EvO (Darverius, House of DaR #16)

Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

EVO

Qwin’s sudden silence as we sit here eating worries me. I don’t know how to fix the insecurities she is going through, because I don’t have all the answers available. I try not to stare as she picks at her food, rolling it around on her plate deep in thought.

“ Is it not to your liking?”

“ Oh , it’s fine EvO .”

I wait to see if she is going to say more, but my comm goes off. I hit the button, expecting to hear ViN’s voice, instead, it’s a jumbled mess of angry sounds. “ Destroyer , locate ViN for me.”

“ He is presently in the Med bay, Captain . The sensors in that area are logging a rise in temperature as his heart rate is elevated.”

“ Frack !”

“ Qwin , please continue your meal. I will return shortly.”

“ I’ll go with you. I’m done here, anyway.”

We rush down the hall, my hand wrapped securely around Qwin’s small one as we head towards the Med bay. The sound of raised voices reaches us before I am even halfway there.

ViN is screaming at LeX with a crying Ember in his arms. Rafe is trying his best to keep the little female that was climbing all over him in the Med scanner while yelling for help. LeX looks like he has not slept or eaten in several rotations. He is standing protectively over his female who is covered in wires, hovering in the middle of the room. Red flashing lights and beepers are going off everywhere and I can tell this is completely out of hand.

“ ENOUGH !” I yell out. Every head turns towards me. “ What in the frack is going on here?” They all start at it once again and instantly I am concerned because Vin is starting to get larger.

“ All right, everyone calm the frack down. I am going to address you all separately. Not a single word until your turn, now ViN what’s going on?”

“ Ember is sick, she has been throwing up for the last three risings and she can’t keep anything down. I demand that LeX look at her immediately, but he won’t step away from that female.”

“ ViN baby just take me back to our rooms. I am feeling better I promise. I’m sure I’ve just eaten something that does not agree with me.”

“ Absolutely not! Your smell has even changed.”

LeX looks up from the holo pad he has been staring at since we arrived. “ ViN , if you would stop yelling for a moment you could take care of this issue on your own. You are not stupid and can run a basic scan. Take Ember to the other bed and initiate the procedure.”

“ She needs you.”

“ No , ViN your actions are what has her so upset at this moment.”

When he growls and smoke comes out of his nose, I step in between them. “ ViN , take her to the bed and start the scan now.”

Rafe is practically wrestling with the other female. “ Hey , I could sure use some assistance over here. LeX , I managed to get her in the bed, but I am lost as to what you need me to do next.”

LeX must have hit something because straps come out from under the bed holding the girl down. The moment they tighten around her. She goes berserk, screaming, and fighting against the straps like a madwoman. In the mix of all this, I have managed to lose Qwin who has placed herself against the wall, watching all the chaos.

When she starts towards the girl Rafe is dealing with, the female gets even more aggressive. LeX must have realized things were getting out of hand with her quickly because he leaves his female for a moment to look over the results of the first scan.

“ EvO , Rafe , hold her down. I am going to administer a sedative. She is injuring herself worse fighting the restraints. I need time to look at the drug that has flooded her system further before I can find a way to offset its effects.”

I will say she is much stronger than either of us anticipated, as it takes everything we both have to hold her still. The moment she falls limp against the bed, Rafe collapses to the floor next to it. Qwin is next to him before I can go around the bed.

“ You alright?”

I hear her ask when I round the bed.

“ No , not really. I didn’t know what to do. She scared the frack out of me.”

“ Rafe , you are scratched all to pieces. Since LeX is busy, let me see if I can help get you cleaned up. I know some basic first aid.”

I have to stop the growl bubbling up in my throat when Qwin runs her fingers down Rafe’s cheek, looking at a huge bite mark there. Just as I start to reach for her, ViN snarls behind me, regaining my attention. Ember is lying on the bed, tears welling up in her eyes as ViN hits every button on the pad next to the bed. “ Frack ViN , calm the hell down. You are terrifying your mate with your carelessness.”

Pushing him out of the way. It takes me a moment to reset what he screwed up, so the machine can initiate the basic scan. ViN walks to the other side of the bed, his eyes staring down at Ember as we watch the scan move up and down her body. Several times, I look over at LeX confused, and concerned that he is not helping with the others.

The moment the machine beeps that it is finished, Ember reaches for ViN , and he picks her up, instantly tucking his head into her neck. I can tell he is trying to calm himself with her smell, but his runes are still dancing dangerously.

When LeX still doesn’t come over, I get angry. “ LeX , can we impose on a moment of your time? After all, you are the acting medic on this ship. So why don’t you act like it? Or do I need to have you replaced?”

He glances at me with a snarl on his usually smiling face. He must have been able to tell that I was not going to tolerate another moment of his neglect for the others. Hesitantly , he lowers the comm in his hand to the hover bed and walks quickly to where we are standing over the screen.

