Page 52 of Alien Protector's Mate

The corridors blurred around him as he carried her. How had he missed what she was? All the signs had been there, and he’d just been too stupid and wrapped up in his own troubles to see them. She was too small and finely boned to be an adult male. As soon as she’d revealed her age, he should have suspected. It was a miracle that she’d even… draanth, how had she managed to hide her true identity to get aboard the station? Questions whirled through his mind, stopping him from dwelling on the worst of them.

Would she survive the injuries inflicted by M’lak’s brutal attack?

He burst into the medical bay, Z’yan hot on his heels, startling the on-duty staff.

“I need a diagnostic bed!” he barked, only to have the staff guide him to an empty bay. Gently, he laid the unconscious female down. His hands moved with practiced ease, activating the bed’s scanners to begin the examination.

“S’aad,” Z’yan said behind him, concern evident in his tone. “What can I do?”

“Find out everything you can about her,” S’aad replied without looking up, his focus entirely on his patient. “Check the security footage to find out when she arrived on the station andwhere she came from. Find out who she is, and if she has any family, everything.”

As Z’yan nodded and left the bay, S’aad allowed himself to look, really look, at the woman before him. Without the baggy clothes and careful posture, it was draanthing obvious she was female.

He watched the bed’s reports as it scanned her body, his healer training taking over. Her face was pale, the delicate features contorted in pain even as she lay motionless. A trickle of blood had escaped her lips, staining the gentle curve of her cheek. He wanted to reach out and clean it away, but he couldn’t while the bed was running its scans. As soon as it snapped off, he was there, a soft cloth in his hand to clean her skin gently, but then a soft cheep from the bed warned him of a problem.

“Draanth, her vitals are dropping.” He moved to the side of the bed, peeling back her outer layers so he could check her abdomen. The sickening moment she’d hit the reception desk played over and over in his mind. “There’s internal bleeding.”

Kellat, the station’s lead healer, was already at his side, his expression calm and level. “I’ve secured the area and sent for additional medical personnel. What can I do to help?”

S’aad flicked a glance at him as he unhooked the bed from its cradle and activated the antigrav units. “I need to operate. Can you prep the theater for me?”

The lead healer inclined his head and disappeared. S’aad started to push the bed out of the bay, but a soft moan stopped him in his tracks. In a heartbeat, he was back at the side of the bed as Jay’s eyes fluttered open.

“S’aad?” Her voice was weak, a mere whisper that sent a jolt through him.

“I’m here,” he murmured, his voice gentle. “You’re safe now. I promise.”

Her eyes locked on to his, dark and unfocused. Then, like a weight too heavy to bear, her eyelids dropped, and she slipped into unconsciousness again.

S’aad’s jaw tightened as he quickened his pace.

“I’ve got you,kelarris,” he murmured. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

S’aad stoodin the operating theater, watching as Jay’s bed was put into position and locked into place. A swift glance to the monitors reassured him that her condition was holding steady… for now.

He held his arms out at his sides as two technicians fitted the neural link gauntlets over his hands, fastening the straps over his wrists as his gaze returned to Jay on the bed.

Fresh bruises marred his…herskin, some almost faded, but others still darkened. Deep bruises. Older scars covered her skin, peeking through the torn clothing. His jaw tightened. She’d been abused. But by who?

“She’s prepped and ready, S’aad,” Kellat’s gruff voice pulled him from dark thoughts of tracking down who had hurt Jay…his Jayand back into the moment.

He inclined his head. “Thank you.”

Rather than leave the theater, the lead healer paused, “S’aad, I’m really not comfortable about you doing this surgery.”

“I’m more than capable of performing this operation, Kellat,” he growled, fighting to keep his voice level.

“You’re too close to the situation,” Kellat insisted, narrowing his eyes. “Your judgment is compromised.”

“My judgment is fine,” he snapped, pinning Kellat with a hard look. They didn’t have time for this. Every second counted.“Need I remind you that my trial scores were among the highest ever seen at the healer’s hall? I may not be listed as a healer but I am more than capable.”

And he outranked Kellat, but he didn’t say that. He didn’t need to. Kellat inclined his head and stepped backward. “Your patient.”

“Neural interface ready. Surgical unit online,” an assistant murmured. No one in the room had said a thing as the senior healers argued, not wanting to get involved.

S’aad nodded, steeling himself.

“Link me,” he ordered, his voice steadier than he felt.

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