Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Ryxin
H ealer Yarx hurried across the glowing tele-pad, his brown fur catching the light as his medpack clanked against his side. Strands of gray peppered the thick coat along his jaw and temples, a sign of his age and years of service. His face was lined with concern, his amber eyes scanning the unconscious figure cradled in Ryxin’s arms before flicking to the other Knights carrying their burdens.
“These are the same species?” Yarx asked, voice sharp with urgency. “The ones you shot down?”
Ryxin gave a curt nod. “Yes, they’re the same ones.”
Yarx’s ears flicked back as he huffed, half frustration, half resignation. “You just returned from that… so-called “battle” two days ago. Tell me we aren’t going to have more escape vessels raining from the sky.”
“Hopefully theirs will be the only one.”
Xar approached, a scowl etched on his face as he carried another unconscious figure slung over his shoulder. The creature dangled limply, its feet bare and its clothing reduced to tattered scraps. “Lux forbid,” Xar grumbled, his tone irritated as he adjusted his grip. “What are we supposed to do with these… creatures?”
“They need the healing ward,” Yarx answered firmly, already scanning Ryxin’s figure with his medscanner. The small device hummed faintly, its pale blue light sweeping over the limp form in Ryxin’s arms. “Strip them of these rags, get them under the healing dome.”
Ryxin’s sharp eyes moved to the other four others, all in varying states of disrepair. Their condition was dire, but his charge…they seemed worse. Their pale face was ghastly against their dark lashes, their frozen tears still clinging to their skin. Their chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, as if their body was losing the fight for survival.
“She’s worse than the others.” The healer’s expression darkened, his frown deepening as he focused on the scanner. “She needs immediate help.”
Ryxin’s ears twitched, and he tilted his head down to peer at the figure in a new light. “She?”
“Yes.” Yarx straightened, his tone matter-of-fact as he motioned toward the figure’s chest. “Mammary glands. She’s female. A human from that Class X planet Earth. Appears to be of fertile age.” His medscanner beeped again, confirming the diagnosis. Yarx turned to the other Knights. “Why are you still here? Take your humans to the healing ward, now. They need warmth and the Lux Tears to stabilize them before it’s too late.”
Ryxin’s claws flexed against the fabric of the figure’s ragged clothing. A deep, primal growl rumbled low in his chest. His instincts screamed that she was fragile, that she needed protection—his protection.
Yarx’s gaze snapped back to him, his expression stern but tinged with unease. “My Prince,” he said, his tone both gentle and firm, “she needs to go to the medical ward now.”
Ryxin’s grip on her tightened. “I’ll care for her.”
“What?” Yarx’s brows shot up, his tail stiffening. “Care for her where?”
“In my room,” Ryxin replied, his voice rough and unyielding. “I’ll keep her warm. In my bed.”
Yarx blinked, stunned. “Your bed?”
“I’m claiming her as my responsibility.” His gaze flicked to the frail figure in his arms where her head lolled against his chest. “I’ll keep her warm with my body.”
Yarx opened his mouth to object but then stopped short. Snapping the medscanner shut, he schooled his expression into one of neutrality. “This is highly irregular—”
“Irregular or not,” Ryxin cut him off, menace lacing his low voice, “it’s what’s happening. If she dies, it will not be because I failed her.”
Yarx’s lips parted again, but he hesitated, brows knitted in frustration. Finally, he exhaled sharply. “If this is how you’re going to do things, fine,” the healer said in a clipped tone. “But I’m coming with you to ensure she has no wounds—and to give her a universal communicator. She won’t be of any use to you if she can’t understand a word we’re saying.”
Ryxin growled low, but he nodded. “Then follow me.”
Without another word, he adjusted the female in his arms, her sickly-sweet scent swirling around him. It burrowed into his senses, unsettling him in ways he couldn’t explain. His hold tightened as if instinctively shielding her from the view of others as he carried her out of the tele-pad chamber. Yarx kept pace behind him, his claws clicking faintly against the polished stone floors as they made their way through the halls and into the lift.
The silence was oppressive, save for the faint hum of the lift’s mechanisms. Ryxin kept his gaze forward, his tail flicking in irritation as the female’s scent filled the small space, wrapping around him like a chain. The slight tremble of her body against his chest made his jaw tighten.
The lift stopped with a soft chime, and a beam of light scanned his Lux bracelet, confirming his identity with a green glow. The doors slid open, revealing the grandeur of his private floor. The air here was warmer, the walls lined with intricate carvings that glimmered faintly under the soft light of their lux tear technology. Ryxin strode through the open space, his strides long and purposeful, until he reached the sprawling nest at the heart of his living quarters.
Lowering her onto the thick, fur-lined bedding, he was quick to strip away the tattered rags clinging to her form. The fabric tore easily under his claws, leaving her bare to the warm air of his chambers. Her fragile body seemed even smaller without the useless coverings, her pale skin marred by bruises and shallow scratches.
