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“I don’t understand.”

“We can repair cells in the central nervous system up to a point. Your son was placed in stasis to prevent further decay of his cells, and the damage to his body was repaired. All the damage. It is as though he was never injured.”

Kahn watched Anna’s eyes grow bigger with each word. “Impossible,” she breathed again. “What you’re suggesting is totally impossible.”

“We’ve been perfecting the technique for a thousand years. I assure you, it is very possible.”

“Have you seen him?”

“Only in his stasis chamber. Once we get to Gothe’mar, and you are present, Medical Command will bring him out of stasis and you will have your son back.”

“But, if he’s okay, why keep him in stasis?”

“It will be less traumatic for Alex. Sometimes there is a brief pain when the cells of the body are, for lack of a better term, jump-started. He will want his mother.”

Anna smiled. Then she burst into tears once again. “Oh, Kahn. I can’t believe I could be getting my son back! Even if I don’t, just getting to see him again will bring me peace.” She sniffed, wiped her nose, then pinned him with blazing blue eyes. “If you’re lying to me, Kahn, I’ll kill you.”

Kahn did his best to block his amusement. She was truly Gothe’maran in nature. Holding her gently, he kissed the top of her head. “All will be well,tarae. Trust me.”

She looked up at him, her gaze calculating. “I will. For now.”

Chapter Three

Still wrapped in the bed sheet, Anna walked around the stark room where she and Kahn had been staying since he had taken her from Earth. The only furniture seemed to be the large bed and a small table with one chair. There were two doors, one of which was open, the room beyond it dark. The color scheme was a colorful gray, dark gray and more gray. Even the bedclothes were gray. There appeared to be bare steel for floor, walls and ceiling with only a thin rug for carpeting. The only sound was a quiet but ever-present roar.

“How long before we get to my son?”

“TheKol’cha, my flagship, is the fastest ever built. We should arrive at Gothe’mar in about ten hours.”

“Once we get there, when will I get my son back?”

Kahn smiled gently at her. “We will go straight to Medical Command. It will take several hours for them to complete the restabilization process, but we will be there for all of it if you wish.”

“I wish. Definitely.”

Trust him. Those words were so easy to say, yet so hard to do. What could she do? Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine she’d get her son back. Now the only way that was going to happen was if this man decided to take her to him.

She continued to quietly pace the room. Finally deciding she needed a bath, she turned to Kahn. “I need to clean up. Is there a shower I can use?”

Kahn looked at her for a long moment, as though sizing her up. “There is a bath. Let me show you.”

He led her to the open door, and the lights came on when she stepped over the threshold. There was no toilet, but a huge, oval shaped pool surrounded by exotic, very colorful plants -- the only color in the whole place.

“Thank you,” she said, and turned her back on him, expecting him to leave. She wasn’t surprised, though, when she felt his large hand on her bare shoulder.

“Anna,” he whispered, hoarsely. She knew he was hurting. He tried to hide it with smiles and kindnesses but she knew he desperately wanted her to trust him. To love him. Part of her did. But another part of her knew that he could have found her at any time and brought her son to her.

Shrugging him off, she climbed into the water, and slid beneath until only her head remained above it. He turned to leave, and she had intended to let him go, but the thought of being alone was unbearable. “Wait.”

He half turned to her, his expressionless face grating on her nerves. Why couldn’t the man just fucking say what was on his mind!

“Because it’s not in my nature. But I will try to be more open with you.”

She forced a breath of air out of her lungs in frustration. “Then why don’t you just tell me what you want from me? I can’t feel you, and I can’t read your expression… you’re going to have to give me a little help here.”

He took a step toward her. Okay, so it was more like he was stalking her than simply moving in her direction, but she tried to ignore that.

“I want you,tarae. I want your body and your mind. Your soul already belongs to me, but I want you to acknowledge it freely.”

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