He needed space. He needed to be away from Alex and figure out what had happened.

He walked, then ran, then pushed himself, trying to outrun what he was feeling. When he had to stop he was in the wood.

He tried to catch his breath, but it wouldn’t come. He felt…something. He didn’t know what, but he didn’t want to feel it. He tried to bury it, he had to bury it, he wouldn’t let emotions control him.

He screamed.

He dug his claws into the closest tree and ripped the thick bark off. He stuck the trunk over and over until the pain gave him something concrete to focus on. The emotion didn’t go away, but he could think again.

And what he was thinking about was how he could have let that happen? He was Tristan, he didn’t lose control. When he did something it was because it served a purpose, not because he was angry. His anger was cold and calculating. It was carefully planning his brother’s downfall in retaliation for Tristan’s imprisonment, not exploding on someone for…what?

What had Alex done? He’d been there, that was all that had been needed. He could see that, now that he’d used him. The human’s presence had eroded his control in a dangerous way. If Alex went to Jacoby with what he’d done, Tristan would have to leave this place, probably violently.

He had to get rid of him. An animal attack? No, the town folks had placed a fence around the area that kept the dangerous ones from coming closer. He could explain they’d taken a trip, borrow one of Garland’s long-range hovers. He shook his head. There would be a search, and no guarantees the animals would eat the body.

Why couldn’t have Alex stayed away?

Maybe he should be the one to leave? He scoffed at that idea. He wasn’t running from the human. Tristan didn’t run, he stood his ground and he won. Which meant Alex. Could he kill him? Of course he could, but what of the fallout?

Jacoby was the only real threat, not only did he have subjective decades of experience as a mercenary, but he controlled the port. Tristan could override any command the man sent to his ship, but it would be added complications. He also had the model information. Tristan would change ship at the first opportunity, but his closest stash was subjective months away. Close to a year objective. If the law was actively looking for his current ship during that time, it could be a problem.

Then there was the number of people in the town. He could beat them all, but the sheer number of them meant he’d be hurt. Possibly badly hurt. That would make defeating Jacoby more difficult.

But did he even have to worry about it? Would Alex say anything? The human had done who knew what in order to find him, for a chance at getting a fictitious lover back. If he did anything that threatened his life, then Alex would lose any chance to get Jack back.

He could use that to keep him quiet. Could he play at being Jack enough to let Alex think he had a chance? What had Jack even been like? He couldn’t remember. And it wasn’t worth the risk. If he got a detail wrong it might throw Alex against him.

If he and Jacoby worked together, leaving the planet would become a challenge. He looked up and had one of those rare moments when he wondered what he’d done to the universe for it to be dead set on killing him.

It passed and he stood. The universe didn’t need a reason to want him dead. It wanted them all dead. Tristan was simply better prepared to fight it back.

He decided to trust in Alex’s need to get Jack back. If this assessment turned out to be wrong, Tristan would head for his ship before Jacoby could do anything.

He was calmer during his walk back, his emotions stayed firmly buried where they belonged. Thinking of Alex, even imaging him naked didn’t cause his body to respond in any way. Maybe all he’d really needed was to get it out of his system.

He didn’t like that it had happened out of his control, but now that he knew, if it did again, he’d know how to approach it.

Nothing had changed at the house, the door he barged out was still partially open, there were no indications Alex had left, and he saw why when he found him unconscious where he’d left him.

This would be a problem.

His bone mender was on the ship, it wasn’t something someone like Tech needed, not when Cornelius had her hospital ready to deal with any situation. He could set the bones himself, but without the mender or supplements, it would be months before Alex would be healed. Someone would notice.

He had to take him to Cornelius, which meant he needed a believable story. The escarpment would work. If she looked closely enough, the injuries wouldn’t match a fall, but why would she? Especially once Tristan added a few touches to Alex to match.

He went to Alex’s room and took loose shorts from his pack, along with a shirt, the kind of things someone would wear for a run. He put on something similar, then dropped the clothes by the human on his way outside to get the rest of what he needed to make the story credible.

He came back inside with large rocks and one of the new bowls filled with dirt.

