“Torak!” River scolded fiercely. “You shouldn't be telling about that.”
Ajaska's face actually turned a dull red at the reminder of his youthful indiscretion. Star would have persisted if it hadn't been for the fact she was so happy to see River again. “River!” Star cried out tearfully.
River broke away from Torak's possessive arms and stepped into Star's, holding her like she never wanted to let her go. “I know how you feel now. It was horrible when we almost lost you but at least I was with you. I was terrified the whole time you were gone,” River sniffed out as she embraced Star.
Jazin fought back the desire to pull Star back into his arms as long as he could. He finally reached a thick arm around her waist and tugged gently to let her know he needed her. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as normal as he thought. He could actually feel a nervousness come over him from not touching her.
“It will become more controllable,” Torak murmured quietly to him. “I still have that reaction with River but it is a little more manageable than it was.”
Jazin watched with a raised eyebrow when his older brother pulled River closer after she moved to walk with his father. Torak glanced sheepishly at his younger brother and shrugged. Jazin bit back a grin. He wondered if Manota was having the same reaction to Jo as he and Torak were having to her sisters. If so, he could imagine Manota going nuts. His middle brother had always been the loner out of the three of them. He liked to be left alone so he could tinker on his toys.
“I want to see Madas,” Star said startling him out of his reverie.
“She is resting at the moment,” Torak called out from behind her.
Ajaska chuckled. “I seriously doubt that but she will be once Gril gets done with her.”
“He won’t hurt her will he?” Star asked concerned. “She was the one who told us that Jazin was still alive. If not for her, we would never have known. If he hurts her, I’ll roast his ass,” she said fiercely, trying to turn around.
“Rest easy, little warrior,” Ajaska said with a chuckle. “Gril would never hurt his mate. He is merely making sure she is well cared for and checking to make sure she doesn’t have any injuries the healer might have missed.”
Star opened her mouth to argue but Jazin leaned down and whispered softly in her ear. Her face turned a bright, bright red before she let out a small ‘Oh’. Jazin chuckled at her wide-eyed stare. Star ducked her head, letting her hair cover her burning face. It would seem that Gril was giving Madas a thorough checkup.
*.*.*
Later that night, Star sat in the officer’s lounge with River and Madas while Ajaska, Torak and Gril met with Jazin, Dakar, Armet, and Jarmen in the commander’s conference room. Star and River were about to argue with the men but Madas had gently taken both of their arms in her larger hands and pulled them away. Star looked at her friend who seemed to be a little darker green than before.
“Madas, are you okay?” Star asked as they each sat curled up on a couch with a cup of hot tea. “You look a little greener than before.”
Madas blushed a darker shade of green, tan, and red and lowered her lashes. “Gril was very upset that I was wounded,” she began hesitantly.
Star sat forward with a fierce scowl on her face. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” She demanded.
“No, no…” Madas stammered before she looked up with a small grin pulling on her thin lips. “He was just concerned. He wanted to make sure I was not hurt and ….” Her voice faded as she looked out of the viewport window. “I am expecting …. I did not know.”
Star looked blankly at her friend for a moment. River stood up and gave Madas a huge hug. Madas sighed deeply, looking down at her folded hands grasping the mug of tea.
“You could have lost your baby because of me,” Star choked out as she thought of how close they came to dying.
Madas shook her head. “I knew we would live. We have too much to live for. Tai Tek could never take that away from us.”
“Madas,” River said quietly, grasping her friend’s hands tightly between her own. “I know this will never replace Trolis but I am happy for you.”
Madas leaned forward and rested her smooth cheek against River’s for a moment before she pulled back. “While I claimed Trolis as my son, he was not from my egg. Gril had two sons from a previous mating. His mate betrayed him for another shortly after the eggs hatched. It was later learned Trolis was not his true son but he raised him as if he was. His first son, Kali, is his. They look very much alike and he is a joy. While we have been together for many years, I have never conceived. The females in my species have to reach a certain age before we become fertile. I was approaching the age but didn’t realize I had reached it as yet.”