was so beautiful. And, though her body had been weakened by obvious ordeals, her spirit was still strong.

His spine plates stiffened as he imagined what she might have been through. Norem was acting as though he was her doctor, but Rom highly doubted that was true. The guy could put on a fake smile and force his voice to drip with sincerity, but his eyes were as cold as a killer’s. The way he had thrown that vial of caustic chemicals at one of his men without hesitating rankled Rom, even though he had done it to protect Mindy. Rom doubted it had been done out of the goodness of Norem’s heart.

The shock on the underling’s face had been telling. The looks on the other scientists’ faces were even more informative. Sure, they were startled to see someone get splashed with something that ate through his clothes and looked just as likely to dissolve his flesh. However, once that initial shock fled, their expressions vacillated between fear and resignation. They hadn’t been surprised, really. That kind of behavior was within their expectations for Norem.

Norem was obviously the leader of this place, yet he treated his underlings like dirt. He called Mindy a ‘prize,’ as if she was a mere thing and not a sentient life form. A very intelligent life form at that. She reminded Rom of someone. Several someones. Their faces and names flitted at the very edges of his mind, but when he tried to bring up the memories, they vanished. Dammit, he needed to remember. Who was he? What could he do? And most importantly, how could he help Hayley?

Her reaction to Norem was the most damning. She was utterly terrified of him. Rom was certain that he had never seen anyone so afraid before. What had Norem done to make her feel that way? What was her place among his crew? Rom had a feeling he would not like the answer.

Rom himself seemed to have a position of prominence. He would use that to keep Hayley and Mindy safe until he figured things out. Starting a ruckus before he knew more about how many men Norem had at his disposal, what sort of weapons and training they had, and what sort of base they were on didn’t seem wise. Were they on a planet with a breathable atmosphere and a climate that wouldn’t kill them outright? Was it a dome world that would limit their ability to survive? Or, were they on a space station, floating in the void, trapping them with these unknown men?

He needed answers before he could take action. In order to get those answers, he had to play along.

Hayley leaned against him, her breathing shallow. Rom looked over to her and his hearts stuttered. Her lips had turned blue and her eyes were unfocused. Something was wrong with her. As much as Rom hated to admit it, he needed Norem’s help figuring it out. Rom scooped Hayley up with him as he stood, then carried her back to one of the medical beds. Mindy followed at his heels.

“What are you doing?” Hayley asked, her voice a low rasp.

“Sweetheart, I know you don’t want to hear this, but something is going on with you that we need to sort out.” Rom shook his head. “Even without my memories, I know I’m not a doctor.”

Rom started to set her down, but she grabbed his arms with surprising strength. Her eyes went wide as she turned toward Norem.

“No, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m okay, really.”

“Now, now, my dear.” Norem approached slowly. “Where is this behavior coming from? Rom is going to think we aren’t good hosts.”

“Hayley, look at me,” Rom said, ignoring Norem.

When her eyes met Rom’s, they sparkled with unshed tears. The sight nearly broke him. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and rip Norem’s head off. But he couldn’t. Not yet, anyway.

“I will be right here,” Rom said. “I will not leave your side. I think we need him to check you out. Maybe even to fix whatever’s going on.”

“Rom…” Her voice was more a groan. Rom hated hearing her say his name with such pain and fear behind it.

“I’m right here.” Rom set her on the bed so that she was lying down, but kept his face inches from hers. A tear spilled out of the corner of her eye as she closed them, pinching her lips together tight. He kept her hand in his, encouraged at the strength with which she squeezed it.

“Well, that was unnecessarily dramatic,” Norem said, stepping closer. “Now that we finally have her where we need her, I can begin.”

Rom watched closely as the other man pulled a cart closer. Norem lifted the cloth that was covering the implements on it. Before Rom even registered what he was seeing, his spine plates began vibrating, his claws pushing against his fingertips. He kept them sheathed, not wanting to risk harm to Hayley.

