Page 3 of Ruarc
“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 am not sure who is shocked the most. All of us stand or sit there stunned by his outburst, for this is the first time I have ever heard him speak. Murgul towers over Ruarc, a low rumble coming out of him, and I can see he is fighting against himself when suddenly Gwendolyn walks cautiously in between them. Pushing her slight frame against his, her hands stroke his chest until he looks down at her. The moment their eyes connect, a beautiful smile breaks out on her face. Murgul instantly calms as she pushes him back slowly. She glances back at Ruarc, and I must press my lips together to keep from laughing when she clearly puts him in his place.
“Ruarc, I think it would be for the 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 him from this point on, he’s going to fuck you up. His words, not mine.”
Snickering across from me causes me to glance that way, only to see Ruby and Rowan sitting side by side with their hands over their mouths, desperately trying not to laugh at the sight of delicate Gwen putting my giant, rough Ruk mate in his place. Especially when Gwen turns toward Slavic, “You were saying?”
“Uhhh … yes. If everyone could return to their seats, let us try this again. Since we do not know exactly how long Kallen has been gone from Deapra, we have no idea what has happened to the rest of the Ruks. What we do know is that there were no others found alive on the Velgriddix ship, so we will simply have to assume the worst and pray that the Gods of Ruk took their tortured spirits to a better place. I have decided that our next step forward is going to be a prolonged scouting mission on the planet’s surface to see if we can find any trace of mam, our sister,or any other survivors. Kallen, if you have more information or any ideas that might help us, I would appreciate it, no matter how small.”
Bikar’s voice interrupts me before I can say anything else. “Kallen, I have a question that I think we should have been asking from the beginning. There are no ships in orbit, but we know you all were able to escape Viri 9 on a cargo hauler that was docked next to the Zenith. Where did that ship go?”
“I thought you all knew that already. We crashed on Deapra. None of us were pilots, but one of the men just happened to know where the autopilot setting was, and that is what launched us into space. I did not know that at the time, did not care honestly, as simply being off Viri 9 and out of the hands of the Aynar was worth taking our chances. Apparently, the cargo ship got too close to Deapra, and its gravitational pull did the rest. Unfortunately, we lost several more upon impact. The only reason your mam and I made it was because we were both in the back of the ship in medical, and a security bubble activated when we started spinning out of control. After that, none of us would have survived if it were not for her; she took control even when she could not speak. She has been the one pushing us forward ever since. Now that I think about it, she was acting strangely right before the Velgriddix attack. Her normal smile was missing, and every rising, she kept sending scouts out. I thought at the time it was to see about other planting fields, but maybe she was looking for another location altogether.”
Slavic nods before glancing over at Ruarc and then to Einar. “Thank you, Kallen. However, it seems that the more you tell us, the more questions arise. Ruarc, Einar, and I will lead a scouting mission planetside. Bikar, Murgul, Falon, and all the females will stay on the Zenith.”
Ruby jumps to her feet, a hand on one hip and the tip of her finger on the other hand poking into his broad, gray chest while Rowan turns to glare up at Einar.
“Slavic, if you think you’re leaving me up here without you for any length of time, then you are sadly mistaken, mister.”
“Ruby, it is not safe on Deapra. We will not even be able to communicate if things get bad. Bikar informed me when we got back on the Zenith that there is some component in the atmosphere that is interfering with our comm systems.”
Wincing in sympathy, we all wait for Ruby’s response because her face is rapidly turning the same color as her vibrant hair.
“Even more reason for us not to be separated, Slavic! What if something happened to you?! There would be no way for you to call for help!”
Slavic gathers Ruby up in his massive arms and cuddles her close before attempting to soothe her worries. “Bikar has ways to track our movements and our vital signs without the use of our comms. The risk is minimal Ruby, this I promise you. I would not jeopardize our bond so soon after finding you if I were not absolutely certain about this.”
Ruby’s whole body deflates, sagging against Slavic. “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 in keeping the Zenith 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. “This I know.”
Einar interjects at this point. “Now that we have that cleared up, when should we expect to leave for this scouting mission?”
Slavic rubs a large hand across his bald head. “If there are any clues left, the sooner we get down there, the quicker 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 whimper and curls deeper into Einar’s side. “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. “Not possible. I already miss you and you haven’t even left yet.”
Tears form in my eyes as I stand here, witnessing the love and blatantly open affection of the mated pairs around me. Even though I yearn for tenderness and love myself, I know Ruarc will never grant me that, so I move away from him on my own so that no one will notice his aversion. “Since you males need to leave so soon, there is no time to waste. Preparations need to be made for your trip.” Standing, I hurry to the door to leave before anyone can see the tears flowing down my cheeks. Swiping at the salty lines, I start making plans of my own.
CHAPTER 3
KALLEN
Time passes slowly, and I catch myself watching the door of our room all darkness long, wanting nothing more than to talk to Ruarc while simultaneously dreading it, but I should have known he would not show. He has become accomplished at the art of avoidance and has made it quite clear he does not want me. How I wish things were different, but we all must face the realization that we have no control over the fates that pull mates together.
Lying down on the sleeping platform, my mind refuses to settle, no matter how comfortable the surface is. My thoughts keep twisting and winding around the same topic, for which I have no answers. Groaning, I roll over as every joint in my body protests the movement. Glancing down, I roll my eyes in disgust. I am a fraction of the healthy female I once was. At first, I thought that was why Ruarc did not want me—the full hips and breasts I was always so proud of, are now sunken skin hanging off my bones. But he looks not at me with disgust, only loathing. It is as if he holds me personally responsible for the horror I experienced as well as the trauma that my entire people have had to endure.
Just as I am finally about to drift off to sleep, I hear the door quietly slide open. I crack my eyes open, watching as he moves on silent feet around the room, gathering garments and weapons, placing them in a bag before turning toward me.
He stands there for a moment, his facial features lax, and he looks like a completely different male. He embodies everything I ever wanted in a mate: loyal to a fault, a born leader, and he is taller than I am. Which is significant because I have always joked that there was no way I would put a male on a platform to kiss him, due to my own extreme height.
His pale purple eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, seem aware of everything. I do not mind the scars on his lower face where the frackin’ Aynar removed his tusks. However, if he has ever smiled I would not know, as I have yet to see it. The skin on his arms and chest has darkened from the minerals in the mines, but there is not an ounce of fat on his bulky frame.
To me, his mass is beautiful. When he stands behind me, I feel small and safe within his shadow. Just once, I wish he would hold me because he wants to, but I have quickly learned not to hold my breath for things that are not going to happen. He steps closer and for a tic I think he is going to touch me, but he shakes his head as if he is having a moment of weakness and then turns to leave. The soft sound of the door closing behind him is overly loud in the quiet of our room. It is not much later that I feel the ship shake, and I know the shuttle has left the dock.
