She followed him into the lab, looking around curiously as he rifled through the drawers.
“This looks like a doctor’s office.”
“Yehss.”
“What are you looking for? A way to finish healing your leg?”
It hasn’t occurred to him, but it was a good idea. There had been no sign of the testers, but if he needed to confront them physically, he would prefer to be in top shape. It might also help to reassure her if he was the first to use the medical bed, he decided as he finally located a translation implant.
He limped over to the bed and climbed in.
“What are you doing?”
“Wahch.”
He triggered the healing function and the bed began to glow a soft pink. A warm gel oozed up from the base of the bed and enclosed his leg. The warmth increased until it verged on the edge of uncomfortable, then rapidly subsided. The gel parted, then slipped back into the bed.
His leg looked as good as new, only the faintest ring left to indicate the original bite.
“That’s amazing,” Jayn exclaimed, leaning down to stroke her soft little fingers over the newly healed skin. “It doesn’t hurt anymore?”
Not only did it not hurt but the feel of her hands on him was having the inevitable effect on his cock. Her eyes widened as she saw him harden.
“I guess not,” she murmured.
For a moment, he was tempted to forget their problems and lose himself in her sweet body, but there would be time for that later. He hoped.
“Yor tuhrn.”
Jane took a step back as Tarax indicated the medical bed he’d just left. “Me? Why? There’s nothing wrong with me.”
He held up a small, clear device, no larger than a dime. “Trans-layt.”
“Translate? You mean that will help me understand you?”
He nodded, and she took a step towards him. She still wasn’t thrilled about using alien technology, but the thought of being to understand him completely was a powerful incentive.
“You’re sure it will work on humans?” she asked nervously.
“Ev-ree-wuhn,” he said firmly.
Her pulse fluttered rapidly, but she couldn’t believe that Tarax would ever allow her to come to harm. She gave a reluctant nod and he rewarded her with a white flash of fang.
After helping her up on the bed, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then placed the small device on her wrist.
“What’s going to happen now? Oh!”
More gel emerged from the bed, pale green this time, and enveloped her wrist before she could pull away.
It didn’t hurt, but she didn’t like the feeling of being restrained and shot Tarax a panicked look.
“Fien,” he said gently. “Kwik.”
Sure enough, the gel began to withdraw a few seconds later. There was no sign of the device on her wrist and when she ran a finger over the place where it had been, she felt only her own skin.
“Jane,” Tarax said, but she was too busy examining her wrist to respond.
“This is amazing.”
“Jane,” he repeated. “Can you understand me?”
She could, she realized with delight. Although she could still hear the underlying growl of his voice, the meaning of those sounds was quite clear. Even her name sounded different, more like the way she would pronounce it.
“I can! And you can—well, I guess you already understood me, didn’t you?”
“The implant helped me to learn, but it is clearer now.” He hesitated, then spoke in a heated rush. “I love you, Jane. I know you might not feel the same way -”
“Of course I do.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I already told you once. When you bit me.”
His eyes snapped to the mark on her neck. “When I had the fever?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so sorry I did not remember.”
She smiled through her tears. “It doesn’t matter. Now we both know how we feel and we’re together.”
She took a step towards him, and a clear barrier dropped down from the ceiling, separating them on opposite sides of the room.
Chapter Fourteen
Taraxan pounded on the barrier but it refused to budge. Mr. Tiddles chittered anxiously, also pawing at the clear material.
Jane’s eyes were wide and terrified. “What’s happening?”
“We will not allow you to waste any more time on this foolishness, Commander Bellkandis.” The mechanical voice of his tester echoed in the small room, and this time he could see that Jane understood. “It is time for you to return to your duties. The female will remain here.”
“No,” he growled, and Jane echoed his protest.
“If you do not, you will both be destroyed.”
Jane gave a muffled sob. “You can’t do that.”
“We can and we will.” The voice seemed to soften fractionally. “Once he has departed, you will be released.”
“You cannot expect her to survive on her own,” he protested.
“I… I’ll be fine. And at least I’ll know you’re safe.” Tears still streamed down her cheeks, but she tried to smile at him.
By the Swords, what was he going to do? He had absolutely no intention of leaving her behind. He would rather stay here with her than leave without her. But what if he couldn’t leave…
Would the testers still carry out their threat?
It was a gamble he was willing to take. He would rather die here than exist without her.
He placed his open hand against his side of the barrier, and she mirrored the gesture, her hand impossibly small in comparison.
“Trust me,” he whispered. “I love you, Jane.”
“I love you too. Taraxan.” She carefully pronounced his full name, but he shook his head.
“I will always be Tarax to you.”
He forced himself to draw away. “Stay with her,” he ordered Mr. Tiddles, then took off at a run.
The doors to the hangar were open now, and he paused long enough to examine them. Good. They were standard blast doors, designed to shield the rest of the building from any accidents with a ship in the hangar. A fierce grin crossed