The cart was covered in all sorts of old fashioned medical devices. Blades, clamps, and laser-cauterizers. There were even needles in little pouches and synthetic tubing. No sonic emitters. No high-frequency vibrational healing amplifiers. All of this would be considered barbaric among Rom’s kind.

Wait… His kind? Was Norem not Rom’s kind?

Rom glanced at Hayley’s hand in his. Not only was hers tiny in comparison, his was very, very blue and hers was kinda pinkish. The connection he felt to her made it seem as though they were the same, despite their physical differences. It was a feeling he didn’t share in regard to the other males in the room. He was also a foot and a half taller than all of them—closer to two feet for Hayley. The man who had torn his shirt off was standing with his back to them and there was no sign that he had the plates that Rom could feel jutting out of his own spine.

Rom was sure that many species had a great variety in their physiology. He was also certain that whatever these people were, he was not. Despite their connection, he didn’t even think he was the same species as Hayley. Physically, anyway. Something deep within him recognized her as something even closer than the same species. She was part of him. He didn’t understand it. The more time they spent together, the more certain of it he was. And he would do anything to protect her.

“Any pain she feels, I’ll visit on you a thousandfold,” Rom promised, glaring up at Norem.

Norem only chuckled. “Very dramatic.”

He lifted a vial filled with green fluid and pressed it into a dermal transmitter. At least he wasn’t using those needles to infuse it into her body. Hayley’s eyes snapped open, widening as she saw it. She tried to pull her hand away from Rom’s so she could crawl up the table and get away from Norem.

“I don’t want to be knocked out,” she said.

Rom gingerly pressed her shoulders down, trying to calm her. “It’s okay, but you need to calm down.”

Mindy jumped up so that her front paws were on the bed and started barking at Norem and even Rom.

Rom turned to the dog and said, “Hey, hey. Not helping. Quiet down.”

Mindy whined and lowered her head, licking Hayley’s cheek. Hayley curled her arm up so she could press her hand against the side of Mindy’s neck.

“Please, I don’t want to be knocked out,” Hayley repeated.

“No one’s going to knock you out. I just don’t want you feeling any pain while Norem does what he needs to do to make sure you’re okay.”

She let out a grim laugh, lowering both arms to her sides. “I can handle pain.”

Rom ground his teeth together as he wondered what exactly had brought her to this point. He was certain Norem had something to do with it. Rom was going to tear his head off. Eventually. Just as soon as he was no longer of any use.

“Just please don’t let him knock me out,” Hayley said. “I want to know what’s happening. I have to see what’s going on.”

Rom stared up at Norem. The other man’s smile deepened for a moment, then his brow creased with concern.

“Of course, Hayley,” Norem said, in a voice that should have been soothing, but sent ripples of unease over Rom’s skin. “I have to take some blood.” He extracted a needle from one of the pouches that was connected to some sort of fastener, then hooked it to a small vial. “You’re going to feel a little pinch.”

Her lip curled up in a brief sneer, but then she quickly pressed them together tightly and nodded. She kept her eyes riveted on everything Norem was doing. Rom forced himself to watch as well, though he felt that he might be sick when the needle went in. Hayley didn’t so much as flinch. His woman was strong.

My woman… She’s mine and I’m hers.

Rom had to look away. There was something so unnatural about seeing her skin pierced like that. Rom focused on Norem’s face and Rom’s hearts stuttered again. Norem’s lips were a thin line, a muscle working in his jaw. His nostrils flared and his eyes rolled shut briefly. He opened them, obviously straining to maintain his focus. His tongue darted out, licking his lips, and Rom caught a glimpse of those long canine fangs again.

Mindy was growling loudly. Rom was grateful. It covered the very similar response coming from his own chest.

“Now, now,” Norem said, his voice taut and high. “You don’t want to distract me, do you?” He smiled at Mindy, then detached the vial and replaced it with another.

“Don’t take too much,” Rom said. “She’s weak enough as it is.”

“I’m not weak,” Hayley snapped.

Rom grinned at her. “My apologies. You’re right. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

“I thought you’d lost your memory,” she countered.

Rom shook his head and laughed lightly. “There are some things I’m still sure of. That’s one of them.”

