Page 58 of Tribute
“Kai Mexr.”
“General.” He looked down and almost forgot how to breathe. Price was stretched out on the carpet and he wasn’t moving. “Is there something you wanted, sir?”
Palk stuck out his foot and prodded Price in the ribs.
“You’ve done well with him.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“The others? I’m not impressed. There are only three that qualify to go through to stage two. Four if you include Price here.”
Kai frowned. “I fail to follow your reasoning, sir. All of the trainees we have are of the highest standard.”
“I don’t agree. You are obviously not as competent in command as Rehz Akran, and you never will be.”
Kai ignored the jibe in favor of the central argument. “Are you quite certain, sir?”
“Yes, Mexr. Do you have a problem with that?”
“If we start phase two with four trainees, we will have a maximum of four Tributes.”
“I am aware of that.” Palk turned away. “I’ll give you the names in the morning.”
Kai knew it was pointless to argue, and saluted as white-hot rage shuddered through him at the waste of valuable trainees because of Palk’s vendetta against him. “Shall I take Price away, sir?”
“You might as well. I don’t think I’ll get anything more from him tonight. But I will expect him back tomorrow after dinner.”
“Yes, sir.”
Palk nodded and went toward the bathroom. As soon as he shut the door, Kai went down on his knees and felt for Price’s pulse. It took him a moment to find it because his own heart was beating so hard.
“Price.” He kept his voice low. “Get up.”
There was a muffled sound and he tightened his grip on Price’s bloodied bicep. “If you want to get out of Palk’s sight, I suggest you fucking move right now.”
Price’s muscles bunched, and he tried to push up from the floor. Kai had to use all his strength just to keep his trainee upright and start off in the direction of the door. There was no way the male was going to make it either to the infirmary or his cage. Kai headed for his own quarters, and even that was an effort. He was breathing hard by the time he locked the door and deposited Price facedown on his bed.
He stood back to study his trainee, noting the superficial cuts on his torso and the deeper lash marks of a whip on his back and buttocks.
“Palk, you are such a fucking bastard.” Kai went into the bathroom and retrieved his medical kit. Like all the trainers, he’d learned how to patch up his own injuries. He retrieved an antiseptic spray and sealer and a wad of soft dressing and started spraying Price’s back, dabbing at the worst of the cuts and watching the smaller ones close up as the spray passed over them.
Looking at the bloodied mess of Price’s skin, it was hard to believe that most of his wounds would be healed within an hour. Some would take longer, but Palk wasn’t stupid. He knew how deep to cut and how to keep his victim on the side of the living. Kai had tended Rehz often enough to know that.
After a few minutes, he gently rolled Price over onto his back, his gaze moving from his trainee’s still face down over his bleeding chest to his stomach and groin.
“Shit.” He hissed a curse as he focused on Price’s erect cock. “What the hell did he give you to make you still hard after all that?”
“Shot in my arm.” Price’s mumble was barely audible through his swollen and bruised lips. “Couldn’t come. Couldn’t . . .”
Hearing the rising distress in Price’s voice, Kai sat on the edge of the bed and cupped his trainee’s chin.
“Rest. I’ll take care of you.”
Price licked his bloodied lips. “Palk said . . . you wanted me to take your place, but that’s not right, is it? You tried to stop me attracting his attention.”
He didn’t answer as he played the spray up and down Price’s body, waiting until the minor injuries healed themselves and concentrating on the deeper wounds. Part of him wanted to getdown on his knees and slowly lick the blood off Price and then, when Price was clean, slowly fuck him. The lascivious thought had come out of nowhere and shocked him.
He was so fucking tired of this. So fucking tired of having to prepare trainees for this slaughter . . . And Palk wasn’t helping the process. He was actively hindering it, allowing his dislike of Kai to distort his judgment about the trainees. Kai was suddenly glad it was his last stint as a trainer. After he got Price through his little visit with theUngrichand gave him whatever aftercare necessary, he was going to go to the military authorities and report Palk.
