Page 57 of Bonded By Savages

I know they can give me a true life, away from fear, and that together, we can bring out the best in each other.

I press myself against his strong chest, and he wraps his arm around me. Sleep comes easy. I let myself press against the certainty of my two protectors, and I fall into calmness.

22

Damian

Ilook down at my Mate.

She loves me.

And that love is only going to grow. We will have thousands of years together. I imagine when she finally births my first son. I imagine bringing him to the yard, giving him a wooden sword, and letting him watch me and Tarak fight each other.

Gods. If only Raython were there to teach him grappling and wrestling. A little wave of grief pulses up, but it’s nothing compared to the joy I feel at having my Mate, safe and sound, against me.

I drift in and out of sleep as darkness falls over the planet. Athena’s breathing is safe and secure. Moonlight streams through the window when there is a knock on our gates like a battering ram.

She wakes up, panicked. “Who is it? What’s happening?”

I control my alarm, presenting certainty to her through my aura. I will not let her be scared. I pull her from me as Tarak slowly rises. He wants to jump to his feet and grab his Orb-Blade from the table, but he controls his movements so as not to scare her.

I walk to the window and look out at our front gate. I see a man I’ve fought with before. The man I sent the message to, trusting him to protect those five women. His Reaver is sitting outside of our gates.

“General Ra’al.”

“Are we in danger?” asks Athena.

“No. He is the only who sent those two triads to protect the women. He is good.”

His slate-grey eyes move up to the window. They stare up at me, his battle-brothers standing war-ready at his sides, and I quickly pull on a set of robes, throwing on a belt and letting my Orb-Blade dangle. Athena’s eyes dart to my dormant blade.

“I always wear it. It doesn’t mean we’re in danger,” I say to her, and she accepts it, nodding. She pulls herself up from the bed, walking to the window, her head peeking over. General Ra’al lowers his head in respect, not wanting to aggravate us by looking at our Mate.

“Let’s see what he wants,” says Tarak.

“Aye,” I answer, and we walk down the stairs together and go to the front gates. They open soundlessly, but his triad doesn’t step in. General Ra’al is a huge man, well over seven feet tall, and broad as an ox. He is wearing combat pants but no robes, his chest bare, and he has double honors, yet no mate.

Yet.

He hasn’t shaved. When we fought for him, he always had a bare jaw, but now he has grizzled black and grey stubble. His black hair is cut short. To his right stands a hulking beast, with a thick beard and shaved head. He’s not lean like me, his body broad and powerful, slabs of muscle with a line of fat. He looks more like Raython, a huge brawler without fear. The third is royal and haughty, his cold grey eyes staring at our brands first, then the color of our irises, without even a flash of respect or jealousy.

“General Ra’al.”

“Damian. Tarak. You know my battle-brothers, Orr and Kriz.” Orr, the big one, nods when he hears his name.

The moonlight glows against their marble skin. I can sense the fear in Athena’s aura. “Your men protected the five women well. We thank you.”

“Yes. They were given to them tonight. A good reward for loyal service. They chose each other,” says Ra’al.

“It’s late,” says Tarak.

Kriz raises his hands. “Forgive us for the disturbance. At the ceremony, Obsidian was there. He showed us ours.”

“Your Mate? Why don’t you go to her?”

“Because her planet is about to be swallowed by Scorp. They descend on her like a horde of locusts,” snarls Orr, his hand flicking unconsciously to the hilt of his Orb-Axe. My eyes dart to him, warning him, and he grunts, removing his hand.

“We move out in a week. Trebulous is our first goal,” says Kriz.

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