“You seem to have hit it off.” Norem smiled at Rom briefly, then turned his attention to the scanner. His brow furrowed, but then he smirked—an expression Rom was somehow already coming to hate.

An odd feeling of dread welled up within him. He didn’t respond. Neither did Hayley.

“I can forgo drawing any of the other fluids, depending on what the scans reveal.” Norem turned that fake smile on Hayley. He finished filling a third vial, then detached it and dropped it down a small hole built in to the medical bed. As he removed the needle from her arm, he said, “The more you cooperate, the better it will be for everyone.”

Her lips tightened, and she narrowed her eyes at him. Norem’s smile broadened as if the exchange held some hidden meaning that Rom didn’t understand. There was too much that he didn’t understand—yet. He would get his answers, though, and soon.

“What does she need?” Rom asked. He hated that he needed to depend on Norem for anything, but something was obviously wrong with Hayley. Rom had no idea how to help her.

Norem was staring at the monitor above Hayley. Her three dimensional body was displayed with various parts highlighted and flashing in different colors. Her brain and nervous system blinked yellow, her circulatory system orange, and most of the rest of her flashed an angry shade of red. Rom shifted closer, lifting her hand and holding it against his chest. Was she okay? This did not look okay. He reached out with his other hand and placed it on her shoulder, wishing there was more that he could do. Mindy leaned forward and licked Hayley’s cheek briefly.

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Norem said.

Rom could hear the smirk in Norem’s voice, but couldn’t peel his eyes away from the scanner. The areas where Rom was touching Hayley briefly flickered, then turned green. The green highlight spread out from her shoulder and the left hand Rom held. Even her side closest to him gained a green tinge. The flashing of the yellow and orange slowed near those areas as well.

“What the hell does that mean?” Rom murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

“What?” Hayley craned her neck, trying to see the screen. Even Mindy’s ears perked up as she stared at the monitor, letting out a low whine. “What do you see?”

Norem glanced down at Hayley and patted her right shoulder. For once, she didn’t recoil. Rom felt the repulsion for her. He reached over to rest his hand on that shoulder, forcing Norem’s hand away. They both looked up at the scanner to see that area of her body also turn from yellow and orange to a pale green. The shoulder Rom had touched before started to flicker again, but not as badly as it had been.

“Fascinating,” Norem said. “It would seem your new friend has a stabilizing effect on you.”

“That’s good, right?” Hayley turned her attention back to Rom.

“I would think so,” Rom said.

Warmth spread through him that she was looking to him to work through this, not Norem. It chilled him as Rom thought of how little he could actually do to help her. Then again, based on what the scanner was showing, maybe he could help. It would involve touching a whole lot more of her and he didn’t know for how long. His spine plates had settled somewhat, but they started to vibrate again for an entirely different reason. The idea of touching her, of being close to her, made his skin prickle with awareness and blood start to pool in his belly.

Her cheeks turned pink, the flush spreading down her neck and her pupils dilating. She swallowed hard, the movement along her neck calling Rom’s attention. Was she feeling the same attraction to Rom that he felt toward her? He pushed away the thought, forcing his body to calm. Hayley had just been through something. She was still going through something. Rom would do anything he could to be there for her. Now was not the time for anything more than focusing on getting her well.

“Well, isn’t that interesting.” Norem chuckled.

Rom followed Norem’s line of sight to the monitor. More of the flickering lights were changing to that calm pale green. Lights around areas Rom was certain Hayley would rather keep private. Without thinking, he released her shoulder and slammed his fist into the screen. The material shattered as though it was made of nothing more than a thin, brittle layer of selenite. Sparks flew out of the display.

Rom quickly spread himself over Hayley, releasing her hand so he could pull Mindy under his chest as well and shield them both. He felt little motes of energy skitter over his back, but not anything that bothered him at all. Meanwhile, Norem leapt back, screaming as he furiously patted out an area on his sleeve that had caught fire.

Breathing heavily, Norem glared at Rom. “Well, things certainly have become eventful now that you’ve made your way back.”