Page 290 of Evil Hearts

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 greenglow. 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.”

“Sheisthe 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.”

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