Page 6 of The Arabis Triad

Coltan staggered from the pilot’s seat, his horrified gaze resting on their mate. “I’ll take her there now.”

Ashir took one look at the gash on his brother’s forehead. “Don’t be adrumasturd. You’re hurt and might drop her. That’s the last thing she needs.”

“Take her, Ashir. You’ve had the most medical training between us all,” Paxt said, wiping a dull strand of hair from her forehead. He hadn’t taken his attention from her, which was the right thing to do. Ashir would trust both his brothers with the entirety of his soul with their mate, but now it was his turn to look after her.

“Give her to me, quick.” Ashir nodded to Paxt and scooped an arm beneath her shoulders and knees and lifted her free from Paxt’s reluctant grip. Her body rolled lifeless against his chest as she slumped into his arms.

“Hurry, brother. We’ve only just found her. We’re going to damn-well fight to keep her,” Paxt said.

Ashir hurried down the corridor to the medi-bay, Paxt and Coltan hot on his heels. He couldn’t get there fast enough. Seconds passed as slowly as days, even though he rushed as much as he dared with her delicate condition.

They rarely had the chance to use it, their own healing abilities more than enough to mend any scrapes of battle. For once he was thankful for his overly cautious and caring mother who had insisted on putting it in.

Coltan slammed his palm onto the panel to operate the bed. The clear tubing retracted into the healing unit at the base, waiting for its patient. As carefully as he could, he laid her down. It was built for a warrior of their size, and she took up as much room as a child.

“We have to remove her clothing for the unit to work properly,” Ashir said.

He slid open the buttons of her shirt. The material was so ragged it almost fell off, only held together by a stitch or two. He ended up ripping the rest of the material away. A strange elastic item hugged her breasts. He gently lifted her, undoing the clasp behind her back. The item came free, revealing high, pert breasts, tipped with rosy pink nipples.

Paxt sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. “She is perfect.”

Ashir’s cock tightened at the sight of their mate half undressed. Angrily, he shoved that thought aside as he took into account the abuse her slight body had taken. Deep, dark bruises marred her skin. Gouges left a bloody path over the perfection of her beauty.

“She is hurt, Paxt.” His voice was a harsh growl.

Paxt placed his hand on Ashir’s shoulder. “The ones that still live will pay with their lives, brother.”

Ashir gritted his teeth and nodded, unable to speak. Anger pulsed through his system. A tick worked at his left eye, the only outward sign of his anger. Inside, he seethed. He kept himself in check because their injured mate needed him to have a clear head.

“I will enjoy tearing them limb from limb,” Coltan said.

“Slowly,” Paxt agreed.

Coltan came around the other side of the bed and they removed the rest of her clothing. More bruising and gashes covered her legs. There wasn’t a spare inch left undamaged.

“Gods,” Coltan breathed. His hard-ass brother, the one that was usually the last standing in any battle, looked entirely lost and defeated. His hand fluttered over her form, too tentative to touch her. In the end, he settled by brushing a matted strand of hair off her forehead, revealing a delicate, arched brow of white-silver hair, so fine it reminded him of moonlight.

Paxt wiped her body with a fresh cleansing cloth he’d retrieved from the medi-cabinet stored in a wall unit in the medi-bay, removing some of the filth from her body.

Ashir wanted to wipe it all free, of course, but time was of the essence. When she was healed, he would bathe her. They all would. His mouth watered at taking care of their mate together. So small, yet strong enough to unite a kingdom. The thought was staggering.

“Stand free.” Paxt slammed his hand to the comm-panel and the transparent tubing quickly covered her. There was a quiet beep as the sensors monitored her entire body.

A list of injuries appeared on the screen. Ashir worked to unclench his fists as the list kept scrolling. Fractured ribs, a fractured right wrist, a hairline fracture in her upper leg. Various skin gouges, many that had also cut into muscle. A punctured lung. Internal bleeding in a kidney.

“Gods. How is she still alive?” Ashir spoke the horror he knew each of them felt.

“I’m not just going to kill them. I will torture them first,” Paxt said.

It would happen. His brother didn’t lie.

“I will be there right at your side,” Ashir agreed.

“After you torture them, I will disembowel their innards and drape them across their necks while they draw their final breaths,” Coltan said.

Paxt grunted in agreement.

“They’ll still get off too lightly, even then,” Ashir said.

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