Page 15 of Murgul
Letting out a huge gust of air in a sigh, he slumps into his chair, his body boneless with relief. “By the gods of Ruk, Murgul, you are a twisted male! I thought you were going to…”
Whatever else he was going to say is cut off by the sound of the helm room door sliding open, revealing my Starshine and the earth-colored, curly-haired one they call Bambi. The tic mymate sees me, her face is wreathed in smiles as she makes her way across the open room to greet me.
“Hey, honey. I have a quick question for you.”
Honey? What is this ‘honey’ that she calls us?
I am unsure.
Nodding my head at her to continue, she does not hesitate.
“Well, I waited for you and everyone else to show up in the dining hall this morning for breakfast, but no one ever came.”
Guilt hits me when I check the time, only to realize that Bikar and I have been holed up in the helm room checking logistics for our brothers for far longer than I anticipated. I have been remiss in caring for my mate. Gathering her to me, I seamlessly slip into her mind.
“Forgive me, bright one. I lost track of the rotation. Bikar and I have been checking the logistics for Slavic, Einar, and Ruarc’s departure, only for Bikar to inform me that Falon, Rowan, Ruby, Kallen, and Heather have taken the second shuttle down to Deapra. Apparently, Kallen finally had enough of Ruarc’s shet and made the decision to leave. Ruby, Rowan, and Heather tagged along, and to keep them from killing themselves, Bikar unlocked the second shuttle so Falon could fly them safely down to the planet.”
“Well, that neatly answers almost all of my questions.”
“What is this ‘honey’ you have called me?”
I see the tic her face softens as my question registers before she answers. “It’s a term of endearment. Like when you call me ‘bright one.’ It’s basically the same thing.”
Smiling tenderly down at her, I sweep a lock of her brilliant hair behind one of her rounded ears before leaning down and rubbing my cheek against hers in an affectionate caress, before Bambi interrupts us with a quizzical series of questions. “Hold on just a second. He didn’t say anything, did he? What do you mean, ‘that answers almost all my questions?’ If I didn’t know any better, I would think the two of you are having a silent conversation with one another, but… that’s not possible, is it?”
Bikar interjects at this point, suspicion heavy in his tone. “Yes, that is something that I would very much like to know the answer to. After some observation, it would seem as though Murgul and Gwen can speak to one another, somehow; is that not so, brother?”
I told you that Bikar was more observant than you gave him credit for. What are you going to do now, fool?
Tell the truth, I suppose.
Is… that wise?
I guess we shall see.
Raising my head from Gwendolyn’s sweet-scented tresses, I glare over at Bikar, who is sitting in his chair with a smug look on his face. Somehow, he already knows the answer to his question, but he wants me to confirm it.
“Yes, I… can speak to… Gwendolyn within… her mind.”
The effort of forcing that sentence out sends pain flaring through my ruined vocal cords, streaking up into my mouth. Taking a deep breath to continue, I am stopped by a slender hand being gently pressed against my lips.
Arching her brows at me, I snap my mouth closed and give her a chagrinned smile at her silent censure. “We agreed that you would not hurt yourself unnecessarily. If something needs to be said, you tell me and I will be your voice. Even if it is to address meddling siblings that should mind their own fucking business.”
Her words end with an icy bite before she looks over and glares daggers at Bikar, and a chuckle rumbles out of my chest.
If looks could kill, Bikar would be writhing in pain.
I am no longer worried about my precious one preferring Bikar. He has gone and made a fool of himself.
A huff of frustration from Bambi draws everyone’s attention back over to her. “Can someone please fill me in on what the hell is going on around here?”
Gwendolyn glances over at her in apology. “I’m sorry, Bambi. It appears as though Murgul, Bikar, you, and I are the only ones left on the Zenith. Everyone else is down on the planet. Apparently, Kallen got tired of Ruarc and his poor treatment, soshe decided to leave. Ruby, Rowan, and Heather tagged along, and to prevent them from killing themselves trying to operate a shuttle without any knowledge ofhowto fly it, Falon escorted them.”
While Gwendolyn and I were distracted, Bambi moved further into the room, now standing next to Bikar’s station and wringing her hands in worry. As my mate finishes relaying information to her, Bambi’s eyes go wide, face draining of color as she stumbles with shock, one hand shooting out to grab hold of something. In her attempt to steady herself, Bambi’s hand lands on Bikar’s broad, blue-green shoulder, and she gasps before jerking her hand away from him. Over-correcting in a desperate attempt to get away from him, she trips and goes flying. Bikar is up and out of his chair in a tic, scooping her up into his arms.
Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I watch as a mating collar promptly appears across his throat and chest before disappearing over his shoulders.
I told you so.