Chapter Twenty-One

*Reggie*

The first day of travel is a bitch. By the end of it, I am ready to crash to the ground and sleep. Except I can’t. I have to play referee between Ragnar and the twins. Or more precisely, I must keep him from killing them.

After our initial awkward meeting, the day started off pretty good. Talnag and Ragnar kept up a constant stream of conversation and I tried my best not to get creeped out by the twins. They are harmless really, just curious. They just don’t know how to react around a human. I took for granted how hard Ragnar has worked to accommodate me. They lack any of the consideration that my mate has for my human-ness.

As the day wears on, I feel more like a science experiment than a person. They pepper me with questions while trying to get close to Ragnar’s back, close enough to catch a glimpse of me. My mate never lets them get too close before he snaps and runs them off. The twins treat it like a game, never once stopping their questions as they pester Ragnar.

It also doesn’t help that we can’t just make a beeline out of town. Far too many times today we have crossed paths with either Nagas or humans. Our path is like a drunk man trying to walk a straight line. It dips, turns and twists until I feel all out of sorts. As it is, we decided to camp in a burned-out warehouse. The others wanted to keep moving but Ragnar immediately shut them down for my sake.

Guilt assails me. I want to be strong. To be able to keep moving without a care in the world. I can’t. I can barely feel my legs and I have to pee. Embarrassment keeps me silent though, as my mate champions my cause. It helps to remember that I am likely the first human the others have ever met and not even Ragnar knew it all in the beginning.

The twins cleared the building before we entered, resuming their barrage of questions the moment I drop from my mate’s back. While riding on his back I could feel his mounting tension, on the ground it is all I can do to keep him from lunging for the obnoxious pair. As it is, I simply wave them off while stomping to the back of the building.

A grimace twists my lips at the mess that was once a back office. A quick perusal shows the barest hint of a bathroom. It is more like a busted toilet and the remnants of a sink, but my bladder doesn’t care. It looks like the bathroom at the Ritz in my current condition. Ragnar, who followed me to the back, stands guard as I relieve myself.

Thankfully the twins took the hint and stayed back with Talnag. At least until they catch sight of me once more. The ground practically shakes as the elephant sized males barge towards us, uncaring of the fact that they could literally crush me in their enthusiasm. A squeak of alarm escapes me when Ragnar lunges, snapping at one twin before twirling to face the other, violence etched in the lines of his rigid muscles.

“Leave. My. Mate. Alone.” He rumbles, his voice distorted more than normal with his rage. One of the twins whines while the other looks like a kicked puppy. A Spinosaurus sized puppy.

“They just don’t know how to act.” I argue, unsure why I’m even sticking up for the scale covered, Jurassic toddlers.

“They will be dead if they harm a single hair upon your head.” Ragnar grumbles, baring his teeth again.

“Not hurt the human.”

“Beautiful, nice.” They almost finish each other's thoughts, truly two halves of the same whole. I think their words are sweet, the same way I would get a compliment from a kid. Ragnar takes it as a challenge for his mate.

I can’t even say that fur flies since they all have scales. Instead, I am left gasping for air as their writhing bodies kick up all the stagnant dust in the warehouse. Talnag is the only one left standing and is the kind of unbothered king that I can appreciate. He watches their antics from the other side of the warehouse, rolling his eyes frequently but staying out of it.

As annoyed as I am, I can’t help but admire my mate’s movements. He is outnumbered but holding his own. The fight isn’t truly a fight. I can tell that they are each holding back. Ragnar is frustrated and the twins are letting him vent it in his own way. The more I watch them battle it out, the more convinced I am that this was for Ragnar’s benefit.

Looking at the twins, I assess them again. They aren’t childlike at all, simply more innocent than Ragnar. He is the strong, assertive type. He sees danger in every shadow and acts accordingly. Kan and Kil are free spirits, taking everything at face value. If it bites, they bite back. If it smiles, they smile. It is refreshing to see spirits so resilient.

Our two species were both dealt a shitty hand and though I relate more to my serious yet sweet mate, I am drawn to the innocent and fun twins. My face heats with a blush. Not interested in them the same way I am Ragnar. Images from the previous night play through my mind like an R rated movie. An ache forms in my core and I clench my thighs, trying to relieve the ache.

Silence falls in the warehouse, startling me from my dirty thoughts. Looking up I make eye contact with Ragnar, taking in his blown-out pupils and his rapid breathing. The others are just as aware as I am. Talnag is backing away, towards the exit. Even the carefree twins are suddenly tense, tilting their heads away from me, eyes downcast. Shit. Embarrassment completely erases my arousal. Damn superhuman sense of smell.

Turning, I hurry back the way I came, wanting to hide in the busted offices at the back. Anything to get away from the room of males who all smelled my arousal like it was an ad on a damn billboard. Floofy is the only one unbothered. He twines his way between my feet like nothing is wrong, just happy to be there.

The click of claws on the broken concrete floor brings me to a halt, all too aware of the lengthening shadows in the building. I shouldn’t have worried. Of course, Ragnar wouldn’t let me go off alone. His massive shadow crosses my own, framed by his unearthly green glow.

“Mate.” He rumbles out, rattling my chest with one of his vibrations. It goes straight to my already sensitive clit, and I want to die right there. Let the ground swallow me up in one go.

“I want to sleep.” I grind out, biting my cheek to prevent the word vomit that threatens to escape.

“I want you.” He rumbles out, shattering any pretense I have at trying to deny the heat building inside of me.

