The four guards who were positioned behind the Fleet Commander immediately stepped forward. With rough hands, they grasped Shadick and then Carrie, holding them firmly. They pulled their arms forward and locked wrist cuffs in place. The tight metal cuffs scraped their wrists roughly as they pinched their skin. Red blood dripped onto the dirt as the hard metal cuffs gouged into Carrie's wrists.

Shadick's jaw tightened, seeing the blood on her wrists. "You shouldn't have come out here," he growled at Carrie. Anger and worry laced his words.

"I will not be separated from you if I can help it. I had to come," she breathed. "I love you. If we die, it will be together."

Hearing her words, Shadick flinched. He knew that it was a real possibility that they were both going to their deaths. Their laws stated that their mates couldn't be harmed. What was currently happening confirmed that those above in rank did not care for the laws of their people.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jamie, Keirn, and Xant holding Zack back. Zack's face was red with rage. He was struggling in their grasp, trying to get away from them. He was clearly trying to save his twin sister. Shadick knew that Zack was worried about his sister, but if the young human advances, he will most definitely die.

Shadick and Carrie were roughly escorted into the small shuttle and then strapped to a cold metal bench. The shuttle door closed tightly, locking them inside. A low hum sounded inside the small space as the engines roared to life. It wasn't as loud inside as it was outside of the shuttle, but it still vibrated the small space. Carrie placed her hands over Shadick's, squeezing tightly, not saying anything. Her red blood dripped onto his green skin.

The Fleet commander sat across from them, watching intently. His eyes briefly looked toward their hands. Even seeing her delicate wrists seeping blood, he gave no reaction. His jaw was tight, teeth clenched as his black eyes scrutinized them.

After what seemed like hours, the shuttle finally arrived at the mother ship, its large bay hangar opening to allow the small shuttle to enter. After gliding through the wide door, it gracefully landed on the polished floor. Once landed, the door of the shuttle opened, creating a cloud of steam around the opening. It quickly cleared. The guards came forward and released Shadick and Carrie from the bench restraints. With a firm grip, they were escorted out of the shuttle.

The four guards with their prisoners followed the Fleet Commander as he walked through the corridors of the ship.

Gasps of shock from seeing the mated couple being escorted through the ship in restraints could be heard all around them as they walked past other aliens within the corridors. Whispers were heard, but too faint to make out their words.

The Fleet Commander stopped at a wide door. The door slid open smoothly, allowing them entrance. He entered the room. Shadick and Carrie were pushed roughly inside by their guards. An alien in a medic coat stepped forward, looking between Shadick and Carrie. "Put her on the table," the medic stated. There was no emotion. He was all business.

Shadick couldn't help it; he moved forward in an attempt to protect his mate. "What are you going to do to my mate?" he growled, eyeing the medic.

The medic ignored him as the two guards holding Shadick threw him backward, slamming him against the wall of the med bay. One of the guards pressed a blaster to his throat. It was a warning not to move.

Carrie's two guards roughly lifted her and placed her on the exam table. It was a slab of cold metal. The guards held her down, pressed to the cold steel, tight enough to give her bruises. Her eyes watered from the pain. She couldn't help it. It was clear they didn't care what happened to her.

The medic took out a device and scanned her. He moved it the entire length of her body. His face visibly turned pale as he hovered over her abdomen. He noticeably froze.

"What is it?" the Fleet Commander growled, demanding an answer, watching the medic closely. Everyone saw the medic's reaction.

The medic looked up at the Fleet Commander. His face was still pale. Despite his appearance, there was no emotion in his voice. "The human is pregnant. The fetus is not human," the medic answered. "I cannot safely perform the exam while she is pregnant. It will harm the child inside her."

Shadick looked at Carrie in shock; his face had gone pale, too. This was bad. It made their current situation worse. He was worried they would harm her or try to cut out the child. He didn't know she was pregnant. By the shock on her strained face, she hadn't known either. The very fact of her being pregnant could make the situation even worse for her.

The medic continued with no emotion; he merely reported. "It confirms that humans are compatible with us. For us, it takes years to conceive a child unless it is with a fated mate. She is his; it is obvious," the medic sucked in a long breath, the only break in his indifferent behavior, before he continued. "If she is pregnant already. It's more proof."

The Fleet Commander nodded, agreeing with the medic. "The condition of the fetus?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at the medic.

"It is too soon to tell, sir. The fetus is only a week old, sir," he reported. "This is a very delicate time for the girl and the fetus."

The Fleet Commander looked between Shadick and Carrie, then to the guards. "Bring them," he ordered, then walked out of the med bay, expecting the guards to follow with them behind him. They were trained to follow their leaders' orders, regardless of what those orders were.

They roughly yanked Shadick from the wall, then pulled him out of the med bay, with Carrie next. They were being easier with Carrie since they knew she was pregnant, but not by much.

They were taken to a large cell in the ship's prison and shoved in. Carrie fell to the floor as she was pushed. Humans were far more delicate than their alien counterparts. Shadick reached down and helped her stand. His features strained.

"Hands through there," the guard growled in disgust and pointed to a small square hole in the door.

One by one, Carrie and Shadick put their cuffed hands through the small square hole. The guard took their cuffs off and then walked off, not saying anything else. Carrie rubbed the area that had been pinched. The blood had stopped, but it still hurt.

Carrie immediately went to Shadick, wrapping her arms around him. "Don't they know the stress on the mother can kill the child?" she asked him. "I won't be able to handle it if they separate us or harm you," she sobbed into Shadick's chest.

Shadick gently picked her up, carried her to the small metal bed, and held her on his lap. He rubbed her back softly and nuzzled her gently, trying to comfort her. If his mate was in this condition, sobbing, there was something really wrong. Carrie was strong, physically and emotionally. Right now, she was a mess. He could tell she was already worried for their child.

With Carrie's emotional turmoil, he feared for their child. Her stress alone could be enough to abort the fetus.

Carrie and Shadick sat on the hard metal bed like that for nearly an hour before a shadow appeared in front of their cell. When they looked up, it was the Fleet Commander.

"The two of you will undergo interrogation. There is more in your group. I want to know where they are," he growled. It was clear to them that all the Fleet Commander cared about was getting the information that he was looking for. He didn't care what it would do to Carrie in her fragile state, nor what it would do to the child inside her.

Shadick, not looking at the Fleet Commander. "I will, Carrie will not. We don't know if the serum will harm her or the fetus. It was designed for our kind, not hers."

The Fleet Commander stepped back, not even acknowledging Shadick's concerns. "Cuff them!" he ordered.

The Cell door slid open, and guards entered. Shadick didn't fight them. He was afraid they would hurt Carrie and their baby if he did.

Once cuffed, the guards brought in two metal chairs with restraints attached. Carrie and Shadick were each placed in a metal chair and strapped down. The medic walked forward, waiting for the Fleet Commander to give the order to inject them with truth serum. It was the same medic who examined Carrie.

"Don't touch her with that. It can harm her and the baby!" Shadick yelled, protesting, fear lacing his words. "She's human! It wasn't made for humans!"

Ignoring Shadick's protests, the Fleet Commander looked at the medic. "Inject them!" he ordered, his.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.