Page 26 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)
Chapter Twenty-Six
EINAR
Dread fills me and builds with each step that brings me closer to my med bay. Walking through the sliding door, I see that not only is Slavic’s mate still here, but so is Slavic . Raising my hand, I show him the remaining two translators. “ Slavic , you may have to hold her. I will forever hear the screams of the others while I inserted theirs. Falon had to physically hold each of them, and the last one ran when she heard the screams of the others. Of course, she ran right into Murgul as he was coming out of the armory, then passed out the second his large hands grabbed hold of her. He promptly handed her over to Falon , but I was shocked that he stayed while I inserted the translator. He even snarled at me when she whimpered slightly from the pain before waking back up. Falon was distributing the clothing and a few other items he found on the Navale when I left. I had a crate delivered to your quarters as well.”
“ She is going to fight me, Einar .”
Nodding , I agree with him. “ I would expect nothing less from any female mated to you Slavic . She must be tough for the gods to have given her to you. The quicker we do this, the better.”
“ I do not see you running right over to yours with the intent to cause her more harm.”
Taking a deep breath to contain my vexation with my oldest sibling, I hasten to explain. “ Mine is still sedated and will not recall the procedure at all, but in her condition, I believe she deserves some kindness. Try to explain what we are doing and hopefully yours will not fight us too badly.”
Slavic strides over to me and abruptly takes the delicate translators out of my hands. There are not enough deep breaths for his current idiocy.
“ Do not touch that with your skin Slavic , or it won’t work.”
“ I know Einar . I may not be a medic, but I am not stupid.”
No , he is not stupid, but he is not exactly being careful either. I watch as he moves over to his mate, making sure he stops out of her reach so she cannot accidentally contaminate the fragile tech while she looks up at him and then his hand. The visual he makes of pantomiming what we intend to do is more than a little amusing, and I have to smother a snicker. Stopping just out of her reach, she looks up at him and then toward his hand. Slavic repeats the same motions at least three times, but the little female still looks at him like he has lost what little bit of sanity he has. After another failed attempt with hand gestures, the female finally speaks.
“ I think I’ve covered the fact that I suck at guessing games.”
Suddenly , Bikar’s voice sounds over the speakers. “ Slavic , we are in range, Murgul is waiting for you.”
Well , I have had enough of this nonsense.
Taking the remaining translator, I walk past Slavic to the bed where my mate lays. Ignoring the other female when she stiffens at my approach, I move around the bed where I have room to work. “ We do not have all rising Slavic ; hold on a tic. She might be more receptive if she watches me give this to her sister.”
Glancing up at Slavic’s mate, I try to gauge whether or not she is going to attack me again for touching her beloved sister. When she does nothing but steadily look at me, I reach out and brush my mate’s dark red hair away from her ear and out of the way. Carefully , I use my surgical tweezers and take the translator out of its protective packaging. I can feel my mates’ sister staring at me, but she has made no move toward me, nor has she attempted to stop me.
Implanting the translator into my female’s ear, I make sure it is firmly inserted before leaning back to peer down at my mate. Thankfully , she shows no external sign of distress. Pausing for a nano-tic, I contemplate giving her another dose of sedative but decide against it. She needs to wake up and face her new reality, and with the help of the translator, that transition will be vastly different than what she has endured thus far.
Slavic has silently moved in behind his mate while I was focused on mine. Straightening up, I note when his mate shoots a glance at me before looking back at Slavic . Gesturing to the translator in Slavic’s hand, I flick my fingers at his mate in return. Thankfully , she does not seem to be slow of wit.
“ Let me get this straight. You want to put that in my ear?”
Thank the gods.
Slavic and I nod in unison.
“ I had a feeling you were going to say that, and even though you are being patient, you’re really not going to let me say no, are you?”
Her words are heavy with resignation, and Slavic shakes his head in response, but his words are full of sympathy.
“ I am sorry, little one.”
The female sighs heavily before acquiescing. “ Ok , let’s do this then. Rowan seems to be alright, so do it before I change my mind.”
Before she can rescind her permission, Slavic grabs her and pulls her tight against him. Grabbing the translator from the package, I do not waste a nanotic. My massive hands move with a finesse they should not be capable of. Reaching out with my free hand, I grab her head. The width of my hand almost envelops her entire skull as I carefully tilt her face where she leans against Slavic’s chest. I see the instant her body tenses as the pain overwhelms her, and I am prepared for the scream when it comes. Unfortunately , Slavic is not, and the agonized look on his face tells me how deeply he feels his mate’s distress. To my surprise, it takes both of us holding her to keep her safely within the confines of his arms as she struggles and flails about.
Eventually she settles some and I turn her head, so her eyes are locked with mine. Looking deep into her eyes, I assess the dilation and reaction time of her pupils, ensuring the translator did not attack her optic nerves and render her blind. Nodding , I release her from my grasp and look over at Slavic .
“ She will be fine. The translator did not attack her optical nerves, which means it merged with the Cochlear nerve successfully. Half a rising or so, she will recover fully. You can leave her here with her sister, while you and Murgul take care of our fuel issue. I will suit up just in case you need me.”
Reaching over to the second bed, I switch on the warming cover before Slavic lays her down as he brushes her long hair out of her face. His next words are haunted. “ Did the others react the same?”
“ They all responded differently, but at least this unfavorable business is over. You should go before Murgul heads out without you.”
“ Easy for you to say, you can remain with your mate.”
This is not the first time he has made such a statement, but it will be the last. Fury fills my voice as I snap back at his ill-advised, ignorant comment. “ If you only realized the trauma mine has dealt with, you would not speak with such flippancy and would look at the spunkiness of yours in a different light. The body always heals quicker than the mind, and unfortunately, mine is dealing with both. I am hoping the translators help. They need some peace in their lives after all that has been done to them. I will guard her with my life Slavic , you know this. Now , go get that fuel, so that we might find a safe haven in which we can become more than what we are. Someplace we can reach our true potential.”
“ Dreams like that brother, are dangerous.”
And yet, the barest hint of hope sounds in his voice… even though we all know how perilous that particular concept is. Hope is often a double-edged sword.
“ True , but now I have a reason to want more.”
And the reason for my want lies sleeping peacefully in my med bay, unaware of how important she is and how very badly I want to worship her, love her, and be loved in return. I can feel Slavic’s eyes on me, but he says nothing more before turning and walking out the door to meet up with Murgul .
Checking on the frail beings before me once more, I ensure their vitals are good before I leave the med bay and enter into my private quarters through the connecting door. I need to get suited up in case my brothers need me. Moving around my room, I gather my matching throwing knives and shove them in the sheaths that line the interior of my well-worn boots before opening the door to my weapons case. Reaching in, I grab my massive, double-bladed war axe and strap it to my back.
Running my thumb over the blades attached to my smaller axes, I check the bevels to make sure they’re razor sharp and battle ready. The small bead of blood on my thumb assures me that they are. Satisfied with my armament, I head to the helm, my mind focused on the task at hand as I leave my heart and soul behind in my med bay.