Page 37 of The Death Striker's Partner
I still see it when I close my eyes. His body bleeding heavily from his back and his breathing so laboured. I cried and shook him at the time. Demanding that he wake his ass up. Dalahan had to wrap me in his big green tail and drag me back so Charlie could get to work. I have not come so far, and become so close to opening up to another person, to lose him so gruesomely like this. I told Charlie as much as he sterilised and stitched my big guy back together.
When we arrived at the hospital Ezid told me I was on leave for as long as my partner was, since he was my sponsor. He then told me I was welcome to stay with him or any other registered Ucfeni resident whilst Tumva was in hospital. I didn’t even have to answer him. One look and he put his hands up and understood I wouldnotbe leaving Tumva’s side. That’s why I’ve camped out in his hospital room all week. I want to be here whenhe wakes up. I want to scream at him for getting so banged up! He’s a Death Striker! He took out over half the invading Ucfeni that tried to usurp the Royal family, one bite at a time! Tumva is badass, and he doesnt get to leave me from a fucking infection. No way in hell.
My plan to violently make my displeasure known flew out of the window when those big, beautiful black eyes cracked open. I gasped and my brown eyes filled to the brim with tears. “Tumva.” I exhale his name and my hands are shaking as they come up to cup his face. I’m laidinhis lovely tangled tail and parallel to his torso. His left arm is draped heavily between us and his fingers twitch against the mattress. He’s becoming more conscious by the second and I’m full on ugly crying by the time his scaly lips part to rasp at me.
“Hannah?” I cry and laugh and lift his left arm to snuggle closer. He winces as he pulls his tail in around us and his arm weakly holds me. “You’re okay.” Tumva sighs with relief.
“Of course I’m okay.” I absently know Charlie’s in the hospital room with us checking Tumva’s chart, but I don’t give a damn. I smile and sob, kissing his lips. I just can’t wait any longer. I thought he was dead when I first clambered back up to the Royal platform. I don’t care that Charlie can see me lip locked with Tumva. I don’t care that we’re being less than professional with each other. If word of this got back to the 21st pit gossip would fly and we might get a disciplinary. Quite frankly, Ezid can kiss my ass. All I care about right now is Tumva. I lean back and stroke his face, surprised to find tears there.
“I saw you fall.” He swallowed thickly and I could tell it was hurting him to move as he shifted onto his side to get a better look at me. Tumva dragged me closer, despite my protests that he needs to rest. He ignores me, and I don’t especially resist,as he brings me to his chest. “I’m sorry Hannah. I tried to get to you. Were you hurt?”
“A bit bruised but I’ve recovered well. Besides, you should know by now I’m too scrappy to put down for long.” I smile and sniffle, staring into those gorgeous fathomless eyes and glad they aren’t glazed over anymore. His scales were so dull, but now they’re glossy again. “I got four, by the way.”
“Four?” He hummed curiously. Charlie quietly checks on Tumva’s wounds at his back and I notice the big guy glance over his shoulder before the doc can even reach for him. Even now he’s so guarded and aware of his surroundings.
“Four bad guys.” I stroke his cheek and bring his attention back to me. “Did you see the one I tasered in the pouch?” Charlie winces behind us and Tumva chuckles deeply.
“I saw you. You were magnificent.” He speaks softly in that deep gravelly voice of his and before I know it, I’m kissing him again. “H-annah.” His throat scales darken in that way that makes me grin and I giggle as he glances over his shoulder at Charlie again. Awww. He’s shy. “When can I be discharged doctor?” He asks Charlie who is smirking his ass off as he comes around to my side of the mattress. I shuffle onto my back and look over at him. It occurs to me how comfortable I am in the thick muscular tale of my reptilian partner. Charlie doesn’t bat an eye, also completely used to Ucfeni by this point.
“Yes, when can I take him home Charlie? I haveurgentthings I need to discuss with Tumva. He needs a thorough debrief.” Tumva splutters on nothing and I chew my lips as I grin my smug ass off. Charlie has no idea what I’m referring to, but Tumva does. I clear my throat and bring my hands to my face to wipe away my tears, but Tumva blocks my wrists with his left one. I flash him a confused expression when I see his tongue flick out towards me.Oh yeah, the licking away the tears thing he likes to do. I better hang fire.“Charlie?” I prompt and lowermy hands to interlock and rest on my abdomen. “When can I take Tumva home?”
“Now you see, I’m not so sure youshouldtake him home.” Charlie dared to lean over to smirk at me with a devilish grin. “Tumva could be discharged right now, but he needs rest, and I don’t think yourdebriefwill allow that.”
“I’ll be gentle.” I deadpan Charlie and Tumva turns his head to hide it down by my left shoulder. Poor Death Striker. He’s survived a massive coop on the palace, and now he’s going to die of embarrassment.
