“No. You shouldn’t have,” Treyvon agreed, continuing to walk.
“I didn’t believe she was his True Mate. I mean how could she be? She isn’t even Kaliszian.”
“You know there was a time when Kaliszians found their True Mate within other species, Gryf.”
“Before the Great Infection, perhaps, but not since.”
“True, but that only means we should thank the Goddess that she has blessed a male with one.”
“Thank the Goddess...” Gryf shook his head in disgust. “She is the one that took away our True Mates along with our ability to provide for them. If not for her, Mica...” he cut himself off.
Treyvon stopped walking and turned to confront his friend. “Mica was never meant to be yours, Gryf. If you can’t believe that by her actions alone, then believe your True Mate bead. It refused to accept her.”
“I left her alone too many times. I didn’t...”
“That doesn’t matter! Your True Mate bead still would have accepted her. It refused to do so, so she was never meant to be your True Mate. You have to accept this.”
“There was still a chance.”
“Only if Mica had accepted your Ashe bead. She refused it, Gryf. She has moved on, and so must you. One of our finest Warriors has found his True Mate. We will celebrate his good fortune as if it were our own.” Turning, Treyvon continued to Nikhil’s quarters.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Nikhil gathered up his weapons, worried Mackenzie might harm herself with one, and changed into a dry uniform. Now he just stared down at her sleeping so deeply in his bed, still finding it hard to believe she was there, that she was his. Carefully he reached down, lifting the section of her hair his True Mate bead had claimed. It responded to his touch by glowing slightly and giving off a sense of peace that told him she was well.
It was one of the carefully guarded secrets of the True Mate bead. The True Mate beads connected a couple. Just by touching it, one would know the condition of the other. If it were two Kaliszians that exchanged their beads, they needed only to touch the one in their hair to know if the other was okay.
Nikhil had to admit that he wished Mackenzie had a True Mate bead for him to wear. Then when he was away from her, he would know she was okay. But he was also grateful that she didn’t. He didn’t want her knowing if he was hurt during a mission, which was always a possibility. He didn’t want her feeling what he felt as he killed, even if it were justified. None of that darkness that was a part of his life should ever touch this amazing creature the Goddess had entrusted to him. She didn’t even realize how she had already lightened the load he carried. She looked at him and saw him, not some large, oversized male that others did. She didn’t fear him. She trusted him when she was most vulnerable, and he would never betray that trust.
The sound of a fist meeting his outer door had him releasing the bead and quickly rising. Crossing the room, he closed the door to his resting chamber so she wouldn’t be disturbed by the fist that was starting to pound harder on his outer door.
“What?!!” he growled, hitting the crystal that would open the door. The fierce look on his face would have deterred a normal male, but General Treyvon Rayner was no normal male, and Nikhil straightened to attention. “General.”
“Warrior Nikhil. I was informed congratulations are in order. You have been blessed with a True Mate.”
“Yes, General,” Nikhil took a step back allowing Treyvon to enter his living area. When Gryf followed, he found his fist clenching. He had always respected Commander Gryf, had always considered him an honorable male, but he had tried to come between him and his Mackenzie, and that Nikhil would never allow.
"I regret that I upset your True Mate, Squad Leader Nikhil," Gryf spoke first, knowing he was the one at fault.
Nikhil silently stared at the other male for several moments then stiffly nodded, knowing that was as far as the Commander would go.
"Why are you here, General?" Nikhil addressed Treyvon.
"I hoped to speak with your True Mate," Treyvon told him. "We still do not know exactly what the Zaludians were doing and why. We don't know why the Ganglians are assisting them. She might know something as they held her separately."
"She is resting, and I will not disturb her. Not when there are others you can gather that information from."
"True, but she was held separately. She might have overheard something. Has she said anything to you?" Treyvon asked.
"Only that her home world is a place called 'Earth', and that the Ganglians took them from there and brought them here."