“ Ember , you are fine, I will make you some tea to settle your stomach in the early risings. This will pass quickly, as ViN’s people only carry their young for about half the time you humans do. Come next rising once you have calmed down, and we will see how far along you are. I will need to monitor you every rising in case your body starts to reject the embryo.”

“ What ? Brother , everything you just said was gibberish.”

“ Your mate is pregnant, ViN . Congratulations to both of you. Now if you will excuse me, I have others that need my immediate attention.”

ViN is spinning Ember around red tears flowing down his face as he lifts her up above him so that he can kiss her stomach. He doesn’t even give the rest of us a moment to say congratulations or anything else. Simply walks out of the room whispering to Ember as she clings to him tightly.

Rafe’s familiar laughter echoes around us. “ Frack , we thought he was bad with her, can you imagine how overprotective he will be with a youngling.”

Qwin is holding a damp towel in her hand, cleaning the scratches on his arm, a huge smile on her face as she watches ViN and Ember leave the room. “ How did that happen; they are so extremely different.”

“ Little female, if Captain EvO over here has not had the time to demonstrate the procedure to you, I would gladly instruct you on how you become with youngling.”

“ Rafe , you are lucky my Qwin is standing so close, or I might have thrown you out of the airlock. Keep your comments to yourself, I am barely holding it together as it is.”

“ Captain , you have no sense of humor.”

“ Both of you quit, my nerves can’t take much more. There , Rafe , I think that is the last of them. However , I would still have LeX look at that bite on your cheek or it might scar.”

“ A scar you say. I just might keep it, proof that a female was so into me. She marked me for life.”

Qwin looks at me and I can tell she doesn’t know if he is serious or joking. A small moan coming from the female on the bed has all of us looking over at LeX who once again is completely ignoring the fact that we are even here.

“ LeX , what is happening with this female?”

He doesn’t even look at us, “ She has been given an extremely high dose of narcotics. To the point that her body is now addicted. This is what is causing her extreme emotions.”

I can tell his words have really upset Qwin . “ What the hell LeX , how could that have happened? I worked on those pods, no one would have put something in there like that.”

He sighs wearily as he finally turns towards us, running a hand through his ridiculously long hair. “ Qwin , I am sure EvO has not had time to discuss all that we know about the pods with you yet, but the pods were designed for a specific human. When the wrong person was put inside the pod. It had no way of knowing and simply followed its basic programming. From what I have been able to see, this poor girl was given a drug meant for one thing, but her body absorbed it in another, harmful way.

“ She would not have lasted many more rotations if the injections had continued. The sad part is, there is nothing I can do for her, that would not make it worse. She will have to fight the withdrawals on her own, and I believe it will be a very painful and long emotional experience.

“ I can’t keep her here in the Med chamber because there will be several others brought in from the last group that I need the beds to assess their issues. I am at a loss as to what to do with her EvO , as she will need constant supervision. She will be a danger to herself and others around her until this substance dissipates from her body.”

“ I’ll take her.”

All eyes turn toward Rafe . “ You have other duties to attend to, Rafe . I need you at the helm.”

“ What are you going to do, fire me, EvO ? Yes , she was crazy, but she was also terrified. If she wakes up locked up in a room all alone, it’s hard to tell what type of damage she will do to herself. I have accrued plenty of time that I was saving to use when we docked, but I’ll use it to provide for her instead. Right now, there are no immediate dangers around us. If that changes unexpectedly, EvO . I’ll report to the helm. Worst -case scenario, I’ll have to chain her to my side. LeX , how long do you expect her to go through this?”

“ Rafe , it will take several rotations for her body to even start coming down, and then it will get bad quick. We will simply have to watch her. I can’t give you a time frame, as the drugs might permanently mess with her mind.”

When I see tears gathering in Qwin’s eyes I pull her towards me. My heart is heavy when she whispers. “ Dear god, what a mess, Rafe . I will help any way I can.”

“ I appreciate the offer, little lady, but she didn’t seem to like you much. Although , I do appreciate the offer. LeX , can I take her out of here before she wakes?”

“ That would probably be for the best. I’ll have substance and clothing sent to your chambers. I will warn you, Rafe , do not let your guard down, no matter how calm you feel like she is. She is a threat to herself and will be for a while.”

“ I understand.”

I don’t know all of Rafe’s backstory, but he seems calmer than I would have been, and it makes me wonder if he has experienced anything like this before. Qwin and I stand here together, watching as he carries her out. Neither of us know what to do next. Qwin moves away from me and toward LeX . When she lays a gentle hand on his arm, he jerks.

“ Forgive me Qwin , I was startled by your touch. I thought you two had also gone.”

“ LeX when was the last time you ate anything? You’re a mess, I understand you think you have to be here, but you’ll do no one any good if you collapse.”

“ I appreciate your concern Qwin , but I can go rotations without either.”

His words make me angry, “ This is not one of Father’s trials, LeX . You need to rest and gather your thoughts. The female is stabilized, take a few ticks for yourself.”

“ Is that an order, brother?”

