Page 20 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

"Right." He squeezed the pillow tighter. "I just want to know I'm not a risk to the whole ship."

I brushed a tear from my cheek and realised I was crying. "Of course. We'll do everything we can to make sure you're not, and that you're not at risk. There are only three, how hard can they be to deal with?"

There might have been one at first. In the time we'd spent on Dendra Station, that one became three.

"Yes, I suppose." He didn't look like he believed a word of it, but he was trying not to give in to his darkest fears. "You should close the door."

I should, but damn it, I didn't want to. He didn't deserve to be shut away from the rest of the ship, alone with three tiny parasitic nanobots which would invade his brain and change him if we let them.

Wewouldn'tlet them. Whatever it took, we'd purge them.

Regretfully, I stepped back and watched the door slide shut, blocking him from view. I could watch him on a screen on the wall, but instead I turned to the doctor.

"Doctor—"

"Mazic," she supplied.

"Doctor Mazic, is there a chance the nanobots could be surgically removed?"

"Judging by the scan, they move quickly," she said after a few moments of thought. "We may damage him if we were to chase them about his body. However, in the absence of another option, we may have to consider it."

I nodded. "I understand." The only ways I knew to neutralise them was time outside the body and a laser hand cannon. The cannon would do more damage to Danec than the nanobots, so that didn't even factor on the 'maybe' list.

"You are close to him?" the doctor asked. Her expression gave away nothing of her thoughts. She might be curious, or she may wonder why a hot guy like him would care about someone like me.

"Very close." I ran a hand through my ragged ponytail of curls. "He has to be okay." I wasn't prepared to face any other option, not yet. I would cling to hope with an iron grip and not let go unless there was no choice. Even then, they'd have to drag it out of my fingers.

I turned to look at the screen. Danec lay on the bed, his back to the camera. From the look of it, he still held the pillow in his arms. He was very still. So still I glanced at the monitor which showed his life signs.

Like the one Slek used to recognise him, it flicked between living and not existing.

Limbo.

I swallowed back the choked feeling in my throat before emotion overcame me entirely. I wanted to curl myself into a ball and cry, or better yet, wind myself around Danec and not let go until Doctor Mazic, and whoever else, rid him of the parasites.

I schooled myself into taking long, slow breaths and calmed myself. Hysterics wouldn't help Danec. Only cool heads would.

"Go and tell the ship's command," Mazic said, soft but firm. "Remember your training. Remain focused."

Right. But my training included not getting attached to patients. It was far too late for that. Well then, I would have to fake it, or they wouldn't let me near him. That would break the last of my resolve into a thousand tiny pieces.

I drew myself up. "Yes, Doctor. I won't be too long." I gave a perfectly professional nod, straightened my back and walked from the infirmary so quickly my skirt swished with each step.

A chunk of my heart stayed behind.

6

Technically non-command personneland passengers weren't allowed in the command area, but fuck that. This was important.

I flashed a dazzling smile at a pair of security guards and swept my palm past the identification pad beside them. It beeped and flashed yellow.

"What is your business here?" one of the guards asked. Their badge read, 'Farnx' and I wasn't sure what species or sex they might be. Their skin looked like it was carved from a lump of jade and they had no hair anywhere I could see. A Dendran, they must have come on board at the station too.

"I need to speak to one of the commanders," I replied. I almost added, 'or the captain' but better she hear about Danec from a commander than lowly little me.

"About?" Farnx asked.

"It's a medical matter," I replied. "It's important."

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