Page 18 of Double Cut

“Very well. Give Prince Gudren my regards, Colonel.” The healer grunted and added, “Your wounds are clean. I will now seal and dress them.”

Sarus blinked at learning that the older male was apparently the commander of the crown prince’s personal guard. He caught Horas’ gaze and the big male responded with a nearly imperceptible nod.

“Thank you for your attention to our mate,” Sarus said, trying not to choke on the word “our.”

“The Urib always mate in dyads and triads,” the healer said as he efficiently sealed and dressed Horas’ most severe wounds. Sarus did not respond to the nonsequitur. The imperial healer continued. “In ancient times, we Ahn'hudi did the same. Our species and our females thrived then. Perhaps it is time to revisit some of the ancient traditions for the good of our species.”

The healer’s jaw snapped shut. He bowed to Horas and murmured, “Colonel, I thank you for the privilege. Your injuries should heal completely within two days, provided you rest.” He bowed to Sarus. “Commander, it is my honor to tend to your mate. One of my assistants shall return tomorrow to check on her.”

The healer departed, his two assistants following close behind.

“How did he know me?” Sarus murmured under his breath.

Horas overheard him and chuckled. “Commander, most Ahn'hudi know of the Moriyan Scourge.”

“Moriyan Scourge?” Sarus echoed.

“You are isolated out there, aren’t you?” Horas commented and shook his head. “Your military exploits are the stuff of young males’ fantasies and ambitions, especially since you crushed the Ogranox invasion on Omidelian Prime.”

“I didn’t do that singlehandedly.”

“No, but from the media reports, you might as well have.” Horas flashed him a close-lipped smile and his eyes glinted with humor. “If you don’t mind carrying our mate, I’ll lead you to a bedchamber where she may rest.”

Sarus nodded and gently gathered the still unconscious woman in his arms as Horas picked up the cat carrier.

“Do you have any idea what this furred beast eats?”

“I got a glimpse of its teeth. I’d say it’s a carnivore,” Sarus replied.

“Really? Humans keep small carnivores as pets? How interesting.”

They reached the bedchamber. Horas tapped a quick sequence on the control panel next to the door to order basic supplies. The panel blinked yellow then green.

“Our request has been received and will be delivered shortly,” he said as the bigger, younger male laid their mate on the bed.

Sarus turned to him and nodded, silently calculating the funds he would need to transfer in repayment of the Colonel’s generosity.

As though reading his mind, Horas said, “Commander, if we’re to be a dyad in mating our human female, then we are to be a single family unit. We will pool our resources as well as share our responsibilities and obligations.”

“A commander on a far-flung outpost earns far less than the crown prince’s personal guard,” Sarus pointed out.

“Aye, and without a mate or young, I’ve had centuries longer than you to amass a tidy hoard. I am grateful to be so generously blessed now and will gladly contribute my wealth to the security and health of our new family unit.”

“How will this dyad mating work?” Sarus mused, wondering at the legal complexities of merging the assets of two unbonded males. He hadn’t heard of any recent dyad matings, but then he’d not paid attention to the bride games and the outcomes of those. Males stationed off-planet, often the most violent of warriors, received little consideration as potential mates. How much on Ahn’hudin had changed since he’d been stationed off-planet?

Where were they supposed to live? He could not abandon his station on Moriya, yet neither could he ask the imperial guard to move to the far flung outpost and accept a demotion. The only higher military positions were commander of the emperor’s personal guard or as a general, which probably had less influence in the royal family than did a guard.

“We’ll figure it out later,” Horas said. “Remain with our mate while I check in with the city guard and find out what’s happening.”

Sarus recognized an order from a superior officer when he heard it, even when it was as mildly voiced as that.

Chapter6

The human female slept for three days. In that time, Sarus learned all he could about female human physiology and about the small, furred carnivore called a cat. The cat proved more complicated to care for than he expected, but he dutifully fed it and cleaned the tray of sand the small beast used for its waste. The cat puffed, enlarging itself whenever he drew near it, and hissed and growled. Sarus could not discern why his mate would keep such an unpleasant creature until he entered the bedchamber the third morning to see the small beast cuddled next to Evangeline. He heard its low rumble and paused, wondering if it would attack the woman. After a moment, he realized the sound it made appeared to soothe the woman who murmured in a low, scratchy voice, “Poppet.”

“Ah, so the little beast does feel affection for its human mistress,” Horas murmured when Sarus told him what he had witnessed. “I had wondered what the attraction was.”

Sarus snorted at the other male’s identical thought. “It does not like us, though.”

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