Fortunately, her coloring was quickly returning thanks to the castle’s moderate warmth which protected them from the harshness of the frigid landscape outside.
“Work on her,” Ryxin ordered gruffly, stepping back and tossing the shredded rags into the incinerator embedded in the far wall. With a hiss, the machine’s flames roared to life, swallowing the remnants whole. Their essence—alien and unwelcome—became ash in the fiery pits of the mountain ridge.
Yarx’s disapproval was palpable. He crouched by the female, his medscanner already humming as he passed it over her still form. “She’s not a pet, Ryxin,” he said, his tone sharp. “You can’t house her in your royal suite like some prize you’ve claimed.”
Ryxin growled, the sound deep and menacing as he turned toward the healer. “Who said anything about her being my pet?”
“Then what is she to you?” Yarx demanded, not looking up from his scanner. “I know what lonely warriors like you do. Hire nest pets to keep yourself… company after returning from long missions or failing the mating hunts.”
“I’ve never needed a nest pet,” Ryxin spat. “Or wanted one.”
“Then why are you being unreasonable? Overprotective. She’s the enemy, Ryxin. You said it yourself.”
“She is the enemy!” Ryxin barked, his claws flexing at his sides.
Yarx paused, his amber gaze flicking up to meet Ryxin’s. “Then why,” he said evenly, “are you allowing her in your nest?”
Ryxin opened his mouth to respond, but Yarx cut him off with a sharp motion of his medscanner toward the prince. “Should I check to see if your head needs scanning? Are you—”
“I’m not descending!” Ryxin snarled, his voice booming through the chamber. His chest heaved as the force of his denial seemed to hang in the air. “I’m not losing myself.”
The healer studied him for a long moment, concern softening his gaze. “If you’re not becoming one of the Fallen,” he said slowly, “then why, My Prince? Why are you demanding that this female stay in your bed?”
“I don’t know,” Ryxin admitted, his voice quieter but no less intense. His gaze drifted to the fragile creature lying motionless in the nest, her snow-colored fur-less skin stark against the dark hides. “Something… something is telling me to keep an eye on her. That she’s my responsibility.”
Yarx tilted his head, his gray-edged ears twitching in thought. “If that’s your instinct, I won’t fight you on it,” he said at last. “But understand this, Ryxin: as a healer, it’s my duty to see her well. She’ll be taken care of, kept safe.”
“I won’t stand in your way. Heal her.” Ryxin sighed as his gaze remained locked on the fragile figure in his nest. “I’ll keep her warm until she wakes. When she does, I’ll let you know so you can check on her.”
Yarx straightened, his amber eyes narrowing slightly. “And what about the Alpha King? You know your brother will expect a report.”
Ryxin’s lip curled briefly, his ears flicking back in annoyance. “I’ll handle Sylas in the morning. There’s no need to wake him over this.” He shifted his weight, his claws tapping lightly against the floor. “Until I have more answers, this matter stays between us.”
The healer seemed to consider this as his tail flicked absently. “What about the other four? They’re in marginally better shape than this one.”
Ryxin didn’t hesitate. “Heal them, keep them subdued. Place them in the luxury guest apartments and give them what they need. Lock the doors if necessary, and post guards if you think they’re a threat. I’ll decide what to do with them after I’ve had time to think.”
Yarx tilted his head then bowed slightly, exposing his neck in a gesture of respect. “It will be done, my prince. I’ll ensure your command is followed.”
Straightening again, Yarx reached into his medpack and pulled out a small container etched with glowing runes. He held it out to Ryxin, the soft light of the markings reflecting in the room’s ambient glow. “This is healing salve infused with Lux Tears. Apply it to her shallow wounds. It’ll heal her faster and prevent scarring.”
“Thank you,” he said, accepting the container with gratitude. He turned back toward the nest, his focus already shifting to the unconscious female as an unexpected wave of exhaustion swept over him.
“If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”
Yarx hesitated for only a moment then nodded once more and gathered his medscanner. Without another word, he strode out of the room, leaving Ryxin alone with the unconscious female.
The chamber fell into silence save for the faint crackling of the Lux Tear heater’s embers and the rhythmic sound of her shallow breaths. Ryxin sat on the edge of the nest, his massive frame dwarfing her fragile form. He opened the container of salve, the faint scent of herbs and Lux Tears wafting up as he dipped his fingers into the cool, gel-like substance.
Carefully, almost reverently, he began to apply the salve to the bruises and scratches marring her bare skin. Every touch, every faint sigh of breath that escaped her lips, sent a strange pull through him.
What was she, this enemy who had stumbled into his world? And why did he feel like keeping her alive was more than just an obligation?