Saving Sara: Warriors Of Kelon Book 5 (4 page)

“You are cold.”

She was always cold, but not
when he touched her.

This can’t be right. I can’t
be attracted to this alien.

Still, she leaned into him,
inhaling his spicy masculine scent and pressing her head against his chest.

She felt the pressure of his
arms sliding around her back, tugging her even closer to his hardened, muscled
body. Warmth seeped into her skin and through to her bones. Warm and safe, it
was a haven she never wanted to leave.

“I have quarters arranged for
you. Are you feeling well enough to leave my healer’s bay?”

His chest vibrated when he
spoke, tickling her ear pressed against it, while she listened to the soothing
rhythm of his strong heartbeat. She nodded against his chest, not wanting to speak.

“Also, Te-Commander
Rell
will want to speak with you, but if you do not feel up
to his questions, you must say so.”

“I’ll do whatever you think
is best.” She placed her chin on his chest and gazed up at him.

“We shall get you settled,
then.” He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he stared at her.

Slowly, he pulled away and
again she grieved the loss of his warmth. He snatched the blanket draped over
the end of the medical bed, drawing it around her shoulders. “Come, time to get
you up. Can you walk?”

He lifted her off the table
and set her on her feet.

“Um, I think so.”

The ship’s cool metal
vibrated beneath her bare feet. She took a step and almost collapsed, not
realizing how weak she really was. She couldn’t remember the last time she
walked anywhere. She had been made to crawl, writhe and beg like an animal.
Solron’s
strong arm gripped her around her waist before she
crumbled to the floor.

“Easy, star shine, your legs
will strengthen again.
Small steps.”

He supported the bulk of her
weight, while she took small steps towards the door, watching it slide open.
They moved out into the corridor.

The same
Kelon
man, who said he was her guard, stood by the door. He glanced down at her,
offering her a friendly smile. He didn’t seem as scary as before, despite being
over six feet five with shoulders broader than a body builder on steroids.

Be brave, they swore not
to hurt you.
She believed them.

“Do not be afraid of
Borlon
. He has been appointed your guard.”

“I won the duty.” He grinned.
“It is a great privilege to guard a human woman. I am most sorry if I frightened
you.”

“Um, it’s okay. Why do I need
a guard? I thought you said I was safe?” Her eyes sought
Solron’s
.

“You are safe. Human women
are much desired as wives on
Kelon
.
Borlon
will make sure no one gives you any unwanted
attention,”
Solron
explained.

“Oh.” Warmth flooded up into
her cheeks.

Rape was one torment she’d been
spared during her incarceration with the
Xersons
.
Being told bluntly she was incapable of breeding, they hadn’t bothered with
her, but found many other ways to torture her for their amusement.

Don’t think about it
anymore, I’m free and I’m safe.

Borlon
chuckled softly. “You are small and frail. I doubt we
will draw much interest from many
Kelon
males.”

She felt
Solron
stiffen beside her.

What did
Borlon
mean by that?
Confused, she looked up at
Solron
for an
explanation.

“Do not mind
Borlon
, he should learn to keep his mouth closed and do his
duty,”
Solron
snapped, clearly irritated.

Solron
bent and picked her up. She hooked her arm around his
shoulder and he carried her down the corridor. She peered over his shoulder to
see
Borlon
following at a distance, his face twisted
down in a fierce frown.

“I don’t understand. What
kind of woman draws attention from
Kelon
males?”

She nibbled on her lower lip,
wondering why
Solron
was so tense.
Why did
Borlon’s
words bother him?

Breeder
, the word clicked into her brain. She often heard the
Xersons
talk about the lack of females who could
breed.

Although every kindness was
shown to her by the
Kelons
, she began to think maybe
they held the same agenda as the
Xersons
. She also
remembered
Solron
mentioning he’d helped birth babies
to human women living on his planet.

It all started to make sense.
Solron
was a doctor and no doubt word spread about
her inability to have children.

The ache in her chest grew at
knowing she was frail, unable to breed and useless. She couldn’t understand why
they bothered to help her.

So lost in her thoughts, she
didn’t notice where
Solron
carried her until he came
to a standstill.

“These are your quarters for
the rest of the journey.”

He bent and placed her on a
bed, laying her back against the pillows.

“You are free to move around
the ship, but make sure your guard is always with you.”

Sara glanced about the room.
The bed was firm, but softer than a stone floor and the reddish, earthy-colored
sheets were like silk under her fingers. The walls were a sandy color, with
inch-thick silver lines.

Solron
stepped away from her and the bed, his mouth still
turned down in a frown. The numbing cold seeped back into her skin, sinking
right through into her soul. She lowered her eyes, struggling to hide the pain
of her emotions and push down the rising panic.

He didn’t need a constant
shadow, or to pander to her insecurities.

“You are tired, so I will let
you rest. The bathing chamber is just through the other door. Let
Borlon
know if you need anything.”

He was going to leave and she
would again be alone. Panic swelled in her chest, she didn’t what him to leave.

“Will you be alright until I
return?”

No! Don’t leave me alone.

She swallowed and nodded.
“Thank you.” She rolled onto her side and squeezed her eyes shut.

