“Hopefully by morning, she’ll be completely healed,” Strong told his brother. “There will be nothing to indicate she was ever hurt in the first place.”
“Good.” Clear took her unhurt hand and pressed it to his lips reverently. “I don’t want her perfection to be scarred in any way.”
“She truly is a beauty,” Strong commented. “And so brave!” He shook his head in wonder. “She withstood pain that would have brought a warrior to his knees in battle.”
“She’s something special, Strong.” Clear looked up at him. “And there’s a connection between us—I know there is.”
“Well, if there wasn’t before, there certainly is after tonight’s little adventure,” Strong said dryly. “Seven Hells, I’m more than half in love with her myself after seeing her bravery and beauty.” He sighed deeply. “But Clear, you have to realize that a female like this can have her pick of any warrior she wants. Or any human male, for that matter.” He made a face. “Though why a female would want to be with one of those feeble humans, I have no idea. I wonder that their species has survived for this long, as puny as their males are.”
“I know Melanie can have her pick, but I still believe she’ll pick us, if we at least try to win her affections,” Clear said stubbornly. “We have to think positively here, Brother.”
“You may be right—the Goddess works in mysterious ways,” Strong said and yawned despite himself. He’d been up for over twenty-five Earth hours by now and he was beat.
“You should go home to bed,” Clear told him. “You look dead on your feet, Strong.”
“I nearly am,” Strong admitted. Actually, his shift had ended an hour ago. But to be honest, he simply couldn’t bear to leave the little Elite’s side.
You’re as foolish over her as Clear is, a little voice whispered in the back of his head. Admit it, Strong—you’re smitten.
Ruefully, he acknowledged it was true. The curvy little Elite had gotten under his skin and now he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“You should go,” Clear said again.
“I don’t want to,” Strong admitted. Reaching out, he stroked Melanie’s cheek gently with the back of his hand. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“Then let’s not.” Clear looked up at him hopefully. “Let’s take her home and let her sleep between us. Our energy will help to heal her hand and we won’t have to leave her here alone.”
“Well…” Strong knew he would never have considered such an idea with any other patient. But the curvy, mature Elite was special.
And there was truth to what his brother said—though Twin Kindred couldn’t heal their mates with a bite, like the Blood Kindred could, placing a female they both cared for between them did facilitate the healing process. It was a kind of energy they generated when the beloved female was cradled between their bodies—sometimes it was effective when nothing else was.
“Please?” Clear asked, looking up at him. “I don’t feel right about leaving her here, Strong. She needs us—needs the healing we can give her by holding her between us.”
Strong frowned.
“You know her better than I do. Would she be upset to wake up between the two of us? It’s hardly standard practice to take a patient home with you and put her in your bed, after all.”
“She’ll be surprised but not upset, I think,” Clear said. “As long as we make it clear to her that we haven’t touched her inappropriately and we only wanted to heal her, I don’t think Melanie will have a problem with waking up between us.”
“Well then…” Strong hesitated but he knew that his mind was already made up. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Melanie here in the Med Center for someone else to care for either. He wanted to take her home with them as much as Clear did. “All right,” he said at last, nodding. “Let me go tell the Charge Nurse that I’ll be checking her out. I don’t want her to worry.”
“I’ll get her ready to go.” Clear started to scoop the little Elite into his arms but Strong stopped him.
“Let me carry her this time,” he said to his twin. “It will look better since I’m the doctor treating her.”
Clear tried and failed to smother a grin.
“Also you want to hold her. Don’t try to deny it, Brother—I can feel it through our link.”
“Yes, I want to hold her,” Strong admitted. “I feel like you have a head start on me since you’ve been working with her for months. I want to hold her in my arms as we carry her home with us.”
“I understand.” Clear nodded and sank back into the chair beside Melanie’s bed. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Thank you.” Strong nodded and went to find the Charge Nurse and explain that he was checking Melanie out of the Med Center. He didn’t anticipate any problems. The nurse on duty tonight was mated to Twin Kindred herself, so she fully understood the healing power that came from a female lying between the two males who cared for her.