Home>>read Nikhil free online

Nikhil(76)

By:M.K. Eidem


"As he should," Luol told her, his eyes having not yet lost that hard glow.

"Which isn't going to help in getting my people to trust you. We've survived the Ganglians. We've survived the Zaludians. Are you telling me that after surviving all that, the Kaliszians are going to be the ones that finally kill us? All because we don't understand your rules? Because we tried to defend one another? Was Blag right? Do you only care about Kaliszians?"

Luol jerked back as if she had struck him with the full strength of an Elite warrior. "No! That is not what I'm saying. Mackenzie, you know it isn't."

"Then help me." She held out her bruised arms to him.

"Fine, but if it happens again, Nikhil will be informed." He waited for her to nod.

"If it happens again," Mac's hard gaze shot to Craig, "Nikhil can have him after I'm done with him."

Luol looked at her in shock then began to laugh. "I believe Nikhil would be truly upset then because you wouldn't leave anything for him."

"That's right."

"Mac?" Craig asked in Zaludian. "What's going on?"

"Luol has agreed to treat my bruises so my Mate won't see them and kill you," she told him bluntly.

"What?" Craig paled.

"If Nikhil saw this and knew you'd done them, he'd kill you." She let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "You may not like this, Craig, but Nikhil is my True Mate and the only male I want, and nothing is ever going to change that. I know you were always trying to get something going between us even before the Ganglians took us. I told you no then, and I'm telling you no now. I'll always be grateful for you helping to protect me, but that's all I'll ever feel for you; gratitude and friendship. If you can't accept that, then stay away from me." She looked to Luol. "Where do you need me?"

Luol just stared at her for a moment then smiled. Oh yes, the Goddess had chosen the perfect mate for Nikhil. She was going to be just what the massive warrior needed.

"Let’s go into my office and I'll treat you with the handheld unit." He looked to Craig. "Then I'll treat that break in your arm."

"You broke Craig's arm?" Mac's gaze flew to him and for the first time noticing just how gingerly Craig was holding his arm.

"He landed badly," Luol said with a dismissive shrug.

"You need to treat him first, Luol."

"No. You are first, Mackenzie. His injury was caused because of his lack of control. He waits. Otherwise, I notify Nikhil," Luol threatened.

"Alright. Fine," Mac said testily moving toward his office.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

After that, the rest of the afternoon was relatively quiet. She'd given Craig the remainder of her food packet, much to Luol's displeasure, once his arm was repaired. Craig then insisted on being the next to use the educator. Mac knew Luol thought it was because Craig was trying to make up for what had happened, but she knew it was because Craig was something of a control freak. He would never be able to stand that Paul and Eric would understand something that he didn't.

Craig had become their unspoken leader after he'd been the one the Ganglians had forced the educator on. There was no other reason for it, but no one had challenged him about it either. Not that there was much 'leadership' needed in the mine. The Zaludians were in charge, but now that they were free, it seemed he was trying to assume control.

Mac sat with him just as she had with Paul and Eric, but once he was under, she let go of his hand. Another Nekeok had arrived along with Tyler which surprised her. She'd thought either Paul or Eric would have come back, and she said as much.

"They felt that since they had both used the educator, that someone else should be treated so it would be fair to everyone," Tyler told her.

And there in lay the difference between Craig, Paul and Eric. Paul and Eric thought of how others would feel. Craig not so much.

"Where's Craig?" Eric asked.

"Using the educator," she told him and they exchanged a knowing look. "So are you ready to feel better?"

"Definitely. Where do you want me?" he asked looking to Luol.

"On the bed," Luol told him and explained to him, as he had Craig, what was about to happen. But this time, he informed the male that he could 'knock him out' as Mackenzie had said.

"Mac?" Tyler looked at her. "What do you think?"

"I think you won't feel as claustrophobic when the cover closes if you let Luol give you something."

Luol could see that the male called Tyler seriously considered what Mackenzie had said before slowly nodding his head. "Knock me out, Doc," he said, then lay back on the bed.

"Doc?" Luol looked to Mackenzie for clarification as the cover on the deep-repair unit closed and began to treat Tyler.