“We are not alone.” I whisper, turning to glare up at him. It is a mistake. The feral glow of his magnificent eyes does something sinful to my insides.

“Floofy is hardly an audience.” A grin splits his face, his tone playful. Annoyed, I motion behind him. He tilts his head in confusion.

“The others will hear every noise we make. I won’t give them a fucking peep show.” I grumble, peeping past him to make sure no one heard my words. My mouth gapes open when I take in the darkening interior of the warehouse. The empty warehouse.

“They decided it would be best to patrol the area.” He says, pleased with his solution to our problem. A blush heats my face. It feels weird to fuck, knowing that they know. I try to convey this to my mate but he simply shrugs.

“I have claimed you. They would be more shocked if we didn’t inspire desire in one another. Your sign of arousal is not to be ashamed of, my mate. On our home planet, it would be celebrated. A sign of a virile pairing. Do not feel shame for what we do together. Your body was made to fit my own. A divine pairing that brings only pleasure.” Damn him and his smooth talking. Just like that, my panties are soaked. He doesn’t even have to freaking touch me. A streak of stubbornness flares up. Something born from my absolute hatred of losing control.

“You are mistaken, you haven’t claimed me today.” I punctuate my words with a step back, challenging him. In the flash of an eye, his demeanor changes. Gone is any hint of playfulness and in its place is something predatory. And hot. Hella hot.

“I have claimed you for eternity. Do you need a reminder of this, little mate?” His words are pitched so low that I can almost feel them in my bones, as if he mixed them with one of his vibrations.

“Hmmm. I think I need to sleep. Maybe you should go patrol as well.” I keep my tone light, shifting further away from him. A rattling vibration nearly knocks me off my feet. A warning. Floofy is the only smart one, he takes off to hide. Me? I turn and run.

A howl rattles the rafters, a promise. Adrenaline hits my system hard and I run flat out, knowing that the office is my only hope. The only place I can hide from the hunter who is after his prey. Me. The blood in my veins sing in anticipation as I listen for the sound of pursuit, dodging stacks of forgotten goods that litter the floor.

Silence is the only thing I can hear, that and the rush of the blood in my ears. Past me would have mistaken it for terror. Fear. Present me knows exactly what this is. This is primal, this is lust in its simplest form. Predator and prey. The beating of my heart isn’t in fear, its anticipation. Anticipation for the moment that I am caught and what the consequences of my actions might be.

A stack of boxes to my right explodes and I can’t help the little scream that escapes me as I put on another burst of speed. Ragnar runs parallel, toying with me. He must know where I am headed and is giving me a bit of hope. Only to dash it moments later when he skids into my path, cutting off my retreat.

Using my momentum, I sit down quickly, sliding across the concrete on my ass. Using the force of my slide, I twist mid-fall and climb back to my feet to bolt in the opposite direction. A dark and deep chuckle has my inner muscles clenching in anticipation.

“Little mate, are you scared?” His voice is quiet, coming out of the growing darkness from somewhere scarily close to my left.

“Should I be?” I quip back, not stopping my mad dash for even a moment. A broken staircase hangs on the wall, leading to a catwalk along the ceiling. It isn’t much, but if I can make it up there, I might be safe. Decision made, I shift towards it. Like before, he cuts me off, his green glow appearing in my path once more.

“Clever little human. Too bad you can’t escape me. Never. No matter how far you go, I will always find you.” His promise wraps around my heart and squeezes, holding me captive. A grin twists my lips despite the sawing in and out of my breaths.

“I don’t want to escape you, just tease you.” I shout at him, twisting once more. I don’t even make it two feet before I am lifted from the ground. A squeal of alarm and arousal is torn from me, and I thrash with all my might. It does no good. In an instant I am on the floor, and he is above me, shifted so that our pelvises mesh together and the ridge of his cock presses against my cloth covered clit.

My squeals turn to moans as I grind against him. Using his claws, he cuts my clothes from my body so that he can see me bare. The scrape of his claws against my nipples feels like heaven, my own hands flying to his chest to caress the muscles there.

“Such a good little mate. Are you ready for me?” One clawed finger trails to my pussy, sliding between my slick folds to play with my clit. A growl of appreciation escapes him when he finds me wet and ready.

“Please.” I beg, tilting my hips upwards, needing the connection between us. He releases a huff of breath when he grabs his cocks, guiding them to my entrance. I squeeze my eyes shut at the stretch and burn, needing more. Wanting to feel him so deep inside of me that I won’t know where he ends and I begin.

With a groan, he surges in to the hilt, as if needing the connection as much as I do. Our first time together was slow and sweet. This is fiery and fierce. His thrusts are brutal and deep, bottoming out with each slap of his hips against my own. The rush of ecstasy only builds on the adrenaline from earlier, intensifying until I feel like I am drowning in sensations.

With every thrust I feel like I am shattering, splintering apart only to be glued back together with his lust and appreciation. He whispers sweet nothings against my skin that feel like a physical caress. Wave after wave of pleasure swamps me until I am at the precipice, staring down into the abyss of completion yet knowing it will never be enough.

“Beautiful.” Ragnar murmurs, leaning down to lick at the mating mark upon my shoulder. It is the catalyst. My climax hits me so hard I see stars. With a scream I break apart beneath him, my inner muscles clenching him tightly. A whine is ripped from him as he begins to swell, the grip of his cocks only adding to the sensations shredding my sanity. With a cry I come once more, blacking out as he roars out his own pleasure, jets of warmth heating my womb.