What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to chancelor22 and shortest_warrior for their excellent update prodding skills and to Keen and Sealink for a confidence boost. Without them, this chapter wouldn't have been written this soon. ^_^

Chapter 6


[Tor’ac’s POV]

My legs couldn’t move fast enough as I rushed through shadowed spaces between the structures, still following Meeya’s signature on my mask’s grid. No matter how fast I pushed myself, in my mind it didn’t feel as though it was enough. Even when her signature appeared in a much brighter color, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread.

‘Meeya…Paya, please…let me reach her,’ I prayed internally as breath left my throat in short gasps. It had been long since I felt the need to pray, but with the danger I sensed so strongly, it was time I did. For Meeya’s sake.

Rounding the corner of a structure, I stopped and looked up at the top before crouching down. I leapt up and jabbed my wrist blades into the side, gripping the rough stone with my left hand. Climbing up the rest of the way using my claws, I flung my body over the ridge at the top, moving quickly to where I could see more ground.

Meeya’s heat signature appeared stronger as my eyes followed the path she took, clenching and releasing my fists to try and ease the tension felt throughout my body. Running along the structure’s roof, I braced my legs, propelling my body over a space between this one and another structure similar in height. I landed once more in a tumbling roll on the structure, allowing the forward momentum to carry me to my feet. Then, I heard voices from the opposite side of the structure, male ooman voices. Staying low, I crept to the other end and eased up to scan the ground below.

A sharp rush of air left my lungs as I saw Meeya lying motionless on the ground, four ooman males bending over her still form. Hissing, I recognized the stench these males gave off as the ones who had pursued me before. Two of them held down her arms as a third knelt next to the lower part of her body in a position I knew all too well. My vision seemed to bleed red as my mandibles snapped beneath my mask, claws digging into the stone roof. How dare they…how DARE they have the impudence to violate my Meeya.

Before I could even rationalize my thoughts, I vaulted over the roof preparing for a swift and bloody attack. A guttural roar burst past my mandibles as I landed in a crouch near the one farthest from Meeya. Extending my wrist blades, I drove them straight through his lower torso, ripping up and out through his ribcage. Not bothering to watch his body fall, I moved past him towards where the other three held Meeya, returning my wrist blades to their sheath.

“Fuck, it’s here!” One of them yelled as the male straddling her turned to face me, the whites of his eyes showing clearly. Gripping his throat, I hefted him off her, pitching his body against one of the large trees behind us. As I turned to level a glare through my mask at the remaining two, both males attempted to crawl away from me.

Stalking towards them, I glanced at Meeya lying still…so very still on the ground, red blood spattered across her top covering. My mandibles clicked sharply as I snarled and faced the males, still trying to escape. Closing the distance between us, I bent down and grabbed the nearest male’s leg, swinging him directly against the other and sending both sprawling on the ground.

I moved quickly to where they both lay, closing a clawed hand over each of their throats, and crushed the airways of their necks. Both were still, their eyes open wide and looking towards the upper atmosphere. Growling, I rose and strode away from them, disgusted yet very satisfied with their deaths. I would not bother taking skulls from such as these even if I were on an ooman hunt.

Something small and red on the grid in my mask drew my attention, and I looked down to locate the item. Touching the side of my mask, I switched to a normal view in order to inspect it carefully. It was a piece of metal, long and curved almost like a blade, and coated with ooman blood.

Picking it up, my eyes widened as I recognized it as an ooman hair ornament; Meeya’s scent was beneath the scent of blood. ‘It must be hers. She…used it as a weapon,’ I thought, imagining her holding the ornament like a dagger and thrusting the thin point inside one of those males. The vision sent a shudder down my spine and brought a groan from my throat. Blinking, I shook my head and gazed at her over my shoulder. ‘Meeya.’

After tucking the ornament inside my belt, I stood and moved to where she still lay on the ground. I inhaled in an attempt to calm my swiftly pumping blood and to be certain the only death I smelled was male ooman. Releasing my breath, I felt my shoulders relax; she lived.

My legs ached from all the tension and running; it was almost a relief to kneel next to Meeya. Placing a hand against her face, I rasped, “Meeya…Meeya, wake up. Wake!”

