Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 29

Ember woke with a start. She didn’t know where she was, she couldn’t remember what had happened. Dragging in a breath, it instantly burned her throat and lungs with a searing ferocity. Thrown into a bout of painful coughing, she pinched her eyes tightly as the familiar taste of industrial smoke flooded her mouth and had her rolling to her side to retch. Memory came rushing back with heart-stopping intensity. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she forced them open and struggled to catch her breath. Attempting to right herself, her muscles whined in protest. Hands grabbed her, but when she jerked away, the hands released her. Glaring up, she saw Obaida and Vashti standing over her; she was in the med bay of the Cressida. Eyes scanning, she sought out Adrik. He wasn’t there. A memory of him giving her his armor and throwing her through the flames to Kaze had her struggling to get off the med bed. She needed to find Adrik, she had to see him!

Obaida tried to hold her down, but Vashti pushed his hands aside and helped Ember.

“Shhh,” Vashti crooned. “It’s okay. Adrik’s onboard.”

Relief swamped Ember and had her twisting to the side as she retched again from too much inhaled smoke, too much exertion, and too much emotion.

“Shhh,” Vashti repeated as she stroked Ember’s hair and rubbed her arm.

Slowly regaining her composure, Ember pressed a bandaged hand to her lips and croaked out, “Wh-where?”

Obaida shot Vashti a confused look, but Vashti answered instantly. “There.”

Lifting her head, Ember followed Vashti’s pointed finger to a tank at the far end of the Med Bay. Adrik floated, unconscious, in the fluid-filled tank. Arms and legs spread wide, he was naked except for some dark-colored garment covering his sex. There was some sort of breathing apparatus covering his nose and mouth, which had bubbles sporadically floating up from the device. Too many wires to count were attached to different locations on his body. They extended from him to attach to different monitors and machines outside the tank. Inside the tank with him, hand-sized automatons roved Adrik’s body with small needle-like legs that pinched and plucked at his raw and blistered flesh.

“Wh-,” the attempted word threw Ember into another bout of coughing before she recovered enough to rasp a panicked, “What are they doing?”

Obaida answered, “The Zio Drones are repairing the damage.”

Mournful eyes filling with tears again, Ember whispered—almost afraid to ask, “Will he make it?”

“Yes,” Obaida answered directly. “The fire damaged his flesh, and he inhaled a great deal of smoke and fire. But he will recover, especially now that we’ve found his…”

His words halted so suddenly that Ember turned her head to frown up at him. “Found his what?”

Obaida shot Vashti a look before clearing his throat and straightening. “He will recover fully.”

“Tell her,” Vashti snapped. “She’s in it now. We all are.”

Obaida’s gaze went contemplative before he squared his shoulders. “I took a blood sample from you while you were unconscious. I already have a sample from Adrik on file. I have samples from all crew members.”

“Don’t tell her all the medical mumbo jumbo,” Vashti ordered. “Tell her the good shit. The romantic part.”

That had Ember shooting Vashti a confused look. Romantic?

“Adrik is a logical male. The most logical and calculated male on this ship. It’s why he’s our Commander. He doesn’t take unnecessary risks. Ever!” There was a pause, and then he continued. “Not until now. Not until you.”

Ember felt her gut twist.

“Reengaging the Ziefers was foolhardy. And that’s not something I’ve ever said about orders given by my Commander. Yes, there was a Titan Myoplex War Liner in a nearby division, but Adrik re-engaged before they’d even set a course to aid in our dilemma. He moved quickly and without thought.” Obaida looked down as if considering his next words and shook his head. “No. There was thought,” he murmured before lifting his head and looking at Ember. “It was just solely focused on you.”

Guilt hit Ember hard, and she was compelled to apologize but didn’t because Obaida continued.

“He risked not only his life but the lives of the men under his command and the vessel under his control.”

“I’m sorry,” Ember finally whispered. “I…”

Vashti cut her off, “Just wait, Em. Let him finish.”

“His actions were so out of character that it could only be explained by one scenario. There was only one logical explanation.”

“What explanation?” Ember asked trepidatiously.

“He bonded to you.”

That had her heart rate spiking. “Bonded to me?” Her eyes slid between Obaida and Vashti, “What does that mean?”

