Page 64 of The Ranger

“I will not. The people in this town are God-fearing, decent folk, and Maida Comfort is more than a little shy.” He spun to Markhel. “If she sees you act like this, you’ll scare her off. She’ll never accept you, and then...” his face fell.

“Yes, Prince Vale,” Markhel said. “I will die.”

Vale pinched the bridge of his nose and paced. “You’ve got to get a hold of yourself man. I know you’re Muiraran, and maybe I need to know more about the way things are when one of you goes through this. I only know what it’s like to be on the other end of things.”

“He can’t help it,” Makama said. “No more than I could help the things that happened to me when we were bonding.”

Vale closed the distance between them. “That’s just it. We don’t know if they are bonding!”

Markhel leaned against a post and closed his eyes. He could feel her, knew she wasn’t right. But why? What was wrong with her, why did she faint? When she did, the emptiness came down hard, and he thought it would rip his heart in two. But he had to take care of her and did. He’d carried her into the hotel. The young man named Ewin was at the counter. He called for Mrs. Van Cleet who directed him to carry Maida into her private quarters. Maida’s mother followed and as soon as he lay her on the bed, shooed him from the room. But he couldn’t leave. All he could do was stare at a helpless Maida; her face ashen with what he hoped were the effects of her own Call. It would ravage her just as much as it would him.

“I must speak to Kwaku,” he said and opened his eyes.

Vale poked him in the chest with a finger. “You need to chill as my wife is so fond of saying.” He ran a hand through his hair then looked around. “Where is my wife?” He turned a full circle. “Makama?”

“She has left.” Markhel came away from the post. “To where I do not know.”

Vale tossed his hands in the air. “That makes two of us.” He sank onto a bale of hay. “She’s always running off.” He closed his eyes a moment.

“You are trying to sense her?” Markhel guessed.

“Yes, but I’m not very good at it I’m afraid.” He opened his eyes. “Are you calmer?”

He drew in a breath. “No.”

Vale groaned. “WhereisKwaku?”

“I do not know.” He sank onto another bale and rested his forearms on his knees. “I apologize, Your Highness. But your mate is right. I cannot help myself.”

There came a knock on the livery stable door. “Hello?”

Markhel straightened, as did Vale.

Makama entered with a man in tow. “Markhel, I brought you some help.”

He stared at Doc Drake. “Greetings doctor.”

He gave him a single nod. “Markhel.”

He stared at the doctor and didn’t bother to stand. Maybe the man could help.

“Darling,” Vale said with a nervous smile. “What are you doing?”

“I fetched the doctor, what else?”

Vale smiled again, and Markhel watched as he pulled her into a corner. “He can’t help him.”

She smiled. “Yes, he can. My dad told me all about Bowen Drake. Even Melvale suggested that if all else fails, grab the doctor.”

Markhel didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. Bowen Drake knew about Muirarans, including himself.

“Grandma was certainly happy to see you,” Bowen commented. He stood before him. “You okay?”

“No.”

The doctor put a hand on his shoulder. “You will be.”

Markhel met the man’s compassionate gaze. “That, no one can say.”