Slowly, she stirred, her eyes moving behind their lids before twitching and opening into small slits. Then, Meeya blinked several times before looking at me, her eyes widening as her heart rate increased dramatically. “T…Tor’ac?”

‘Thank you, Paya.’ I sighed, trilling as she stared up at me. “Yes, Meeya.”

“Where…oh, damn!” Meeya cried as her hands moved down to her lower body, covering where her sex was. I cocked my head to the side, hearing her heart rate pound even more before slowly quieting. She was relieved at something, possibly for finding her clothing still in place. “Oh, thank God. Thank God!”


[Mya’s POV]

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat as a sigh practically made my body numb with relief. They hadn’t managed to rape me, those bastards. Those fucking sons of bitches! Clenching my fists, I fought the tears threatening to fill my eyes, especially since I didn’t want the image in front of me to blur. Tor’ac was beside me; he had saved me, I knew that. I didn’t know how he got here, and I didn’t care about how or even why he came. He was here.

Biting my lower lip, I couldn’t hold back the flood any longer as tears streaked down my cheeks. I still felt Tor’ac’s warm, rough palm against my face, probably getting wet with my tears, and I placed a hand against his. His hand was so strong; I felt the sinews of hard muscle even while his hand was relaxed. I had never been happier to see anyone as I was now.

“Meeya…can you stand?” he asked in that gruff voice I had become used to hearing.

Rubbing the back of my right hand over my eyes, I eased my body into a sitting position. My left ankle throbbed when I tried to move it, and I winced, saying, “I don’t think so. Kane that bastard…he twisted my ankle, hell, it feels like he ripped it off.”

Tor’ac stood, moving to my lower legs, and I watched as he lightly placed a hand on my dislocated ankle. I hissed out a breath and felt my left leg twitch involuntarily away from him, and he glanced up at me. Rising, he returned to my side, bending down and wrapping an arm around my back, the other gently scooping my legs up.

“Uh…Tor’ac…what are…?” I stammered, gaping as he lifted me into the air like I weighed nothing. Swallowing, I still couldn’t believe his strength, and after feeling the hard muscle flexing in the arms holding me, heat bloomed along my cheeks.

Why was I so embarrassed…or was I even embarrassed? Hell, I didn’t know what to think right now. Maybe because no one had held me like this since I was a child; my father had been the only man to do so. ‘Dad,’ I thought, my eyes threatening to water again. Blinking fast, I looked up at Tor’ac as he held me against his chest, and he said, “Hold on to me. I’ll try to move as gently as I can without causing further injury, Meeya.”
Shaking my head as my arms wrapped around his neck, I told him, “You can’t do anymore to it, Tor’ac. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

He cocked his head to the side and looked at me, bringing a small smile to my lips. I wondered just what he was thinking about my last sentence, especially after finding me as he did. Clenching my teeth at the memory of Kane snapping my ankle, I inhaled and glanced up at the only decent male within range. He just happened to be an alien male. “It’ll be all right.”

