Chapter Thirty-One
As Poppy came to, she was first aware of voices whisperingand a bright light shining behind her eyelids. Feeling as though she was wakingfrom a deep nap, she wiggled her fingers and toes. Tingles raced through her extremities,as if they were still asleep. The voices around her got closer as she openedher eyes.
“Poppy?” Recognizing Tamin’s voice, she blinked a coupletimes to clear her vision. Why were the lights in the exam room so fuckingbright?
“Where’s Wheaton?” Her voice came out husky with sleep.
Feeling a hand grip her own, she turned to the other side ofthe bed and her breath caught in her throat. Smiling through her tears, shereached up to touch the strong jaw of the man who was leaning over her. Poppy hadto admit she’d never witnessed a more beautiful sight than her big, strongwarrior gazing at her with love in his eyes. Cupping his cheek, she pulled himdown for a kiss. Wheaton’s lips touched hers so softly that the kiss could havebeen her imagination. Not being one to settle for half efforts, she took herother hand and cupped his neck to pull him tighter into her embrace.
Poppy let the tears she had been trying to hold back driftdown her cheeks. “Wheaton, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” Lickingher lips to preserve his taste, she smiled against his neck. Poppy breathed inhis unique scent.
“Poppy…do not ever do that again,” he whispered as hepeppered kisses across her forehead.
They were both silent for a moment. Out of the corner of hereye, she could see Tamin moving around the exam room.
“Tamin? Are the other brides okay?” she asked as Wheatonhelped her to carefully sit up. She tried to read the doctor’s face for cluesof their condition.
Walking back to the bed where she was now sitting, he pattedher shoulder with a grim look on his handsome face.
“The brides are fine, Poppy. You did a great job gettingthem here safely.”
Wheaton had shifted his position to sit on the bed besidePoppy and folded his arm across her shoulders to pull her into a hug. Knowinghe needed her touch as much as she needed his, she leaned into his embrace.
“What about…” Unable to finish the question, she hoped thathe understood what she was asking.
“Their babies did not make it.” The news was delivered with suchsadness, she knew Tamin was struggling with the fact that he’d been unable tosave them.
Allowing more tears to fall, she turned into the safety ofWheaton’s hold. Having already assumed the worst didn’t make it any easier forPoppy to swallow. She thanked whatever good juju that was out in the universefor the fact she and Val had not taken the pills.
“I do have a question though,” Tamin continued. “How did youand Valerie not suffer from the same problem?”
“When they gave us the pills, we weren’t sure if they weregood for the babies or not. We put them in Val’s bag to ask you or Rodin whenwe saw you next.” At her words, Wheaton cursed under his breath and squeezedher hard.
“I almost lost you.” Rubbing his hand over her stomach, hewhispered, “Both of you.”
Tamin gave her a sad smile and squeezed her free shoulder.“You amaze me, Poppy.” Moving to leave the room, Tamin said, “I need to checkthe other brides. The regen beds should be finished soon and their husbands areanxious to see if we repaired the damage done.”
“Damage?” Poppy asked. Stopping at the door, Tamin turned toher.
“The Hefnon 12 came very close to killing them. We wereunable to save the fetuses and are unsure if the regen beds were able to repairthe damage left behind.” Shaking his head in anger, he gritted his teeth. “Allof this…those women…the pain…I never realized how heartless someone could be.”
As the door closed behind Tamin, Poppy gazed up at hersilent warrior. Once she turned her head to him, he leaned his forehead againsthers and breathed out roughly.
“I almost lost you.” He repeated his earlier words in abroken voice.
“But you didn’t.” Kissing him softly at first, and then withmore ferocity, she trailed her mouth to his ear as she hugged him hard.
“Wheaton?” When she heard his chest rumble, indicating hewas listening to her, she smiled against his skin. “I love you.”
The rumble between them got louder as he hugged her tighter.“I love you too.”
She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. “Where’sDath at?”
“‘Dath’, is it?” Wheaton did not seem pleased at herfamiliarity with the other warrior, but as he smoothed the hair out of her facehe seemed to decide now was not a time to be mad.
“He received some trouble for abandoning his post onSquadron Two, but we smoothed that over with their commander. When they foundout what he had done, they were pleased with his actions. He may actuallyreceive a commendation for his bravery today. Many a warrior would not havequestioned such a senior Council member as Demascus.”
“But where is he? I feel awful that he had to leave his homehere because of me. I actually wanted to talk to you about that…” Unsure howshe needed to broach the subject, she stalled.
“Poppy, he will eventually come back, but right now he hasmissions that he will need to complete on Squadron Two before that happens. Heleft shortly after we received medical reports on all of the brides. He wantedto make sure that you were okay before he went back to his post.” Giving her anunderstanding smile, he tapped her chin. “You cannot help but be lovable, canyou?”
“I’m sorry, Wheaton. The last thing I ever wanted to do wascome between you and a friend.”
“It is not your fault. If our situations were reversed, Ican safely say that I would have done everything in my power to make you mine.He is a good friend and came to me with his concerns before making anyinappropriate advances and for that he has my respect and friendship.” Hecupped her face and leaned
