“Mindy,” I shouted. I groaned when I tried to throw myself off the cot. I needed to touch him.
Seth gripped my shoulder. “Hold on.”
“Serlotminden,” I called. “Honey.”
His deep green eyes snapped open and locked onto me. “Flower,” he growled and launched forward. I tried to get to him as he clawed off the bed to reach me. The grayish-blue drakcol held him, and Serlotminden wordlessly yelled, tail thrashing.
“You’re going to hurt yourself. Stop it, Speedy,” the blue alien ordered.
“Hold on,” Seth said while I struggled to escape his hold. Mindy roared, punching at the two drakcol keeping him on the bed. “For fuck’s sake,” Seth yelled. “Hold on for one fucking second.”
He shoved the stretcher to Mindy’s side. I didn’t wait for help and crawled to him. Serlotminden seized me and dragged me closer. His breath was rough as he nuzzled me. “Bartholomew.”
I held him tight. He was alive. He was alright. He was here.
Someone came close, tugging on me.
Serlotminden snarled, pushing the man away. “Do not touch my mate.”
The blue and black aliens tried to pin Mindy, who was growling.
“Fuck it all,” Seth said. “I swear you are all the most dramatic brothers I have ever met.” He pushed the drakcol away and snagged Mindy’s chin, which made me frown. “Teddy is hurt. He needs help, so shut the hell up.”
“Bartholomew,” Mindy said, focusing on me.
“I’m going to sedate both of them.” A female drakcol with golden hair in a long braid approached. Another person, a human man who had dot tattoos on his face, agreed.
I tried to protest, needing to see Serlotminden more, but I was so tired.
Seth said, “We won’t take you away from Mindy, but we need to treat you both without the drama. Or Mindy attacking someone.”
Something pricked my arm, and my vision went weird, but Serlotminden was in front of me. I took a deep breath and relaxed against him. We were together.
Someone burst into the room. “Prince Consort Seth, you are needed immediately. The Maykians are threatening to destroy us.”
“This is your fault, Caleb,” Seth said, voice growing further away.
“It will be alright, Husband,” another voice said. “I will protect you.”
Caleb spoke, “Don’t worry. I’ll talk you through it. Everything will be fine. I mean, if they do kill us, it won’t be so bad.” When several people growled, he continued in a rush, “But they won’t kill us. You’ll be supreme leader in no time, Seth. I’m a great talker. Ask Fyn. It will be perfectly fine. I swear. I’m great at plans.”
The door closed before I heard a response, but I didn’t really care. My fingers were waving and doubled as I lifted my heavy arm to touch Mindy. He was here.
“Flower,” he muttered, tail hooking around my ankle.
I breathed in his scent and let myself drift away.
I rubbed Bartholomew’s arm, relishing the feel of his skin against my scales. He was settled against me with several tubes in both of his arms. He was ill. Severe dehydration, multiple vitamin deficiencies, extremely underweight, slight tears to his shoulders and elbows that were already healing—he was lucky to be alive. The Amorian physician, Klars, had assured me that all Bartholomew needed was time to recover.
I was far more injured, though I was conscious, unlike my mate. Bartholomew hadn’t reacted well to the sedative, but I’d been told by Klars that my mate would awaken eventually.
The creature who’d attacked me had had some kind of venom on their talons, making the wounds slow to heal. They kept reopening, even when sealed, and the venom was spreading. Doctor Muznim had done several things, but she was still trying to neutralize whatever was preventing me from healing. Hopefully, she would find an answer soon.
But I wasn’t that concerned for myself. I needed my Bartholomew to awaken, badly. When I heard him call my name, it had dragged me out of my medicated sleep. Seeing him next to Seth and my brothers had been surreal and I’d needed to hold him, to assure myself he was actually here.
His earthen scent tickled my nose and soothed my stress. He was here beside me. He was safe. We were fine. I never wanted to feel the despair of not having him beside me again. I would dowhatever was necessary to keep him. I could not lose him. Not to Earth. Not to death. Not to anything.
My lips trailed over his forehead. “Mate.”
