She shivered as she looked at the headless body which had fallen to the ground and was leaking green goo all over her carpet.
“Well, it’s not easy to overcome another sentient species’ survival instinct.” Chain grew suddenly serious. “And I had to time it just right. Had to jump out of the damned Varian and back into my own body a split second after the trigger was pulled and a split second before the blast reached his brain.”
“You did? Why?” Vicky asked, still staring at him in wonder.
“Because. If was still in him when he died, I would have gone too. My soul wouldn’t have been able to get back to my body,” he explained. Then he grinned at her. “Luckily I’m working at the speed of thought when I’m in my incorporeal form so I was able to squeak back into my own body just in time.”
“Oh, Chain—that was so risky!” she protested. “You shouldn’t have done it!”
His eyes grew dark.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to keep him from hurting you—from…from killing you.” He reached for her hands and held them tight. “Victoria, I’ve been such a coward.”
“What?” She stared at him blankly. “What are you talking about? You just came up here and killed six scaly alien lizards single-handed—and you risked your own life to do it! That’s not cowardly, that’s brave, Chain. Incredibly brave!”
He shook his head.
“That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s easy to be brave in combat, especially when the Rage takes over. I’m talking about what happened on Priima Belle. The way I only told you that if we made love, we’d be bonded. But I didn’t tell you that I wanted to be bonded to you, beautiful Victoria. I—”
But just then the tromping of heavy boots could be heard on the stairs and someone said,
“Put me down, you big lug!”
Looking over the shattered and ruined railing, Vicky saw her oldest daughter, Jodi, being carried up the stairs in the arms of a Kindred warrior she didn’t recognize. He must be a Beast Kindred, though, she thought—he had thick, unruly black hair, dark caramel skin tones, and golden eyes.
“I will not put you down,” he growled at her. “You’re fucking injured.”
But though his deep voice sounded irritated, Vicky couldn’t help but notice that he was holding her daughter very carefully—almost tenderly—cradled against his muscular chest.
“Oh, there she is—Mom!” Jodi cried, relief filling her face. “Mom, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Her face went from relieved to worried. “You are okay, right? You have blood on your cheek and neck!”
Vicky reached up to touch the stinging scratches the Varian had made on her skin but she wasn’t in the least worried about herself.
“I’m fine,” she told Jodi. “What happened to you? And where is your sister—please tell me you’re both all right!”
“We’re both fine, Mom,” Jodi assured her. And, just as Vicky felt relief flooding her like a sweet river, she added, “We fell out of the spooky tree when one of those lizard guys shook it. I only twisted my ankle but I think Melli’s leg is broken.”
“Broken? Oh my God!” Vicky’s relief evaporated and she went into total mom-mode at once. “Where is she? Has anyone called an ambulance? We need to get her to the doctor!”
“Please don’t worry,” the Beast Kindred holding Jodi said. “My friend Liosh is with your other daughter and she seems to be in stable condition.”
“He says it’s not a compound fracture, Mom,” Jodi said. “I mean, the bone isn’t sticking out of her leg or anything. But she’s in a lot of pain.”
“We need to get all three of you back to the Mother Ship for immediate treatment,” Chain said, speaking up at last. “They have technology there that far surpasses any medicine you have here on Earth.”
Vicky was sure he was probably right. She’d had a brief glimpse into the Med Center—the Kindred version of a hospital and ER—on her last trip to the Mother Ship and what she’d seen had greatly impressed her.
“All right,” she said. “Let’s go but first I want to see Melli.”
“You can ride with her in the back of our ship,” the Beast Kindred said.
“And I’ll follow in mine.” Chain grabbed her hand and squeezed briefly. “We’ll talk later, after everyone you love had been taken care of.”
“All right.” Vicky felt her heart flutter at the intense way he was looking at her but she was still in mom-mode and right now she didn’t have time for herself—she was more worried about her daughters.
Chapter Forty-three
Melli was white-faced and being held in the lap of a young Blood Kindred, who looked to be only a few years older than she was. He was sitting on the grassy ground under the spooky tree and cradling her in his arms, much the same way the Beast Kindred was cradling Jodi.
“Mom!” she said, reaching for Vicky as her worried face broke into a smile. “Oh God, I’m so glad you’re okay! Jodi and I were so worried. That’s why she got Vorn to take her up to check on you.”
“I did not ask him to take me up.” Jodi sounded exasperated, speaking from her perch in the Beast Kindred’s arms. “I told him I would go up myself but he wouldn’t let me.”
“You’re injured,” the Beast Kindred rumbled, frowning down at her. “And though we were fairly certain the fighting was over, I couldn’t let you go alone. It would have been wrong not to protect a female in danger.”
“Will you listen to this Neanderthal?” Jodi exclaimed. “Hey, buddy, I can take care of myself!” She poked the Beast Kindred in his broad chest. He winced but didn’t let her go.
“You two stop
