Keirn sat in his home alone, his anger boiling. He had to wonder what he would have done if his mate hadn't been part zombie. Would he have rejected her? He didn't know what he would have done. Vernisa had not rejected her mate. She tried to tell him what happened, but it all blew up in his face. He was too intoxicated, and he didn't listen when she wanted to talk to him privately. Now he was without a mate. It was unlikely he would find another one.

He had followed, then watched Vernisa with her human mate at the dorms. She couldn't fight the bond. It was obvious. He knew how hard it was. He fought it himself when he looked into the eyes of his own mate. He felt the bond snap the moment his heart rejected his mate in the clinic. His only thought had been that he couldn't be a mate with a zombie.

He had gone to the tavern for the strong liquid to mute the pain, both physical and emotional. He kept telling himself that he wouldn't give up Vernisa. That wasn't the case. He felt like his relationship with her was false. Like they were still acting, and nothing was truly real. He felt that way since the moment he looked into his true mate's eyes. Now that he felt the effects of the mate bond, he was feeling its loss, and he didn't like it one bit.

Keirn then remembered Merrick. His mate was a full zombie, and he protected her even then. His mate was cured. The problem was that his own mate, Jada, couldn't be fixed.

Confusion bubbled up inside him, replacing the anger. His life had taken a turn for the worse. He didn't know what to do. Now that it was morning and he no longer felt the effect of the strong liquid, his thoughts were much clearer. He could see how he had messed up. Both with Vernisa and his mate Jada.

With a clear head, he decided to go to the clinic and see if he could repair the damage he had done last night.

With determination, he walked out his door, and he walked the short distance to the clinic where he had found her last night. Stepping in, the first person he saw was Medic Kaul, who was preparing to make a house call somewhere in the dome.

"Where is the girl?" he asked Medic Kaul.

"There have been a lot of females come through this clinic; you will have to specify which one," Medic Kaul told him bluntly.

"Jada," he said shortly, his eyes scanning the room, trying to locate her. But she was nowhere to be found.

"Jada is not here. She was taken last night. You have no claim on her any longer. You rejected her," Medic Kaul reminded him, rubbing the salt in Keirn's emotional wounds.

Gritting his teeth, he eyed the medic. "I changed my mind."

Medic Kaul sighed. "Another has claimed her. She is no longer yours."

Kerin stood with his fists tight. His anger was rising. "Who claimed her?" he asked stiffly.

"Orik," he told him. "She is with him in his home. I am going there as soon as her cousins arrive."

"Who are her cousins?" Keirn demanded.

Medic Kaul studied him for a second. Before he could say anything, Carrie and Zack Nelson walked in with their mates, Shadick and Shelia.

Keirn's face paled when he realized who her cousins were. There was no way either one of them would allow him anywhere near her after he rejected her. They both knew about how the mating bond worked. It would have caused the girl pain, and neither Carrie nor Zack would be happy with him for putting her through that.

Carrie gave Keirn a hard look, then looked at Medic Kaul. "We are ready whenever you are," she told Kaul, smiling, ignoring Keirn completely.

Medic Kaul just nodded and headed out, with everyone following behind. Keirn followed, too. He wanted to see Jada, and the only way he could was to force himself into the group that was heading over to Orik's home to see her.

When they reached Orik's home, Medic Kaul turned toward Keirn. "If you upset her, Keirn, I will speak to Council Leader Vorik about keeping you away from her. Her injuries make her fragile. I will not have her recovery hindered. Do you understand?" he asked sternly.

Keirn reluctantly nodded. He would have to be careful what he said or did around her.

When the door slid open, Orik stood in front of them. "Come in," he told them. He looked at Keirn coldly. Not wanting to upset Jada, he said nothing to him or even asked him why he was there.

Jada squealed, seeing her cousins, and carefully walked quickly to Zack. He held her close, afraid to pick her up. He had been briefed about her injuries. He didn't like that she had been hurt, but understood that she had allowed it herself, to save all those she was trying to protect while getting them to the dome and away from Travis's men.

Zack kissed his cousin's forehead, smiling. "I am happy you're all right."

Jada smiled widely in response. "I thought you had a bunker near here," she told him. "I couldn't get to ours. I got bitten before I could."

"I heard about that, too. They told me you are a part zombie. Is that true?" Zack asked her. He sounded curious. There was no disdain in his voice. He loved his cousin; it didn't matter if she was half-zombie or completely human.

"Yes," Jada told her cousin. Then she suddenly hugged him. "I am so happy you're alive."

She noticed that the alien female beside him flinched when she hugged Zack. Zack realized it as well. He pulled away from his cousin gently and introduced his mate to her. "Jada, this is my mate, Shelia," he told her, then turned to his mate. "This is my little cousin Jada."

A sigh of relief left Shelia. "Nice to meet you," she said, not without some relief.

Someone cleared their throat. They all turned their head. It was Medic Kaul. "I need to check your bandages." He stated warmly. They weren't really there for a family reunion. Medic Kaul needed to check her bandages and attempt to get a sample of her blood. He refused to give up. Her blood was too valuable.

Jada didn't believe him. She immediately moved next to Orik. She felt like he was playing nice to manipulate her. After what happened at the clinic, she wouldn't trust anything that he said.

Carrie noticed her reluctance and walked up to her. "Jade, this is my friend, Medic Kaul. He won't hurt you. He will only try to help you."

Jada didn't listen to Carrie either. The previous night was still in her mind. She could still feel it. He wanted to use her as a lab rat. She decided to voice it to her cousin. "He wants to use me as a lab rat. He wants to fix me and use me to save everyone. I won't be a lab rat."

Carrie didn't know what to say. She knew Medic Kaul wanted to run some tests, making it so she couldn't deny it. She didn't believe that her friend would do anything to harm her little cousin, though.

"I need to check your bandages. They need fresh ones every day." Medic Kaul told her gently, trying to get her to understand. "If I don't clean your wounds, they can get infected."

Orik looked at Jade. "He will not do anything without your permission. That was the agreement. If that is all you wish for him to do. That is all he will do."

Jada nodded, then let Kaul look at her wounds. She was tense. She wasn't sure what the medic was trying to manipulate her with. She felt like he was playing nice to manipulate her into trusting him.

After her wounds were cleaned and re-bandaged. "May I take a small sample of your blood?" Medic Kaul asked. "I do not need very much."

"How much?" Jada asked him. She wondered why she didn't just say no. She opened it up for a possible sample. She regretted it immediately.

Kaul pulled out a small flask that held only about a teaspoon. "This is all. I can do hundreds of tests with just this amount."

Jada, choosing to trust him that he was only going to take that much, nodded. If he took more than that, she would never trust him again.

Medic Kaul immediately removed a small device from his bag and attached the small flask. Sticking it in her arm, he filled the flask. It took only seconds. Kaul smiled. "That's all I need," he told her.

Keirn realized that Jada didn't even give him a cursory glance. There was no bond. It was completely gone.

Walking out with the rest of them, he headed back to the tavern to drown his regret.

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