"You did not seal it."
"Well, how the hell do I do that?"
"You hold the crystal down."
"Then get out and I will."
"Mackenzie... what is wrong? Why are you so angry?"
"Why? Oh, I don't know why? I mean, what do I have to be angry about? I was taken from my home against my will. Sold as a slave, then starved and beaten when it was discovered I was female! Then I get thrown into some God damn tube, and when I come out, I'm supposedly the True Mate to someone I've never met!" Mac found she was slapping her hands against his chest with each exclamation, and that he was backing up with each one. "Now all I want is some privacy! Some time to figure out what the hell is what, and you come storming in here acting like I owe you an explanation!"
"Mackenzie... I am only trying to help...”
Mac felt her eyes fill because she knew he was telling her the truth. He was only attempting to help. She was the one that seemed to be wanting more.
"I know," she said trying to calm down. "I just need a few minutes alone. Please. Let me take care of what I need to and then I'll be out. Maybe you could find me some clothes?"
"Clothes? You mean coverings?"
"Ummm, yeah, sure, coverings. As long as that's something that means I don't have to walk around naked."
"You will not do that!" Nikhil growled.
"I have no plans to if you can find me something adequate."
"I will do so."
"Then I will be out in a few minutes." With that, Nikhil was outside the room, and she pressed the crystal, and, this time, she held it and heard the silent 'snick' of the lock engaging.
Nikhil stared silently at the now sealed door of the cleansing room, unsure of what just happened. There had been tears in his Mackenzie's eyes, tears of hurt and confusion. Why? He had thought he had adequately explained what had happened, was happening between them. His True Mate had seemed willing to rest in his arms, implying it was why she had rested so well. Yet she had jerked out of his arms after pressing her lips to his.
It had been Nikhil's first kiss from a female, well a female not his mother or sister. He had wanted to take it further, the way his mother and manno did. He'd seen them kiss on the lips many times, and knew it was the way to show affection between a male and his Ashe, but that was never done in relationships that a bead had not been exchanged.
He had wanted to kiss his Mackenzie on the lips, had wished to share that special intimacy with her, but he hadn't been sure what practices her species followed. So he'd forced himself to settle for kissing her palm instead, hoping she would accept it and know how much she meant to him.
He hadn't been prepared for the feelings that had rushed through him as she touched his jaw, her thumb caressing his lip. Or for the suddenness of her pressing her lips to his. His entire body had just frozen, not sure what to do, and then she was gone.
He had caught the flash of hurt in her eyes before she'd fled his bed. Had he somehow insulted her? Hurt her with his response? Or lack of it? He just hadn't wanted to do anything wrong... but still he had.
Spinning away from the door, he went to the far wall and pressed a crystal revealing his closet. Looking at his coverings, he frowned. There was nothing here she could wear; there were only his uniforms. He'd never been like some males that would purchase pretty coverings to entice a female to share her friendship with him. He would on occasion find something special on the planet where he was stationed, and send it home to his mother or sisters, but Pontus had no such things.
He growled angrily at his stupidity for not planning for every possibility, something that as Squad Leader was his duty if he wanted to keep his warriors alive. He scanned the contents one last time and saw the sleeve of a covering pressed against the wall. Pulling it out, he let his gaze run over it.
It was a covering with long sleeves that was meant to be worn by a warrior if he were suddenly caught out in a Pontus ground storm. It was made from a very thin, but nearly impenetrable material that was easily stored in a Warrior’s kit. If a storm suddenly appeared, all a warrior needed to do was pull it on over his head and he was protected.
It would have to do for now until he was able to provide his True Mate with proper coverings. The sound of the cleansing room door opening had him turning to find his Mackenzie slowly walking toward him.
"I'm sorry about coming unglued on you back there." She gestured to the cleansing room with her head.
"Unglued?" Nikhil frowned at the word.
"It’s a figure of speech. I yelled at you for no good reason."
"You felt you had a reason."
"But not a good one."
"You have been through much, Mackenzie. I did not mean for my actions to make you feel uncomfortable."
"They didn't. You have been nothing but kind and understanding, Nikhil, going way beyond what was necessary. It's my own actions that have made me uncomfortable, and you too it seems."
"I do not understand."
"I realize that, after all, we’ve just met, are two entirely different species, and literally don't speak the same language. It makes 'misunderstandings' really easy. Especially on my part." She looked at what he was holding in his hand. "Is that for me?"
"What?" He looked to where she pointed and remembered the covering in his hand. "Yes. It is just a storm covering, it's all I have for now. But I will acquire something else for you. Something better, prettier, more...”
"Nikhil, stop!" she cut him off. "I'm sure whatever it is will be fine after wearing the same coverings for... I don't know how long. Anything would be better. You don't have to acquire anything else for me."
She reached out for the shirt but stopped short of touching him. She wasn't going to force herself on him again. She knew he said she was his True Mate because of the bead in her hair. She had assumed that it was something like Soul Mates back on Earth, that they would share a deep love and affection for each other. Something she found she was already feeling for the large male. But for her that included touching and kissing, but Nikhil had stopped her from touching him and not responded to her kiss. Was it something different for a Kaliszian? Until she found out, she would proceed with caution.