“Very well,” he said, growling softly and moving towards a shadowed alley between two of the buildings.

~~~

We arrived home sooner than I thought the trip would have been on foot, though Tor’ac did use several of the city buses to get us there fast. I was utterly amazed at how fast he moved even with me weighing him down. There were only a few times he removed his arm from supporting my back, informing me what he was doing to give me enough time to hold on around his neck.

Truth be told, the cold air was finally getting to me as I clung to him for warmth throughout the journey. His body was so warm where I touched him, such hard muscle that held me. I could feel his chest vibrating with that odd purring noise I’d heard when Tor’ac met Kat. Now, it was such a soothing sound, I caught myself nodding my head sleepily only to snap it back up, blinking to wake up.

At the complex, I hugged Tor’ac’s neck as he climbed up the side of our building. Somewhere in the recesses of my tired mind, I was relieved at the lateness of the hour because it meant fewer people could see us. He gripped the balcony railing and hefted both of us over with ease, turning the doorknob and opening the door to find surprised roommates sitting on the futon.

“Mya! What the hell happened to you?” Cassie demanded after looking over me, standing but still keeping her distance from Tor’ac. “Did he…?”

“No, Cassie!” I frowned at her even thinking that Tor’ac might have made my appearance this frightful. His hold on me seemed to tighten, and I glanced at his mask, wondering what he was thinking or if he was insulted. Huffing, I faced my roommates again, not wanting to deal with this. Not tonight. “I don’t wanna talk about it…just leave me alone.”

“But…” She stopped when I held up my hand and slumped against Tor’ac’s shoulder and neck.

“Cass…let her be,” Leah said, and I nodded to her. “We should hit the sack anyway. It’s really late and we’re tired and cranky.”

Watching both leave the living room, I knew I shouldn’t have snapped at Cassie, but right now wasn’t the time to bother me, especially with questions. I lifted my head when Tor’ac moved and laid me on the futon. Almost immediately, my body felt cold without him holding me, and I missed the warmth he shared in his strong embrace.

He crouched next to my ankle again and prodded it gently, stopping when I bit back a cry. Sighing, he said, “I’ll have to move it back to its place, Meeya.”

“I know.” I nodded to him, biting my lower lip.

“It will hurt.”

“I know…I know.”

He looked up at me, and I wished it was his face I was looking at instead of his mask. I couldn’t see his eyes, and I really wanted to look in them right now…to somehow reassure me. Then, I felt Tor’ac’s hand grip my foot, practically covering it, and he began purring again. ‘He’s trying to prepare me…or soothe me.’ Swallowing, I waited and gripped the cushion.

As he snapped my foot in the correct direction, I felt my eyes water again, and I couldn’t hold back the yelp as needles of pain jabbed my leg. Tor’ac placed both his warm hands around my throbbing ankle, and he gently rotated my joint. It hurt; I knew he was trying to help but it still hurt so much as tears flowed down my cheeks.

“Tor’ac…ice. Get some ice…please,” I grunted and tried to point to the freezer.
Removing his hands, Tor’ac slowly stood and moved to the kitchen area, I hoped towards the refrigerator. I heard a long creaking noise, signaling that one of the fridge doors had been opened. Then, came the sound of clacking ice cubes, and I realized he’d probably just bring them in his hands.

“Tor’ac, get a towel from off…” I stopped when I saw him come back into the living room, holding a large handful of ice cubes and a towel. Blinking, I wanted to ask where he found the towel, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. As I sat up slowly, he knelt down next to the futon, still holding the requested things.

Taking the towel from him, I held it in both hands and said, “Just drop the ice in there.”

Once all the ice cubes were in the towel, I wrapped and tied them up in an ice pack and leaned over, wincing. My stomach ached from where that one guy kicked me, and I put the ice over my ankle, quickly lying back. Tor’ac bent over me, saying, “Let me see the other damage, Meeya.”

Blinking at him, I hesitated at the idea of lifting my sweater and shirt to almost flash Tor’ac. Even though my sweater was ripped, I had worn an undershirt for an extra layer. So it wasn’t as if he’d already seen me. Growling softly, he grasped my shirts, and I squeaked as he lifted my clothes up still keeping my chest covered.


[Tor’ac’s POV]

I glanced at Meeya’s face, ignoring the sound she made as my hand moved her upper garments just above her stomach. Frowning, I already saw the blood vessels expanding and causing discolor on her pale skin. The discoloring covered an area almost the size of my hand, and it drew a growl from my throat at the one who did this to her.

Placing my fingers gingerly against the bruised area, I felt Meeya flinch slightly as though that small touch caused great discomfort. I wouldn’t doubt it, but my hand remained in place on her stomach. There was nothing I could do for the bruising, but my curiosity wouldn’t allow me to remove my hand just yet. Lightly brushing my palm along her stomach, I found her skin so smooth, so soft against the roughness of my calloused hand. I cocked my head to the side, recalling touching Meeya before but never realizing the supple texture of her body.

