by Jenika Snow
Someone or something had beaten the shit out of his mate, and a red haze covered his vision, pushing away all other emotions. He wanted blood on his body, blood from the one that dared harm what was his, spraying forth from the creature that dared laid their hands on what was his.
Mine.
His feelings for her from the moment he saw her, the way he wanted to kill for her, protect her, and mate with her the likes as he had never felt, made him realize she wasn’t just a female he wanted to fuck, but his female, and most likely his brothers’ also by the way they acted toward her. Once they smelled her blood, they would know without a doubt she was theirs as well. She was their mate, that one female that would bear his offspring, and be his other half. Half of her face was swollen to the point that one of her eyes was closed shut. A large ugly colored bruise marred one side of her face. Scrapes and cuts littered her legs and arms, and on her inner forearm was a deep wound that was steadily seeping blood.
Quickly pushing the drums out of the way to get to her, Erak reached out and ran his finger along the smooth, uninjured part of her face. “Luna, can you hear me?” There was no response. “Luna, Fallina?”
He scooped her up as gently as he could, knowing he needed to get her to the infirmary and have Genet examine her. No doubt his brothers would realize she was their mate as soon as the scent of her blood called to them. When she was safely in his arms her head lolled to the side.
“It’s okay, love. I’ve got you.” She was so very tiny compared to his species that he held her tighter, feeling possessiveness and need claiming him. He needed to protect her, nurse her back to health, and show her that she was his, and he would never allow anything to hurt her again. He would break bones, tear flesh, and destroy anything that attempted to take what was his, and she was his, irrevocably.
He lifted his hand and pushed her auburn colored hair away from her face. Nausea settled heavy within him, and he got an up-close view of the wounds that marred her face. Raw fury encompassed him as he thought about the creature that did this to her. He strode quickly out of the cargo dock and up into the cockpit. Her wounds needed to be tended to immediately.
“Genet, Raimi. I need your help,” Erak said, his voice a booming bark that would alert them to the fact he was barely holding on to his primal instincts. He strode with purposeful strides into the infirmary. The silver examination table sat in the center of the sterile room, with an overheard viewing light right above it. There had been too many times to count when either he or one of his brothers had been upon that table getting one of their many wounds tended to. Aside from the exam table there were several storage lockers that held any and all state-of-the-art medical equipment that they would need. A sanitation room was to his right, and a monitor that would allow them to see internal injuries to his left.
“Genet, she has injuries all over, but I don’t know if any of them are life-threatening.” The gash on her arm worried him the most, but then again the swelling in her face told him she had been hit many times. Did she have internal injuries? Thank the heavens Genet had been trained for situations like this. All Erak had was some battlefield medical training, but it was mainly the kind that was “patch it up and get back out there fighting”. Gently laying her down on table, Erak took a step back to allow Genet look her over. While his brother examined her, he looked over his shoulder and saw Raimi staring at her with the same intensity he felt when he stared at Luna. He could sense the realization that Luna was all of theirs, but their expressions were stoic, their focus solely on their mate.
Yes, there was no doubt his brothers, as well as he, were royally ensnared when it came to their human. And to think they were about to just leave her on that fucking toxic planet. A shudder worked through him at that thought.
Genet started murmuring low things, but Erak and Raimi heard him nonetheless. They were soft words about never letting her get harmed again, about protecting her, and fighting for her to the death. It was the same things he had said to her. It was the things a male said to their female, and that was exactly what she was. Erak wanted her right next to him in his bed, curled against him so he could make sure she was safe, but that wouldn’t go over too well with Genet or Raimi. Until she healed, and they could explain to her what she was to them, he would set up quarters close to theirs. “Raimi, can you gathering linens for her?”
“Erak, she’s our—”
He stopped Raimi from continuing by lifting his hand up. “I know, but let’s focus on getting her well. After that we can discuss the fact we just found our mate, almost left her on that fucking planet, and that some motherfucker nearly took her from us.” He curled his hands into fists, and vowing that the bastard better be dead or he’d die at his hands. Raimi’s jaw clenched, but he nodded and turned to leave the room. He noticed Genet watching him.
“She really is ours, Erak.” It wasn’t a question, but there was certainly awe in his brother’s voice. Erak nodded but didn’t trust his voice. He was still barely leashing in his inner rage at her state.
“What the fuck happened?” Genet turned back around and started running his fingers over her body. There was no doubt that Genet was taking account of every single one of her wounds, measuring them, and deciding how to treat them.
“I don’t know, and we won’t until she is well enough to tell us.”
Genet gave a sharp nod, but didn’t take his eyes off of her. In the next second Genet was moving quickly and efficiently. He brought the x-ray machine over and scanned her whole body. Her clothing was removed so Genet could really examine her, but it was done with a tenderness that Erak had never seen from his brother.
“Be calm, brother.” He wasn’t surprised to know Genet could sense his rising rage. “Letting go will only make matters worse. The majority of her injuries are only superficial, and once I give her proper nutrients, suture up the large cuts, and the healing gel works its way through her system, she should be fully healed within a day or two.”
