Nikhil(20)

"That's all she said?!!" Gryf's roar of disbelief bounced off the walls, and he took a step toward Nikhil. "You've been with her for hours. She had to have told you more than that!"

"She's been unconscious nearly the entire time, and unlike you, Commander," while Nikhil's anger rose his voice didn't. "I care more about her well-being than gathering information on the Zaludians."

"There could be more sites!" Gryf argued back. "More like her being held!"

"And how would she know that?"

"Enough! Both of you," Treyvon ordered. "This is getting us nowhere. Squad Leader Nikhil is right. The health of his True Mate is more important than any information she might be able to provide right now. We know from the survivors at other locations that they never traveled from one site to another. There's no reason to think it was any different at this site."

"But it could be with the number of bodies found..."

"Nikhil?" The faint voice had all three males turning to look at the closed door.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Mac tried to block out the raised voices filtering in from the outer cave into the small one where she and Jen were sleeping. It didn't often happen, since the guys were always too exhausted when they returned from the mine to argue. But it did happen.

As their voices grew louder, she frowned. They never got that loud. To do so would draw the attention of the Zaludians, which was never good. Maybe one of them was hurt. She needed to get up and find out what was going on. If she didn't, Jen would, and Jen was struggling enough as it was.

Forcing her eyes open, Mac stilled when there wasn't the rock ceiling she was used to seeing above her. Where was she? Turning her head to the side, she realized it rested on a pillow, and that her body was lying on a soft bed. There were blankets tucked securely around her. Where the hell was she?

The careful breath she took teased her senses. It was clean and fresh without the dust that was always prevalent from the mining. There was something in it familiar, though. Listening closer to the voices, she couldn't understand what they were saying, but she could recognize one of them no matter what language he was speaking... Nikhil. Suddenly it all came back to her.

Nikhil had rescued her from the Zaludians. He said they had all been rescued and even though she hadn't seen anyone yet, she believed him. He hadn't said anything about Jen, about there being another female, only that there were ten males. The guys must still be protecting Jen. She needed to find out if Jen was safe.

She knew she felt safe with Nikhil, but she didn’t understand why. After all, he was huge by anyone's standards, but he had been so gentle with her. Especially when that other guy, what had Nikhil called him... Commander had been firing questions at her.

Nikhil had brought her back here to his quarters, and carefully cleansed her. He could have taken advantage of her then, but he didn't. Instead, he cared for her making sure there wasn't one speck of dirt left anywhere on her body. Then he’d tucked her carefully into his bed.

Reaching up, she touched her hair and for the first time in... she didn't know how long... she could run her fingers through it. It was silky and smooth without a single snarl. Reaching the end of one strand, she frowned feeling something. Lifting the offending strand, she saw there was a bead attached to the end of it. Twirling it between her fingers, she was surprised at how warm it was, how it seemed to glitter at her. But why was it there?

Holding the bead, a feeling of anxiety filled her. She didn't understand where it was coming from, but she knew something was wrong, and she needed to get to Nikhil. Sitting straight up, she fought her way out of the covers meaning to find him. When the cool air hit, it reminded her she was naked. Looking around the room, she didn't see anything that resembled a closet or dresser, so she pulled one of the blankets off the bed. Wrapping it securely under her arms, she went to find Nikhil.

"Nikhil?" she called out, moving to where she knew the door had been when she entered the room, but now there was just a solid panel. Running her hands over it, she couldn't find a handle and panicking, she began to pound on the door. Why was she locked in? Was she a prisoner? Had it all been a trick? "Nikhil!"

One moment she was pounding on a solid, cold door, and the next on a solid, warm chest.

"Mackenzie.” Nikhil wrapped his arms around her not liking the fear he heard in her voice. "What is wrong? Why aren't you resting?"

"I heard yelling. What's going on? Why was I locked in?"

Nikhil wanted to pound Gryf into the floor for waking and scaring his True Mate again. He couldn't do it now, but the next time they met on the training field, Gryf would feel his displeasure.