Nikhil braced himself for her touch, ordering his body not to respond and frighten her again. But it was all for nothing when she just held out her hand and waited. She'd willingly done so in the cleansing stall the night before, and again as she rested. She'd even willingly caressed his jaw with her tiny hand. Had his actions caused her to fear touching him? Carefully, making sure not to touch or startle her, he placed the covering in her hand.
"I'll... I'll just step back into the cleansing room and change." Turning, she hurried away.
Nikhil watched her go with troubled eyes, not liking how quickly she moved away from him. He needed to win back her trust, to show her he was worthy of being her Dasho and True Mate. He just needed to figure out how to do that.
Mac just stared at herself in the mirror for several minutes taking in her appearance. The shirt, no covering, Nikhil had given her had been loose when she'd first put it on, the ends of its long sleeves going way past her fingertips. The neckline hung like a cowl neck, and the bottom went past her knees. But after wearing it for several moments, she felt it begin to tighten, to conform to her body.
The sleeves were still long, reaching halfway down her fingers, but she found she liked it there. The cowl neck had receded to become more of a tight turtleneck but didn't feel restrictive in any way. The rest of the covering had changed too. It now hugged her body like a second skin, and the hem was now several inches above her knees.
She'd seen other woman wear dresses like this on Earth, but they had always had those perfect, amazingly toned bodies to show off. She didn't. Turning slightly, she looked at the way the material seemed to hug her ass. She had to admit it didn't look half bad, and there wasn't a line or seam to be seen since her underwear was one of the first things to succumb to the harsh conditions they'd endured. I
t's what she got for indulging herself in lacy bra and panty sets instead of practical ones. Facing forward again, she realized the material lifted and cupped her breasts better than any bra could. When she moved they didn't bounce around, but that was probably because of how small they were now.
Her brown hair, that Nikhil had taken so much time cleansing, fell around her face in soft waves that reached the upper curve of her breasts. She'd never had her hair this long before. It had to be at least three inches longer than when they'd been taken from Earth. Could that in any way tell them how long ago that was? She had no clue how fast a person's hair grew. Maybe Jen or one of the guys did.
"Shit!" she exclaimed quietly. Here she was looking at her hair, worrying about the way Nikhil's shirt fit, about him not liking her kissing him, and she hadn't given one thought to her friends! Where were they? How were they? Were they being treated well? Had they discovered Jen yet? Spinning around, she went to find Nikhil and get some answers.
She found him in the outer room, dressed in his full uniform with the complete accompaniment of weapons from the day before, minus the sword strapped to his back. But it lay just within reach. He had an array of silver packets sitting on the table in front of him.
Nikhil heard the door to the cleansing room open and turned to let her know where he was. But the words remained lodged in his throat. He'd never known a mere storm covering would look so sexy on a female. On his female. The material was made to conform to the wearer’s body, preventing the elements of the storm from harming the wearer. But this... It accentuated every curve, every line of the beautiful body he had cleansed last night. Goddess! She was beautiful. The crackling of a packet being crushed in his hands brought him out of his daze.
"Which would you like?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm fine," she replied even though her stomach growled quietly in protest. "I need to know about the others."
"The others?"
"Yes. Where are they? Are they okay? Have they gotten anything to eat?"
"Mackenzie, I am sure they are fine."
"You're sure. That means you don't know they are. My God, they must be worried out of their minds about me. I need to get to them."
"I know that all the survivors are being kept in one area. I know that they have been fed, allowed to cleanse, and given places to rest. I know that if any were in dire condition, the warrior in charge of them would have brought them to Luol for treatment. None were while you were there."
"How can you know all that?"
"Because it has been the procedure for the survivors we found at the other sites."
"Other sites... you mean there were more places... more mines...”
"Yes," he told her quietly, wanting to hit himself for revealing that. Especially when he saw her pale.
"How many?"
"Yours was the sixth one we found."
"Six...?”
"We believe we have found them all."
"Why?"
"Because no more Zaludian ships have attempted to approach Pontus since our arrival six weeks ago. We have learned they arrived once a month to retrieve the mined crystals and restock the sites."
"Then why were they still having us mine?"
"That I do not know, but I'm sure the General will discover it from the Zaludian survivors."
"Some survived?"
"I would think so, although I do not know that for truth. There were some from other sites."
"And were there any other humans found?"
"No, Mackenzie. You were the first of your kind we found." He lifted the packet again. "Will you eat now?"
"I need to know they are okay." Her eyes pleaded with his, and Nikhil found he could refuse her nothing. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to get his way too.
"I can contact the warrior in charge and find out, but only if you eat while I do. You have been through a great deal."
"So have they."
"Yes, but you are the only one I'm concerned about." Nikhil refused to back down in this. She was his True Mate, and hopefully one day his Ashe, and while it seems he had done some things wrong in caring for her, this he would do right.
"Alright," she finally said. Sitting down, she chose a packet.
"Let me help...” He reached out to take it from her, but her look stopped him.
