about.” She didn’t admit to the attraction.
“I don’t either. I will talk to the medics and find out who has been talking out of turn.”
She put her hand on his chest. “Don’t do that. I’m probably making a bigger deal out of this than I need to.”
He covered her hand with his. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Ava’s heart was pounding. No one had ever said that to her before, and she believed him. There was something about AshOR that made her feel safe with him. She looked into his eyes, those dark eyes of his made her melt. “Thank you.”
The intimate moment was broken when two lieutenants walked past them giving them a curious look.
“I’ve got to go back and check on the survivors.” She pulled away.
“See you later Ava.” He called out behind her. She was about ten feet away when she looked back, he was still standing there watching her. He gave her a sexy smile and a wink then turned to leave. Damn that man was hot.
Chapter 7
Ava had been sitting for what seemed like hours next to Zander’s sister, holding her hand and talking to her in a calm, soothing voice. Her arms were getting tired, and she needed to shower and change before going to dinner with Commander TylOR and his mate. She started to release the girl’s hand, when suddenly she felt a squeeze. She glanced down into Lizetta’s exotic-looking blue face. Her almost completely black eyes were open, and full of pain and fear.
“Hi there. I’m Ava.”
The young girl pulled her hand free and tried to sit up. She looked around the medic wing, panic evident on her face.
“Easy, honey. No one here is going to hurt you.”
“Zander. Where is my brother?”
“He is being given a shower. One of the medics is going to go help bring him back.”
“Why does he need help?”
“It’s Lizetta, right?”
“Yes.”
“How much do you remember about what happened to your people?”
“I was helping the females collect firewood when we noticed these things coming down from the sky. By the time I got to my village, everything was on fire. My parents were killed. I called out for my brother, but someone grabbed me from behind.” She gulped, looking down at her hands.
Ava knew this must be difficult for her. She reached out a hand to gently clasp Lizetta’s. “You’re safe now. You don’t have to say anything more if you don’t want to.”
Lizetta whispered. “They ripped my clothes and—hurt me. I managed to get away and stumble to our hut. When the grey males came after me again, Zander tried to stop them. They cut him. I tried to get to him, to help him, but I couldn’t. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“Don’t try to think too hard about the details. What’s important is that you’re both alive. You have time to work through what happened. I think you should be aware that your brother suffered severe and permanent injuries.”
“What happened to Zander?”
Ava wondered how much she should tell Lizetta about her brother’s condition. She would hate for Zander to return and have his sister look at him in horror. It wouldn’t help matters if Lizetta wasn’t prepared ahead of time and reacted badly when she saw Zander. “He lost a foot and part of his arm.”
“Oh my Goddess! How devastating for him. He’s always been the strongest and bravest of all our people. There was talk of him one day being chief.”
“Well, he is still strong and brave. He’s just different now. The medics gave him temporary artificial limbs.” At her confused expression, Ava explained. “He lost part of his arm and leg. The artificial limbs are mechanical and biological so they will give him the use of both arms and legs again. Unfortunately, he has to go through a lot of physical therapy to train him to use them so that he can walk again.”
“Poor Zander.”
“He doesn’t need pity; he needs your acceptance of him the way he is now.”
“Of course he has my acceptance,
“I don’t either. I will talk to the medics and find out who has been talking out of turn.”
She put her hand on his chest. “Don’t do that. I’m probably making a bigger deal out of this than I need to.”
He covered her hand with his. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Ava’s heart was pounding. No one had ever said that to her before, and she believed him. There was something about AshOR that made her feel safe with him. She looked into his eyes, those dark eyes of his made her melt. “Thank you.”
The intimate moment was broken when two lieutenants walked past them giving them a curious look.
“I’ve got to go back and check on the survivors.” She pulled away.
“See you later Ava.” He called out behind her. She was about ten feet away when she looked back, he was still standing there watching her. He gave her a sexy smile and a wink then turned to leave. Damn that man was hot.
Chapter 7
Ava had been sitting for what seemed like hours next to Zander’s sister, holding her hand and talking to her in a calm, soothing voice. Her arms were getting tired, and she needed to shower and change before going to dinner with Commander TylOR and his mate. She started to release the girl’s hand, when suddenly she felt a squeeze. She glanced down into Lizetta’s exotic-looking blue face. Her almost completely black eyes were open, and full of pain and fear.
“Hi there. I’m Ava.”
The young girl pulled her hand free and tried to sit up. She looked around the medic wing, panic evident on her face.
“Easy, honey. No one here is going to hurt you.”
“Zander. Where is my brother?”
“He is being given a shower. One of the medics is going to go help bring him back.”
“Why does he need help?”
“It’s Lizetta, right?”
“Yes.”
“How much do you remember about what happened to your people?”
“I was helping the females collect firewood when we noticed these things coming down from the sky. By the time I got to my village, everything was on fire. My parents were killed. I called out for my brother, but someone grabbed me from behind.” She gulped, looking down at her hands.
Ava knew this must be difficult for her. She reached out a hand to gently clasp Lizetta’s. “You’re safe now. You don’t have to say anything more if you don’t want to.”
Lizetta whispered. “They ripped my clothes and—hurt me. I managed to get away and stumble to our hut. When the grey males came after me again, Zander tried to stop them. They cut him. I tried to get to him, to help him, but I couldn’t. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“Don’t try to think too hard about the details. What’s important is that you’re both alive. You have time to work through what happened. I think you should be aware that your brother suffered severe and permanent injuries.”
“What happened to Zander?”
Ava wondered how much she should tell Lizetta about her brother’s condition. She would hate for Zander to return and have his sister look at him in horror. It wouldn’t help matters if Lizetta wasn’t prepared ahead of time and reacted badly when she saw Zander. “He lost a foot and part of his arm.”
“Oh my Goddess! How devastating for him. He’s always been the strongest and bravest of all our people. There was talk of him one day being chief.”
“Well, he is still strong and brave. He’s just different now. The medics gave him temporary artificial limbs.” At her confused expression, Ava explained. “He lost part of his arm and leg. The artificial limbs are mechanical and biological so they will give him the use of both arms and legs again. Unfortunately, he has to go through a lot of physical therapy to train him to use them so that he can walk again.”
“Poor Zander.”
“He doesn’t need pity; he needs your acceptance of him the way he is now.”
“Of course he has my acceptance,
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