He breathed a sigh of relief as Liz turned and dragged him toward the makeshift hospital. The chunk of metal in his back hurt, but he was glad she didn’t ask how it’d happened. It was his own dumb fault.
The explosion to bring down the side of the cliff had worked but hadn’t taken out as many troops as he’d hoped. He also hadn’t been quite far enough away, the battery having a bit more power left than he’d expected. If he hadn’t turned when he had, the chunk would have buried itself in his chest, which would have been much worse, possibly even lethal.
Biting back a grunt as he had to duck to enter the building, Blaide met everyone’s cheers with a grin. It looked like everyone from the village had made it in one piece, and that was all that mattered.
Unfortunately, the injury had stunned him long enough for the Krantor soldiers to spot him, and it’d been harder to slow them than he’d thought. He’d doubled back, trying to evade the enemy troops behind him while keeping them chasing him instead of moving toward the city. Luckily, their laser weapons had malfunctioned in the damp jungle, just like his would have, and they’d resorted to more primitive weapons, otherwise the holes peppering his back would have been much worse.
He might not have made it back at all if the Empyre troops hadn’t arrived. Surprised they were already moving beyond the city, he’d let relief flow through him with the realization that they’d broken their normal procedures and hadn’t waited until the consequences of inactivity forced their tactics forward.
Settling onto the cot Liz pulled him to, Blaide let his body relax, breath leaving him in a hiss when she pressed against his side. He tried to hide his reaction, but she’d already jumped back, green eyes filled with concern. Smiling, he tried to push reassurance through their bond as a medic approached.
“We’re going to have to cut that shirt off, and you’ll likely need surgery to remove the shrapnel,” the man said as he peeked at Blaide’s back. Grunting, Blaide shook his head.
“It’s not that bad, just yank it out.”
The medic’s lips pressed into a thin line as he pulled out a pair of scissors and moved behind Blaide. Sliding the metal into the shirt’s collar, he cut down, letting out a whistle as the rest of Blaide’s back came into view.
“Yeah, I don’t think we can do that. It’s too deep and is too close to your spine. If it isn’t taken out properly, the scars will limit your mobility. But our surgeon is great. He’ll be able to get it out in no time, including the rest of these pellets, and have you ready to go.”
Clenching his teeth, Blaide kept his growl low.
“No one is doing surgery on me except Ursuli.”
The medic moved back around where Blaide could see him, gathering supplies to clean Blaide’s wounds.
“Master Sergeant Venza is no longer with the military. He’s not even a surgeon anymore from what I’ve heard. Sergeant Draga is a great surgeon and will be the one to treat you once he’s done with more serious cases.”
The man’s clipped words showed his contempt for Blaide’s friend and Blaide’s growl deepened. Not many knew Ursuli’s reason for leaving, but Blaide wouldn’t trust anyone else to cut on him.
“You’ll show some respect for your betters, whether they’re still in the service or not. And since I’m not, I can see anyone I damn please.”
Liz’s hand clutched his, his growl affecting her just as much as the man he produced it for. Forcing himself to relax and cut off the noise, he ignored the man as he finished his job in silence.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t let them do it now?”
Liz's worry bled through to him, and he pulled her closer to his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder despite the pain it caused his back.
“Ursuli is the best surgeon there is. I’ve watched him stitch up injuries men should have died from, and he’s the only one I’d let do this. He’s not far. If I could run through the jungle with it in there, it’ll be fine till we get to him.”
He could feel her arguments, but she didn’t voice them, ducking her head to press her ear to his chest as she let out a purr. The medic finished patching up the wounds on his back after digging out the shallower pellets stuck in his flesh before leaving with a huff. Ignoring his pain, Blaide put his fingers under Liz’s chin and lifted her face till he could see her eyes again.
“I promise we’ll take your Nana to safety first. Will you forgive me if it takes a little longer until I can knot you like I promised?”
