Their Rebel Mate [Helan Universe 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Lynn Tyler Read Free Book Online Page B

puking her guts out in front of these three men.
    The pilot got in and started fiddling with his instruments, leaving Kerek the only one outside. She was just about to ask what the holdup was when Kerek hauled himself into the shuttle, looking distinctly ill at ease.
    Was the idea of spending time with her in such close quarters really that hard to stomach?
    Thantos patted his mate on the arm, speaking low and sweet to the man before turning to her. “Ms. McManus, please have a seat in the chair closest to the pilot. Should you feel ill, just open the compartment, get the syringe out, and press it against your upper arm. The machine will take care of the rest.”
    She sat down where Thantos indicated and let him fuss over the harness that strapped her in.
    Kerek sat down in the farthest seat, that nervous look still plastered on his face. Clearly, something else was going on. Was this trip in the shuttle that dangerous? Were they going to burn up in a fiery ball when they tried to punch a hole in the atmosphere?
    Suddenly, this didn’t seem like such a great idea after all.
    Thantos checked Kerek’s harness and sat down between her and Kerek, securing his own harness. He looked remarkably calm, although there was just a hint of concern glittering in his emerald eyes.
    The craft roared to life and began to lift straight off the ground. It zipped forward so fast, it left her stomach somewhere in the back of the shuttle. She’d had this sensation before, on roller coasters, and she relaxed, breathing in deeply through her nose, knowing that in just a quick second, the sick feeling would leave, and she would be left only with the exhilaration of a good ride.
    What would it be like to sit in the front with the pilot and see all the stars? Would they get bigger and brighter as they flew farther into space, or would they still seem as far away as they had from Earth? Would the blue sky of day fade gradually, or would it be a sudden change from blue sky to black space?
    She turned to ask Kerek if she could sit up front, but the words died in her mouth. Kerek was a sickly shade of green. He was sweating, beads of perspiration running down his temple, and he was swallowing convulsively. Kerek the Mighty was space sick.
    Thantos was leaning toward Kerek as much as he could in the harness, crooning in his mate’s ear and rubbing his back. “Why doesn’t he use the medication?”
    Thantos spared her only a quick glance before he turned his attention back to Kerek. “Kerek is one of the few people it doesn’t work on.”
    Her heart went out the strong, proud male hunched over. It probably ground on his ego to be laid out by a little bit of motion sickness. Thantos, on the other hand, looked right as rain. “You don’t get sick?”
    “Thantos has the constitution of one of Earth’s oxen,” Kerek said on an agonized moan.
    The shuttle lurched, throwing her against the restraints and then pressing her back into the cushion of the seat before finally settling into a somewhat smoother ride. It didn’t seem to help Kerek at all.
    Thantos angled his chin toward the front of the shuttle as he unstrapped his harness. “You can sit up front with the pilot if you want. It’s only a few minutes to the ship, but the docking process is even harder on Kerek.”
    She was torn. The views from the front beckoned her, but she was desperate to do something for Kerek. “Maybe I can help.”
    Thantos shot her a grateful smile and knelt in front of Kerek. “Why don’t you sit next to him and rub his back? I’m just going to let him out of his harness and get him to lean forward just a little.”
    Kerek slumped into Thantos’s waiting arms the second his harness was released. Kerek muttered something in Helan and remained limp, clearly trusting his mate to keep him from falling on his face. Thantos replied in their own language, whispering directly into Kerek’s ear.
    Kim ached for him. The last time she’d suffered like Kerek was a couple