Slag: Book Four in the Galaxy Pirates Alien Abduction Romance Series (Shifter) Alana Khan (love letters to the dead .txt) 📖

female voice says. “Moderate in severity. Step one . . .” The machine slowly talks me through the process of cleaning the wound, applying topical antiseptic and analgesic, and covering the belly wound with protective plas-film. I follow the same procedure with the wing and pray it will mend.

Cleaning was the worst part of the procedure, not only because it was the most painful for the dragon, but it was bloody and gross.

It’s hard to know exactly how much the big beast understands. Maybe A’Zul is right near the surface and running interference. However this process works, though, my patient was more cooperative than I had a right to expect.

I croon to him throughout the procedure, telling him what a good boy he is over and over.

It’s the middle of the night and there’s nothing more I can do. I’m dead on my feet, but am afraid to fall asleep because of the errant pod that’s somewhere out in space. Rifle in hand, I lie next to Dranii, and succumb to sleep a few moments later.

The next morning I wake instantly and turn, hoping to see my big green male at my back. No such luck, there’s a spikey iridescent dragon, his eyes the glowing chartreuse of A’Zul’s.

“I love all you guys, but I wish we could figure out how to get you back, A’Zul.”

He chuffs, his warm breath stirring my hair and causing hay to fly.

Over the next two days, the dragon recovers at a speed that is nothing short of remarkable. I guess shifters have superior healing. I wonder if that was how A’Zul survived the mine for so many years longer than anyone else. The med-scanner is helpful, tutoring me every step of the way on how to change bandages and administer painkillers and antibiotics.

I’ve felt guilty and a little embarrassed about my performance in the brig on Khour’s ship. If A’Zul could talk right now, he’d have every right to call me a cock tease. Oh well, it got us out of there.

“Get up, big guy. Vacation is over,” I tell him. “The first thing we’re going to do is inspect the cabin. I wonder if Captain Thantose was joking about having fire insurance on his house. I think he’s going to need it.”

I walk, Dranii lumbers, to the remains of the cabin. A few partial walls are standing, but everything else has been burned to the ground. Some piles of debris are still smoldering.

Because the structure is so completely obliterated, I have to reorient myself to figure out where the porch was where A’Zul and I had dinner the other night. When I find it, there’s nothing left of the table we ate at and no hint of the comm unit that was on it.

“I think we’re on our own here,” I say quietly, my eyes downcast. How can the pirates know to come get us without a comm? I’m definitely feeling alone. It’s been two days since I’ve talked to A’Zul and I miss him.

Except for the days he was in the brig on the Ataraxia, we’ve been constant companions since I was thrown into the mine. I got used to his gentle, quiet company. It’s not the same with Dranii—his primitive animal simply doesn’t comprehend things like A’Zul does.

“A’Zul, I miss you,” I say for the first time since I summoned Dranii on that ship. I hadn’t wanted to hurt Dranii’s feelings, but I want my mate back. “A’Zul, can you come out?”

Walking to the behemoth, I cup my palm to his giant cheek, look into the glowing chartreuse eyes that are the only remnant of A’Zul, and say, “Come back to me, A’Zul.”

I kiss between his two nostrils and pet the length of his snout. And he shifts.

He shimmers as his bulk dwindles. On his journey from scaled dragon to my A’Zul, he passes through his golden form. For a moment, his shining blues eyes find mine, then he completes the shift and I have my big green mate standing in front of me.

“A’Zul! I missed you,” I say as I gingerly hug him, not certain if he still carries Dranii’s wounds.

“My KJ,” he says as he pulls me into his warm embrace.

“Your arm? Your belly?” I ask, scanning his naked form to look for damage.

“Shifting often repairs things,” he explains when my palm searches his flank and finds the skin perfect and intact.

“That’s convenient.”

“Yes.”

He covers my face in kisses, sifts his fingers through my hair, and then pulls me impossibly close to hug me back and forth.

“It was agony to be so close to you and not be able to help these last few days. I couldn’t bear to watch you shouldering the burden, taking care of everything. I’m here now, my love. We’ll figure this out.”

Pure relief washes over me as I hold him, my fingers tracing his impossibly hard muscles under his soft pebbled skin.

I’ve seen enough of this burned-out debris, staying longer would just get me more depressed. Pulling him toward the barn, I say, “I want to make love to you, my mate.”

Chapter Ten

A’Zul

I’ve watched her for days, helplessly seeing the pain in her eyes and unable to soothe her. If this is what she wants, I’ll happily take her to our hey-strewn bed and transport her away from this planet and the fact that we might be stranded here forever. Sooner or later, though, we’ll have to talk about the reality that this is to be our new home.

After I’ve loved her body many times, my spirit animals inside crouched close and enjoying providing their mate such pleasure, we lay on the blanket we spread on top of the hay.

“We can use this structure,” I tell her as I finger through her hair to remove traces of hay that got