“It means he decided, whether conscious or not, that you were his. Once he gifted you his armor, your fates were sealed.”

Heart hammering unbelievably hard, Ember swallowed hard. Tired of waiting for a proper explanation, her gaze sliced to Vashti. “What the fuck is he saying?”

Vashti started grinning like a goon. “It means you belong to Adrik, and he belongs to you.”

Ember’s racing heart slammed to a halt. “Wh-what?”

“A Titan doesn’t separate from his armor,” Vashti beamed. “He can’t, not unless it’s to gift it to his mate. It only works with his mate!”

Confusion flooded Ember, “His what?”

“Our armor isn’t just an article of protection,” Obaida explained. “It’s an extension of us.”

He held out his arm and Ember watched as dark armor rippled from the tips of his fingers up his forearm before just as quickly disappearing.

“It’s organic,” Obaida explained. “A living thing. A part of each Titan. And we can only separate from it when there is an extension of us. Another self. A sibling, parent, or…a mate.”

“But we’re not…,” Ember shook her head and breathed, “We haven’t done anything.”

Obadia snorted. “Humans always assume sexual intercourse is a prerequisite to deep connection. It’s a benefit.” He grinned wolfishly. “The greatest of benefits.”

“Benefit?” Ember whispered, still confused and trying to process everything she was being told.

Obaida sobered. “There are other benefits,” he continued. “Your blood heals him. During sex, he will drink from you. Don’t worry,” he rushed out, holding up a hand. “It is extremely pleasurable for you. You will both enjoy him drinking from you, and it will benefit him physically. You will be aided and healed by drinking from him too.”

“What?” Ember paled. “I can’t…I can’t drink his blood.”

“Not his blood,” Obaida corrected.

The images conjured up by that revelation had Ember blushing hard.

“Not that,” Vashti smirked. “It’s not what you’re thinking. The Titans secrete some sort of nectar from their tongues when they are with their mate. They call it venom.”

“Yes.” Obaida added, “During intercourse, you’ll suckle his tongue to drink from him, and he’ll drink blood from you, not much. If you copulate often, it will keep you both healthy and strong.”

Ember was back to blushing and couldn’t help but glance over at where Adrik hung suspended in the healing tank. He looked so defenseless. It was the first time she’d ever seen him with his guard down, his ever-present scowl noticeably absent. Canting her head, she studied him. No, defenseless wasn’t the right word. He was vulnerable, but in the way a sleeping lion was vulnerable.

“You’re making he and I sound like a foregone conclusion,” she murmured. “Don’t you think you should wait and ask him...”

Obaida cut her off with a curt, “No. I don’t need to ask him. And if I did, he’d only confirm what the tests have proven. You are his, Ember.”

Mouth suddenly gone dry, Ember fought to keep her breathing even, lest Vashti or Obaida notice the adrenaline spike that suddenly flooded her veins. His? His! The thought of it was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. She’d fought long and hard for her independence. Hell, as captives, she and her sisters had done nothing but dream of freedom. She’d never wanted to belong to anyone. Until now. Trying to hide the fact that it felt like there was a tornado thrashing around inside her, she tried to focus on the moment. “How…” she started and then cut herself off when the word came out husky. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “How do I help him now?” Glancing down at her wrist, she asked, “How do I get him more blood to help him heal?”

When she looked up, Obaida stared at her, approval shining in his eyes. “I only took a small sample from you to test the mating. I didn’t want to take more without your permission.”

“You have it,” she rushed out. “You have my permission.” She thrust her arm outward. “Take what you need.”

Turning, Obaida made his way to a table with tools and devices that Ember didn’t recognize. He slid his hand palm out against the wall, and a panel slid open to expose more foreign medical equipment. He spoke as he worked. “Now that we know you’re a match, your blood will help him immensely. The Zio Drones are doing what they can, but it wasn’t just his flesh that was damaged. The Symbiotix of his armor was also damaged and that’s much more difficult to heal. But with your help,” Obaida turned to flash her a grateful smile, “he’ll recover fully. Thank you, Ember.”

“Don’t thank me,” Ember muttered trying to focus, but her mind was reeling. “He’s hurt because he came for me. This is my fault.”