A purr came from my chest before I realized what I was doing, and Meeya gasped, “Tor’ac!”

Blinking, I huffed and moved my hand in a light brush to her side before removing it entirely from her body. I watched as Meeya pulled down her clothes over her bare stomach and slowly sat up. Her face had colored in a way I’d seen before, and I could hear her heart rate increase slightly. ‘She is nervous…or afraid. C’jit, did I go too far?’

“Tor’ac,” she said, looking up at me. “I don’t think I can…walk to my room. Will you…?”

Sighing inside, I was grateful that Meeya wasn’t afraid; c’jit, what was I thinking? She would not show fear…not from a brief touch such as that. ‘But it wasn’t as brief as you think,’ my mind hissed. I frowned at my actions which could have been taken as disrespect even if they were meant to inspect her wound. When I deciphered that nothing could help her bruising, I should have ceased touching her. What was wrong with me?

“Tor’ac?” Meeya’s voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I nodded, gathering her into my arms and taking care to not move her injured ankle. She was so light and looked so very small in my grasp.

Walking inside her bedchamber, I gently lowered her to the bed and moved back, kneeling on the cloth-covered floor. I watched as Meeya settled her body into a comfortable position, adjusting the cloth-covered ice. Just remembering the feel of the frozen water made me shake my head and shoulders.

“I just can’t have any luck with this ankle,” Meeya said, a bitter laugh in her voice.

“It has given you trouble before?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Well, it’s not the first injury I’ve had on the left ankle. I sprained it in my karate class when I was fourteen…uh, in my kha’tas class.” She turned towards me, and her lips moved down in a frown. “Were you having trouble breathing, Tor’ac?”

Moving my hand to the side, I removed the two breathing hoses and pulled my mask off, setting it next to me. “It was earlier in the night cycle. Meeya, why don’t you practice your kha’tas again?”

Her eyes widened, and I heard her heart rate increase its pace, almost beating inside my own head. What could trouble her so much to bring about such a nervous change? Still, I kept my gaze on Meeya as she clung to her arms, saying,

“It…it’s a long story, Tor’ac. And I’d rather not get into it right now. Let’s just say…it involves my parents.”

Nodding, I accepted her reasoning and stood. “I will go, Meeya. You need rest.”

“W…wait, Tor’ac!” She held out a hand, looking at me before lowering her arm. Her heart still raced as it did before, but I noticed the change in her eyes, a gaze that asked something of me. “Um…would you stay? Please?”

I cocked my head to the side, and I lifted my mandibles, trilling lightly. How could I refuse such a request considering what torment she had been through? Sitting down on the clothed floor near her bed, I stared at her as she met my gaze. Her lips moved up in a smile, and I watched her hands grip the outer garment, pulling it over her shoulders and head.

“So much for that sweater,” she sighed, tossing it across the room. Lying back on her bed, Meeya turned her head in my direction, looking at me with tired eyes. “Tor’ac?”

“Hnn?” I grunted to her, stretching my back and rolling my shoulders.

“Why did you come to Earth?”

Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before opening them and locking my stare with Meeya’s. I knew she needed much rest; I could tell from the way her eyes were half-closed now. And I was uncertain about revealing my motives, my mission, for being on the backwater world. “It is a long story that I should not go into detail about…not now. When you are ready to…tell your story, I shall tell you mine.”

“Fair enough.” She made a small noise in her throat, closing her eyes and breathing softly.

I watched as her heart rate slowed to a calm pace, and her breaths were quiet, almost silent in sleep. She rested so quietly now, even after what happened to her…why? The females I knew on the clanship were strong, but it did not seem likely that they would have handled almost being…I growled deep in my chest. No female should ever be forced, not by any male even her mate. I would rather stab my blades into my gut before forcing Meeya…I blinked.

Where had that train of thought come from? And that thought earlier before I jumped into the fight, what had I thought? Placing a hand on my brow, my mandibles clicked as I tried to recall…my eyes widened. ‘My Meeya.’ I had unknowingly called her that in my thoughts. Slowly dropping my hand, I stared at the female lying just in front of where I sat. How could I call her mine as I did, this female from a world not like…yet not entirely unlike my own?

Meeya had chosen to give me aid of her own free will, me, a warrior being that hunted her kind. She had brought me into her home among her friends, gave me food and shelter. Why? She told me it was the ‘right thing’ to do; I suppose it meant it was most honorable. She had granted me this much honor, this much trust without really thinking it through. And she shared her knowledge with me, her mind so open to much information.

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes, growling low, “She is ooman…an ooman female…”

