Page 33 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

"Of course," he said. "Is that why I had to tell your pilot friend to get herself scanned after nanobots were found inside you?"

I almost choked on air. I had been so wrapped up in myself, I'd forgotten all about Brinley. I was a crap friend.

"She had none," he said after a moment.

"I knew that," I lied.

He snorted.

"Fine, but I would have told her." When though? When I finally pulled my head out of my ass? When I stopped swapping innuendos with the three guys? I couldn't reason it away. I should have told her first.

"Why do you care anyway?" I asked.

"I don't." He shrugged.

"Sure. You were probably looking for the chance to point out what a horrible person I am."

"As much pleasure as that would give me," he said, "I have better things to do."

"Sure you do," I said sarcastically. "Do you have friends? I've never seen you with anyone." I snapped my fingers. "Except that time onInfinitywhen you told me I was too dumb to play chess. You had someone with you then."

"It's nice to know I'm so memorable," he remarked.

"For all the wrong reasons." Why were we even having this conversation? Or any conversation? What he thought of me was clear enough. "Maybe you should lighten up."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

I shot him a confused look. "Right. Okay." He made even less sense than most people. That was saying something.

A shout sounded from up ahead, in the direction of the infirmary. That was followed by a crash. A heavy silence was followed by another crash and another.

"Please, no," I whispered.

"Stay calm," J'avet urged.

For once his words were soothing.

I nodded. "I'm calm." Scared, but calm.

We stopped in the infirmary doorway.

"Bloody hells," I murmured.

Danec was still inside the isolation room, but on the screen, his skin shone silver. In his hand he held the thick wooden leg of what must have been a bed. He pounded the leg on the door over and over. The leg cracked and splintered. With a roar of rage, he slammed what was left of the bed against the wall and tore off another leg.

With this new leg, he resumed his pounding on the door. I saw no sign the door was giving, even slightly, but he kept on until the second leg fell into splinters.

Fuck. The nanobots inside him were evidently not dormant anymore. Had the ones inside me triggered them off somehow, or were they removed in time?

"Can he be sedated?" J'avet asked.

Doctor Mazic, who stood to the side of the door, frowned. "We can flood the isolation room, yes," she said, her tone as clinical as ever.

"Do it," J'avet said.

"You're not a—" I started.

"The security of the ship is what matters at the moment," he said curtly. He nodded to Mazic who nodded and moved to do as he said.