Page 29 of Healing His Mate

“Greetings, Nalba, Waldric!” Kaiva says as she and Aye-vah enter the shop.

I realize then that I stopped breathing while Waldric spoke, and I let out a series of coughs to catch my breath. “Hello,” I eventually reply. Still shaken by his words, I stare at my mostly untouched meal.

Aye-vah’s eyes dart between Waldric and me as if she can sense the heat between us. “Still good to do your evaluation today?”

“Certainly,” I say, tugging at the neck of my tunic for some air. “But let us conduct this in the med room, yes?” I am certain I would not be able to focus if we remained here with Waldric stealing sly glances at me, especially with what he just revealed. “I am going to eat while you check my head,” I tell Kaiva as I grab my plate and follow them out the door.

“I shall return later,” I call out to Waldric.

He nods. His gaze is heavy-lidded, his orange eyes swirling with desire. Later cannot come soon enough.

Inside the med room, I hop up onto one of the beds in the center of the room and continue eating my bread and fruit as Kaiva takes my mane down and examines the wound on my scalp. Once I am finished eating, I put my plate on the tray beside the bed and I follow Kaiva to the med tube. “This will tell us how much the swelling in your brain has decreased.”

“Very well,” I reply as I lie back inside the cramped, sterile tube. These machines do not bother me. The healers of Trovilia have been using them for as long as I can remember. I am used to shutting my eyes, ignoring the strange beeps, and letting my mind wander to my projects as I wait for the tube to reopen.

“There were go,” Aye-vah says with a smile as she helps me climb out. I hop back onto the bed and fix my mane into a tight knot while Aye-vah and Kaiva review my scans.

“So, how are your memories, Nalba?” Aye-vah asks as she steps in front of me. “Anything coming back?”

“Yes,” I reply proudly. “There have been a few memories, and the most recent one was more than just a flash. The entire memory played out in my head. It had to do with the knife armbands I created. Cloh-ee helped me with additional information when I told her about it.”

“That’s great! Please feel free to ask any of us to fill in the blanks for you when your memories come back,” Aye-vah says. She places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a light squeeze. “We’re here for you.”

“I thank you,” I tell her.

Then Kaiva steps forward, holding her screen pad against her chest. “Your swelling has gone down significantly. I am quite pleased with the way this scan looks.” She shows it to me, but, like last time, I just see various throbbing shapes.

“Okay! Wanna try a mediation?” Aye-vah asks, clapping her hands together. “It might uncover some more memories of yours.”

“Yes,” I reply. Meditation is a common practice on Trovilia, and I am familiar with its mental and emotional benefits. Unfortunately, Waldric’s words are still echoing in my head, and I worry I will not be able to focus on anything else.

She climbs onto the edge of the bed, and we sit cross-legged facing each other. Following her instructions, I focus on my breath and loosen each muscle she names as she begins from my head, all the way down to my toes.

Aye-vah’s voice takes on a soothing, yet authoritative tone as she continues guiding me. She tells me to envision a flower opening wide as I breathe out, and closing tightly when I breathe in. It helps keep my thoughts about Waldric at bay, if only temporarily, as I picture the flower instead of his face. Or his strong back. Or the way he nods to himself after he takes the first bite of food and is satisfied with the taste.

O fah, I am doing it again.

“Now, imagine letting it all go,” Aye-vah instructs, “the tension in your jaw, your fingers––the areas you don’t often notice that carry the most stress.”

I blow out a long exhale as I try to release my clenched fists.

“Aye-vah!” Kaiva calls out, panic and awe warring in her voice. “Come look at this!”

Aye-vah gives me an apologetic smile as she rushes to Kaiva’s side. It is just as well because the meditation was not working to uncover my memories anyway. I watch as Kaiva swipes through several pictures of colorful blobs on her screen pad, noting the changes to Aye-vah.

They look engrossed in whatever this is and will probably be busy for some time. I rise to stand, and just as I take a step toward the door, I hear Aye-vah ask, “So what does this mean?”

Kaiva sighs, her breath shaky, and replies, “The humans seem to be . . . changing.”

CHAPTER 15

NALBA

“Changing how?” I ask, interrupting Aye-vah and Kaiva’s discussion. This so-called change in the humans clearly has nothing to do with me, but my curiosity has been piqued.

Kaiva frantically swipes through the images again, her head shaking. “Aye-vah, please send a comm to Varrek, Cloh-ee, Ahlvo, Bruvix, and Elle-noor. Tell them to come here so I may share my findings.”

“What about the new girls?” she asks Kaiva as she reaches for her screen pad.

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