Cherished (Intergalactic Loyalties) by Jessica Coulter Smith Page B

is too long to wait to strike,” Rylo said. “I fear for her and your unborn child.”
    “As do I,” Dryxel muttered.
    “What if we continue to travel toward Tarnan and call Tourmalane for backup? You could speak with your father, explain to the king what has happened and have him send more warriors to us. They could meet us at Tarnan,” Kilare said.
    Dryxel nodded. “That plan could work. We’d have to stay cloaked until the others arrived, otherwise we could have a war on our hands before we were ready.”
    “I’ll get King Razyr on the COMM,” Napir said.
    Dryxel watched the men return to their stations, each with a determined look in his eyes. He knew they would do whatever was necessary to retrieve their princess. They might not have known Lucie long, but they all liked her. He’d worried at first that they may not accept her because of her blindness, but he should have known better. His people were tenderhearted when it came to females, any females, regardless of whether or not they could see.
    He had high hopes that their healer would be able to help her once they reached Tourmalane. While it might not be possible for her vision to be perfect, ever again, he was certain they could improve it. One of their warriors had lost sight in one of his eyes two years before and their healer had worked tirelessly, trying to find a cure. Rybolt still couldn’t see out of that eye as well as he once had, but his vision was much improved. No longer able to be a warrior because of his loss of vision, the king had given him an honorary title and a position in the palace as an advisor.
    If Rybolt could see again, so could his Lucie. While he loved her just the way she was, he knew it bothered her to be so dependent on other people. He wanted to give back some of her independence, some of her worth. To him, she was worth all the gems in the galaxy, if not more, but he knew she doubted herself. They may have known each other a short time, but she had proven herself brave when she’d saved him, trusting when she’d given herself to him so easily, and kind when she’d greeted all of his men with a smile, despite having been brought into a world she didn’t understand.
    He stared out of the viewing screen at the vast galaxy before them. His Lucie was out there. Probably frightened. His arms ached to hold her once more, to tell her everything would be all right. He never should have left her alone, but he’d thought she would be safe. Never again would he take her safety for granted. She would have someone with her at all times. If not him, then one of his brothers, or a guard. Yes, he would assign a guard to her. She might balk at the idea of having someone follow her around, but he wouldn’t be swayed. Not after this. She was too important to him to take a chance on someone absconding with her again. Once she was safely back in his arms, he would take the proper precautions to make sure she never left his side again.
    Some might say it was because of the pregnancy that he felt that way, but he knew that wasn’t it. Yes, he was thrilled that they were going to have a child together, that his line would continue and the next ruler of Tourmalane would be born in five short months. He probably should have mentioned that part to her. His studies had shown that humans carried their young for much longer. Hopefully she wouldn’t be upset about it.
    Dryxel had no problem admitting that he loved his mate. Perhaps he should have told her sooner, but he’d thought she wouldn’t believe him if he confessed to such a strong emotion so soon after meeting her. Did they have love at first sight where she came from? When he’d seen her, his heart had recognized her. He would tell her when she was returned to him. He wouldn’t waste another moment with her; never would he keep something from her again.
    The men around him rotated as some left to sleep for a few hours, but he remained where he was. Sleeping wasn’t an option, not