Alex gasped and trashed when Tristan moved him. He held him in place with a hand on his chest and waited for his terror to pass.

“Don’t fight me,” Tristan said, once Alex looked to be able to understand him. “Avoid moving.”

Alex nodded.

Tristan dressed him, pleased with himself when looking at the human’s groins as he put the shorts on didn’t elicit a reaction. Alex winced and his breath caught a few times, but in quick order he was dressed.

Tristan grabbed one of the dirt-encrusted rock and scraped it against Alex’s forehead hard enough to break the skin, but not break bones. He did the same with his cheek, the bone under the scar was broken.

Alex tried to pull away, but Tristan held him.

“You had an accident,” he said as he took dirt from the bowl and applied it to Alex’s face. “We were running along the escarpment and you fell. That’s how you got hurt.”

Alex yelled as Tristan hit his broken arm with a stone. When that hadn’t ripped the sleeve enough he finished it himself, adding dirt to the injury.

Alex tensed, but didn’t protest when Tristan brought the stone down on the broken leg. The human tried not to yell this time, but he lost that fight. Tristan massage more dirt in. Then he scraped Alex’s stomach with another stone. One with sharp edges. When he was done with that he went over to make sure he’d covered up every injury he’d caused.

“Why?” Alex croaked.

“Because I need the injuries to be consistent with a fall down the escarpment.” He took the rest of the dirt and rubbing it in the clothes and on Alex’s skin.

When he looked up Alex shook his head.

“Because your death would raise too many questions. I can leave if I have to, but I spent a long time setting this place up. I don’t intend to have to abandon it for someone like you.”

Tristan Dropped the rocks in the disposal, they’d be broken down to atoms. And washed the bowl. Then he went outside and rolled in the dirt. He scraped his legs and arms with stones that he disposed of also.

When he reached for Alex, the human tensed, but Tristan picked him up as carefully as he could. Tech was someone who wouldn’t hurt another if he could help it.

Alex bit back a yell as he was jostled, then settled in Tristan’s arms. The human tentatively placed his right arm around Tristan’s neck, and then rested his head against his shoulder. He let out a little sigh, and Tristan felt something.

He buried that too.

Tristan ran. He ran as fast as he could without causing any more pain to Alex than he had too.  He ran all the way to Cornelius’ hospital, which was almost the same distance from the town then his home, but on the opposite side.

People called after him as he ran through the town, concerned yells, questions. He ignored them. Tech would be too concerned for his hurt friend, and Tristan just didn’t care.

He made the few miles to the medical clinic in fifteen minutes. He only slowed enough so the door would detect him and open.

The woman at the counter looked up. Her mild interest turning to professional concern. “Tech? What happened.” She pulled a plank off the wall and set it before her. It bobbed once then settled.

“We were running,” Tristan panted, overplaying his exhaustion. “Went by the escarpment, ground gave way.” He placed Alex on the gurney. He could see the human search his face, but Tristan didn’t look at him.

She pushed Tristan out of the way and ran a scanner over Alex. “What happened?” she asked him.

“Fell,” Alex replied, his voice having little energy to it. “Hurt.” Tristan looked at him then and the human nodded to him.

“No wonder it hurts. You’re lucky you survived.”

“Not luck,” Alex whispered.

She looked at Tristan. “I suppose not.” Then back to Alex. “Well, I’m Cornelius Malard.”

“Alex Crimson.”

She smiled. “Oh, I know your name. Everyone in town knows who you are. You’re Tech’s ‘friend.’”

Alex’s ears turned red, and Tristan folded his ears back in embarrassment. Alex watched him, studied him, through his pain and Cornelius asking him questions. The expression was guarded, more guarded than usual.

She went to the counter and took a band from a cabinet. She placed it on Alex’s head. “This is going to take the pain away.” She activated it, and Alex went limp.

She moved the gurney away. “As soon as I have him settled I’ll come back to look at your injuries, then you can go home and rest.”

“How is he?” Tristan asked, putting the concern in his voice Tech would feel.

“He’s going to be fine, just sit down. I’ll be right back.”