Page 41 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)
Chapter Forty-One
EINAR
Hand in hand, Rowan and I walk into the dining hall. Upon entry, every eye lands on us and I see all my brothers relax in their chairs when they see I am hale and hearty. Ruby is sitting in Slavic’s lap, Murgul and his mate are at the end of the farthest table, Ruarc and Kallen are sitting beside Bikar and Falon while the other two human females are seated on the other side of the room. The remains of a late fast-breaking meal litter the tables.
“ Good , all are present, so I do not have to repeat myself”, I say, pulling Rowan to a stop a few steps into the room. “ Before you start asking your questions, I will provide an explanation and then answer any follow up inquires.”
Looking around the room, my brothers all dip their heads in agreement.
“ As you can see by my mate’s throat, she and I have completed our bond and my health is restored.”
Pausing , I glare over at Ruarc who does not look the slightest bit repentant, and that is when my patience with him snaps. Dropping Rowan’s hand, I dart across the dining chamber before Ruarc can get out of his seat and slam my massive fist into his face three times in rapid succession. Quickly cataloging the damage done, satisfaction courses through me when I see his lip is split and one eye is rapidly darkening. Ignoring everyone, I lean in.
“ I know what you said to her, and what you called her. That will never happen again. Are we clear?”
At his decisive nod, I move back to see that Falon and Bikar had moved closer, while Slavic is watching us with interest.
“ Is all well, Einar ?”
“ It is now, Slavic .”
“ Good , if you will finish your explanation then, we can move forward with other matters.”
Stalking back over to my mate, I pull her body against mine, trying to calm myself down.
“ Rowan and I stopped by the med bay for me to investigate a hypothesis of mine. After reviewing my genetic analysis, I confirmed that the amount of Atraxian DNA I have accelerated the Rukuhk mating bond, and thus the mating sickness for denying the bond. That is why Ruarc is not experiencing any further repercussions for his idiocy.”
Ignoring Ruarc’s snarl and Kallen’s giggle, I continue.
“ It is known that the Atraxian’s had fated mate bonds just like our people do, so I not only have a Ruk mate bond, but I am also bonded to her via my Atraxian DNA . Time will tell if any additional differences arise as Rowan and I bond. If the stages for Rowan and I are anything to base the acceleration of the bonding process on, Murgul you and your female have a very short amount of time to seal your bond before the mating sickness hits you. Hard .”
Murgul’s stiff nod tells me he is listening and will heed my words. I see his tail reach out and curl around Gwen’s waist, dragging her closer to him, her face pale with shock. Bikar shifts uncomfortably in his chair, almost as if he wants more distance between him and the remaining unmated females in the room.
“ Now that we have that out of the way, do any of you have any follow-up questions?”
When no one says anything, I lead Rowan over to a seat next to her sister before looking at Slavic expectantly. He is the reason we are all gathered here, after all.
“ We have arrived at the coordinates Kallen provided for this so-called refuge planet called, Deapra . I want to get opinions from all of you before formulating some sort of plan of action; this is not a mission that only requires the captain’s input. This our mam, and if Kallen is to be believed, a little sister.”
As Slavic talks, I move over to the replicator and enter the fast-breaking meal my mate prefers before joining her at the table, both of us tucking into our meal as Ruarc chimes in.
“ The females stay on the ship. Period . We do not know what sort of mess the bugs left or if anyone else has stumbled upon this settlement.”
Kallen makes a noise of objection, but Ruarc cuts her off.
“ Kallen you were abducted by the Velgriddix ; think with your mind, not your hearts. It is dangerous for all of us to go planetside, and if you were with us, our attentions would be divided.”
“ Unfortunately , Ruarc is correct, Kallen . We cannot afford any distractions since we do not know what we will be walking into. I want you to get with Bikar and give him the exact coordinates for your settlement. That information is crucial.”
Slavic’s input is reluctant, but firm.
“ I will be happy to do so, I just need a map of the planet so I can point out everything you need to know.”
As soon as Kallen finishes, Bikar interjects.
“ Instead of landing for a recon trip, what if we perform some in-depth scans first? I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I can use.”
Leaning around Rowan , I look to see if Slavic agrees with Bikar or not. My oldest brother is more of a ‘hands on’ Ruk than one to rely on tech, but with a mate to protect that very well may change and his grudging words confirm my theory.
“ That is an excellent idea, Bikar . We will wait on the Zenith while you scan the planet first. How many risings do you need to perform what you have in mind?”
“ To get accurate readings without rushing the process, I need at least seven to ten rotations. Seven if everything goes correctly the first time, ten if I have to recalibrate anything to redo any scans. From my initial data, Deapra is not a small plant, and it is much denser than a lot of other worlds. It suggests that there may be something beneath the surface as well.”
