Cherished (Intergalactic Loyalties) by Jessica Coulter Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

didn’t just spend so much time with you because I felt sorry for you, or thought you were helpless. I wanted to help you, to be with you.”
    She’d thought of him as a friend too, but oh so often she’d wished she could be more to him. Now she was glad he hadn’t taken her to his bed. It made her time with Dryxel that much more special.
    “There were times I wondered what it would be like, to be with you that way, but I always shied away from the thought. Truthfully, I might have broached the subject with you before too long, had we not come on board with the Tarnans. I think we could have had something special together. Maybe not the grand passion that Ari and Bane have, but I think we would have done well together.”
    Was he saying he would have given up his other slaves for her? Oh lord, this was a mess. She didn’t want Cael to have those feelings for her. She didn’t want to hurt him when she returned to Dryxel’s side. Maybe she’d misunderstood.
    “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of when we reach Tarnan, Lucie. I won’t let just anyone claim you. You’ll need someone patient and kind, but a fierce warrior who can protect you and any children you may have. Not someone who goes off adventuring all the time, or who works for the military on space missions. You need someone who’s going to be home with you.”
    She moved a little more, but still couldn’t speak. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t need anyone, that she had Dryxel. Her prince would come for her. She nearly giggled at the thought, thinking back to the countless Disney movies she’d watched as a little girl. Of course back then, she hadn’t realized her prince would be blue, or from another planet.
    “I’m going to go fetch you something to eat and drink. By the time I return, you should be able to move again.” He gave her a gentle squeeze then extracted himself from the bed.
    Left alone, she willed Dryxel to find her. She remembered what he’d said, about finding her no matter where she was or who had her. There was no doubt that he’d assume the Tarnans had her, but would he be able to rescue her before they reached Tarnan? If he came to their home planet, he’d have to stop for reinforcements, which meant it could take a while. She’d just have to be patient, and do everything in her power to make sure no one claimed her until she could be rescued.
    Several minutes passed, but Cael finally returned, a plate full of mashed potatoes and steak steaming in his hand -- if her nose could be believed -- and a glass of some sort of brightly colored juice in the other. The food smelled delicious and made her mouth water. All of that zipping about in space had made her hungrier than she’d thought.
    “I didn’t need rescuing,” she said softly as she accepted the plate from him.
    “I’ve cut your steak for you. It’s at the bottom of the plate and the potatoes at the top. Do you have enough strength to feed yourself, or do you need help?”
    “I can do it,” she said, accepting the utensil from him.
    “I know you don’t think you needed to be rescued, but the Tourmalane just made you think you wanted to be with him.”
    She shook her head. “I know what I want, Cael, and I want Dryxel. The moment we met there was something between us, something I’d never felt before. He defended me against the Tarnans in that hall, thinking they would harm me if they took me from him. We’re true mates, destined to be together.”
    He exhaled loudly. “You may think you’re destined to be with him, Lucie, but you’ll feel differently once you’ve been separated a while. You’ll see.”
    She swallowed and stared at him a moment. “Cael, there’s something you should know.”
    “Whatever it is, it can wait. You need to eat. There’s no telling when you were last fed.”
    “I’m pregnant,” she said quickly. “It’s Dryxel’s.”
    Silence met her statement.
    “Cael?”
    “He forced you. I’ll have his