Page 26 of Forbidden

Neighborhood Watch (Forbidden 2)

?Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Action Romance

Marteeka Karland

Impossible Choices…

Mikkarn and Kiril both want the same woman, but even though they have shared women in the past, haveneededto share, this is one woman each of them wants to possess -- by himself.

Mara, an Earth doctor studying under Mikkarn, is drawn to both men, but her sense of propriety simply will not let her accept what her heritage tells her is wrong. How can she love two men at the same time? Desperately needing each man’s touch, she gradually come to the realization that neither man alone will do. She wants them both!

Can a soul have more than one mate -- or is itforbidden?

??Chapter One

“Mikkarn, over there,” Kiril whispered, pointing to a small group of humans working frantically on a badly wounded man in the crowded refugee center.

“By the Universe! His whole belly’s been blown away.” Mikkarn winced as he glanced back at his boyhood friend, now bodyguard. “Our Earth contact will have to wait. Time is of the essence.”

Kiril cleared the way through the chaos and filth so Mikkarn could scan the man’s abdomen -- or what was left of it -- for a quick assessment of the injuries.

“Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing to my patient?” A tiny woman stepped between Mikkarn and the dying man.

“Doctor Mikkarn Tovel. I am in charge of the relief sent from Gothe’mar by Medical Command. This,” he gestured to Kiril, “is Commander Kiril Cha’marn, my bodyguard.”

“It’s about damn time! I’m Doctor Mara Jenson. We’ve been expecting you for days.” She turned back to her patient. Digging in her jacket pocket, which bulged with its contents, she came out with a pair of small scissors. “I’m your contact and Earth representative. I’ll take care of the paperwork later. Right now, I need your help.” Mara cut away bits of the man’s shirt and Mikkarn saw there were actually two wounds, though one was much larger than the other.

Mikkarn moved his scanner over the man again. His wounds were fatal. The healing tube wouldn’t be ready in time to save him. Still, Mikkarn had to try. He barked a sharp set of instructions into the communicator at his throat.

Not getting the results he wanted, he backed away from the patient and spoke with a deadly calm. “We don’thavea few minutes. Get the computers onlinenow.”

The man’s vital signs were failing, fast. Mikkarn was losing this battle.

Without warning, the man screamed, a blood-curling howl that raised the hair on the back of Mikkarn’s neck. A bright red fountain of blood erupted from the gaping wound, and Mara and her staff scrambled in an effort to stem the flow.

“I told you to hold pressure!” Mara snapped. Grabbing a nearby towel, she pressed it to the man’s abdomen and looked over her shoulder at Mikkarn. “Are you going to stand there, or do something?” Her vivid green eyes pierced him straight to his soul.

“We are making the final preparations. I can transport him directly into the tube in five minutes.”

“This guy doesn’t have five minutes!”

Mikkarn moved closer to do an intensive scan of the man’s brain. Kiril had not interfered until this point, but he placed a restraining hand on Mikkarn’s shoulder. “Kiril, I need an exact reading of neurological decay.” Not saying anything, Kiril backed off.

“There is a steady drop in brain function.” Mikkarn made eye contact with Mara again and winced at the anger he saw there. “He’s losing too much blood to maintain oxygen levels.”

Her disgusted snort actually caused a physical ache in his chest. Why her opinion of him mattered at all was beyond reasoning.

“No shit. You think?” Mara drawled as she dug into another pocket and handed a roll of tape to the woman next to her.

“Sarcasm isn’t helping.” His reply was harsher than he intended and his anger self-directed. He had absolutely no idea what to do before technology took over. His patient was dying right before his eyes.

“You’re the one with god-like medical knowledge. Do something!” Mara’s desperate accusation hung between them. Mikkarn hated to admit there was nothing he could do until the computers were linked and engaged.

“Not without the proper equipment,” he replied tightly.

Mara looked at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

No matter how much she affected him, her mouth was getting on his nerves. “Do your job. I’ll do mine. You keep blood and oxygen going where it’s supposed to and I’ll get the computers ready to operate the healing tube.”

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