Something snapped my eyes open, and I looked up at Meeya, hearing her heart rate increase too fast for restful slumber. Her body shook, her hands clenched into fists with her arms drawn up around her chest. As I stared at her face, Meeya’s mouth quivered and her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. She was afraid, no doubt due to bad images in her mind. I had seen Yautja experience something similar before, and it could even make them cause self-inflicted wounds.

I stood and moved to her side, lifting her form in my arms and sitting down once more, settling her in my lap. Holding her quivering body next to my chest, a gentle purr rumbled through my body into hers as I placed my free hand against her face. “Meeya, do not fear. Do not let it take your strength,” I growled to her. “Be strong…calm.”

Slowly, Meeya’s heart eased to a more normal beat, and her body relaxed against mine, her head just over my heart. Brushing my fingers against her cheek, I found her face just as soft as her stomach. My thumb slid over her lips; they were even more supple, and a shudder coursed down my spine. ‘She is a female…that I wish to protect and honor.’

I tilted her head up, raising her upper body, and bent down close to her small, pale brow. Gently, my mandibles grazed her brow, and as I pulled back, my head cocked to the side, my eyes gazing at her mouth. Still purring, I flexed my mandibles, brushing the top two along her lips.

“My Meeya.”


[Mya’s POV]

When I woke up, the first thing that felt different was the warm and hard something I was lying against. No…not something, someone was holding me. Rubbing my eyes, I opened them to see Tor’ac, eyes closed and his arms wrapped around me. I blinked and turned my head to look at my empty bed, facing him again when I heard, “You’re awake.”

“Yeah…Tor’ac, how did I…get down…?” My brow scrunched as I tried to sort through reasons for why I was on the floor, but my mind was too groggy to really think clearly.

“You were seeing bad images, and your body was trembling,” he said, purring as one of his clawed fingers stroked my cheek. “I thought holding you would help calm you.”

“’Bad images’? Oh, a nightmare.” I frowned, knowing that it had been a long time since I’d had a nightmare. But after what happened last night, it didn’t surprise me much that I’d have one. I couldn’t remember what I’d dreamt about, and something told me that was probably a good thing. Whatever it was, I would not have liked it.

The gentle rumble I felt against Tor’ac’s body was vaguely familiar, and I looked up at his eyes watching me. His eyes seemed softer somehow, the green not so piercing. I hadn’t seen that look in his eyes before, yet it seemed…I sighed, lowering my gaze. Biting my lower lip, I knew he had held me throughout the night…just so I could rest after the ordeal.

“Tor’ac, thank you for helping me through the nightmare…but could you let me get up please?” I asked feeling flushed at his sturdy arms gripping me. It wasn’t unpleasant…it just felt a little awkward being held so close. Like I was something of great value. Not likely in this case.

Moving his right arm, Tor’ac supported my back with his left arm and helped me get up, almost hesitantly letting me stand alone. I looked at my ankle and surprisingly, it wasn’t as swollen as it should have been. However, adding a little more weight to it brought a hiss from my teeth, reminding me it still hurt like hell and needed time to heal.

“Sit, Meeya,” Tor’ac hissed as he rose to his knees in front of me. When I asked why, he growled softly and nudged me to sit. “Tor’ac, what are you…?” I stopped as he gripped my ankle and began rotating it just like last night. Watching him, I blinked when I didn’t feel as much pain as I had before even if it still hurt.

“Working the joint around helps reduce swelling and speeds the healing process,” he answered my unfinished question, still slowly maneuvering my ankle.

I stared at him kneeling in front of me as he focused on my ankle. He had come to me last night; how, I had not the foggiest clue. But he came when I needed him most. I hadn’t even really thanked him for saving me. And he was with me throughout the night, comforting me during a bad dream and allowing me to sleep.

“That should help.” Tor’ac’s voice broke into my thoughts as he set my ankle down and stood, towering over me. Getting up, I stood right in front of him, tilting my head back to look into his eyes as he cocked his head to the side. I didn’t know how he’d react, but I hoped it wouldn’t be bad. My arms circled his waist in a hug as I leaned my cheek against his chest. “Meeya?” he trilled.

“You killed those men last night…didn’t you, Tor’ac?” I asked softly.

He tensed, and I heard his mandibles clicking. “They hurt you…it was dishonorable of them…”

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“Thank you for saving me. Just…thank you.” My grip tightened as I thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t come there. If Tor’ac hadn’t come, God I didn’t want to know.

When he slowly placed his arms around my shoulders, I felt so warm against him. It wasn’t awkward this time, I just felt protected, safe, loved. Blinking, my eyes widened as I felt my face grow warm and not from Tor’ac’s body heat. ‘Loved? Why would I even think that? I mean, he is my friend, but he’s also…a Yautja, a male but still an alien. Still…he didn’t have to save me last night or inspect my ankle…or…’

“Mya?” Cassie’s voice came through the door, and I looked up, snapped out of my thoughts. “Wanna talk now?”

“Uh…yeah,” I answered, glancing up at Tor’ac as he eyed the door before meeting my eyes. Sighing, I owed my roommates an explanation and despite my current ponderings, I would give them one.

