Universal Auction

Chapter 18- No

I couldn't keep you guys waiting! Time to see the fate of Zek! (Or if you want to wait until tomorrow morning when I edit, that might be a little better lol) I hope you guys like what I decided!-A.B.

Theo's POV

Everything happened so quickly. Zek getting stabbed, me collapsing to the ground feeling something inside me breaking, and then I heard Nadi.

"ZEK!" He yelled, seeing what had happened to his brother. I don't know what I thought a distraught Nadi would do in this situation, but I definitely didn't expect him to produce something that looked like a gun. And I also wasn't prepared for the sound it made when the shot fired from it lodged in the Dumarian's skull.

A loud ringing was stuck in my ears, I faintly heard Nadi talking, I don't know if it was to me or someone else, but I didn't care. Only one thing mattered, I had to get to Zek. I wanted to stand and run to him, but my head felt so heavy and achy, all I could manage was a wobbly jog.

He had fallen to the ground after the Dumarian was shot, and he had not moved from where he was laying on his back.

As I made my way to his side, I felt my breathing halt as I saw the wound. A rough and jagged line went deep into his stomach and stretched for several inches. I looked up at Zek's already gray face, now somehow looking so much more devoid of color. I placed my shaky hand on his cheek, his eyes not opening.

"Zek." I said, though I could barely hear myself over the persistent ringing.

No response.

I try saying his name again, and still no response.

I knew I was crying already, but the tears felt more prominent now. All I felt was an aching numbness, the tears sliding down my face, and the fact that I definitely wasn't breathing. I didn't want to move, to do anything my. Zek can't be dead. I just started getting to know him. He's bold, a little head strong, but remembers everything I tell him. He knows how to play some Castillan instruments, it's incredible to listen to. He likes to take curls of my hair and wrap them around his fingers for however long I'll let him. He has the most soulful eyes, no matter what he said, I knew how he was feeling; if he was happy or upset. I knew.

I felt arms wrap around my waist from behind me, pulling me away from Zek's prone form; I felt myself take in a rush of air as the shock of it forced me to do. But as quickly as I was pulled away, I thrashed and fought, trying to get back to Zek, to be with him.

"No, no I can't go." I rasped.

But the arms wrapped around me tighter, pulling me even farther away. "It's okay, sweetheart, it's gunna be okay." I hear Vel tell me. I then see several men, one carrying a large bag, and the other two a gurney. They quickly surrounded Zek, blocking him from my view, that's when I really started to freak out.

I screamed as loud as I could at the men not to touch him, at Vel to let me go, and just to scream to lessen the ache on my heart. But even with everything I had done, it wasn't enough. Vel was sitting on the ground, with me weeping in his arms as the men carried Zek away. It wasn't until Vel began to brush my hair out of my face that he noticed the large gash on the side of my head. He yelled for someone to come help, but I was feeling so light headed by then I couldn't make out the words.

The ringing got louder and louder, and my vision narrowed until I was left with nothing but a void.

Zek's POV

I was drifting for a long time, not really sure what I was doing, where I needed to go. I knew I needed to do something, I knew I needed to find someone, to tell them I was okay. I could hear them for a little while, at the beginning, and every once in a while, trying to call me to them. But every time I forced myself to the surface where they called from, I felt an excruciating pain in my stomach and was pulled back.

Until eventually, I broke through the surface.

I awoke feeling achy and numb at the same time, if that was possible. I knew where I was instantly, as I should, considering it's my room. I began to sit up, but a heavy weight on my right side prevented it.

I look down to see my sweet little mate, huddled beside me with one arm thrown around my waist. I reach my hand down to rouse him, when a voice halts me.

"I wouldn't do that." I hear Mal say.

I give him a questioning look, to which he replies, "He has been very distraught over everything that's happened, he's barely slept for the several days you've been unconscious, so if I were you, I'd let him catch up on it now."

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the dark bags under his eyes, and the patch of shaved hair on his head. Moving a few curls to the side, I notice the thin scar that had already formed by his temple.

"Is he alright?" I ask Mal.

"Concussion with quite the laceration, but he's fine. It could have been a lot worse if you weren't there." Mal said.

I scoffed, "yeah right, he still got hurt, and i would be dead if Nadi didn't show up when he did." I say, disappointed that the bastard of a Dumarian laid a hand on Theo, let alone caused him harm.

"Maybe, but we both know what would have happened if he had taken Theo." Mal said, and I knew exactly what he meant. The other day before we left to go to the market, we got a notified that a Dumarian ship had come into the atmosphere and then established some form of cloaking. We had a meeting to discuss what we needed to do to protect Theo from any danger, but we ultimately decided that going out would be fine as long as we stayed with him.

"Don't blame yourself that he got hurt, Vel and I should have been there too." Mal said. "Nothing we can do now but remember to be cautious the next time we go out."

"Yeah, I don't think going out for a little while is such a good idea." I said, remembering what the Dumarian told me as his knife tore through my insides, "The last thing the Dumarian said to me was "You've taken from the King, but he will get back what is his." 

Mal let out a curse and stood, heading to leave the room, "That bastard King won't touch Theo. I'm going to go talk to the IRO and make a plan." He was about to leave, but stopped, "How are you feeling? Do you need me to send someone in?"

I once again looked at my precious mate and then tell Mal, "Honestly? Getting stabbed doesn't seem so bad when this is the aftercare."

You guys know I couldn't kill off one of my boys, right? 😅 Just a lil drama to move the story along, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!-A.B.