Obaida stopped working to shoot her a hard look. “You volunteered yourself to protect us all. We are aware of the sacrifice you were willing to make for us. The instant there was hope of recovering you, he seized the opportunity. Adrik rescuing you was the honorable thing to do. Any Titan male would have done the same after your selfless actions.”

The admission had guilt biting Ember hard. Had Adrik rescued her out of obligation? Had she backed him into a corner? Had she forced him to play a hand he wouldn’t have just to save face with his men?

“Don’t do that!” Obaida snarled. “I’m not explaining this properly.” He shot Vashti an imploring look as if silently asking for assistance. He didn’t wait for one. Instead, he took a deep breath and calmed slightly. Returning his attention to Ember, he tried again, “He didn’t rescue you because he felt like he had to, it wasn’t a fulfillment of duty. He already knew he was going after you. He left its mechanics to Kaze, but Adrik was moving before the War Liner had even been given our coordinates. He didn’t simply want to rescue you, Ember. He had to…like he had to take his next breath. The realization that you are his mate was simply delayed. And I thank the Gods for that. Because if Adrik had realized it when the Renx were removing you from the hold…” He stilled and drew in a slow breath before shaking his head. “He’d have fought to the death to keep you.” His eyes narrowed on her, “I’m sure you felt a connection to him as well.”

She didn’t bother denying it. Still, everything was happening so fast, and she’d just taken in too much information to process all at once. Hell, she still didn’t know what happened to the Renx and the ship. And what of the Titan War Liner Obaida had mentioned? Was it still en route? Would they be coming to take Adrik to their home world for proper medical care? Suddenly, fear dumped into her veins. She didn’t want to be parted from Adrik ever again.

“The War Liner?” she asked, gaze returning to Adrik.

“They’re chasing down the Renx mothership. The vessel fled once they realized how close our War Liner was and that it was coming to our aid. They knew they didn’t stand a chance. Their Commander and his guard were collateral damage to them.”

“Theb?” she asked cautiously, afraid to hear that the Renx male had survived.

“He’s dead.” Obaida’s chest expanded, his chin lifting in haughty pride as he boasted, “All the Renx on the vessel we boarded were terminated.”

Ember was glad to hear it. Still, she was worried for Adrik and not just because of his current condition. It wasn’t lost on her that he’d had to call in reinforcements to save her. Her! A lowly human female. She was basically chattel, a mere slave. She wasn’t sure how his superiors would feel about that. He’d wasted valuable resources on her.

Unable to bear not knowing, she blurted out, “Will Adrik face consequences for what he did for me?”

Obaida was silent momentarily, his expression contemplative as he studied her closely. Then he smiled softly. “You’re worried about him.”

Ember’s lip trembled, and all she could manage was a curt nod of affirmation.

“He’ll have to answer to Magus back on Cesca Sol for putting Titans at risk against unfathomable odds. His actions were illogical and, therefore, unacceptable for a Titan in Adrik’s command position. He’ll likely be demoted if not removed from the fleet completely.”

“Oh my God!” Ember pressed a trembling hand to her lips and breathed a defeated, “Because of me.”

“Not because of you, Ember,” Obaida corrected. He lifted his chin and boasted fiercely, “ For you!”

But that didn’t sound any better to her. Adrik was about to lose everything that defined him, and whether it was because of her or for her, he was still losing everything that made him who he was.

“No,” she breathed. “He’s going to lose everything because he rescued me?” Her voice lowered further. “I ruined everything for him.”

Stepping forward, Obaida captured her attention when he gently took her hands into his. “You don’t understand, little human. Adrik is a shadow Titan. Destined to a life alone, his only companionship was to be that of the men in his crew, their eventual mates, and any offspring they created. There was to be no love for him. Nothing for him.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re the only thing he never dared to hope for. A gift he didn’t torture himself by even praying for. He won’t care about a single consequence Magus will lay upon him. No punishment could ever matter more than the blessing of you.”

A resounding boom sounded and had Ember and Vashti startling hard. Obaida’s gaze jerked to the side, and he instantly released Ember’s hands and stepped away from her. In her periphery, Ember saw Obaida hold his hands up and back away from her quickly. But her attention was locked on the tank holding a very awake and very pissed-off Adrik.