In his panic, it took him more than a few moments to realize that her chest was rising and falling almost imperceptibly.
She lived.
He released a breath of relief as he fell to his knees, staring at the bundle in his arms.
And, as if to add to the shame of his loss of control, his semi-hard cock fell from within her in a wet slop.
He kneeled there, a mixture of feelings going through him as he looked at Keh-reh-nah’s face, and only when his cock went back into his genital pouch did he allow himself to analyze his thoughts.
Forget him…
She wanted to forget him after this.
After what they’d just shared.
His life organ ached, and he swallowed hard as he pulled her even closer.
His eyes searched the dark sky again and a feeling of dread filled him.
She was his.
He knew that.
There was no way he could let her go after this.
But did he deserve her?
No.
Did she want him?
His life organ ached again.
Didn’t seem like it.
He didn’t have the right to expect more, to want more.
Most Shum’ai females had many males during the time of great heat. It was the only way to survive the mating fever because males outnumbered females three to one.
It was the way.
Only… His gaze moved back to Keh-reh-nah…he didn’t want it to be the way with her.
The thought of another male touching her, making her moan their name the way she had done his…the thought almost gave him a stroke.
“Commander,” V’Alen’s voice interrupted the silence and Ajos glanced at his communicator.
“What?” he growled, his voice much harsher than he’d intended it to be.
This wasn’t anger and pain because of the mating heat any more. For now, he was sated till later.
This was anger at the thought that Keh-reh-nah was going to leave him as soon as they returned to the base.
“The ship is repaired.”
“Noted." He paused, looking at the female in his arms. "We are heading back.”
“Commander, there is something else.”
Ajos growled again.
“Patrol ships have notified of Hedgeruds heading this way. They did not use hyperspace, instead traveling the long way. Estimated time of arrival is by the rise of the next star.”
Qef.
Their ship wouldn’t survive another direct attack like the last one. They needed to get the qef out of there.
Ajos rose, still cradling Keh-reh-nah.
She was almost bare; the thin garment she’d worn around her center had ripped in his passion and he knew not where it had fallen.
There wasn’t time to search for it now.
Grabbing the satchel, he checked if the strange device they’d come for was still nestled within it.
It glowed back at him in the darkness.
Slipping the satchel over his shoulder, Ajos reached for his spear and his hand brushed against the flower Keh-reh-nah had been carrying.
Her garment was beside it, and he grabbed it and the flower too.
He had no idea why she’d been taking the plant with her but, just in case she needed it, she’d find it when she woke up.
And he hoped she woke up soon.
He’d hate to have to bring her to Aker and be questioned why she was unconscious.
Because I qeffed her almost to death…
Yea…not a conversation he wanted to have with anyone.
Aker wasn’t one to gossip but he was sure the humans at the med bay would be interested to hear what had happened. He’d seen them whispering to each other about almost everything over the past few days.
Maybe Keh-reh-nah wouldn’t want word to get out too…
If she wanted to forget about him—something within him wrung—then he could keep quiet about what happened this night.
“V’Alen,” Ajos activated his communicator, “send a signal above so I can make haste in the right direction.”
The markers he’d set would be no use in the night when he had to hurry, and with the strange device by his side, he already knew the navigation wouldn’t be working.
“Signal going out.”
Within a few moments, a bright light shot into the sky somewhere to his right and Ajos began moving.
He’d take Keh-reh-nah home and then she’d forget about him.
This was about to be the longest journey of his life.
23
Keh-reh-nah was still unconscious.
Ajos looked back at her as the ship headed back to the Restitution. With the ship’s navigation being unreliable, V’Alen was using some strange calculations to get them on the right path.
They’d had to travel the long way because of the strange device on board, and he was praying they didn’t encounter any Hedgerud fighters on the way.
He was sure their ship couldn’t take a second battle, but more than that, he didn’t want to put Keh-reh-nah in danger any more than he already had.
His eyes moved over her as she lay on her back on the now-reclined seat.
To his right, V’Alen remained silent.
For once, his comrade didn’t make any comments, though Ajos was sure the cyborg knew exactly what happened between him and Keh-reh-nah in that forest.
Even if the cyborg asked, though, he wouldn’t answer.
But, he was beginning to get worried.
He’d stopped to slip her tunic over her before he’d reached the ship and her skin had felt warm, unnaturally so.
He didn’t know much about humans, but he didn’t think she had a mating heat and he was sure his couldn’t have catalyzed one in her.
Possibly, she had a fever.
A very high one.
She wasn’t moving either and her breaths were beginning to come rapidly.
“Push the engine to the max,” he said to V’Alen. “I think something is wrong with Keh-reh-nah.”
V’Alen glanced behind him and jerked his head in a nod.
For the next three day and night cycles, Ajos did what he could to tend to Keh-reh-nah in the back of the ship.
He tried to cool her down with damp cloths, but nothing seemed to be working.
Nothing within the first aid kit seemed to be having an effect either.
She wasn’t waking up, she was burning up, breathing strangely…it all sent fear deep down within him.
He’d been too rough, taken too much from her.
In his need, he’d gone too far.
He’d
