Tuesday Teaser

It's time for Tuesday Teaser, and time for more Harvest Young. I think I'm going with Bound by Love for Hamza's book, mainly because the last book with be called Bound by War. You know... love and war theme? It seems like this book would fit the war title, but Laken's book is last and his mate really fits that whole idea.

**TRIGGER WARNING**

TRAUMA FROM A BOMBING/SOME GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF WOUNDED. (It's not as bad as the 2nd part of this chapter, and when I do post that it *will* def be graphic.)

 Chapter Two 

“Stupid, war-mongering, batshit crazy females.” Neo darted around hospital personnel, his white lab coat flapping behind him.

Three of his royal guards kept pace. When he arrived at the ER, a multitude of males rushed about, getting ready for the worst of the wounded from Castron, Lowbrett, and Kiton. Being a hospital located in the palatial city had its perks. One being they were the biggest and most advanced. Only the worst of cases were transported to them. Of course, the flip side of that was… well, they got the worst cases. Like now.

He snagged a fellow doctor by the arm. “Status?”

“Transporting to start in two unit minutes, Dr. Kere, over there.” The other doctor pointed at a large empty area.

“Thank you.” Neo moved away from the designated transporter site. His guards moved to the rear of the room. He spared them a glance and then promptly forgot them. Usually he only had one shadowing him, but not today. Not with what was currently going on.

He had a few unit minutes to calm himself and focus his mind. And prepare for the worst. His dad, who’d been a medical doctor on Earth during the last harvest, had taught him how important this was when Neo finally earned his medical degree. 

His dabba, who had served as Chief Medical Officer under Captain Shou, had agreed. Was it any wonder then, with both his dad and his dabba in the medical field, Neo became a doctor too? Medicine was his life, and in his opinion, he was a damn fine physician.

Neo took a deep breath, held it, then gradually released it. The nerves dancing through his body had nothing to do with the horrors coming his way. He’d learned how to appear stoic. Professionally distant even.

He could don a professional mask of indifference at a moment’s notice. Such tricks were necessary for him to do his job. He was, after all, not only Tah’Narian, but also a doctor. And he was prince consort since he was mated to Prince Hamza Duran, the only young birthed to the Tah’Narian king, King Duran.

He found himself taking deep breaths, often.

Sure, there were occasions he fell apart because of tragic events. Even as technologically advanced as they were, awful things happened. Death still came calling, and it wasn’t always the old it claimed. In Hamza’s arms Neo could let go and shed his tears.

No, what had his nerves jangling was what Hamza told him right before he left. Their planet was under attack, thus the reason he had three guards instead of the customary one. War had come to Tah’Nar once more. It didn’t help that he hadn’t heard from Hamza since they parted. He also worried about Dayo and Szin, who were giving birth.

A slight buzz lifted the hair on the back of his neck as a series of vertical lines appeared. “Here we go.”

Numerous medibed appeared. Doctors rushed forward, medical staff following. The silence was eerie, thanks to the sedation the patients were under. Neo ran to a patient and seized the small tablet at the end of the bed. Quickly he read over it. “Adult hybrid male with human DNA. Age mid-thirties.” Blood streaked the male’s facial features. “Traumatic amputation of left arm—limb not found. Multiple fractures with spinal cord injury. Eye penetration. Abdominal hemorrhage and perforation. Airway epithelial damage. Plasma burns over 90 percent of body. Gods.” He grabbed an attending. “Straight into surgery with him.”

“Yes, doctor!”

Neo sprinted from patient to patient, evaluating the worst of them and sending them on. He paused by a teen. It was a marvel he was still alive. As Neo watched, the young drew a last breath. Pain ripped through Neo. He was so young. Too young for his life to be brutally ended.

Fucking females. He sincerely hoped Hamza blew them out of the skies.

Time lost meaning as Neo and the other doctors moved from patient to patient. The ones who weren’t as critical, he did what he could to help while waiting for a surgeon. The cloying scent of blood stuck to the back of his throat.

Another wave of patients transported in, and Neo started the process all over again. He was assessing another male, and treating the injuries, when one of his guards stepped to his side. “My prince?”

Surprised, it took a moment for Neo to respond. At his request, they didn’t often address him by his title. It made him uncomfortable. He was only a prince by mating, not by birth like Hamza. “Yes?”

The guard lowered his voice. “Three more battleships have dropped out of orbit. I’ve been told that—”

The scream of a plasma torpedo streaking past shook the hospital. The ground under Neo’s feet shifted. He clutched the medibed to keep from falling over. “What the…!” Too close. That was entirely too fucking close. The hospital’s lights flickered.

The guard grabbed Neo’s elbow. “Darkkit palace is being attack.”

Neo jerked his head up. “What?”

“The Ne Reynains have attacked the palace.” The guard hesitated. “And the Planetary Defense building.”

Outside, sirens blared a warning. He heard the high whine of more plasma torpedoes. Voices in the room raised. “Any word? At all?” Neo demanded. What about Dayo? Szin? Oh gods, both his dad and his dabba were there for the births. All the families were. Hamza. Was Hamza okay? Were any of his loved ones okay?

The guard shook his head.

Questions were asked, then shouted. Someone screamed, pointing. Glancing out a window, he saw a flash of light shoot across the sky and into a tall office building. His mouth dropped as the upper floors exploded outward. Debris fountained out from the destruction in a volatile arch. The hospital rocked again. The raised voices turned to frantic yells.

“By the gods,” Neo whispered, unable to believe what he witnessed. There were people in that building.

“Access the patients we have here, get them moved to the second floor to make room, and set up triage. I require every available doctor who isn’t already in surgery to get ready. We’re going to have wounded coming in soon!” A senior doctor snarled.

Neo thanked the guard, then leaped into action. Moments later, they saw smoke and heard the first cries. Males of all ages staggered in, covered in gore. Limbs were missing. Objects were sticking from their bodies. There were plasma burns. And coughing. And choking despair. Ambulatory services arrived, carrying more wounded. Screams of pain filled the air. Blood, suffering, and horror were his companions as he and the others worked frantically.

“Doctor Kere!”

Neo glanced up, his hand buried in the chest of another young male.

“The Royal Physician has requested your presence,” a guard shouted over the cries, moving toward him. “It’s urgent.”

Oh gods. No. Please. “Why? What was…?”

“Now, my prince.”

“Okay! Fine, let me….” Frantically Neo glanced around for someone to take his place.

Another doctor ran toward him. “Go. I got this. Go, Neo!”