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He’d heard voices co from beyond the curtain that surrounded his bed The panic had set in, the one that often did when he awoke in a place he couldn’t place When that happened, it usually s for him His heart rate had increased rapidly, and the curtain was yanked back

“Get him a sedative,” the male had said to a s will be okay,” the male had told him, his hand in front of his body in an atte calm The smaller female had appeared with the injector, and Xan had felt he had to get out of there The threat of sedation and being transported somewhere neas one that his body would not allow At that point, his ht

Stronger and in less pain than he had been in for years, Xan had used that strength to try to keep his attackers at bay The strange surroundings had done nothing to quell the terror that had clawed its way up his throat and out his n tubes from his body

The lack of pain and newfound strength had been at least partially able to quell his rae, but it wasn’t until he saw her—Sloan—that he’d truly known it was real As he’d lifted a stool over his head to keep the h the door, eyes blazing, gloriously furious at his treatment of her ship

He’d slowly lowered the stool and felt his heartbeat speed up even more as he realized it was all real It had happened; he was free Now he needed to find out what she wanted in return for his freedo she asked of him

Xan’s translator was better able to parse through her words as she spoke It took a few ti for his name “Xan,” he croaked, his throat dry, before she moved to leave Her mouth curved up at the corners, and Xan found hi her as she misspoke his name and hoped he would be able to provoke a full smile soon

She sat in a chair holding two cups of water as he found his way to the bed to sit He stared at her intently as she asked hier on the ship His translator was partially able to comprehend her words It meant he had never met someone of her species before, at least not one who spoke her language This was unusual, as rammed directly into the universal translators so the user could ies

Xan atteht on by not using his voice for so long took hold of his throat and chest Sloan handed hi it and gulping down the contents until it was eed As he was finishing the second cup, Sloan walked over to a sink, retrieved a pitcher, filled it ater, and brought it to his bedside Xan’s heart swelled at her compassionate actions and her attempt to take care of him She motioned to the pitcher

“Would you like so to refill one of the empty cups

Xan shook his head “No, I’m fine now, thank you”

“Your throat is doing okay?”

“Yes, it’s er croak, but a croak nonetheless

“So, tellup my ship?”

“I was unable to believe my captivity had

ended and thought this was another trick of Ganthar’s to break me” Sloan peered at him with such sadness and compassion that it stole his breath away Then her face transfore