~~~

“Oh my God…they tried to rape you?!” Cassie asked, her eyes wide as she stared at me.

“Yes, which is why I snapped at you last night for accusing Tor’ac.” I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall with Tor’ac standing next to me and both Cassie and Leah on the futon. My roommates were very quiet after I dished out what happened last night. It probably shocked the hell out of them; not so much as me, but it still upset them.

Cassie seemed the most upset after hearing about it as she stared at the carpet, shaking her head. I glanced at Leah and saw the confused look on her face as she looked up at me. “Mya, this happened last night and you didn’t report it, right?”

“Right. How could I report it with Tor’ac with me?” I asked, biting my lower lip. “Why do you ask?”

“I had a class this morning, and I walked right by the library,” she said. “There was nothing there. No bodies, no police, nothing.”

“What?” I frowned and stood only to wince at the pain from putting too much weight on my ankle. Tor’ac moved and grasped my arm, helping to steady me as I leaned back against the wall. “Nothing? How could there be nothing?”

“I don’t know.” Leah frowned and then looked up at Tor’ac. “No offense Tor’ac, but after something like that, you’d think they’d have closed off the zone or something.”

Nodding, Tor’ac glanced at me, asking, “What does this mean?”

“It means someone cleaned up the mess.” Inhaling, I turned to him, the one who protected me even knowing the danger of killing in defense. “Someone doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention.”

“Most likely the guys who attacked you have friends somewhere,” Leah said.

“But how would they know?” I huffed and crossed my arms, looking at the carpet. “I just don’t know; there’s not enough information to go on.”

“Maybe for now, you’d better just rest and relax at home, Mya.” My calm roommate touched my arm as Leah gave me a worried look. “And not worry us so much.”

“Yeah,” Cassie finally spoke up, meeting my eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry, girls.” Lowering my head, I was almost ashamed of snapping at them when they were just worried about me. I patted Leah’s hand before limping back into my bedroom, touching Tor’ac’s arm as I made it to my door. He followed right after me and stood next to where I sat on my bed.

Lifting my hurt leg up off the floor, I began rotating my ankle just as Tor’ac had done before. It helped take my focus off what had happened last night and who could have cleaned the scene. I smiled a little, remembering what my mother had said the first time I sprained this ankle. ‘An unused limb will most likely become stiff and useless when you need it most. That goes for feet, too, missy.’

“Why didn’t I think of that last night?” I asked aloud.

“Think of what, Meeya?” Tor’ac trilled, and I turned my head toward his.

“My mother was a school nurse, and she once told me something like the advice you said about helping my ankle.”

He nodded and watched as I continued to rotate my ankle. It didn’t hurt as bad this time, but I knew I couldn’t put my full weight on it for at least another few days, a week tops. The first time I sprained it, I had to miss a week’s worth of karate classes. I thought I’d go crazy or left behind; such ridiculous thoughts one can have as a teenager.

Frowning, I also remembered the day of my Cho Dan test, the one for my first degree black belt. I swallowed a hard lump in my throat, then looked at Tor’ac as he stared at me. Inhaling slowly, I released the breath and stopped moving my ankle, asking,

“You want to know why I don’t practice kar…kha’tas anymore, right, Tor’ac?”