Erak stayed back and watched as his brother cleaned her wounds, applied healing gel to them, and the mechanical medical arm sutured the deeper cuts. After she was bandaged up Genet ran a small ultraviolet wand across her inner arm, inserting an IV into her arm so hydration and nutrients could filter right into her veins. Raimi strode into the room with a handful of clean linens in his arms only moments later.
“The room is ready.”
Erak strode forward, grabbed the linens and draped them carefully over her body. He then proceeded to lift her, but a strong hand landed on his forearm, stopping him. “What the fuck are you doing?” He glared at Genet and the almost accusation in his brother’s voice.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Erak made a point to look at where Genet had a hold on his arm.
“You can’t move her. She needs to stay stationary and heal.”
“No fucking way am I leaving her on this piece of metal. She’s going to rest in a bed.” Genet let go of his arm and sighed heavily.
“Brother.” Genet flicked his gaze to Luna, and then looked at Erak again. “She’s my mate, too. I’m not trying to make her uncomfortable. I just want her healed.” Erak gritted his teeth. He knew his brother meant well, and felt just as intensely for their female as he did, but Erak wouldn’t budge on this. He wanted her in his bed, but until she could acknowledge she was theirs as well, he would concede to let her sleep in a spare room.
“She’s sleeping in a bed, Genet.” He went to lift her, and Genet gripped his arm once more.
“Just be gentle.” He stared into his brother’s eyes and nodded.
“Always.” He walked out of the infirmary and into the spare bunk. Raimi had made the quarters up, and he gently laid her down on it. He sensed his brothers right behind him and said to Genet, “Can you get one of the thicker Thorra pelts?”
The ship’s temperature adjusted automatically to each individual’s core temp, but she was now nude, and therefore he wanted to make sure she didn’t get too cold. Gen
et handed him the pelt, and he draped it over the sheets that already covered her. Erak stood above her and stared at her too pale face. Already some of the swelling in her face had decreased, and he knew whatever medicinal concoctions Genet had created to aid in her healing would mend her quickly.
These caring and comforting emotions he had toward her were foreign, but not unwelcome. Now that he knew she was his mate, everything changed. Had they been too high on the fact they wanted to bed a female before finding females to bear their children that they hadn’t realized the prize that had been right in front of them? Had their arrogant ways almost led them away from the one female the stars had made sure was theirs? He grew angry at himself, and at his brothers for all of their blindness. If they had just opened up their hearts and eyes, pushed away their sexual urges, they could have taken her away from all of this.
“We didn’t realize she was ours, brother.” Raimi stepped up beside him and stared at Luna. Raimi could sense others’ emotions. “Our minds were elsewhere, and I am angry at myself as well that it took her getting hurt, and smelling her blood, to realize that she was my mate.”
Only two things could alert an Aktulla male of their mate: sex, or the scent of blood. Erak reached down and brushed a lock of her away from her cheek. The auburn locks were silky between his fingers, and he couldn’t stop from touching them. He pushed another lock away from her shoulder, baring the slender column of her throat. The sight of her creamy flesh called to his animal urges, ones that wanted to mark her so every male would know she was his mate. Although he was disgusted at himself for even thinking of marking her when she was unconscious, the urges were something he couldn’t control.
Once Genet checked her vitals once more and was satisfied with the findings they left her to rest.
They made their way back into the common room and had a seat at the circular table. Raimi was the first to speak.
“I cannot believe someone would do this to a helpless female, our female.” They looked at each other at the last part of what Raimi said. “From the way her injuries are on her body, I think it is pretty safe to assume they were made by a someone, and not a something. I want blood from whoever did this to her.” Erak could see the tension start to slowly climb in his brother.
“Calm down. There isn’t any point in getting worked up when Luna is lying in there injured, and we can’t do anything about it right now,” Genet said, but there was no hiding the rage in his voice.
“When Luna is awake and healed I’m sure she will be able to answer these questions.”
Everyone stayed silent after Erak spoke.
“Yes, you are right.” After a suspended moment Raimi murmured his agreement.
Genet leaned back in his chair, and the Tukka leather creaked from his massive weight. “The healing gel needs to be applied to her wounds every hour. It will increase the recovery process. I can set up the scanner to do it automatically, but I would prefer if we were to tend to her.”
“I don’t know about you two, but I need a drink.” Raimi read both of their minds, and Erak and Genet nodded in agreement. They had a lot to drink at Tao, but this situation had all of their nerves strung tight, and if they didn’t drink something to help calm them, one of them was liable to tear the ship apart.
Chapter Six
The first thing that Luna realized was wonderful warmth surrounded her. How long had it been since she had felt such heat? Far, far too long. The second thing was that her whole body ached. Even breathing caused unused muscles to protest. Peeling open her eyelids, which was harder than it should be, she waited a moment for her vision to clear.
