Page 6 of Golden Darkness

“I will make changes to the program. We will get you a mask.”

She nodded and raised her arms to him. Kethen’s heart pounded. She hadn’t reached for him before while she was awake.

He lifted her and cuddled her against him, wrapping his wings around her to keep her warm. She sighed and slept against him.

He looked at the Vel-ech, who obviously hadn’t asked for entrance. The blaster hole where the head used to be had caused the green blood to spill into a sticky pool as well as splatter against the back wall.

Kethen grinned. His pet had skills.

He heard a footfall and stepped toward it. His wing lashed out, and the Vel-ech was missing its head.

His pet didn’t even wake.

The second Vel-ech just had its throat ripped out. Pet slept like a trusting infant. Or she was passed out from lack of oxygen. He walked to an emergency station and got an oxygen mask for her. His wings held her while he got it over her nose and mouth. When she started to breath more easily, he sighed in relief.

He headed back to the command deck with his pet in his arms. At some point, he really needed to learn her name.

He carried her into the presence of his crew, and the captain stared.

“Overlord? Is there someone with you?”

Kethen slowly moved his wings out of the way and showed his pet to his crew. The medical officer murmured, “She’s so small and naked.”

Kethen shrugged. “The dispenser in the hold isn’t equipped for clothing. I kept her warm.”

Doc Helminiath smiled. “I am sure you did, Overlord, but she is also very thin. I watched the stats on her while I was cleaning medical. They had her there for weeks with minimal life support and those probes and stimulants on constantly. She only escaped when unconscious, and then the pain woke her again.” The doc stroked his pet’s hair. “When they took her away wrapped like trash, I thought they were going to dispose of her body. She’s very thin.”

“I know. Now that we are in control of the ship again, I can view her original stats and species averages.”

The doc gave him a knowing look. “She is no longer registering as a pure member of her species.”

Kethen smiled. “I know. She has started her adaptation into my mate.”

He suddenly felt the blaster pushed into his jaw, and a voice muffled by the breather said, “What the actual fuck, Hmrain? What do you mean I am no longer human?”

The Kethic stared at the situation, and Kethen saw a number of shocked eyes focused on them.

He calmly took the blaster from her and said, “Because you are no longer human. You are still Terran, but I introduced nanites into your system so that you wouldn’t die.”

She blinked up at him and frowned. “How? We didn’t...”

He reached to her neck and ran his thumb down her throat.

Her eyes widened. “You arrogant idiot!”

He chuckled. “You can yell at me all you like. You are alive.”

“And naked. Why are we still naked?” She poked him in the chest.

He chuckled. “Because I don’t want you hidden from me.”

She let out a muffled growl. “What about them?” She jerked her thumb at the crew, who were staring at them.

He looked at the crew and nodded. “Fine. We will get you some clothing after Dr. Helminiath checks you over.”

“Are you going to turn the oxygen on any time soon?” she muttered.

“When we have contained all the Vel-ech.”

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