Page 13 of Vikingr
Was it worth asking the AI? She'd been surprisingly helpful so far. I gave myself another minute of following this seemingly endless corridor. A faint hum filled the air and the smell of oil was getting stronger. I was probably headed towards the engines.For a moment, I was tempted to turn around, but who was to say there weren't any escape pods near the engine? In fact, it made sense that the aliens working there had some way to get off the ship fast.
There seemed no end to the corridor. This was getting ridiculous. There had to be a door at some point. It made no sense.
Breathing heavily, I finally stopped.
"Ship, can you tell me where I can find an escape pod?"
"You are not authorised." Her voice seemed cold.
"Please, I can only be healed on Earth. I need to return to my planet."
I hunched over, and it was only partly acting. My lungs burned from the exertion and the hot air around me.
"Please, ship, I need to get away."
"Ending simulation."
Her words didn't register for a moment. Simulation?
The corridor disappeared. For a moment, everything was glaringly bright until my eyes adjusted. I was in a white room, completely empty.
"What the fuck is going on?"
I was at the door in three long steps, banging against it.
"Let me out!"
But it stayed shut.
What was happening? How had I been running through these corridors and was now trapped in a room?
"Ship, tell me what's going on!"
My voice was shaking with anger and fear. I wasn't sure which emotion was stronger.
I was so exhausted. The running had been real, no doubt about it. But how had I been running if I'd been in this room the entire time? And how had I got here? Had Njal's cabin been a simulation as well?
I rubbed my temples. I felt a headache coming on. This was all too much. I just wanted to go home.
My breathing slowly steadied, and the stabbing ache in my chest was lessening. But the sweat on my forehead, my wet hair sticking to it, was proof that I had been running.
I paced around the room, ignoring the exhaustion that was making my legs feel heavy. Occasionally, I'd shout for Njal and the AI to let me out, but nobody ever answered. Eventually, I found myself on the floor, arms wrapped around my legs.
And I finally let the tears run freely.
8
Njal
Iwasn't a good person. I knew that. I didn't enjoy keeping the female locked up, especially after seeing her cry. I'd been tempted to let her out then, but I didn't have the time to stay with her to make sure she didn’t try to run away again. To find my mate, I had to make sacrifices. If that meant keeping this female locked up for a while, so be it. It would all be worth it in the end.
I turned away from the screen.
"Are you sure you don't want one of us to look after her?" Errik asked, peeking over my shoulder.
"No," I growled, surprised at my own ferocity. For some reason, the thought of one of the other males being alone with Steff filled me with anger. Maybe it was my body and mind preparing itself for the arrival of my mate. It was called the fýst, the growing desire between mates that turned from longing into fierce yearning. Vikingr males always got extremely protective over their mates during the first few days. We'd likely end up in my cabin for days, the door locked, my cock in her, my seed planted in her womb again and again.
I couldn't wait to meet my mate. For a long time, I'd been content to simply raid and fight, but losing my planet had put everything into perspective. I craved a mate now, not just with my cock, but the innermost centre of my heart. I wanted a female to share my life with. Someone who'd get to know me better than anyone else - and who wouldn't run away screaming once she found out what kind of person I was.
