Page 12 of Craving Stardust

“Go to my ship and obtain the medical kit strapped beneath the seat on the bridge.”

“Your ship’s in my barn. I brought it here while you slept.” She nodded. “II can do that. The bridge must be the small area you were inside when I found you.”

“Yes,”

“You…” Her breath rushed out. “You need to stay here. Don’t get up.”

“My leg hurts too much to get up.”

“You did last night.”

“I won’t get up.”

“Alright.” She watched me for a long moment. “Promise. I mean it.”

My low laugh rang out. “I promise.”

Her lips curled up, and my hearts flipped over. My mate was beautiful, with rich golden hair and blue eyes, plus a lushly curvaceous shape I ached to hold again in my arms. What would she think if I told her we were fated to love each other for a lifetime and beyond? I didn’t know if this planet produced fated mates or if they paired or not, and now wasn’t the time to ask.

“I’ll be right back.” She left before I could say anything else.

I tried to remain still. Each subtle movement sent bolts of agony up my leg, straight to my brain. If I didn’t hold on, I’d pass out. And I worried about her. What threats did this world hold? I wanted to be upright, protecting her.

Thankfully, she returned quickly, holding the kit up. “Got it.” She lowered the metal box onto the bed beside me.

I engaged the opening sequence, and the lid slid back, folding within itself, leaving the supplies exposed.

“This will help me heal faster.” I held up a regeneration disc. It was clear I’d fractured my leg. Iris had crafted a rudimentary splint, and I could see she’d done what she could to straighten the limb for healing, but I couldn’t lie here on the bed for long.

She’d mentioned authorities finding me. Capturing me. Potentially harming me. I needed to be upright and with a weapon in my hand if they arrived. No, I needed to leave before they arrived.

I held the disc over my wounded limb and engaged it. A beam flashed from it, impacting with my leg, and I couldn’t suppress my groan.

“Are you alright?” She came close to the bed, clutching her hands to her throat.

“The regeneration disc is fusing my bones back together.”

“So quickly?”

“It hurts, but it’s a necessary pain.” I grunted. “It itches too.”

“Don’t . . .” Her hand stretched out but she snatched it back, and she flashed me a tight smile. “I was going to say don’t hurt yourself, but that sounds silly.”

“I understand.”

Biting down on her lower lip, she nodded.

When the light blinked out, I untied the bandages holding the strip of wood against my limb, and she took them from me, holding them against her chest.

I flexed my leg, barely wincing at the tender pull. With a nod, I dropped the spent disc into the kit where it would replenish and slumped back on the bed, worn out already.

“Wow,” she said. “That… I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Healing discs are amazing.”

“It really knit your broken bone back together?”

“Partly.”

---