Page 39 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)

I f Dexx is intrigued about Kerra’s pregnancy, he doesn’t show it. If anything, he’s more concentrated on showing me his hoard, a pit of jewels which seems bottomless.

He knows each and every one. They all have a story attached to them, even the ones the size of my fist. This is not something he has stolen en masse.

It is a collection he has carefully curated over time.

I begin to relax, to let my concerns go, to enjoy being in the moment with Dexx, my huge, dark Sarkarnii warlord who loves his jewels.

And wants to give them to me.

“What would you do if I was pregnant like Kerra?” I ask him suddenly as I’m presented with another huge diamond.

“I would hold a celebration, announce you are going to have a sarkarnling from the highest part of Vorostor,” Dexx says before leaning into me.

“And I would mate you over and over as your body expands and you produce milk for our young.” His dark forked tongue sweeps his lips.

“I long to taste your bounty, little mate.”

Okay, so now I am covered in diamonds and hotter than the forces used to create them. My body burns at his words and my core clenches so tightly, I’m surprised I’m not doing myself an injury.

Dexx inhales slowly, a dirty smile forming on his face.

“Do you wish me to put a sarkarnling in your belly, sweet mate?”

“I think…I mean I’m not sure, but you might have already done it,” I say quietly. “I can’t remember the last time I had a period and without birth control…well, maybe I am pregnant.”

I am scooped into his arms, and without any warning, Dexx has carried me out of his quarters and is pounding down the passages.

“Where are we going?”

“Clinic,” he growls. “I want to see if you are with young.”

“Dexx.” I grab hold of his huge arms. “Just because Kerra is, it doesn’t mean I will be.”

“You have taken my seed, and you are strong, and my seed is strong, my mate.”

Is this a worst case scenario? I have an overly excited dragon man desperate to see if I’m going to have his baby.

Or is this a best case scenario? I genuinely do not know. The pleasure I felt from Dexx comparing me favorably to his hoard is long gone. Now I have more trepidation than I’ve felt since waking up in the dank cell when I was first abducted, finding Maggie swearing quietly next to me.

Dexx rounds a corner and thumps through a set of doors. There’s a single prone Sarkarnii lying on a bed, a robot arm working over a vicious wound on his side.

He appears to be unconscious.

“Dexx…” I point at him.

“Nevver,” he growls. “That one always starts fights. I guess he lost his most recent and, by the looks of things, lost his grip on consciousness.” Dexx smirks. “Can’t heal if you can’t shift.”

“What if he can’t shift because he’s just come out of his shifted phase?” I ask.

Dexx places me down on a free bed and rubs his chin.

“Even once we’ve shifted for our period, we can still do it. Or at least I can,” Dexx says, his wings flexing behind him.

“You can?”

He looks at me for several beats.

“I could,” he says. “It is difficult at the moment.”

My heart clenches in my chest. Could this mean, somehow, our being together has changed his physiology?

“Perhaps you should check.” I wave my hand around the clinic. “With all of this.”

Dexx looks around him, almost as if he’s seeing it for the first time. The injured warrior rolls off the bed across from us with a groan, looks up, sees Dexx, and I think he’s going to pass out again.

“Warrior,” Dexx growls. “It’s Drex, isn’t it?”

The warrior nods, holding his abdomen where the injury has been closed up.

“Fighting again?”

For a second he looks shifty, as if he’s going to deny it, but then Dexx is his leader. Emotions flit over his face as he considers his options.

Sarkarnii are terrible liars but also extremely good at not telling the whole truth, as I have discovered and hence rule three.

“Yes,” he grumbles.

“Lack of work makes my warriors pugnacious.” Dexx grins at me.

I do not find it funny and his smile fades.

“My mate wants to know why you didn’t shift to heal yourself,” Dexx growls.

I manage, just, to hold back my gasp at his audacity.

“Dalsor knocked me out,” Drex says. “He said I was too close.”

Dexx looks impressed, which is absolutely not the way he should behave but I already know he doesn’t care for the rules.

“And you ended up injured.”

“Someone brought me here.” Drex looks around the clinic. “I don’t know who.” He winces as he clutches at his arm.

“What’s that?” Dexx grabs hold of him.

There is a wound which doesn’t look like it was made by a Sarkarnii. While their claws are capable of surgical precision, this is a line of round stab wounds which look like they were made with a big needle.

“Don’t know.” Drex squares his shoulders. “They don’t hurt.”

Oh boy, Drex is awful at lying. It doesn’t take Dexx’s mind reading abilities to work out what’s been going on.

“What did the clinic-bot make of these injuries?” Dexx releases him to stride to a nearby console.

He checks it, looks at Drex, who clearly wants the floor to open up and swallow him, then looks back at the console.

“It took samples,” he growls. “What for?”

Drex shakes his head. “I do not know, my Lord.”

I move to the console next to Dexx. “What are these symbols?”

“It is narcotic delivery.” Dexx checks on Drex over his shoulder. The warrior is looking decidedly pale.

“What did it give you? Painkiller.”

“No!” Drex fires out. “I do not require any such narcotic.”

Dexx growls under his breath. “I don’t like this,” he says. “The clinic is automated to provide care when needed. We don’t need it often. It should not be taking samples and dispensing narcotics without reason.”

Behind us there is a slithering sound and before we can stop him, Drex has collapsed onto the floor with a rattling groan.

“Shit!” I exclaim, running over to the prone warrior. “Dexx, he isn’t breathing!”