"I saw how you did it last night." She pinched the dot. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"I never thought you were. I was just trying to help."
"Help by finding out about my friends. You said you would if I ate." She ripped the top off the pouch, grabbed one of the utensils on the table, and began to eat.
Nikhil unclipped the comm he carried at his waist and contacted Warrior Parlan.
Parlan had just finished enjoying his first meal when his comm rang. "Parlan," he answered, his displeasure at being contacted before going on duty easily heard.
"Warrior Parlan, this is Squad Leader Kozar."
Parlan sat up straighter hearing who was contacting him. Squad Leader Kozar was someone you didn't want to be on the wrong side of; not even him. For not only was Nikhil the largest among them, but he was also one of the strongest. He never said more than needed saying, letting his skill with the sword, blaster, and blade speak for him. His manno was also in the employ of Minister Descarga, one of the most influential and respected ministers in the Empire. Not even Parlan's own connection with Minister Stepney would help him if he offended Descarga.
"Squad Leader! What can I do for you?"
"I want to know the condition of the humans."
"Humans... Oh, you mean those filthy, strange-looking creatures that were rescued yesterday."
Nikhil gritted his teeth, glad that Mackenzie still didn't understand Kaliszian so she couldn't understand Parlan.
"Their condition?" he demanded.
"I have not yet checked on them this morning, but they were fine when I went off duty last night. Food, cots, and clean coverings were provided as the General ordered, and I assume they knew how to cleanse themselves."
"Did you show them how to use the cleansing room?"
"Why would I do that? Every known species knows how to use a cleansing unit."
"But they are not a known species to us or us to them." Parlan remained silent. "Were any of them taken to Luol?"
"No. None of them mentioned the need."
"Because they would know they could, right? As they know nothing about us." Nikhil had never liked Parlan. Oh, he was a highly, efficient warrior and did his duty, but he never did more than that and felt he was always entitled to more because of his family’s bloodline and connection to Minister Stepney.
"I want you to go and check on them, and then report their condition to me."
"With all due respect, Squad Leader, General Treyvon assigned me this duty. I follow his orders and report to him. When it is my assigned time to see to that duty, I will." With that, Parlan disconnected his comm.
Nikhil couldn't believe it! That self-important caca had disconnected from him. Him! Squad Leader! While Parlan was right that he didn't report to Nikhil, not in this, he had forgotten that he did report to him on the training fields. Nikhil would make him pay for this insult.
"What did he say?" Mackenzie's question pulled his thoughts away from his and Parlan’s next encounter on the fields.
"That they received food, beds, and new coverings. That none requested to see the Healer."
"Did they know they could?" she immediately asked.
"Wouldn't they have if one of them was in dire straights? They were informed we were treating you."
"They were?"
"Yes." He saw she had finished the packet she had chosen. "Do you need more?"
"No."
"Then are you ready to return to medical?"
"I'd rather check on my friends." She frowned when he seemed to hesitate and stood to confront him. "Nikhil? What are you keeping from me? Why don't you want me to go there first?"
"I am not keeping anything fro
m you!" Nikhil reached out, cupping her cheek before he could stop himself. "My vow. I only thought that you would be better able to assist your... friends, if you had a better understanding of the world you are all now in. You can't do that without first using our educator."
Mac stilled at his touch. It surprised her, especially after the way he reacted to her lips on his. Maybe he was right. If she couldn't understand what was going on between them, after the time she'd spent with Nikhil, how was she going to be able to explain it to everyone else. She needed to use their educator.
"Alright," she finally said. "Let's go see Luol. The sooner this is done, the sooner I can be with my friends."
Nikhil frowned at that. Did she really expect him to just let her leave him, to let other males surround her? It wasn't going to happen, but he knew he couldn't tell her that right now.
"Let us go to the Medical Wing, and Luol can finish treating you, and then he can apply the educator."
"Finish? What do you mean?"
"You became agitated while the deep-repair unit treated you. Luol wanted me to bring you back today so it could finish replenishing your system with what you have lost."
"Replenish...”
"It means to restore what your body has lost."
"I know what it means," she told him shortly. "You never said anything about needing more treatments, only that I needed to use the educator."
"I... I did not mean to mislead you, Little One. We discussed so many things yesterday that I didn't realize we had not discussed that."
Mac stared up into Nikhil's softly glowing eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. She wasn't sure how she knew, she'd never been that good at reading men before, her past relationships were proof of that. But somehow with Nikhil she just knew.
"Alright, but I'm tired of only being told what others think I need to know." She watched Nikhil stiffen before he sunk onto the couch, his hand running over the tightly restrained hair on the top of his head.
"That was never my intention, Mackenzie. I have only tried to care for you to the best of my abilities. I am greatly sorry that I have failed you."
Mac felt her mouth drop open. She hadn't meant for Nikhil to take her words so personally or for him to feel like he had failed her. Ever since she'd seen him in that mine, he'd been the only one she'd known she could completely trust. Why did she doubt that now? Because he was no longer essential to her survival? Wasn't that wrong? God, she was so messed up.