Page 40 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)
I look down at the warrior, now encased in the healing pod which is so very rarely used by any Sarkarnii. He is not breathing on his own and it was the only way to save him.
I will not lose another warrior.
Placing my hand on the pod, I extend out my claws as I silently pledge I will find who tampered with the clinic’s bot which administered a poison which has been instantly expunged from the database.
Whatever it is, it can potentially kill a Sarkarnii when very little else can.
My sweet mate did what she could to care for the fallen warrior.
I would have expected my rut to interfere with her assistance, but it did not.
In fact, her calming presence made it all the easier for us to get Drex into the pod and restart his heart.
However, Scarlett’s face is pale as she sits on the other side of the pod, staring at Drex.
“What is happening, Dexx?” she asks. “The explosions and now this? Can it all be connected to the Veseli and the other creature Kerra saw?”
“There are no Veseli on Vorostor Central,” I rasp. “Driok reset all our sensors to detect them after the original incursion.” Once again, I berate myself for the fact my shift stopped me from assisting my fellow warlords.
I cannot continue like this. Neither can my warriors. We have to somehow break the cycle and then we will be the fighting force we need to be.
I climb into the second pod and activate it.
“What are you doing?” Scarlett is on her feet and inside with me before I can stop her.
“What are you doing? I want it to scan me, see if the rut is making any difference to my shift.”
Given I can’t get my wings under control, and they fill most of the pod, the rest being occupied by my little mate, I wonder if it has anything to do with the rut.
A rut which fills me with the mating mix any time I’m close to my Scarlett, and now is no exception. Her scent invades my nostrils, her lack of thoughts in my head are calming to a degree I don’t think I’ve ever known.
“It can scan you with me in here too, can’t it?” she queries.
“We’re about to find out,” I reply.
“No, Dexx…” Her eyes are wide as the pod hums and the scanner starts.
I cup her face in my hand, marveling at how unbelievably delicate she seems, and yet she can take all of me.
“Do not fear, my heartsfire. I would give all I have, all my hoard, my crew, my clan, my ship, the galaxy, and the universe to keep you safe, to hold you until the end of time.” I study her face, wanting to ensure it is burnt into my brain. “The scanner will not harm you. Keep your eyes on me.”
The scanner increases its whine, and I keep hold of her chin so she cannot turn away.
But Scarlett does not attempt to move. Instead her eyes rake over my face with a heat I cannot ignore, my lips hitting hers and reveling in the way she arches her back to lean into my mouth.
Our tongues tangle and she moans something which could be my name and I’m going to take it as such.
With a hiss, the cover to the pod opens and cooler air rushes in. I’d like to mate my Scarlett here and now, but it can wait because she is always willing.
She blinks at me, as if she has awoken from a slumber as I swing my legs out of the pod and pad over to the console.
“Any idea what it means?” Scarlett joins me and wraps her arm around my waist. I regret wearing pants.
“I am not a healer. The Steel Jewel ’s healer was one of our females.” I stare at the results. “And I never was much good at healing.”
“So, it’s not any help?”
“From what I can tell, my physiology has changed.” I trace a claw over the screens. “But it could be my rut generally, not anything specific. What I need is a healer who can interpret the data.”
The console flashes up something else, something unexpected as I had not set the scanner for my mate as well. It causes smoke to fire from my nostrils harder than I have done before.
“What is it?” Scarlett pulls at my arm. “What do you see?” She attempts to peer at the screens, but it’s clear the information is beyond the nano translators she has installed.
I drop to my knees in front of her.
Scarlett is my everything. She is the stars, she is the ships, she is the bedrock of all species. The ancestors sent her to me for this exact moment. The moment which changes everything.
“Dexx, you’re scaring me,” Scarlett cries out. “What’s wrong? What did you see?”