Chapter Eighteen

*Reggie*

I didn’t think living in a world full of monsters could get any weirder. Jinxed my damn self with that one. Looking at the blue version of Ragnar is giving me the creeps and I can’t help but compare them. Finding their similarities helps to calm the quiet panic that makes my heart want to burst out of my chest. Talnag is an impressive specimen from a visual standpoint. His dark blue scales catch the eye and contrast with his opalescent eyes. His sails are taller than Ragnar’s but their spiked tips aren’t quite as long.

He is also riddled with scars. A particularly nasty one cuts through one of his eyes. Ragnar is lithe and muscular whereas Talnag is a beefed-up monstrosity. One that has clearly seen his fair share of conflict. Subtly I move closer to Ragnar, seeking safety in his shadow. It is a cowardly thing to do, but faced with literal giants I will wear the title of coward proudly.

The old me would have cringed at cowering. She didn’t live in a world of things ten times her size though. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of the Nagas. It doesn’t take a genius to guess why they are after us. Not after my mate turned one of them into literal mush.

“They want blood for blood. You killed that one in the first store we ever went to. Your blood was all over the place as well.” I mutter, knowing both can hear me despite the squeak in my voice. How far I have fallen, from a gun-toting badass to whatever this is. And I don’t even feel bad about it. Although I pat my waist to check that I still have my gun. The weapon still provides a small measure of comfort, it is just useless in the grand scheme of things.

“You killed one of their kind?” Talnag questions, tilting his head so that he can see around Ragnar.

“I didn’t. Ragnar did.” I respond, blushing with the obviousness of it. Of course he did. I would have been its lunch. After it fucked me. Another shiver of fear skitters down my spine.

“No wonder they are so angry. Nagas are territorial creatures. You interloped into their territory and killed one of their own.” Talnag’s voice is full of censure, his gaze landing on Ragnar with disappointment. My skin prickles with anger. How dare he be so condescending when he has no idea what drove us into that store to begin with. Anger makes me foolish, storming forwards to face him head on.

“Don’t be an ass. Ragnar only went into that building because of me. My sister is sick and needs medicine. I’ve been searching for it for days.” I all but growl, uncaring of our size difference now. A gentle vibration rattles through me, reminiscent of a laugh. Tipping my head back, I look up to see Ragnar grinning down at me.

“Sheath your claws, little mate. I am deserving of his censure. I knew it was dangerous, but I didn’t wish to disappoint you. Saving your sister was and is important to you. I would have moved the heavens and earth to help you.” His voice is rumbly, followed by another vibration. Uncaring of Talnag’s curious eyes, I stand on tiptoes and kiss the underside of Ragnar’s jaw.

“We have found what we need, and I owe that all to you. Thank you, Ragnar.” I can’t help getting choked up. Without him, my sister would have been left at the mercy of infection. I can’t predict the future, but with the three bags worth of supplies that I have gathered, she should be in the clear. It isn’t all medicine. New clothes for all of us, soaps, a few canned goods that weren’t expired and any tools we might need.

“Sisters? There are more of you? Unprotected females are unheard of. Just where did you come from?” Talnag demands, his curiosity winning out as he shifts closer. Ragnar releases a warning growl when Talnag gets too close.

“I live about five or six miles out of the city. My parents built a doomsday bunker when I was just a child. My father was always convinced the world would end one day. Turns out he was right, and we have lived there ever since.” Homesickness hits me like a ton of bricks at the mention of my sisters followed by a pang of grief for my parents. It feels weird going so long without seeing them. How would they react to Ragnar?

“Your sister is sick?” Again, Talnag gives into his curiosity.

“She cut her arm open in an accident. We didn’t think it was a terribly bad wound at first, but as time passed and it didn’t get better we began to worry. We very quickly went through our stash of medicine. It wasn’t enough. That is why we are out here, to get more.” I turn slightly so he can see one of the bags strapped to my back. Ragnar has the others tied to spikes along his back.

“I do not suggest waiting too long then. You are hunted and they get closer every day. I can help protect you for now, but I cannot leave the city. My beast demands I stay as close to my mate as I can.” Talnag’s voice turns sad at the end and my own curiosity is piqued.

“Does she know that you are mates? Is that why she ran?” I ask, wincing at how invasive my questions might sound. It isn’t every day that I encounter another monster/human pair. The desire to know everything is strong, even if our time here is limited.

“No. She doesn’t.” Talnag bites out, clearly not wishing to speak of it.

“We will leave in the morning. It is too risky to travel by night. If we are being hunted as you say, then we will need to wait until daytime. Making a mad dash through the night will only get us killed.” Ragnar says, saving me from the awkward pause that follows my question.

“You will not be safe, even here. The two of us cannot overcome an entire army of Naga, nor the others that are drawn by her scent. You need to mark her.” Talnag growls, his opaque eyes assessing me.

“I will do nothing until she is ready.” Ragnar snarls back, his hackles rising in agitation.