After minutes passed and the blurriness didn’t abate, Luna panicked. Reaching up to rub her eyes, she winced in pain at the tender area she came in contact with. Some type of wet gelatinous substance coated not only her eyes, but one side of her face as well. Slowly pulling herself up and into a sitting position, the blanket that had warmed her slipped down her nude body. Fear at how she had gotten to be with no clothing assaulted her, and her pulse raced. Gripping the blanket tightly, she covered her breasts and forced herself to calm enough that she could think rationally and not let her panic take control.
How long have I been out? Where am I? Taking the corner of the blanket she brought it to her face and gently wiped the gel away. She blinked in rapid succession and looked around her surroundings. Her mind started to clear, and everything came slamming back into her mind with enough force it left her breathless.
Maximo’s anger. The pain when his hand made contact with her face, and the gash on her arm. The agony of her scrapes and cuts as she ran through trees and shrubs. The joy of seeing the ship about to take off, and then hiding within it. Each memory was stronger than the next until the last thing she remembered was passing out from pain and exhaustion behind two large barrels.
The room she was in was unfamiliar, but then again why wouldn’t it be? Clearly she had been discovered, but why wasn’t she dead, or at the very least bound and gagged? Why were there bandages covering her body, as if someone was trying to heal her wounds, like they wanted her to be well? A stowaway wasn’t something that was taken lightly. Tightening her hold on the blanket, she continued examining the room.
There was door to her left, closed, a small chest, and a basin with a mirror above it, and another small bathing chamber to her right. Aside from those things and the bed she sat on the room was barren. Twisting slightly on the bed had pain lancing up one whole side of her body. Looking down, she saw a small square patch in the crook of her arm with a thin tube attached to it. Following the tube she saw it attached to a small bag filled with some type of clear substance. That was going into her body? A wave of dizziness assaulted her even more. After a moment the feeling passed, and she sighed.
Why would the owner of the ship be mending a stowaway? At least she thought she was still on the ship. She certainly wasn’t at one of the rundown shacks back on the red dust planet, and she knew enough about technology that even if she was on a spacecraft she wouldn’t have been able to tell. The ride would have been as smooth and flawless as if she were standing on solid ground back home. Home. No, she shouldn’t even think of that planet as such. Heart beating double time, the image of her on the slave auction block slammed into her mind. What if that was where they were taking her to? It would certainly explain why they were nursing her back to health so they could sell her to a wealthy buyer, but then logic crept in. She wasn’t restrained as she would assume a piece of property would have been. There were just too many things slamming into her mind over and over again for her to make any kind of sense. She was a viable female, and many planets used slaves for other things than manual labor.
Oh God. Sickness washed over her. She had to escape. No way was she going escape being Maximo’s sexual plaything, just to be captured and sold as another perverted male’s toy. She braced herself and set her legs over the side of the bed. Letting the dizziness pass, Luna stood. Her vision was still blurry, and so she took the edge of the blanket and tried to clean off as much as she could. The blanket was wrapped around her, but the bulkiness made her movements slow. Grabbing the fluid-filled bag, she was tempted to rip it from her arm, but common sense told her to just take one step at a time. She walked over to the basin and mirror. Placing the bag in the stainless steel sink, she gripped the edge of the cold metal tightly with one hand. Horror sufficed her when she got a look at her face.
Running a finger across the thick jelly like substance that still covered her face partially she could see fading bruises marring her flesh. There was still a bit of swelling, but not enough to obstruct her vision further. How long had she been out that her wounds were all but healed? Luna supposed it could have been a very short time if the owner of the ship had access to state-of-the-art equipment and medical supplies. Looking down at her arms, she saw all the cuts were nearly healed, and the same gel type substance covered them. A thick white bandage wrapped around her forearm. Pulling at the edges of the b
andage, the material started to unravel and fall to the ground. What was revealed was a nearly healed wound.
The sound of deep, male voices sounded just outside her door. The language was foreign to her, and adrenalin pumped through her body. The flight or fight response kicked in and urged her to move into action, but as she looked around, she realized there was nowhere for her to go aside from hiding in the bathing chamber perhaps. But before she could take one step the door slowly dematerialized and showed her the males that held her life in their hands.
****
The door to Luna’s room dematerialized, and the first thing he noticed was an empty bed. Her fear thickened the air, and every protective instinct inside of him roared out. He sensed the same change with his brothers who stood right behind him, but he held his hand up, urging them to rein it in. It didn’t take him more than a second to see that she was over by the bathing chamber. Her whole body shook, and beads of perspiration dotted her forehead. She was scared and in pain, and he felt his muscles tense over that dual sensation coming from her. All he wanted to do was go to her and wrap his arms around her, tell her everything would be okay, and they were the last ones she needed to shy away from. She tightened her small hands on the blanket wrapped around her body. He was thankful to see her face was nearly clear of all evidence of her abuse, as were her limbs. She had removed the bandage from the more serious of cuts on her forearm, and although it was starting to close, it would need several more hours of care before it was completely mended again. He had come in to add more healing gel to her wounds, but never expected her to be up and waking around. A quick glance over his shoulder showed his brothers were just as surprised to see her up and moving around as well. Her eyes were the size of moons, and her breathing was rapid.