“ If it need be then, yes.”

“ Fine , I’ll go as long as you both stay here until I return.”

“ You have my word.”

He throws his coat off and walks out of the Med chamber. His head low with the sudden weight that is now bearing down upon his shoulders.

“ I have never seen him like this before.”

“ EvO , life has a way of bringing out the worst in us.” When the bed starts to move the female hovering in front of us, Qwin steps up a little closer. “ Wait a minute, I know her. I mean I don’t know her personally, but I saw her every day. She worked on the same floor I did in the Scientific Center . Rylie , I am pretty sure that is her name, she ran the human resource department.”

Her words make little sense to me, but I will take the smile on her face either way. “ I am sure LeX will be happy to know her given name. Are you alright, things got pretty intense in here for a moment.”

“ Is it always like this?”

“ You mean everyone acting up? No , although ViN is always an exception to that rule, though. During these last lunar rotations, I would have done anything to break up the monotony of the same old issues every rising. This rising has been an overabundance of excitement all at once. While you were seeing to the other group, I was able to reconnect with Father . He brought up several topics that I think need to be addressed to your people. I would like you to be with me next rising when I assemble them all together to discuss their options moving forward.”

“ I wonder if the last group has already been brought in?”

“ Destroyer , status on the last group of humans?”

“ The pods have all opened successfully, and they are being reunited with the others. I took it upon myself to issue their room numbers, and several that have eaten are already settling into their dwellings. The Med bots listed only minor injuries, and those were treated immediately. Captain , the Holo pads are filling up quickly with their many questions. I have been answering the simple ones. An example as to how the Ionizer works and so forth. The others I have left on your comm unit for you to view. I’ve also scheduled you a meeting with them late next rising.”

“ Destroyer , I am grateful for your efforts in looking after my people and ensuring our well-being.”

“ It’s my pleasure, Mistress Qwin .”

I hear the speaker kick off as I pull a short lounger closer to the unconscious female for us to sit on together. Grabbing Qwin’s arm, I tug her down in my lap. Taking a deep breath, simply allowing us a moment of quiet after all this chaos.

“ You handled all that well Qwin , jumped right in to help without thought.”

“ Yeah , yeah, don’t think I didn’t miss that growl I heard come out of you when I was trying to patch Rafe up.”

“ I apologize, I don’t share my things well.”

“ I am a thing now?”

“ Possibly , if my translator is picking its meaning up properly. I believe one explanation of a thing is an object that can be possessed or owned. When it comes to you, I like both of those ideas. I want you to be so obsessed with me that it feels like I am haunting your thoughts. Then I want to mark you in a way so there is no confusion as to who owns you.”

Qwin bites her bottom lip, fighting her smile. “ I should inform you that if a guy had said that to me on Earth , it would be a huge red flag, and I would have ran like hell. It shows just how twisted I am now since I suddenly like the idea of being owned by you.”

Before I can answer her back, she raises up repositioning herself until she is straddling my lap. Grasping her hips, I pull her in close. Her tiny fingers grip the back of my head pulling my mouth to hers. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I baste in the attention she bestows upon me. The heat of her hidden treasure rubs against my hardened shaft and it takes every ounce of my strength not to throw her down on this lounger. So that I can strip off her clothing and worship every ounce of her.

She lifts herself up slightly, pouty lips smile at me as she runs her fingers through my hair. “ What are you thinking about? I swear I can see the gears turning in those vibrant yellow eyes of yours.”

“ Oh , the thoughts in my head are not fit to be spoken out loud.”

“ Is that so? Are you hinting that you might be thinking dirty thoughts?”

“ You have no idea, but the last place I want to live out one of my many fantasies about you, is in the Med bay.”

I close my eyes when she starts tracing my face with her fingers. After a few moments, Qwin leans forward. Tucking herself right up against me, laying her head on my shoulder and I make myself relax beneath her. My hands casually rub her back, and it’s not long before I feel her drift off to sleep. Comfortable myself, I close my eyes for a moment, letting the silence in the room quiet my busy mind.

Our minds must have been seeking the other out because I once again find myself looking at things from Qwin’s point of view; the Memory Fasting showing me a more in-depth version of her thoughts than what my eyes can see.

Like the way my hands and lips feel on her body. How she wants more, but is scared of all these strange emotions at the same time. I can feel her frustration first hand with how that other woman, as Qwin calls her, reacted to me and ViN . She seeks me out when I am not in the room because she feels alone even surrounded by others of her kind. But the biggest thing in her mind is whether she should stay with me or go with the other humans. Where was her place in my world?

I can feel her heart tugging her in one direction and her mind pulling her in another. I had simply assumed because of how our relationship was progressing, she would stay with me, but that may not be the case. Humans don’t feel the bonds the same way we do. The moment the Memory Fasting connected us. I knew she was mine and had simply taken it for granted that was all that we required. Apparently , my little Qwin needs more. What can I do to show her that her place is beside me?