“Is she ready to watch you die? Every beast within ten miles has smelt her scent. Yours does nothing to mask it. It isn’t only the snakes that are drawn to you both. Claim her and it will make her safe. Waiting is a weakness. Do not make the mistakes I did.” Talnag jumps forward, snout pressed up against Ragnar’s aggressively. To his credit, Ragnar doesn’t even flinch, his sails raising to match energy.

Fear slithers beneath my skin and I can’t quite shake his words. The thought of Ragnar dying makes me want to vomit. We have only been together for a short period of time, but it feels like a lifetime. I can hardly remember a time without him in it, he is written in my very DNA.

“How will I get him killed? What do you mean?” I demand, uncaring that they are both posturing for a fight.

“Not. Another. Word.” Ragnar grits out, his tone deepening with his rage.

“She has a right to know. What have you not told her?” Talnag taunts, something wild entering his gaze.

“So, tell me!” I shout, ignoring Ragnar’s glare. “Tell me everything you wish you had the guts to tell your own mate.” My words have the desired effect. Talnag whirls away from Ragnar and centers his violent gaze on me.

“You truly want to know? You are a female human. The very scent of your skin is an aphrodisiac to all of the species that were placed on this hellish world. They tested its potency on us many times on the journey here. I didn’t realize what it was until I met my own mate. Your scent is calling to males who wish to rut you. They will gang up on Ragnar, kill him and then fight to rut you. You wouldn’t survive it. The only way to prevent this is for Ragnar to claim you. You must wear his scent.” Talnag’s words make my heartbeat pick up and a cold sweat breaks out on my skin.

It brings to mind unpleasant memories, violence and pain. A fate I already survived once, barely. Humans were bad enough, but monsters? I truly wouldn’t survive. Sensing my panic, Ragnar forgets his rage and sends a calming vibration to me. He follows it up by rubbing his snout against my side, comforting me.

“I will not let that happen, Regreee.” He promises vehemently.

“As if you can stop them all.” Talnag snorts.

“Do not let your own failures temper your words now. She is not your mate and her situation isn’t the same. Take care.” Ragnar warns, his eyes glittering dangerously at the other male. The barb hits home, Talnag’s hiss of rage scary enough that I waiver in my resolve to ask, if only for a moment.

“How do you claim me? How will you mark me?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. It is directed at my mate, needing to hear it from him.

“I promised to give you time.” He whines piteously and that is all the answer I need. Sex. He needs to fuck me to claim me, which is why he never said anything about it. Shit, he might have and I blocked it out.

“I do not pretend to know what your reservations are, but for both of your sake I suggest you overcome them. I can promise you one night of safety, but your time is up after that.” Talnag says, his earlier aggression tamped down. One night.

I have one night to conquer my demons, or I might lose the best thing to happen to me in years. Denial rises from my soul. I want to trust Ragnar, but even someone as massive as him isn’t invincible. I’ve already almost lost him twice. There really is only one option.

“Claim me.” Ragnar reacts like I’ve slapped him, rearing back.

“Regreee…you do not know what you request.” He whines, and my burst of bravery threatens to deflate. He is right, I do not know what it means, nor what it entails. What if they must eat the left arm of their mate during sex? Improbable but not impossible. Still, I want to be able to be with Ragnar without death following us constantly.

“So, tell me. Explain it to me, please!” I beg, more in love with him now than ever before. Even though I am pressuring him for something I know he wants, he is only worried about me. Worried about how his desire might affect me. His gaze shifts to Talnag.

“Not with an audience.” He mutters. Talnag grins, the first real one I’ve seen since he appeared.

“I will gather the others. If we are to get you safely out of town, then I will need help.” His grin falters when Ragnar snarls out his denial. “Do not worry about your precious human. The twins are still young. They haven’t fallen prey to their beasts just yet. They will happily keep watch during the night.” He nods goodbye before taking off at a run.

Ragnar, to his credit, wastes no time. He shifts and leads me into the closest house, a large ranch style home that is mostly intact. Floofy chirps at us, reappearing from one of his various hiding places before following at our heels. He is a slippery bugger, managing to know the exact moment to hide and appear. It must be how he has survived for so long.

Absent-mindedly I reach down to pat him as I am drug behind a very impatient Ragnar. Fear rolls from his stiff back in waves. Even shifted, he still must duck to fit beneath the door frame, careful not to destroy it as he passes. I am given no choice but to run to keep up, my own stomach knotted with fear of the unknown. I asked him to explain, I can’t back down now or he will waiver more than he already has.

My demons will cease to control me. Last night was a turning point for me. I requested time from my mate, but our time has run out. It makes me sad that I have caused this tension between us, but I am ready for it to end. For this weird sexual limbo to end.

At first, I think he means to take me to the bedroom, but his shoulders begin to shake before we have even crossed through the living room. As quickly as he grabbed me, he drops my hand as if it is burning him. Whirling to face me, I can see the emotions flitting across his scaly face. I can’t believe I once felt horrified at the sight of him. He is easily the most beautiful specimen I have ever seen in my life. His long lupine snout, his glistening scales. The raw power that rolls off of him in waves. It Is breathtaking when all compiled together to create my mate. A mate I trust more than anyone else in my life. I love my sisters and I trust them explicitly, but it is different with Ragnar. More intense. Stronger. A swirling mass of emotions that drives my every move.

