Page 29 of Royal Alien Mate

He glanced out the opening in the wall and fell to his knees.No. She couldn’t be gone. Yet she wasn’t here, and that left only one possibility—she’d been blown outside during the explosion. He searched his muddled memories, trying to recall everything that had happened once they arrived in his chambers. As soon as they’d walked through the door…

He shot to his feet and sifted through the rubble around the door again, only to notice one side of the entrance had been blown through. He stepped out into the corridor and rushed to the blonde form slumped against the wall.

“Esmay!” He picked her up, cradling her against his chest, and rushed down the hall. “Don’t worry, my sunshine, I will get you to a doctor.”

She stirred in his arms and her eyes fluttered open, startlingly blue and filled with confusion. “Vaath,” she said, barely a whisper. “What happened?”

Before he could answer, several palace guards rushed around the corner.

“Prince Vaath,” a guard named Geiaz said. “Thank the Gods you are still breathing, and your mate as well.”

“I must get her to a doctor.”

“Follow me,” Rem said, stepping forward as Vaath noticed him among the guards for the first time. “I will escort you to the medical unit in the caverns. You’ll be safest there.”

Though Vaath wished to begin investigating the attack alongside the palace guards and the Vash’arr, he nodded and followed Rem through the corridors of the palace. He would join the investigation as soon as he was certain Esmay would make a full recovery. He glanced down at her and didn’t see any wounds, not even upon her head, but he worried she’d sustained internal damage.

“The attack was centered upon your chambers,” Rem called over his shoulder. A unit of guards was trailing them, their blasters drawn. Though Marttiaxoxalians didn’t use weapons during most types of combat, as it wasn’t considered an honorable fighting method, palace guards used blasters when protecting members of the royal family. He certainly wasn’t about to balk at the practice when it helped guarantee Esmay’s safety during this crisis.

“Any casualties?” Vaath asked.

“None that we know of yet,” Rem said with a glance at his wrist comm. “Jav has contacted me and said his unit has discovered new information about thedrakks. He will meet us in the caverns.”

As soon as they entered the caverns, Rem led Vaath deep into the tunnels, taking a route with which he wasn’t familiar. Just as he was about to voice his concerns—he wanted Esmay to receive treatment as soon as possible—they entered a medical unit situated at the end of a narrow, darkened corridor.

“Your safety, and the safety of your mate, is of utmost importance right now,” Rem said. “This is a secret location known only to the palace guards. Even your father and his advisors are not aware of this bunker.” He touched his wrist comm and an orange stone-like wall descended, blocking off the corridor. “Anyone who travels this way will think they’ve come upon a dead end.”

His mind reeling from this new information—why would the guards have a secret bunker beneath the palace?—he carried Esmay into the bunker, heading directly for the medical unit in the far corner.

A doctor gestured him forward and motioned for Vaath to place Esmay down upon a table. Her eyes were open and she looked alert, if not a bit frightened. The doctor asked her several questions, such as her name and age, the year on Earth, as well as the names of her family members. After she answered each personal question, the doctor looked to Vaath for confirmation that she had answered correctly.

“Are you in pain?” Vaath asked, stroking his fingers through her blonde locks.

“My head hurts.” She reached for him and he grasped her hand. He would remain by her side even if the world was burning. She was his beloved mate.

Yes, he truly loved her.

His throat burned under the realization and he cursed himself for not having told her yet. It grieved him that she was hurting right now, and he glared at the doctor, his impatience growing.

“Can you give her something for the pain?”

The doctor nodded and pressed a hypospray to her temple. An instant later, Esmay’s face relaxed and she sighed.

“That feels much better. Thank you, doctor.”

Vaath watched as the physician skimmed her body with a handheld medical scanner, moving it back and forth over her head for a while as he studied the small screen on the device.

“She hasn’t endured any internal injuries,” the doctor finally said, “however she sustained a concussion.” The tall green male eyed Vaath. “You probably have a concussion, too. Did you fall unconscious for any amount of time?”

“You can treat me later,” Vaath replied with a growl. “Heal my mate. Now.”

“Vaath,” Esmay said in a scolding tone. “He’s just doing his job. You don’t need to be so rude. And you will submit to an examination from the doctor soon. You very well might have a concussion.”

The doctor’s eyes widened as he stared down at Esmay, and a guard standing nearby made a strange noise that sounded part cough and part laugh. A sharp glance at the guard made him fall silent. Vaath wasn’t used to being openly chastised by anyone, nor were his people used to seeing him reprimanded, but if anyone was going to scold him in public, it might as well be the female he loved. Before he could offer a response, he heard footsteps behind him and turned to witness Jav entering the cavern.

Esmay tugged on his arm. “Go and speak with your friend. It looks like he has something important to tell you. I’ll be fine.” She gestured at the table. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“It will just take a short while to treat the princess for her concussion, Prince Vaath,” the doctor said. “I promise to take excellent care of her.”

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