Page 30 of Her Alien Savior
“I will remember this day,” I told them. At least, I’d hoped I would. I never went into stasis while my glands were not fully recovered before, but a warrior’s glands healed our body fast enough that the effects of the stasis chamber were not the same as with other species.
“Good, if you do, then meet us at the shuttle dock. We’re going planet-side before they have a chance to send Riley. If you don’t, then don’t worry about it. We have a plan, and Riley will sleep through all of it,” Ashley snapped her fingers and pointed to the door, “Let’s get back to our pods before they can change the protocols on the stasis chambers. Won’t matter if they change the codes back, once a program is activated in stasis, they can’t alter it on our pods without waking us.”
She was a remarkable human, I thought, and Riley was either very lucky to have such a tribe mate, or like my own case with Chuel and Sylve, both remarkable necia warriors with such a focus on their goals that all else ceases to exist. No cost too high.
Perhaps I should stay awake and make sure the humans reached their shuttle when we made it to Trillume? I could ask her about her tribe, and if she agreed with this plan of theirs.
One after the other the human tribe climbed into their stasis pods and I watched as the gasses filled the chambers, tubes injected into their delicate skin to prepare them for the fluid that would consume them within the next rising. The system would double check all their vitals, protocols for health and when to wake them before fully submerging them for stasis. If any adverse reactions or vital signs showed concern the stasis would stop, and they would simply remain asleep for an engineer to come and address the concerns. Once the chamber filled with the gel there was no turning back for at least a few turns of the blue star.
They were so certain the tech wizhard’s programs would work the way they planned, and their mission would save Riley, save their planet, and by default save Necias Prime.
My hearts jumped in my chest and I turned to see Nen-Le in the entrance to our stasis hold with Riley in her arms.
“I see you’ve dealt with the humans,” she said with a smile.
I nodded, thinking that was best that she didn’t know the full story of what the tribe of humans were up to. Perhaps Chuel and the security team wouldn’t see the need to double check the protocols on their pods. It wasn’t like I had the capability of reprogramming them like the swift fingers of the one called Ashley. What reason did they have to suspect?
Everything in me ached seeing Riley’s form curled up in Nen-Le’s arms. I stared at her closed eyes, and the soft rise and fall of her delicate chest. She was asleep… did she use more venom on her? I growled in warning.
“Calm down,” she quipped. “Our little mate is fine, and my plan to restore Necias Prime and your command is on track.” I lifted a brow at this and scrutinized her every twitch and expression for signs that she was lying to me. It would not be dishonorable to lie to a warrior that was not worthy of the honor of truth, and if she was with Chuel and Sylve… I could be seen as undeserving.
“Speak plainly,” I pressed.
“She is ours, Vox Direl of the House of Rel, the first house of Necias Prime after the fall of Sylve, and the House of Delta-Fal.”
“I do not accept your claim on my mate, even with the full force of the House of Vomxel behind you. She is not merely any mate, she is my Pulsunne by right,” I gritted through clenched teeth.
“It does not change my claim, even if you are to be king, I will not change my mind on this.”
I roared with frustration, and I knew then my glands were pulsing adrenaline through my veins at the gall of her claim. “You cannot come between us if she claims me before our tribe!”
Nen-Le smiled with a gleam in her eye. “My King, I have no intention of coming between you but with you… with her.”
Bewildered by her words I chuffed what I knew she understood and yet denied, “I will not be claimed by another. You may seek a mate with any warrior, they will not deny you.” Once we found our Pulsunne, there was no other mate for us. The need to take Riley from her arms, and once she woke prove to Nen-Le, prove to all my tribe who could be the only one to please her, to bring her spawn, to give of myself to, and to bare my unne mark. Riley was everything to me. I had no need of another mate now that I’ve found the one that awakened my hearts.
“I have no need of you in that way, I will not touch you. Being touched by someone not your Pulsunne is a painful thing,” she spoke as if she felt this for herself. Her eyes landed on Riley’s face and she nudged a stray strand of beautiful chestnut hair away with her nose that made my skin ache to do the same. She touched her so tenderly, so…
I stilled, my eyes widening with recognition. So, like myself when I’m around my mate…
“You are not claiming Pulsunne with the same mate…”
Nen-Le licked her lips and smiled, showing me her fangs.
“You don’t know,” she spoke softly. “No one did. We were going to tell you before your claiming ceremony that it would be a packaged deal. Why do you think I followed you on your boring missions across the galaxy, Direl? Seira-Le was mine, as I was hers. Whoever either of us choose would be our spawning mate. To know that we are both bonded brings me a peace and honor that I followed the goddess’s will by staying close with you. Perhaps my essence knew you would lead me back to her before it was time for my mind to catch up.”
“You are speaking in riddle, Nen-Le. Riley is not Seira-El…”
Nen-Le stepped closer, and lifted Riley’s head for me to gaze upon her. My arms opened up to accept my mate from her, not thinking clearly about why she would just hand her over. Then I heard the hiss of her sinking her fangs into my shoulder, her venom numbing my epul before I could push them out in defense. “Fuck,” I used the curse of my mate’s tongue as I held her in my arms for what I knew would only be moments as the venom went straight to my hearts and pumped out to my limbs, numbing along the way.
“Seira-Le’s essence is in our Riley, and you will not dismiss her truth again. They are the same, always, forever more, the same. She is mine, and if she wishes for you to be our mate then I will find a way to forgive you. Sleep, Direl. When you wake, you’ll have a few rotations of the blue star to be worthy of being claimed by her. After that, I will not be parted from her for longer, and king or not, I will fight you for her.”
Then my head slouched against my mate’s, and I breathed in her scent deeply as I mentally begged her to forgive me for not seeing this threat sooner. I’m so sorry, Pulsunne. If Seira-Le was Nen-Le’s Pulsunne, then even the smallest similarities would break a warrior’s spirit. She is not well, and I did not see it soon enough. Losing a Pulsunne was unbearable. I couldn’t imagine living without mine now that I’d found her. I would fight for her.
Wait for me, I thought as Nen-Le grabbed her from my arms before I collapsed to my knees.
Chapter fifteen
Riley
