“Look, baby girl, you can’t change the past,” Raak said reasonably, squeezing her hand. “All you can do is move forward and hope for a brighter future. And I promise, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Kara felt a surge of grateful affection for the big Unbondable. She was certain any other male she didn’t have a soul bond with would have abandoned her by now for being too needy. But Raak was sticking by her, despite his lack of a soul. He was her rock—the one certainty she could cling to in this sea of swirling chaos she suddenly found herself swimming in.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was in love with him, she thought, leaning towards him and feeling his heavy, muscular arm wrap around her shoulders and squeeze comfortingly. Of course, she knew better than that—she couldn’t let herself feel so deeply for the big Unbondable.
But the seeds of gratitude, caring, and affection were already planted and she couldn’t help the way her heart throbbed when he hugged her and whispered encouragement in her ear.
I am starting to love him, she thought, even as she hugged him back while they made their way out of Qi’s invisible palace. I can’t help myself. Oh Goddess, what am I going to do?
Thirty
Luckily for Kara, the Tolleg ship was closer than they’d thought. It was orbiting the next planet over— Xephron Six—and they hailed it within the hour as soon as they got back to Raak’s ship. An hour later, they were docking in the massive Tolleg hospital ship and introducing themselves to Silki, the same Tolleg that Qi had told them about.
“It’s very nice to meet you. Yes it is, yes it is!” she said, nodding her head so that her sharply pointed, furry ears swiveled with the rapid motion.
Kara had always thought that Yipper—the Tolleg surgeon who lived aboard the Mother Ship—looked like a cross between a baboon and a hound dog. But Silki looked much more like a Pomeranian. She had reddish fur, fox-like features, and big bright eyes which she trained with laser focus on Kara as she hesitantly explained her problem.
“I know of the Blood Kindred, yes I do, yes I do,” she said nodding rapidly again. “And I have studied the anatomy of their fangs. I will need to run some tests before I can make a diagnosis but I think I have some idea of what your problem is. Indeed I do, indeed I do.”
“You do?” Kara felt a rush of relief. “Oh, thank you! So you’ll be able to cure me, right?”
“Let us hope so,” Silki said—a little more carefully than Kara liked. What she wanted to hear the Tolleg doctor say was that she was certain she could make everything all right again.
“But…you can cure me, can’t you?” she asked. “Please, I need some help!”
“I will do everything in my power for you, my dear. Yes I will, yes I will,” Silki said firmly. “Come—let’s get you to our diagnostic suite. We must run some tests at once. Yes we must, yes we must.”
Kara’s feeling of relief faded and she looked at Raak uncertainly.
“It’s okay, baby.” He looped an arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Everything is gonna be all right. And I’ll be with you every step of the way—I promise.”
“You must be her mate. Yes you must, yes you must,” Silki said, looking up at him from her diminutive height of about two and a half feet.
Kara opened her mouth to say that they weren’t mated but Raak said firmly,
“For all intents and purposes, yes. I’m Kara’s mate. And I want to be with her through every bit of the testing.”
“Very well, very well.” Silki nodded, her furry ears swiveling. “There is only one scan that I know of where you cannot be present but it is non-invasive and painless. We will save that one for last. Yes we will, yes we will.”
“Okay,” Kara said and winced as a familiar shock of pain ran through her.
Damn it, she was so tired of this endless cycle of agony and need! Despite the fact that Raak had gone down on her and made her come three more times right before they docked in the hospital ship, another essence attack was already hitting her.
“Can we please hurry?” she asked through clenched teeth. “I’m, uh, already in pain again.”
“You need me to help you, baby?” Raak asked, looking at her anxiously.
“No, I’ll be okay.” Kara shook her head. She was determined to get through the tests and find out what was going on as soon as possible. She would just have to endure the agony until that was over.
“All right. Well if you change your mind…” Raak raised his eyebrows expressively. “I mean, we can always go back to our ship for some, uh, privacy.”
“Thanks.” Kara felt her cheeks get hot with a blush. “But I’d rather just get these tests over with.”
“This way then,” Silki said to them, gesturing with one paw-like hand. Though most Tollegs were skilled surgeons, they did their surgeries with their long, talented, prehensile tongues, not their fingers.
Kara followed her, trying to suppress the twinge of fear and uncertainty she felt. Why wouldn’t the little Tolleg give her assurances that everything would be all right? Why did she look so serious?
It’ll be okay, she told herself, trying to ignore the fear that tried to fill her like dark water pouring into a cup. Everything is going to be okay. Everyone knows the Tollegs are the most skilled surgeons and doctors in the galaxy. I’m sure they can help me—I’m sure of it.
But if she was so sure, why did her stomach clench like an icy fist as she followed Silki out of her consultation room and towards the diagnostic suite of
