Page 38 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

EINAR

Rowan and the other females have been holed up in Falon’s room for the latter part of this rising. Ruby said they were going to trade garments from their crates when I stopped by to update Slavic on Murgul’s mating with the one called Gwen . I had not been in Slavic’s quarters more than a few tics when Murgul arrived with his mate in tow, growling out that she wanted to begin the treatment for her throat as soon as possible.

So , we did.

Ruby stopped by the med bay shortly after Murgul and Gwen’s departure to tell me she wanted to set a plan into motion. At her suggestion, I visited only long enough to bring my mate and her new friends their midday meal. The happiness on my mate’s face took my breath away. She was elbow deep in a massive pile of garments they had spread out on the sleeping platform.

Obviously , she needed some time with the other females.

It was now the end of this rising and Slavic , Murgul , and I are standing outside Falon’s door listening to the sound of happy, chattering females from within. Murgul’s face is the most relaxed I have seen it in orbital rotations, and it makes my hearts joyful to witness it.

“ Who wants to be the one to knock and interrupt them?”

Murgul huffs and takes a step back, while Slavic rolls his eyes at both of us.

“ I want my female. It has been too long since I held her, and she needs to eat before we retire for the sleep cycle.” His knuckle raps on the door with three sharp knocks. Tics later, the door opens, and his mate stands there with a hand placed on her hip.

“ Well hello there, my big grouch. Imagine finding you here, at a place like this?” she quips before hopping into his arms, her legs wrapping around his thick waist and her arms around his neck.

Slavic walks off without saying a word, but Ruby shouts a farewell to her sister and friends. “ Bye guys, I’m off for supper and a good dicking! I’ll be back for my box of clothes when Slavic realizes I’ll be naked after he rips this set off me.”

Smothering my laughter, we all watch as Slavic stomps back into the room, grabs her crate, and stalks right back out, growling under his breath as he goes. I have to force myself not be envious of how easily Ruby has accepted Slavic into her life. I must remember that, though they are sisters, their life experiences have not been the same.

Murgul brushes past me.

“ Which crate is yours, bright one?”

Gwen points to it and he picks it up in one hand while silently extending the other to her, waiting for her to make the decision to come to him. It is somewhat ironic that the gods paired them together since they both have damaged voices.

Murgul has desperately needed someone that could understand what he has lost, and the gods granted him that. We all watch as Gwen gracefully walks to him, only to be lifted into his free arm as his tail wraps around her, securing her to him since he is also carrying her crate of garments. Her muted words float to my sensitive ears as they leave.

“ I can walk, Murgul . You don’t have to carry me all the time. ”

Ah , good.

Her voice is still quiet, but it’s lost the painful, jagged edge she had before I gave her the first set of injections. That she can now speak full sentences with ease fills me with relief. I was not able to fix Murgul’s voice, but I am determined to help his mate the best I can.

Ambling over to my mate, I pause.

“ Which crate is yours, little Starshine ? I will carry it back to our quarters for you.”

She points to the one on the left and I lift it into my arms with ease. Rowan waves to Heather and Bambi as we, too, take our leave.

“ Bye ! I’ll see you all tomorrow morning at breakfast! Thank you for today!”

Without a doubt, this is the happiest and most relaxed Rowan has been since she arrived on the Zenith . It pains my hearts that she is so at ease with the other females and so leery of me. She falls quiet, almost contemplative, as we head toward our quarters, and I wonder what thoughts occupy her.

And they are our quarters. All that I have belongs to her now, not that she knows that, or would even want me to tell her. Entering our chamber, I put her crate down just inside the closet, stumbling a bit as I do so, a wave of weakness hitting me. Bracing my hand on the wall for a tic, I get my bearings.

What the frack?

Straightening , I turn and motion to the closet.

“ You are welcome to store your things in here. That way, you do not have to deal with creasing or diving in and out of a box for your outfits.”

“ Einar , are you alright? You look a little pale.”

“ All is well, Rowan . Worry not.”

Eyeing me speculatively, she heads into the closet and starts putting away her things. Once I am sure she is completely occupied, I enter the refreshing chamber and look into the viewer.

Frack , I thought I would have more time. I should have had more time than this. Ruarc isn’t showing any signs of mating sickness.

