Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“But what are we going to do? Where are we going to go? If Qi can’t help me, who can?” Kara asked, her voice tight with tears. She felt sick with fear—she couldn’t live like this! But there didn’t seem to be any options left, since restoring her fangs hadn’t fixed the problem.
“Don’t know,” Raak admitted, squeezing her hand again. “But we’ll think of something—I promise you that.”
“There is a Tolleg hospital ship visiting our quadrant of space at the moment,” Qi said unexpectedly, breaking into their conversation. “One of their surgeons came to visit me—a female by the name of Silki. She asked for some of my leaves and xanthos for experimentation in her lab—a request I was glad to grant for the Tollegs have a fine reputation as healers of all creatures—both meat and plant based.”
“The Tollegs—of course!” Raak’s voice was excited. “Why didn’t I think of that? If anyone can help you, they can, baby girl,” he said to Kara.
“Oh yes—we have a Tolleg surgeon on board the Mother Ship,” she exclaimed. “Yipper is his name—he’s amazing.”
“Would you rather go back and see him, then?” Raak asked. “I mean, it’s probably a longer trip than finding the Tolleg surgical ship in this quadrant but if you’d feel better being at home…”
Kara thought of going back to the Mother Ship and being forced to admit to her parents what was going on with her and what Raak had been doing to help her with her problems.
The mental image made her cringe with embarrassment.
“No,” she said quickly. “No, I can’t wait that long. Let’s find the Tolleg ship, Raak. Let’s find it as soon as we can,” she added, feeling the electrical pain run through her again. “Please.”
“You got it, baby girl. Come on.” He rose and Kara followed him.
“Thank you, oh Qi,” she said, though she couldn’t help thinking that the plant-based creature had certainly done her more harm than good. After all, it could have warned her in a less cryptic way how badly her wish to shrink her fangs would turn out!
“You are thinking that I should have warned you of the consequences of your original wish more clearly,” Qi said, surprising her.
“I, uh…” Kara fumbled for a moment. Then she decided that she was through being polite. “Well, yes, actually,” she said boldly. “Why didn’t you?”
“It was not given me to see any more clearly,” Qi told her. “I warned you as strongly as I was able. But you meat creatures are so stubborn in your desires I do not think that anything I could have said would have dissuaded you.”
Reluctantly, Kara had to admit he was right. She’d been so set on shrinking her fangs that she’d barely paid any attention to the warning Qi had tried to give—she’d even brushed off Raak’s misgivings without a second thought. Maybe she would have gone ahead, even if Qi’s warning had been clearer.
I did this to myself, she thought ruefully. I can’t blame anyone else. I let my own vanity and my wish to look “normal” get in the way of my common sense. I should have just learned to live with my fangs instead of trying to get rid of them or shrink them.
“Kara? You okay? You’re awfully quiet over there,” Raak murmured, pulling her out of her self-recrimination.
Kara sighed and then winced as another bolt of pain shot through her.
“I was just thinking that this is all my fault,” she said in a low voice. “I did it to myself. I never should have messed with the fangs the Goddess gave me in the first place.”
“Look, baby girl, you can’t change the past,” Raak said reasonably, squeezing her hand. “All you can do is move forward and hope for a brighter future. And I promise, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Kara felt a surge of grateful affection for the big Unbondable. She was certain any other male she didn’t have a soul bond with would have abandoned her by now for being too needy. But Raak was sticking by her, despite his lack of a soul. He was her rock—the one certainty she could cling to in this sea of swirling chaos she suddenly found herself swimming in.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was in love with him, she thought, leaning towards him and feeling his heavy, muscular arm wrap around her shoulders and squeeze comfortingly. Of course, she knew better than that—she couldn’t let herself feel so deeply for the big Unbondable.
But the seeds of gratitude, caring, and affection were already planted and she couldn’t help the way her heart throbbed when he hugged her and whispered encouragement in her ear.
I am starting to love him, she thought, even as she hugged him back while they made their way out of Qi’s invisible palace. I can’t help myself. Oh Goddess, what am I going to do?