“I suggest you areverygentle with this ‘debrief’.” He rolled his eyes at me and dramatically waved a paper bag at me before putting it on the bedside table. “I have signed the discharge papers. If he follows the recovery regimen, he’ll make a full recovery. Tumva?” He waits for my partner to turn his dark gaze to look at Charlie. “Take the antibiotics 3 times a day for the next week. You’ll need to keep the wound clean and cover with the iodine ointment inside the bag. Boil water, let it cool a little bit and clean the wound. Apply fresh Iodine, and bandage. If it isn’t weeping and healing nicely, air it with iodine on it. Oh?” He smirked. “And I’m told you should expect to shuck soon because of the damage to your scales. Again, keep the wound clear, be very careful when you discard the scales around it, and soak the area. Iodine. Lots of Iodine.” Tumva groaned with frustration and wore a grimace as he looked at me.
“Shucking is not a pleasant experience when wounded.”
“Can I help?” I ask and Charlie walks out to leave us alone.
“Yes. But first?” Tumva looks over my shoulder to check we are alone and I see the tongue coming before he even parts his lips. Thankfully I close my eyes this time and patiently let him flick his forked tongue around my face to clear away my tears. My cheeks are still rosy and sore from crying, but myheart is light. Tumva is going to be fine. “How is your sister?” I feel fresh tears well up in my eyes, touched that he would think of Billie so soon after coming too, and shut my eyes so he can tenderly lick my tears away.
“She is okay. Izule called me shortly after we arrived at the hospital last week.” His tongue moved to my left cheek. “The prince carried her to safety once the majority of the fighting was done. She took hours to settle, he said, but she did settle and she’s fine. She isn’t hurt. She’s asked me to come and visit once you’re feeling better.”
“That is good, but you don’t have to wait for me to recover.” I felt the warmth of his words on my cheek and turned my face to feel his breath on my lips.
“Billie is safe and sound. Izule is taking care of her.Iam taking care ofyou.”
“But your sister-”
“Ineedto be here with you.” I open my brown eyes and look into his deep gaze. He blinks slowly and strokes my cheek so gently, it’s hard to imagine a big powerful guy like Tumva can be so careful. But he is. He’s always been careful with me. Tender and present when I’m upset. Fierce and deadly when I’m in danger. In my mind I think about fighting for my life as one of the Eryan invaders tried to throttle me and seeing Tumva wrap his mighty jaws around their neck.
He is so powerful. I remember standing and looking around the upper platform as writhing bodies that foamed from the mouth contorted gruesomely. I was truly scared when I saw his wide jaws pouring with blood and venom. I saw him spit out chunks he’d bitten from his enemies. Tumva was a deadly force of nature.
But you know what? He’s also deeply compassionate. He cares deeply for his duty to protect and serve. He lives a lonely life, on the outside always looking in, and could very easily be ajaded prick about it. But he isn’t. No matter the abuse hurled at him he doesn’t react and just moves forward. Tumva is bloody terrifying in a fight, but he’s so caring the rest of the time. No one else sees past his black eyes and scales to see that. But I do.
I can’t remember making the decision to take hold of his cheeks to reel him in for a kiss again, but I’m happy about it. His lips may be scaly, but they are smooth and warm. I taste my tears on his tongue and the deep ululation rumbling through him resonates with me on a primal level. The kiss is passionate and I feel his tail caressing me as much as his hands. Tumva cards one hand back through my hair and the other fists at my work shirt by my waist. I pull back with a gasp and we’re both panting.
“Hannah.” He says so much in every syllable of my name. Need, tenderness and fear all wrapped together as I became wrapped in his powerful arms.
“You are one scary bastard in the field, Tumva.” I shock him, but I don’t leave him hanging for long. “But more importantly, you aremyscary bastard. I’ve got a long way to go in my training, but I hope I’m as badass as you one day so you never end up in here again.” My voice wobbles as I try to hide my own worries over his injuries. “If you hadn’t been protecting me so damn much, you wouldn’t have been-” He kisses me again and I don’t resist as he cradles me to his torso. He coils his tail beneath him and steadies me on my feet.
“Don’t worry about me.” He rubs his mouth back and forth against my forehead and his ululation is baritone and gentle all at once. “You are wrong if you think I would have done anything differently. You are…mine to protect.”
“And you’re mine.” I insist. “Please dont’ scare me like that again.” I thrust a hand down at the mattress at our feet. “I’ve only just found you Tumva. I can’t lose you.” I swallow thickly. “My future hasyouin it, so be more careful.” I know there was nothing Tumva could have done to be more careful in the fight,but I say it anyway. Any officer takes their life in their hands every day they report for duty. It’s no different here on Thelia as it is on Earth. “You’re the biggest and strongest officer on the force, so the bad guys made a beeline for you to put you down, and it-well-pisses me off.”
I realise I’m ranting and he’s just listening and smiling at me as he gathers the paper bag Charlie left for us. “Oh, oh?!” Another thing snaps into my head that makes me want to wring someone’s neck. “And if Ieverfind out who that asshole was who muzzled you after the fight, i’m going to kick him in the fucking pouch.”