“Regreee…” He starts, stopping to run a clawed hand up his snout. It is one of his tells when he is stressed, an oddly human trait. Guilt assails me, but then I remember why we are in this situation to begin with. If he doesn’t fuck me, we are screwed. Literally. Laughter bubbles out of me at the thought. Here I was, scared to death someone would force themselves on me and yet I can tell I am going to have to convince Rangar to even touch me. In a strange way, it helps ease any of my remaining fears.

“Ragnar. It is going to be okay. Please, just explain.” I gentle my voice, not wanting to spook him. He has a wild look in his eyes that makes me afraid he might bolt. Carefully I place a hand on his forearm, the scales beneath my palm warm and comforting.

“It isn’t easy to describe to someone not used to our ways. You are human and I am not. I do not wish to say something the wrong way and scare you.” I can hear the reticence in his voice and my heart swells with love.

“We will figure it out. Would it help if I explained human sex?” I ask, blushing at the thought of having to describe such an intimate thing. I think dirty thoughts all day long, but somehow saying them out loud makes it ten times worse. Silently I pray he declines but that comes crashing to a halt when he nods enthusiastically.

“Yes, explain please. Maybe there are similarities I can work with.” Silently I consider how to have the “Birds and Bees” talk with him without wanting the earth to swallow me whole from embarrassment. It doesn’t help that my own parents never had the talk with me or my sisters. They let us discover it organically. Needing comfort, I move to the sofa and curl up with my legs beneath me. Ragnar stays standing, his eyes tracking my every movement. Where do I even begin?

“Humans do not have to be mates to…to mate. Sex doesn’t usually need a bond. Any male can mate with any female. Males can mate with males. Females can mate with females.” My voice cracks at the end when I see the confusion on his face. Okay, so maybe his people aren’t quite as advanced on the evolutionary scale as we are.

“Males and females share reproductive parts?” He asks, confused. There are so many things I could explain or tell him about but for our sake I choose to focus on male/female.

“No. Humans are very creative sexually. Since you are male, and I am female I will stick to the basics. Human men have an appendage called a penis. Human women have a vagina. Usually, the men insert the penis into the vagina for sex.” At this point my face has to be flaming a bright red. Sneaking a look up at Ragnar, I find his gaze burning brightly as he stares down at me.

Silent understanding passes between us. Inadvertently my eyes dip to the smooth scales between his legs. The ones that hide his own cock. A blush heats my cheeks. Though he hasn’t ever overtly flashed me, being in close quarters with him for so long means that I have had my fair share of close encounters. It is nothing like a human’s.

“This is the same for my people, though the names of our parts are obviously different.” He starts, taking my nod as encouragement to continue. “Though, the bond plays a significant part in the mating rituals of my people. During mating with my one true match, my beast and I will become one. To do so, I must sink my fangs into the flesh of my mate. Her blood is the glue that will bond us together. The thread that sews the chasm between us shut. Once her blood hits our tongue, we will become one. Your blood. I will then gain my final coloring. It usually follows the color of our mate’s eyes.” His words come out painfully, as if he doesn’t wish to tell me. Vampire prehistoric wolf. A week or so ago, I would have passed away from the shock of it. Now? I just shrug.

“That is what you were so worried to tell me?” I ask, confused. A little pain to form a bond that is unbreakable seems like a small price to pay. He nods and I can’t help but smile, opening my arms to beckon him forward. His frown deepens, unsure how to process my reaction.

“I do not wish to cause you pain while mating. My saliva is meant to numb my mate but what if it doesn’t work on humans? Hurting you would destroy me.” He mutters, falling into my arms as carefully as he can so as to not crush me, tucking his sails close to his body so I do not get stabbed on accident. So considerate.

“You see it as causing me pain and yet I see it as freeing me of the pain I’ve felt since I was raped. If you bite me, I will never have to worry about any other male? You will promise to cherish me? You would never hurt me?”

“No, never.” His vehemence is all I need to know he speaks the truth. Bringing one hand up, I cup his cheek so that I can tilt his gaze down to mine.

“Feeling a small prick of pain is worth the prize at the end. You will have inner peace and I will have a mate to cherish me. I’ve always had a hard time letting others take care of me, but with you it feels right.” His tongue flicks out to lick my cheek, tasting my skin. It leaves a trail of fire in its wake.

“I do not deserve you. If it takes my whole life, I will spend every waking moment trying to convey how much I feel for you. Even then it won’t be enough.” He murmurs, continuing to lick down my face to my neck. Tilting my head back to give him access, I mutter disagreement.

“No Ragnar. I do not deserve you; you are amazing.” He pulls back, disbelief flaring across his face.

“I plan to spend the rest of my life proving you wrong.” It is worded like a threat but is a promise of forever.