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wrist； my elbow。
“I’m okay。”
His kind eyes were soft as he met my gaze。 “You will be。 You’ll just have to rest for a while。 I’ll keep an
eye on you。 Here； turn your head。”
I did as he asked； and then winced while he examined my wound。
“Not here；” Ian muttered。
I couldn’t see Doc； but Jared threw Ian a sharp look。
“They’re bringing Kyle。 I’m not having them in the same room。”
Doc nodded。 “Probably wise。”
“I’ll get a place ready for her。 I’ll need you to keep Kyle here until… until we decide what to do with
him。”
I started to speak； but Ian put his fingers on my lips。
“All right；” Doc agreed。 “I’ll tie him down； if you want。”
“If we have to。 Is it okay to move her？” Ian glanced toward the tunnel； his face anxious。
Doc hesitated。
“No；” I whispered； Ian’s fingers still touching my mouth。 “Walter。 I want to be here for Walter。”
“You’ve saved all the lives you can save today； Wanda；” Ian said； his voice gentle and sad。
“I want to say… to say good—goodbye。”
Ian nodded。 Then he looked at Jared。 “Can I trust you？”
Jared’s face flushed with anger。 Ian held up his hand。
“I don’t want to leave her here unprotected while I find her a safe place；” Ian said。 “I don’t know if Kyle
will be conscious when he arrives。 If Jeb shoots him； it will upset her。 But you and Doc should be able to
handle him。 I don’t want Doc to be on his own； and force Jeb’s hand。”
Jared spoke through clenched teeth。 “Doc won’t be on his own。”
Ian hesitated。 “She’s been through hell in the past couple of days。 Remember that。”
Jared nodded once； teeth still clamped together。
Ian met his gaze。 “Okay。” He leaned over me； and his luminous eyes held mine。 “I’ll be back soon。
Don’t be afraid。”
“I’m not。”
He ducked in and touched his lips to my forehead。
No one was more surprised than I； though I heard Jared gasp quietly。 My mouth hung open as Ian
wheeled and nearly sprinted from the room。
I heard Doc pull a breath in through his teeth； like a backward whistle。 “Well；” he said。
They both stared at me for a long moment。 I was so tired and sore； I barely cared what they were
thinking。
“Doc —” Jared started to say something in an urgent tone； but a clamor from the tunnel interrupted him。
Five men struggled through the opening。 Jeb； in front； had Kyle’s left leg in his arms。 Wes had the right
leg； and behind them； Andy and Aaron worked to support his torso。 Kyle’s head lolled back over
Andy’s shoulder。
“Stars； but he’s heavy；” Jeb grunted。
Jared and Doc sprang forward to help。 After a few minutes of cursing and groaning； Kyle was lying on a
cot a few feet away from mine。
“How long has he been out； Wanda？” Doc asked me。 He pulled Kyle’s eyelids back； letting the sunlight
shine into his pupils。
“Um…” I thought quickly。 “As long as I’ve been here； the ten minutes or so it took Ian to carry me here；
and then maybe five more minutes before that？”
“At least twenty minutes； would you say？”
“Yes。 Close to that。”
While we were consulting； Jeb had made his own diagnosis。 No one paid any attention as he came to
stand at the head of Kyle’s cot。 No one paid any attention—until he turned an open bottle of water over
Kyle’s face。
“Jeb；” Doc plained； knocking his hand away。
But Kyle sputtered and blinked； and then moaned。 “What happened？ Where did it go？” He started to
shift his weight； trying to look around。 “The floor… is moving。…”
Kyle’s voice had my fingers clenching the sides of my cot and panic washing through me。 My leg ached。
Could I limp away？ Slowly； perhaps…
“’S okay；” someone murmured。 Not someone。 I would always know that voice。
Youthink。I’m not willing to risk it。
Melanie sighed； she yearned to move toward him。 It wouldn’t have been so hard to bear if I weren’t
yearning also。
Give him time；I pleaded。Let him get used to us。 Wait till he really believes。
She sighed again。
“Aw； hell！” Kyle grumbled。 My gaze flickered toward him at the sound of his voice。 I could just see his
bright eyes around Jared’s elbow； focused on me。 “It didn’t fall！” he plained。
CHAPTER 34
Buried
Jared lunged forward； away from me。 With a loud smacking sound； his fist hit Kyle’s face。
Kyle’s eyes rolled back in his head； and his mouth fell slack。
The room was very quiet for a few seconds。
“Um；” Doc said in a mild voice； “medically speaking； I’m not sure that was the most helpful thing for his
condition。”
“ButI feel better；” Jared answered； sullen。
Doc smiled the tiniest smile。 “Well； maybe a few more minutes of unconsciousness won’t kill him。”
Doc began looking under Kyle’s lids again； taking his pulse…
“What happened？” Wes was by my head； speaking in a murmur。
“Kyle tried to kill it；” Jared answered before I could。 “Are we really surprised？”
“Did not；” I muttered。
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
“Altruism seems to e more naturally to it than lies；” Jared noted。
“Are youtrying to be annoying？” I demanded。 My patience was not waning； but entirely gone。 How
long had it been since I’d slept？ The only thing that ached worse than my leg was my head。 Every breath
hurt my side。 I realized； with some surprise； that I was in a truly bad mood。 “Because if you are； then be
assured； you have succeeded。”
Jared and Wes looked at me with shocked eyes。 I was sure that if I could see the others； their
expressions would match。 Maybe not Jeb’s。 He was the master of the poker face。
“Iam female；” I plained。 “That ‘it’ business is really getting on my nerves。”
Jared blinked in surprise。 Then his face settled back into harder lines。 “Because of the body you wear？”
Wes glared at him。
“Because ofme； ” I hissed。
“By whose definition？”
“How about by yours？ In my species； I am the one that bears young。 Is that not female enough for you？”
That stopped him short。 I felt almost smug。
As you should；Melanie approved。He’s wrong； and he’s being a pig about it。
Thank you。
We girls have to stick together。
“That’s a story you’ve never told us；” Wes murmured； while Jared struggled for a rebuttal。 “How does
that work？”
Wes’s olive…toned face darkened； as if he’d just realized he had spoken the words out loud。 “I mean； I
guess you don’t have to answer that； if I’m being rude。”
I laughed。 My mood was swinging around wildly； out of control。 Slaphappy； like Mel had said。 “No；
you’re not asking anything… inappropriate。 We don’t have such a plicated… elaborate setup as
your species。” I laughed again； and then felt warmth in my face。 I remembered only too clearly how
elaborate it could be。
Get your mind out of the gutter。
It’s your mind；I reminded her。
“Then… ？” Wes asked。
I sighed。 “There are only a few of us who are… Mothers。 Not Mothers。 That’s what they call us； but it’s
just the potential to be one…” I was sober again； thinking of it。 There were no Mothers； no surviving
“Yo