“If you wish to tell me, I will listen,” he answered calmly, but his body shifted as though he was more curious than his voice gave away.

“The day of a…an important kha’tas test, my parents called to let me know they were on their way. I can’t remember what prevented them from being at the studio beforehand, but it doesn’t really matter now. My personal test was coming up soon, and being a typical teenager, I wanted them to hurry so they could see.”

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as it felt like my chest was being pressed inward. I kept my breathing steady as I continued, trying to think of how I could explain what happened to Tor’ac.

“Another call soon came…from my father’s boss. There was an accident, and my parents were…they were killed in the crash. A…land vehicle crash. I left before I could even begin my individual test. I couldn’t even begin to focus or concentrate, not that I cared then.”

I stopped and watched Tor’ac kneel in front of my bed, his eyes still trained on me. He lowered his head, saying, “I’m sorry you lost them.”

“You want to know the worst part?” I asked, biting my lip as tears stung my eyes. “A few months after the fact, I find out it wasn’t an accident. Some of my father’s coworkers...team members had arranged it. I didn’t hear all that happened, but they planned my father’s death.”

“What?!” Tor’ac growled as his head snapped up, his eyes locking with mine. “They conspired against your father? Why?”

The look of anger and loss I saw in his eyes made me blink and back away from him. And the ferocity of his questions made me wonder if something similar had happened to someone Tor’ac knew. Closing my eyes, I returned to where I sat before with him directly in front of me.

“My father was a cop, a law keeper, and he was very good at his job. There were other law keepers who were…greedy and corrupt, and they hated what my father did. And they feared what would happen when my father found all the wrong they did. So they had him and my mother killed.”

Lowering my head, I closed my eyes, squeezing tears down my cheeks. “I had trained in the same style of kha’tas with some of these law keepers. They had trained with me, and they took my parents from me. I couldn’t go back ever, not after knowing that people I had trusted…broke that trust. No organization seemed trustworthy to me, so I just didn’t get involved in anything. There was no point in belonging to a group I couldn’t trust.”

Slowly inhaling, I couldn’t believe I got through telling him without breaking down. I guess time did heal all wounds or at least made them slightly more bearable. Talking about it still hurt me, but it was a pain I could tolerate…just like the pain in my ankle. Then, I felt a large hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into Tor’ac’s eyes. They had returned to that piercing green, but there was something else.

“Meeya, not all are like that. Not all are…corrupt,” he said in his gruff, yet somehow soft tone. “There are those you can trust.”

Staring in those eyes that were so foreign but so very familiar, I knew he was talking about groups in general. But he was also talking about trusting other people…such as trusting him. Warm blush crept along my neck, and I somehow managed to place my hand against his on my shoulder. “I know, Tor’ac…I know.”

Blinking, he began purring and I could feel it down the entire length of his arm into his hand touching me. It was so very soothing, and I smiled at him…my guardian. Tor’ac moved his hand out from under mine, sliding his warm palm up my neck to my cheek.

“Mya!” Cassie’s shout rang through the walls, and I groaned as I lowered my head, calling,

“What, Cassie?”

“I think you need to get out here…and bring him, too.”

Frowning, I met Tor’ac’s gaze, and he raised a heavy brow in what looked like suspicion. He stood and clenched his hands into fists, moving towards my door. I got off the bed and limped after him, bumping against his back when he stopped short in the living room. Leaning towards my uninjured leg, I looked around Tor’ac’s large form and gasped.

Standing in our living room along with Cassie and Leah were two more Yautja, both somewhat smaller than Tor’ac, but still armored and masked Yautja. Clicking at the two, Tor’ac didn’t make any move towards them, and I guessed they were friends of his. Then, I blinked and my eyes widened as something finally clicked. With them here, our time was finally up. He was leaving.

TBC

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and for your reviews! Special thanks go to: Ripe wickeD plUm, Capt_Davy_Jones_Lover, Shalimar, Nahaujaret, and Zellezra. And I also thank everyone for their patience with my updates. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. ^_^