3013: CLAIMED Read Online Free PDF

to give him a small smile. “There is no denying it. Jax, I—”
    Her words were cut off. The moment she said his name, stars exploded behind her eyes, making her cry out. She heard Jax and Sully both let out savage curses as she pitched forward in her chair. Her body never hit the ground as she felt Jax’s strong arms surrounding her, cradling her against his hard body. Unable to combat the pain any longer, she let the darkness claim her, knowing they would watch over her and keep her safe.
     
    ****
     
    Serra woke slowly, drifting in a sea of serenity that only came from being on some sort of drug. For once, her mind was blessedly calm. Thoughts and equations that usually ran through her head like some sort of ticker were missing, chased away by whatever treatment she had been given.
    Her eyelids where heavy, and she gave up trying to open her eyes, content to just relax on the gel-bed she was laying on. From the smell in the room, she assumed it meant she was in a medical center. Normally, she would have started to freak out at finding herself there, but she knew she was safe with Jax and Sully.
    Despite her confusion, she was sure of that to her very core.
    She mentally paused as she thought about them without feeling any pain in her head. God, how long had it been since that had happened? Silently amused, she thought she might have to stock up on whatever the med-techs had given her to combat the throbbing headaches she usually got.
    Letting her mind drift, Serra felt a heavy weight over her body that added to her sense of safety, and knew without looking that Jax and Sully had placed a weighted blanket on her. They knew from back when they were young that such things helped her center herself and calmed her. Hearing low voices in the room, a fissure of alarm shot through her, but she settled again as she recognized the familiar cadence of Sully’s voice.
    “Thanks for coming, Dom.”
    “No thanks needed. This is some shit you’ve gotten yourself into, you know.”
    “We know it, and that’s why we asked you to come.” Jax’s voice was brisk, but there was a warmth in his tone that Serra knew he only used with friends and people he trusted. “The medicals can’t find what’s wrong with Serra, but we know something is making her head hurt to the point that she passed out earlier. Arik, we need you to help us figure out what that is.”
    There was a long pause, then a new voice spoke. It was deep, masculine, and so beautiful Serra felt like she was blessed just hearing it. She had heard voices like that before, and knew whoever it belonged to had to be of the D’Aire race.
    “I would be happy to aid you anyway that I can, but I will not truth test her without her consent. It is not my way. I will not do it without her permission, even for you, my friend.”
    “She’ll consent.”
    This time hearing the arrogance in Jax’s voice made her smile a little.
    “What are you smiling at, hummingbird?”
    Serra pried her eyes open and met the brilliant whiskey color of Sully’s as he looked down at her. The endearment he had pinned her with when she was young due to her propensity to tap her fingers made her smile. “Can I have—”
    Before she could finish her request, he held up a small cup with a straw sticking out of it. She took the straw into her mouth gratefully and took a long pull of the cool, refreshing liquid. She wanted to smile again as the taste of her favorite juice hit her taste buds and drank more down greedily.
    Archer set the cup back down on the side table and picked up her hand, needing the connection with her. She looked so small on the stark white gel-bed. The elevated medical console over the center of her body made it impossible to sit down next to her, when all he wanted to do was snatch her up into his arms so he could keep her safe from anything, everything.
    In all his life, Serra was the one thing he had wanted that had eluded him. He ached for her until he thought he would go