My mating collar is fading. A few risings ago, it was the darkest of blacks and now it is a middling shade of gray. It is a significant change in such a short amount of time, and it must be because of the genes the Aynar spliced into me. The wave of weakness earlier must have been when it lightened, or else my brothers would have said something about the change when we were all together.

Rubbing my fingers against the slightly raised flesh, I try to think if there is anything in any of the lore that I can do to give me more time with my mate. Desperately , I wrack my mind for the limited information about the beings on Atraxia and come up with very little.

All that is known is that they have fated mate bonds just like my people, but other than that, I know nothing.

Fracking hell.

Something is wrong with Einar .

In our albeit short time together, I’ve never seen him stumble or exhibit any sign of weakness. It didn’t take me long to put my clothes away, so I’m sitting here waiting for him to get out of the bathroom.

The other women had no reason to lie to me when they told me about how Einar , and the others have treated them since arriving on the Zenith . If Einar can pleasure me without losing control, surely, he can sleep next to me, and I’ll be safe. His big body doesn’t fit on that couch he’s been sleeping on, but he’s refused to switch with me. The dark circles under his eyes tell me he isn’t resting properly, and it’s making me feel guilty as all get out.

He deserves to sleep in his own bed and if he won’t swap with me, we will just share.

It’ll be fine because with every fiber of my being, I know Einar is a good man. He is not a monster, no matter the fact that he’s green and has horns. It must surprise him to see me sitting at the table waiting for him, because he stops just outside the bathroom.

“ Do you need something, my mate?”

Deep inside, my lonely heart thaws at his words. “ I don’t want you sleeping on that couch anymore. You’re too big for it and I can tell that it’s not comfortable for you.”

“ Rowan , we have been over this. I will not permit you to sleep on anything other than my sleeping platform. It is unacceptable to me.”

Wrinkling my nose at the first high-handed comment that’s left his mouth, I roll my eyes at him in exasperation. “ We should share the bed, uh, sleeping platform. There is plenty of room for the both of us.”

His jaw drops and I have to bite back a giggle at his incredulous expression.

“ You would permit me to sleep with you?”

Hopping down from the chair, I climb up my stool and slide into bed, flipping the covers back on his side in invitation.

Actions speak louder than words, after all.

Rowan is permitting me to sleep with her!

I am delighted by her offer and hurry over to the side of the sleeping platform closest to the chamber door. Groaning at how luxurious the cushion beneath me feels in comparison to the divan, I pull the covers up to my waist and relax back into the material.

“ See , that’s much better, isn’t it?”

“ Far superior, indeed.”

Closing my eyes, I realize I did not feed my mate the end of rotation meal. When she sees me moving to get back out of bed, she asks,

“ What are you doing? You just got in bed.”

“ I failed to provide you with the pre-sleep cycle meal.”

“ Einar , you lay right back down. The girls and I snacked on what you brought almost all afternoon. I’m not hungry in the slightest.”

Truth be told, I lack an appetite as well. My gut has been churning since I noticed my fading mating collar, so I do as my mate bids me and relax back onto my sleeping platform once more. Tics go by when I feel a light touch against my side.

Opening my eyes, I see that Rowan has sidled closer to me and is so close now, her breath is tickling my side.

“ Do you…”

She wets her lips before trying again.

“ Do you think you could hold me as we go to sleep? I’ve always dreamed of being cuddled in bed by a big, strong man.”

“ I would be delighted to cuddle you, Rowan .”

Rolling to my side, my back facing away from her, I open my arms and grunt when she practically dives into my arms, sighing in contentment as the heat of my body seeps into hers. Pulling her close, I fit the back of her body to the front of mine and surround her in my warmth when I notice she is chilled.

“ All you ever need do is ask me and I will do whatever you bid me to. I am your mate, and my body is yours to do with as you please. Of course, it can be comfort and sleep, or anything else you desire. Sleep well, little one, and thank you.”

“ For what?”

Her curious reply makes me smile.

“ For trusting me.”

Settling in for the night with my Starshine in my arms, I am so content that I do not recognize the second wave of lethargy for what it is. I sink into a deep sleep … and my mating collar fading too almost nothing.