Not alone, not alone, not—

The soft hiss of the door let
her know he was gone. Sheer panic swamped her, and she struggled to draw
breath, feeling as if someone were squeezing her throat while standing on her
chest. She gasped for breath. Once it started to pass, she crawled off the bed
and into the nearest small corner. Fear spread through her like claws, digging
in deep, again squeezing the breath from her body. She wrapped her arms around
her legs and started to rock.
Alone…always alone.

She sobbed softly into her
hands.

* * * *

Solron
stood still in the hallway of the ship, a frisson
running up his spine. He struggled hard to control the reaction of his body and
his desire for her. His pants were tight, his skin overheated and his fingers
itched with wanting to touch her in more ways than as a professional.

He retreated as quickly as
possible and did not register the subtle signs of her struggling to hold in her
panic, her drooped shoulders, the way she avoided his gaze and the soft crack
in her voice.

She was bone thin, but still
her beauty shone through, touching him deep within and making him burn hotter
than the fire pits of
Elron
.

“Damn fire demons!”

“Healer?”

He turned his head to spare
Borlon
a glance.

“I meant no offense before.
You know as well as I the human women on
Kelon
are,
well more—”

Solron’s
eyes narrowed on the warrior, who was taller,
broader, and thick-headed. “I know the type of women on
Kelon
.
Sara has been starved and tortured to near death by the
Xersons
and you want to add to her injuries by your thoughtless words.”

“I did not realize. I did not
mean my words in such a way. I would tear her tormenters apart for what they
did to a helpless innocent, I—”

“It matters not.”
Solron
turned on his boot, slapping his hand over the door
panel.

A quick glance around the room
showed she was not on the bed where he left her. The sounds of her sobs reached
his ears.

Walking around the bed, he
found her curled up on the floor in a corner. Her small hands covered her face
while she wept.

Helplessness swamped him. He
would tear his own heart out and give it to her, if it would ease her inner
pain. Trained to heal physical injuries, but not to heal the inner ones, he did
not know what to do.

He wanted to protect her from
everything, take away her fears, make her smile and kiss her soft, red lips.
Have her look at him like…like what?
His
corami
?

He shook his head at such
foolish thoughts. He was not a warrior and she was…human, frail and unable to
breed. His father would not approve.
Solron
frowned;
now he was thinking like
Borlon
. Silently, he cursed
again.

He drew closer and crouched
down, perched on the balls of his feet. He realized his hand trembled when he
reached for her.

“Sara, star shine, it is
alright. I am here.”
And I always will be, for as long as I can.
He kept
his voice low and soft, not wanting to startle or frighten her.

She glanced up. Her
silvery-blue eyes were bright with her tears. They were breathtaking, beautiful
and so full of torment.

She launched herself forward,
throwing herself at him.
Solron
closed his arms
around her, pulling her tight against his larger body. Gently, he stroked her
hair. Every time he held her, he could not stop thinking of how well she fit against
him.

“I cannot read your mind,
tell me what you need from me. Tell me what to do to make it better.”

“I-I don’t want…” She
hiccupped. “…want to be left alone, I’m…I’m frightened of being alone, of the
darkness.”

Solron
would not leave her here alone. She would stay with
him—
always
. He pushed himself up, keeping her in his arms. She snuggled
deeper, her face against his chest and her eyes closed. She was more than his
patient. He felt a deeper responsibility to care for her in every way.
Mine
.
She was his.

With quick steps, he walked
from the quarters and marched through the ship, ignoring the questioning
glances of the warriors he passed.

Borlon
jogged behind them, trying to keep up. “Healer, where
are you going? This is not the way to the healer’s bay.”

“Sara will stay with me until
she feels well enough to be on her own. Inform the commander. I will talk with
him later, when she is sufficiently rested. I am not to be disturbed until
then, unless there is an emergency.”

“But you cannot. You are an unmated
male!” protested
Borlon
. “The commander will—”

Solron
ignored
Borlon
. The whoosh
of the door cut off
Borlon’s
words.

Solron
would deal with the commander later. Right now he
needed to see to Sara.

“You will never be alone
again, star shine.” He laid her on the center of the bed, which dipped under
his weight when he sat down. He unclipped his boots,
then
tugged them off, and they landed with a loud clunk on the metal floor. A wisp
sounded in the room from him swiftly removing his belt and tossing it aside,
before peeling off his shirt.

“W-what are you doing?”

He turned his head to glance
down at Sara, her eyes wide. She stared at his body. There was no fear, but
clearly she was nervous; her small, white teeth bit down on her lower lip,
darkening slightly from her self-abuse.

Solron
twisted, lying down, before rolling onto his side. He
reached up, catching her chin with his finger,
then
gently
running his thumb along her bruised lower lip. No more abuse, no more pain. He
would see to it, to everything.

“You need to sleep, Sara. Lie
down. I will not let anyone harm you.”

He watched her expressive
face, the down turn of her lips and slight furrow in her forehead, while she
pondered what to do. Slowly she laid her head on the pillow. Her silvery-blue
gaze—filled with trust—met his. A trust he would never ever betray.