Page 11 of Murgul
“A mate… is a… gift…! Rebuking her… with your… delusional rantings… is nothing short… of lunacy! Get. Your. Head. OUT. OF. YOUR. FRACKIN. ARSE!”
I can tell he’s in tremendous pain—the cords in his throat stand out starkly beneath his skin, every word a visible effort.Yet despite that, he still manages to voice his displeasure at his brother’s behavior, stubborn pride winning out over agony. If that doesn’t tell me how seriously he takes a mate bond, not much else will. Glancing around, I notice that everyone is frozen as if they’re too afraid to move lest the slightest action provoke Murgul into losing what little composure he has left.
Carefully, I stand before slowly walking over to where Murgul and Ruarc are. A low rumbling sound catches my attention, and as I get closer, I realize it’s coming from Murgul. Taking a deep breath, I slide into the small space between the two of them, laying my hands on Murgul’s chest before leaning all of my weight into him. I press the full length of my body against him, touching him with as much of my person as possible, hoping I can calm him.
His muscles are rippling beneath his skin, almost like something is trying to escape from his body, and he’s fighting it with every ounce of willpower he has.
“Hey, Murder Boy. Show me those pretty blue eyes for a second, will you?”
“I know what it is you are trying to do, bright one. You do not need to worry; I will not kill Ruarc for his blasphemy against his mate… but he does need to bleed for the offense. A mate is a gift… and should not be squandered.”
“Be that as it may, I don’t think the rest of your brothers believe you’ll stop at a simple beating, ending with a bloody nose or a busted lip. Not by the looks on their faces, anyway.”
Pushing against his chest, I apply pressure until he takes a begrudging step backward, and then another, until Murgul and Iare back in our original seats with me planted securely in his lap. Keeping my eyes on Murgul, I call out to Ruarc.
“Ruarc, it would be best if you kept your mouth shut for the rest of the meeting. Murgul is beyond angry with you right now, and if you say anything else insulting to Kallen, he is going to hurt you. A lot. Honestly, if you say anything disparaging about her within earshot of Murgul, he’s going to fuck you up.”
Sniggering across from me draws my gaze, and I notice Ruby and Rowan sitting side by side with their hands over their mouths, desperately trying not to laugh. Winking at them, I settle deeper into Murgul’s lap before looking pointedly over at Slavic, ignoring the quizzical looks Einar is shooting between Murgul and me, before prompting the large, grouchy Captain to continue with an empirical wave of my hand. “You were saying?”
Slavic rolls his eyes in exasperation but begrudgingly carries on. “Erm… yes. Since we do not know how long Kallen has been gone from Deapra, nor do we really know what has happened to the rest of the Ruks that were with her. I have decided our next step will be a prolonged scouting mission on the planet’s surface, where we will look for any trace of mam and our youngling sister.”
Kallen shoots him a quelling glance, her amber eyes flashing in the light, and Slavic heaves a heavy sigh before continuing. “As well as all the other females. Does that satisfy you now, Kallen?”
She smirks, green lips pulling around a pair of dainty tusks, before replying. “As a matter of fact, it does.”
Slavic nods at her before glancing over at Ruarc and then to Einar. “Good. I am glad we have, at least, that much decided upon. Ruarc, Einar, and I will be the ones heading the scouting mission. Bikar, Murgul, Falon, and all the females will stay on the Zenith.”
Chapter Nine
GWENDOLYN
Feminine shoutsof outrage burst from Ruby, Rowan, and Kallen as soon as Slavic is done talking. Ruby jumps to her feet, a hand on one hip and the tip of a finger on the other hand poking into his broad gray chest, while Rowan turns to glare up at Einar, and Kallen scoots away from Ruarc. Ruby’s raucous voice sounds first. “If you think you are leaving me up here without you, for any length of time. You are sadly mistaken, mister.”
Slavic pinches his nose between two massive fingers before glaring down at his mate’s tense face, before he doubles down. “Ruby, it is not safe on Deapra. Bikar has informed me that there is some component in the atmosphere that interferes with our comm systems.”
Wincing in sympathy for the male, I wait for Ruby’s response because her face is flushing an alarming shade of red that almost matches her vibrant hair. “Even more reason for us not to be separated! What if something were to happen to you?! There would be no way for you to call for help!”
Slavic’s thunderous face relaxes, his love for Ruby the only softness to be found in the imposing male, before he gathers her up in his massive arms, hugging her close. Attempting to sootheher worries, his voice is a gentle cadence as he croons to his fiery mate. “Bikar has ways to track our movements and vital signs without the use of comms. The risk is minimal, Ruby. This I promise to you. I would not risk our bond so soon after finding you if I was not absolutely sure.”
Ruby’s whole body deflates, sagging against Slavic until he scoops her up in his arms and sits back down with her firmly ensconced in his lap. Leaning down, Slavic tenderly kisses her forehead before continuing. “My Starshine, I do not want to leave you, but we must do our due diligence to find our mam and little sister. Bikar, Murgul, and Falon are instrumental to the Zenith staying operational. That is why they are staying aboard. Between the three of them, there is no being that can infiltrate this ship.”
Ruby’s face is scrunched up in irritation as she snaps back. “Gah! I hate it when you make sense and have a well-thought-out plan!”
Chuckling, he peers down at her with warmth emanating from his entire being, radiating towards his mate. “This I know.”
“Now that we have that cleared up, should we expect to leave for this scouting mission?” Einar interjects.
Slavic ruefully rubs a large hand across his bald head. “If there are any clues left, the sooner we get down there, the sooner we can find them. I want you and Ruarc ready to depart directly after the fast-breaking meal on the next rising.”
Rowan lets out a soft whimper and curls deeper into Einar’s side as he hurriedly reassures her. “It is okay, little Starshine. I will be back before you can miss me.”
She reaches up, cupping his jaw in one hand, smiling at him tenderly before replying. “Not possible, I already miss you and you haven’t even left yet.”
Tearing my eyes away from the intimate scene of Einar and Rowan comforting one another before me, my gaze lands ona stricken-looking Kallen. She’s moved even further away from Ruarc and is staring at the two couples with blatant longing in her beautiful amber eyes.
She must feel the weight of my stare because her watery eyes meet mine, and she sends a melancholy smile my way before abruptly standing, swaying a bit before she plants her large feet and steadies herself. “Since you males need to leave so soon, there is no time to waste. Preparations need to be made for your trip.”
And with that, she hurries from the room, surreptitiously wiping at her eyes before the sliding door hides her from sight. A pang of sympathy for her rises up in me. She seems like such a sweet woman. I don’t understand why Ruarc is being such a dick to her.