Page 22 of Rescued

“I see the Outermost Pool did an excellent job on you.”

Lan’ara was looking at his bare chest with what appeared to be satisfaction.

“Is that what happened to my scars?” Nate demanded. “That pool healed them?”

“The Outermost Pool can heal most any physical wound, as long as it is not life threatening,” she said. “You had an old scar here I wasn’t sure it could get rid of. But it did.” Her slim fingers brushed along his abdomen, causing his flesh to pebble into goose bumps. At the same time, his cock surged in his trousers, making Nate clear his throat and take a step back uncomfortably.

“Yeah, my appendectomy scar,” he muttered and found that his eyes had somehow been drawn back to her breasts. He’d always liked full curves and big breasts and the erotic sight of the wet white dress, which was practically transparent, clinging to her tight peaks was damn hard not to stare at.

Get hold of yourself, Nate! he lectured himself. You’re acting like some kind of kid who’s never seen breasts before!

He looked away, dragging his eyes back up to her face—which was really gorgeous, in an alien, exotic way. Her big eyes were like stars in her heart-shaped face and her lips were softly rounded and looked very kissable.

For a moment he had the urge to cup her cheek and bend down to taste those sweet lips…but he forced the impulse away. Such a tender gesture wasn’t appropriate with a woman he didn’t even know, even if Lan’ara claimed that she knew him, due to this weird “Dream-sharing” thing she said had happened between them.

If she was upset with him for looking at her, Lan’ara didn’t show it. She simply smiled, as though pleased at how well the pool had healed him.

“Are you feeling better now that you’re able to move and see your surroundings?” she asked, looking up at him.

He nodded.

“Yeah—hell of a lot better. Still want to explore some, though. I’ve never been on another planet before.”

“We’ll explore together.” Lan’ara held out a slim, light purple hand to him and, after a moment, Nate took it.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s go.”

They went.

FOURTEEN

LAN’ARA

“He doesn’t know me. Months of Dream-sharing and he doesn’t even know me!”

Lan’ara could hear the anguish in her own voice, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She’d been so sure that once Nate calmed down and saw her face, he would recognize her instantly. But no such thing had happened. It was like she was a complete stranger to him—just some strange female who had wandered into his life who meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

“I know it’s hard, child.” Tante Na’lla patted her shoulder soothingly. “But not everyone remembers their dreams—Dream-sharing is different for everyone, as you know.” She picked up a long stick and stirred the driftwood fire she’d made on the beach, causing golden sparks to fly upward. The Healing Grotto wasn’t far from the Inland Sea and the faint hush of the waves breaking along the shoreline was soothing.

Lan’ara was grateful for the comfort of her old mentor. Tante Na’lla had been like a second mother to her, after her parents had died. It felt good and cathartic to come and speak to her about the trouble with Nate, now that he had finally drifted off into a troubled sleep. Lan’ara had slipped away from the hut they were sharing in the Healing Grotto so she could meet Tante Na’lla and express her feelings.

On Careesa Prime, venting your feelings meant asking someone else to share your pain—quite literally since everyone here had empathic abilities and could feel what you were feeling when you shared. So it was no small thing to have a person who cared about you enough to literally help you carry your emotional burden.

“I know Dream-sharing is different for everyone, Tante but he’s supposed to be my fated mate!” she said, looking up at her mentor.

“Are you sure he’s the one?” Tante Na’lla asked. She pointed to the healing wrap which was still around Lan’ara’s neck. “Did he hurt you?”

“That was an accident—he didn’t know me when I first released him from the stasis frame. He was half crazy with fear and anger. Besides, the pool healed me—see?”

Lan’ara reached up and removed the wrap, glad that she’d gotten into the Outermost Pool with Nate. She wouldn’t have wanted him to see the finger marks he’d left on her when he tried to choke her. He’d been out of his head and she had been foolish to release him without anyone to help her control him and calm him. He had told her he wasn’t the kind of male who hurt women and she had felt the truth of his statement as a certainty.

“I’m sure he’s the one,” she told her mentor. “And he’s promised to at least attempt the Claiming Period…but I know he only agreed to it so he could see his friends again.”

“It doesn’t matter why he agreed—the main thing is that you calmed him and helped him process some of his anger and pain.” Tante Na’lla gave her an anxious look. “Though perhaps you took on a bit too much of his burden. You’re pale child, and I can feel how tired you are.”

“He has such strong emotions, and so many of them are negative,” Lan’ara said. She rubbed her aching temples where a headache was brewing. Nate’s emotional burden was vast indeed—greater than almost any she’d ever felt before. She wondered how he could bear it—it must be like carrying a mountain on his back all the time.

“You need to pace yourself,” Tante Na’lla said sternly. “Don’t try to heal him all at once—you’ll break if you’re not careful.”

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