Page 11 of Berserkr
Until now, the wall to my left had shown a view of the stars. Now, it morphed into the logo of the Hot Tatties agency, the ugly kilt-wearing cupid.
"Isn't he adorable?" Shona cooed.
I wanted to vomit.
"Welcome to the Valkyr," Pam's voice came from speakers all around us. "As this will be your first time on a spaceship, I'm sure you will have many questions. In this short video, I will do my best to answer them. However, you can always ask your local Hot Tatties employee at the end. First of all, yes, you are in space. Yes, aliens are real. This ship belongs to a species called the Vikingar. You will get to meet them eventually, but for now, you have a few days to get used to life in space. There will be another video about the Vikingar, their culture, history and reasons for coming to Earth. Once you feel ready, you will get to meet your matches. I'm sorry if we led you to believe that your selected matches were human. They are not. You have each been paired with a Vikingr. Even though we are completely separate species, scientists have discovered that we are compatible on a physical, emotional and cultural level. They have the same DNA marker that helps us find soul mates for you all. I know this will come as a shock, which is why we have this introductory period on the Valkyr. There are some Vikingar on board to fly the ship and make sure everything works as intended, but they will keep hidden. Please do not try to seek them out. We want your mate to be the first Vikingr you meet."
"I guess that worked out for you," Shone whispered, eyeing Rune behind me. I realised I was still leaning against his chest. From her perspective, it had to look like I was sitting on his lap. Ugh. Not the impression I wanted to give. He was a stranger. A blue, hunky alien stranger.
Wait a minute. Aliens were real.
I gulped. Aliens were real.
And I had proof.
This would make my career. I could take some sneaky pictures of Rune, maybe even a video, then break the news to the world. I'd need some more information first. What was their purpose? Would they invade Earth? Were they a danger to us all?
I gave myself a day to research before finding a way home. On the contract I'd signed with the dating agency, it stated that I'd have to pay for any costs incurred should I want to go home prematurely. So be it. My boss would cover the tab. It would count as expenses. And she wouldn't mind if it was expensive because this was the story of the century. No, the millennia.
Aliens were real. And I'd be the one to tell the world.
8
Rune
Iwatched her change her mind. It was a visible process. She believed. She no longer thought that I was just a figment of her imagination.I wanted to embrace her, kiss her, claim her, but I knew this wasn't the time. Not while our chaperone was here. Steff had explained the concept of a chaperone to me. It was a very old Peritan custom. Shona was a female I'd not had much contact with, but her mate had been the only Vikingr who'd agreed to his female being alone with Laurel and me. I knew he was nearby, just down the hallway, but it was a sign of trust that he didn't insist on being in the same room.
My friends and crewmates were scared of me. The realisation had come as a shock. As a berserkr, I'd always been different, but I'd felt accepted in Njal's crew. They valued my skills and many admired my strength and prowess in battle. But until now, I'd never posed a threat to them. Overnight, my mating axe had started to hurt. It was a deep ache at first, but now it was turning into a sharp pain. Underneath, my cock was rock-hard, my balls threatening to burst. Having my mate seated on my lap didn't help. Her scent tingled my nose, a sweet yet spicy scent that reminded me of something I couldn't quite name.
While Laurel and Shona continued to watch the video, I simply focused on what she felt like, smelt like, sounded like.
My mate. This was my mate. The one female the Gods had made for me. And me for her. There was no other female as perfect for me as Laurel. I didn't know her yet, but I could already feel the bond between us. Not just on a physical level - my mating axe throbbed at the thought - but also on an emotional level. I felt like I'd met her before, a long lost acquaintance.
The other mated males had reported the same thing. "Like someone you've dreamed about every night of your life," Errik had explained once. Back then, I'd made fun of how un-warriorlike he sounded, but now I understood. I felt it in my aching heart. Having Laurel lean against me wasn't enough. I wanted to touch more of her, explore her body and mind, claim her as my mate. But, I reminded myself, we'd spend the rest of our lives together. I could hold back a few more hours. Days, if she held back like some Peritan females. It was always hard to predict. Some of the shiest females were the fastest to agree to mate with their males, while those who presented as brave and confident could take forever.
Another waft of her scent drifted up my nose. I breathed in deep, savouring that scent.
"Are you sniffing me?" Laurel demanded, becoming rigid against me.
Shona bit back a laugh. "Don't worry, that's normal. Their senses are heightened compared to ours."
"Does that mean he can smell... never mind."
I let them talk as if I wasn't in the room. It suited me. I wanted to observe Laurel, see how she interacted with one of her own species. I could learn from that and make sure she interacted the same with me. If she didn't, something was wrong and needed to be fixed.
Side by side, Shona and Laurel looked so different that it was hard to believe they were of the same species. Us Vikingar didn't differ as much as Peritans did. We all had blue hair, blue skin, blue beards (only the males). The shades of blue varied from light to almost black, but it was still all the same colour.
Shona had long red hair while Laurel had a shorter blue mane. Shona wore an optical device on her nose and Laurel didn't. Shone was tall and slim, while Laurel was a little shorter and much rounder. I loved how curvy she was. There were no sharp angles, only smooth curves. I could hold this female in my arms without risking injury by sharp elbows.
The way they spoke was also different. Shona used a lot of strange sounds in the middle of her sentences, uhm and ahm and ehm. Laurel didn't do that. She didn't hesitate when speaking, each sentence as perfect as the rest of her.
Why was I analysing my mate's speech? Was this the fýst? Was I becoming too obsessed with her? No, surely this was within normal parameters. I was merely interested in her, everything about her, from the way she spoke to her full breasts that were barely concealed from my current angle. She wore a flimsy upper garment that was held by only two thin straps. It hugged her skin, leaving nothing to the imagination, while the neckline left so much exposed that I could look right down into her cleavage. I wanted to cup those breasts, squeeze them, make her moan.
Later.
I'd have to ask Njal and Errik how they managed to stay patient. I wanted to flip Laurel onto her back and ravish her.
A sharp pain shot through my groin. My mating axe was adjusting its shape. It had lay dormant all my life, only activating now that I'd met my mate. It would take on the shape most suited to bring her pleasure. No two mating axes ever looked the same, even if mates were from the same species. It was a uniquely personal organ that only my mate would ever get to see - and feel.
