I stood in the doorway and scanned the adjoining medical room. My mate was still wearing the small blue nightgown but had a soft, green medical blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She sat on one of the examination beds. I assumed Doctor Surnen had checked her health upon our arrival.
I needed to know for sure. “Is she injured?”
As one, Governor Maxim, Ryston, Doctor Surnen—all three Prillon warriors—and my mate turned to face the doorway. Larkspur’s mouth dropped into an adorable, kissable gasp as she stared. I straightened to my full height. My armor had been removed and I stood naked, cock hard, ready for her inspection. I was hers. It pleased me to have her look at the warlord who would pleasure her.
The pink blush in her cheeks pleased me as well, as her gaze rested on my engorged cock. I hungered for her. Need like nothing I’d ever known clawed through me.
Mine. The beast seemed quite pleased with himself. As well he should be. We fought off three Hive Soldiers and had her here, with us. Safe. Unharmed. His satisfaction was one I shared. Soon, we would have her naked and begging for release, cock buried deep as we claimed her. Once we placed mating cuffs on her wrists, her presence would slay the agony of mating fever once and forever. We found her. Relief flooded me even as my cock throbbed in anticipation of her hot, wet pussy. Mine. Now.
Calm down. She’s here. We must explain who we are.
Fuck. Claim. No talk. Talk after.
I chuckled. I did not disagree, in theory. In reality, I doubted our female would appreciate the beast’s approach.
Doctor Surnen cleared his throat. “She’s fine. There was bruising around the restraints, but I?—”
I was at her side, her fragile hands in mine before the doctor finished his sentence.
“—ran the ReGen wand over them and they healed nicely.”
My mate seemed stunned at my touch, but quickly pulled away. “Listen, Warlord Kai. That’s your name?”
“Indeed.” I could not stop staring at this beautiful female. The curve of her cheek. The fullness of her lips. The soothing warmth and whirlpool of emotions swimming behind her brown eyes.
“I appreciate you showing up like you did. Those Hive guys were scary, and they kept threatening me. I think they might have killed me. I don’t know.”
A growl filled the room and I realized it came from my throat.
“God.” She lifted a hand to cover her eyes, which were nearly level with the hard length that would ensure her pleasure. If she just leaned forward and opened her mouth…
“Can you put on some pants? I can’t have a conversation like this.”
“I am yours.” Why would I hide my form from my mate? Especially when I planned to have her equally naked in the next few minutes, just as soon as I could kick everyone else out of the room. She. Was. Mine.
My beast, normally eager to agree with thoughts of claiming her, remained oddly silent.
She lowered her hand. Much to my disappointment, her gaze remained steadfastly locked on my face. “Okay. Listen. There’s been a mistake. I don’t know anything about any pictures. I don’t know you. You need to take me home.” Her teeth settled over her lower lip, sinking into the plump flesh. I stared. Those lips were mine.
No. Smell wrong. Not right.
What the fuck was my beast saying? She is our mate.
Not right. No. The beast’s denial filled my mind. As if the beast had my cock on a remote control, he issued the command and my cock lost interest as well. Fuck. Maybe I would go put on some pants. Fucking embarrassing. I could not demonstrate interest for my female? What the fuck was happening to me?
I inhaled, deeply. The scent I remembered, our mate’s feminine sweetness, was there, but muted. Faint. With her so close, it should have been much stronger. Perhaps the surroundings, or a medical procedure, had altered her body chemistry since our arrival.
I turned to Dotor Surnen where he stood, calmly dressed in his dark green doctor’s tunic, a tablet in his hands, as if he was actively monitoring my mate’s health. “What have you done to her?”
He crossed his arms and raised one pointed, Prillon brow. “Warlord Kai, I have done nothing. Your mate is in perfect health, a bit underfed perhaps, but?—”
“Hey! That’s rude. I’m sitting right here.” When we all ignored her, she shook her head and rolled her eyes, a very human reaction I found adorable.
“—But, other than using the ReGen wand to heal the bruises on her wrists and ankles, she has not been treated.”
“Then how has her scent been altered?” Inside, the beast waited for an answer, his scowl so fierce I made no attempt to hide his displeasure from my face.
“I assure you, I have done nothing.” Doctor Surnen’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I should run some additional diagnostics.”
