Broken

.39.

A week later

The week had been stressful. As Nadila had said, she and Rhess and Lymirch had been shipped off to Oria. Khos had personally shown up, his expression neutral except for the slight upwards tick of his mouth that had belayed his satisfaction for the goodbye.

Nadila had attempted to contact the Council numerous times before she was shipped out but her calls had fallen on deaf ears and were always countered simply with 'You are needed elsewhere'. I didn't understand it. I didn't understand why the Oria council was so unmoving towards her impassioned pleas.

I knew I was in danger, more now than I had ever been but for now I knew I was safe. With Rhex on the ship with me, I was protected from the worst of Khos' wrath. He couldn't harm me because with Rhex there, Khos was bound by the laws of his species. I was classified as an Orrian citizen and could not be separated from my mate. Not to mention they could not deny Rhex his mate, no matter who that person was. The law didn't care that I was human, the law only cared about the fact I was bound.

It was the only thing I clung to. It was my security blanket. I held onto it like I held onto Rhex. He had become so agitated and tense. I didn't blame him. I was just as tense as he was. I was also anxious enough that I was getting severe nausea and had a hard time eating anything because I worried myself to the point of throwing it all up again. Not to mention the nightmares. I would wake up crying some nights or screaming others. It was this entire fucked up situation that was wearing down on us both.

There was a loud knocking on the door and my heart jumped into my throat as Rhex gave me a look that told me to stay put as he moved towards the door. When he opened it two peace officers stared at him, one with a rather bored look on his face as he looked down at his clipboard.

"Rhex DharSon?" At his name Rhex nodded sharply, attempting to block view of me from the two officers. I quickly put my translator in, I needed to know what was being said. "Come with us." The one stepped out of the way and gestured for Rhex. I moved closer, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

"What grounds do you have for summoning me?" He snapped the words out and I swallowed, rubbing my arms as I watched his shoulder muscles tighten.

"You are late for your shuttle." The peace office gestured with with the clipboard and Rhex exhaled heavily.

It was clear he was agitated with the man and I didn't blame him. "What shuttle?" His tone was tense and clipped and held the heat of his anger.

"The one taking you to first section, Delta quadrant, soldier." At the words Rhex froze, his muscles locking up and I felt like my heart had stopped. Rhex wasn't supposed to be assigned anywhere. He was an inactive soldier, our bonding made it so he was free from service on the front.

"That is impossible. I am retired from the military. I am not to be reissued to war zones or training." His words were clipped with warning and the peace officer shrugged again. I remembered Nadila telling me they were in Khos' pocket. I felt fear thicken in my veins. This was his doing.

"It says here you are active." The officer tapped the clipboard and Rhex's grip on the door tightened. I could see his knuckles whitening.

"I filed the paperwork myself. I am no longer a soldier." Each word was said carefully and clearly but the officer made an exaggerated scan of the paper.

"It says here you are." His mouth nearly twitched upwards and I knew that this was Khos' doing, I could feel it in my very bones as the nausea swirled around me thickly at the implications. They were trying to take Rhex from me again.

"That is lying. I filed the paperwork correctly with the Army Resources Unit on level thirteen. It should have been processed." I had been with Rhex when he had done it. He had filed it a month ago. It was more than processed. The woman had assured us both that he would be taken off duty and listed as civilian.