“ Does anyone else have any ideas or anything to offer?”
When Falon and Murgul remain silent, Slavic gets up with Ruby in his arms.
“ Bikar , get started on your scans. We need that information as fast as you can get it. We all have questions that need answering, whether we like what we find or not.” And with that, he strides out of the room.
“ That guy is super intense.”
Chuckling , I reply to the one called Heather . “ Yes he is, but it comes with the territory of being the oldest out of this bunch.”
Her eyes roam over all of us appreciatively, enough so that it makes me a tad uncomfortable, so I scoop Rowan up and plop her in my lap, disregarding her yelp of alarm.
“ Einar , what on Earth !”
Ignoring the other female, I cuddle Rowan closer.
“ You were too far away, my mate. Ruby was in Slavic’s lap, so I felt as though you should be in mine.”
My innocent smile only makes her narrow her eyes at me in exasperation.
After breakfast, Einar and I went back to the med bay. He told me there were some more things he wanted to look at regarding his dragon genetics versus his Orc ones and suggested that I take his personal tablet to start learning about my new world. Apparently , the fancy translator they installed works on the written word as well as verbal conversations.
That was several hours ago, and I can honestly say I’m overwhelmed after reading the alien version of current news reports. There are so many species, and so many worlds that I’ve no idea how I’ll ever keep them all straight. Setting down the tablet, a low chime at the door interrupts the quiet. Hopping down from where I’ve been curled in the corner of the couch, I open the door only to see Ruby’s smiling face. Stepping back out of the doorway, I wave her in, and she follows me back to the couch as we settle into the cushions.
“ Hey Sis , whatcha doing?
“ Oh , a bit of light reading on Einar’s tablet.”
At her perplexed look, I explain.
“ Einar told me these translators are the fancy kind that work for reading as well as talking. We won’t be able to write in another language, but we can at least read them.”
“ Well , that’s pretty damn cool!”
“ Most definitely. So , what’s up? You don’t do anything without a reason, so get to talking.”
She rolls her eyes at my playful question.
“ Okay , Miss Sassy Pants . Yes , I’m here for a reason. Kallen told me exactly what Ruarc said and called you. That ‘bychit’ word is their version of bitch, cunt, or both rolled into one.”
“ Oof . No wonder Einar was so mad.”
“ I have half a mind to take a piece out of his hide, too!”
“ No Ruby , you won’t. Ruarc loves his brother, and though he said some nasty things, he was being honest. I’m pretty sure Einar fractured some of the bones in his face, and is refusing to heal any of them, so Ruarc is going to have to mend the old-fashioned way. That’s plenty.”
“ Well , fine. Be all assertive and whatnot then.”
Her smile and twinkling eyes tell me she’s teasing me, though her words are serious. But then her face sobers before she asks,
“ Are you happy, Sis ?”
Pausing , I take a moment to really think about the question before answering her.
“ Surprisingly enough, yes, I am. I’ve really thought about my life. The past, the present, and the future after you helped me calm down under the blanket in the med bay. I do not want to be a broke down victim anymore. You’re right, we’ve been through a lot, but things happen for a reason, and I refuse to waste my second chance. Sealing the bond with Einar was my choice, and the fact that he would have died before coercing or forcing me into something that permanent speaks to the quality of his character. I could do a lot worse than to spend the rest of my life with a man like that.”
Leaning forward, she drags me into a crushing hug.
“ I’m so happy to hear that, Rowan . You sound like the old you, before that fucker got ahold of you. I’ve got my sister back!”
“ I’m not the same person I was, Ruby . Not by a long shot, but through all of this, with Einar’s help, I’ve found a better version of myself. That’s the Rowan you want, not the scared, spoiled brat I was growing up.”
Releasing me from her hug, she says.
“ You weren’t ever any of those things, Sis . I promise.”
“ Are you happy, Ruby ? I can tell that you and Slavic have gotten really close since you woke up.”
Her face softens, and I know what she’s about to say before her mouth opens.
“ I didn’t expect someone like him, but I can’t deny the fact that I’m madly in love with the big grouchy fart. He and I go together like peas and carrots. What about you? Do you love Einar ?”
“ I wouldn’t say that I’m in love with him, but I definitely have feelings for him. He couldn’t be more different from Robert if he tried, and that makes me ecstatic. It’s really only a matter of time before what I feel deepens into love.”
“ That makes me so happy for you, Rowan . Well , I know how much you love to read, and haven’t had much time to do it in a long time, so I’m gonna head out. It’s been a minute since I’ve annoyed my big grouch, so he’s overdue for some harassment. See you at supper!”
Ruby hugs me once more before jumping off the couch and practically skipping out the door. Looking around the bedroom, contentment suffuses me as it dawns on me. Ruby and I are finally home.