Mated to the Beast of the Wasteland (Gillian and Merrick) novel Chapter 7

George was in his forties, not particularly tall, but compactly built, with quick, precise movements. He had large eyes, and he could look quite intimidating when he fell silent.

His right hand was covered by an advanced white nanometal treatment sheath. Even so, he efficiently packed Gillian's meal with only his left hand and slid it toward her in one practiced motion.

At that small movement, a flicker of pain crossed George's face, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.

Gillian paused, holding her tray and preparing to leave. Her cleric instincts made her speak up.

"How long has your hand been hurt? Why hasn't it healed?"

She had noticed the nanotreatment sheath on his hand two days earlier.

"Five days now," George admitted, his voice tight. "My right hand... it's hurting badly today."

He wouldn't normally talk about this kind of thing, but Gillian was different. She was around his daughter's age.

Freya had told him Gillian sold her house in Goldspine City and brought her elderly grandmother along to follow the legion for her mate. George respected that kind of resolve.

In Wasteland City, the mates of legion soldiers were considered family.

"Aren't there any clerics assigned to the shuttle?" Gillian asked. She regretted the question at once, remembering the truth.

For the past three years, clerics from Goldspine City had not been assigned to military posts.

"That's right," George confirmed. "After the major taint explosion three years ago, the powerful families in the Elemental Cities petitioned the Interstellar Alliance. They won special permission that lets clerics choose whether to enlist or not."

If no one stepped forward, and no one else followed, eventually no one would go at all.

Gillian knew that. She'd asked partly to make conversation, and partly to find a way to offer to check his injury.

In her past life, when she'd been abandoned in Wasteland City and struggled to survive, many families of the 9th Legion had helped her. George's relatives might have been among them.

She wanted to find time to examine his hand before the shuttle landed.

"Not many choose to. Ever since the taint broke out suddenly three years ago, a lot of clerics have died. No matter how safe we say it is, the new clerics just won't come." George added.

Seeing her troubled look, he worried he might frighten her away from Wasteland City.

Her mate would mope in my quarters every day if that happened.

D*mn it, why did I have to be so blunt?

He glanced around, saw no one else coming for food, and quickly closed the serving hatch. He lowered his voice.

"Wasteland City is too dangerous. Ordinary females are better off staying safe in the Elemental Cities than dying out there.

"You know why we came to Goldspine City this time? We're looking for a cleric codenamed 'Hope'. She's a genius who appeared out of nowhere.

"Three months ago, she sent a letter saying she wanted to join the 9th Legion after graduation. Unlike most clerics, who can only purify taint, she also has healing abilities. Otherwise, why would our commander come all this way to recruit her personally? He wants to take her back to Wasteland City for proper training."

"Did he manage to recruit her?" Gillian asked, her heart skipping a beat.

That sounds exactly like me.

Since when did I have a codename like Hope?

"Nope," George said, shaking his head. "Something came up, and the Commander had to deal with it personally. If not, he would've dragged her here even if he had to tie her up."

Gillian's mouth twitched faintly. Well... thanks, I guess.

"But how do you manage without clerics? Don't you get proper treatment?" she pressed.

"We have medics," George assured her. His expression softened. "They're good at everything except purifying taint. Don't worry. Once you're in base housing, high-ranking beastmen will protect you and your grandmother."

He spoke as if lacking clerics hardly mattered to them.

Was this why?

The Grayson family? Could the 9th Legion's total annihilation in her past life be linked to this nanotreatment metal?

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