His lips tipped up as her eyes went wide, her pupils expanding as a whiff of arousal reached his nose. Pulling her closer, he claimed her lips, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and tangling it with hers. She was panting by the time he released her, his pants uncomfortably tight once again.
“I’ll forgive you if you knot me for two weeks instead of just one.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest as he pressed another quick kiss to her lips. He didn’t know what he’d done to earn such a perfect mate, but he’d promise her the galaxy if that was what she wanted.
“Deal.”
He would have drawn her in for another kiss if someone hadn’t cleared their throat behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Liz’s cheeks flushed darker before she jumped up and moved around him to throw her arms around her Nana.
“Are you okay? Did you get everything you needed?”
Liz’s grandmother patted her back before pulling away from the hug.
“I’m fine, child. As fine as someone my age can be after being trapped underground for almost two days before running through the jungle chased by enemy soldiers.”
Her lips twitched with the hint of a smile as her eyes danced, but she didn’t give in to her amusement. Blaide could tell by how slow her movements were as she shuffled to sit across from him that she was sore and tired, but otherwise she’d held up.
“Now, Evangeline let me know they’ve begun allowing ships off planet again, and while I love my little cabin, she’s assured me it’ll be a couple weeks before I’d be allowed back out of the city. I do believe we should call your mother and let her know she’ll be receiving a visitor soon. Or two.”
Her eyes tipped to Blaide, but he focused his attention on his mate as Liz’s body went stiff beside him. Her mouth was hanging open, her face a pale shade that had him searching their bond to see what was wrong.
“Mom! She… I… I didn’t tell her I was leaving.”
Blaide’s brow rose as her Nana snorted, folding her hands in her lap and straightening her back.
“I’ll let you have that conversation then. I’m sure she knows where you’ve gone and is anxious to hear from you. Do tell her I’ll be coming to stay for a bit before you mention the mate thing, or she’ll be distracted.”
Liz’s throat worked as she blinked at her grandmother before standing. Turning, she looked down at him and squeezed the hand she still held, mouth opening but no words emerging. Smirking, he watched different emotions flick across her face before she dropped his hand and walked off to find someone to point her to where she could make a call.
Turning back to the woman sitting across from him, surprise flicked through him when he saw a small smile on her face as she looked him over.
“It’ll be fine. I just didn’t want to deal with the waterworks if we showed up unannounced.”
Blaide huffed, chuckling as Nana gave him a wink. Sighing, she looked away and smoothed her hands over her legs before pinning him with another stare.
“You’re one of the good ones. It’s hard to think Liz is all grown up and ready for a mate, but I can see she’s not just a possession to you. Too many alphas want an omega as a status symbol but care nothing for the woman themselves. I’m glad to see she’s found you.”
Warmth bloomed in Blaide’s chest at her praise. He could tell she wasn’t one to give it lightly, and he was proud he’d earned her approval.
“Her mother’s not going to like it,” she warned.
His grin turned rueful, and he shrugged before remembering his injury. He couldn’t stop the wince it caused, and Nana raised a brow at him.
“As stubborn as an alpha. Get yourself taken care of, and if you decide to come back to Jun’gale, I expect regular visits. Especially once the pups come.”
Rising, she walked away as Blaide sat stunned. The thought of little ones hadn’t crossed his mind but once she said it, he couldn’t help imagining his Red rounded with his baby. He had to dig his claws into his legs to keep from jumping up to hunt Liz down right then, the possibility that one already grew inside her bringing home the danger they’d been in.
And if she wasn’t already pregnant with his child, he’d be sure she caught during her next heat. He’d keep her locked on his knot for an entire month if that’s what it took.
Grinning to himself, he laid on his side as the weariness chasing him finally caught up. They’d need to get tickets to get Nana and Liz back to where she came from, but it could wait until they’d caught up on rest. For now, he was content to lie down and dream of a baby with three tails tugging on his the way its mother's tails did. He’d settle the rest later.