Chapter Twenty-Eight

*Ragnar*

My mate is with me. Her scent envelopes me like the boldest aphrodisiac. My body is lethargic, but I wake very quickly. The aches and pains from before having lessened and I feel stronger. More like myself. My mind is certainly clearer, my senses swirling with information.

Climbing to my feet, I look down at Reggie, my hearts swelling with love while my muscles tense for a fight. Scanning the interior of the warehouse, I am confused. The Gilgamites are nowhere to be seen, their scent the only thing remaining. The only proof they were even here to begin with. The only ones in the building besides myself, are the human men and my mate.

Confusion is overridden by concern when I take a good look at my mate. Her body is shaking, and I can see fresh tears on her cheeks. Worry grips me as I lean closer to sniff her, searching for wounds. When I can scent nothing, I rub against her with my snout. She doesn’t respond and terror grips me tight.

“Reggie, are you alright? What is happening?” I demand, tapping her with my snout again. She barely reacts, shivering harder. I’ve seen this before, but my mind is having a hard time remembering what Reggie called it.

“Shit!” A voice growls, Sam. The human sheriff that has caused my mate so much agony. I still have no idea how we came to be in this warehouse, surrounded by humans. How the Gilgamites factor into this. As much as I want answers, my mate’s wellbeing is most important. The need to hold her rides me hard but the humans present a problem and a threat. Shifting is not a good idea.

A snarl rumbles out of me when Sam steps into the light, an article of clothing in his hands. He moves towards Reggie, holding out the clothing towards her. He stops when I snap my jaws at him. In any other circumstance I would snap him in half without a second thought, but this particular human is important to my mate.

Her words speak of hate and anger, but her tone is always telling a different story. He isn’t a competition for her heart, but he is a part of her pack, though that isn’t the right word. For a moment I wrack my brain until finally the translator provides the word I am looking for. Friend. He is a friend of hers.

“Back away.” I snarl, my voice wobbling with the threat of violence should he take another step.

“She is in shock; I’m just trying to give her my jacket. She is shivering.” Sam murmurs, placating me. Narrowing my gaze upon him, I want to rip him to pieces for daring to provide for my mate…yet I am unable to unless I shift. Reluctantly I step back, letting him approach her.

The threat of violence is still present, and Sam wisely sets the coat around her shoulders before scrambling away from her. Reggie doesn’t react, her gaze vacant. Stepping forward, I remove the humans from my thoughts, focusing solely on my mate. Her heartbeat is like a buzz, loud and insistent. Using my snout, I force her to her back, placing my nose directly over her heart. Drawing from deep within, I rumble out a calming vibration. Her body shakes from the force of it and yet I can see the moment it begins to work.

Slowly the tension in her limbs begins to ebb until she is lying flat on the floor. Life bleeds back into her vacant gaze until with a gasping breath she shoots upwards, wrapping her arms around my snout.

“Ragnar! You are safe! Oh my god I was so scared!” She sobs, holding onto me as she cries. The need to hold her is becoming a physical pain. Consequences be damned, I shift.

Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her into my chest so that she can sob in the safety of my arms. Gasps of alarm from the men put me on edge but I let my beast watch them while I focus on our mate.

“My sweet mate, what has happened to you? I remember nothing. Please, tell me so that I can fix it.” My words are meant to help heal her hurts, but they only serve to make her sob harder.

“I thought we were going to die.” She hiccups out, her fear eating at me. Pulling back slightly, I push her hair from her face so that she can see the sincerity in my face when I speak.

“The world will burn before I let anyone take you from me. Now, tell me what happened.” I repeat my request, noting the movement off to the side of us as well as the hushed whispers.

“Kill him! He is a much easier target now!” One of the men whisper harshly.

“Shut the fuck up! You heard that creepy bug-eyed bitch. We need her or we die.” Those words concern me far more than the threats of violence.

“What do you remember?” Reggie asks between her tears.

“The Nagas.” The memories are fuzzy, but I remember the final attack. When the two Nagas came after me together. They were originally after Reggie. Thankfully I intercepted them before they could harm her.

“The fight with the snakes alerted the humans where we were. Everyone was injured and the others couldn’t get you to safety. They tried to get me to leave but I refused, wanting to act as a buffer between you and the men. You were bitten and passed out. There was no way I would leave you to die. Talnag wanted to argue and force me away, but I wouldn’t let him. Instead, they took the medicine to my sisters.” Her emotions are all over the place so I make sure to mask my anger at Talnag and the twins, that they would let my mate place herself in danger.

The anger is short lived though. Reggie is a strong woman with a stubborn streak. I can see how her refusal to leave would have been a problem. The same stubbornness that landed her in the hands of the Gilgamites. That reminder has me angry all over again. Pulling back, I glare down at her.

“You could have been killed! If I am unable to be saved, leave me. I would rather die knowing you are safe than I would live knowing you died.” I let her see my anger, baring my soul to her. The crazy woman that she is, she smiles instead of being hurt by my censure.

“That fire that you feel, is the same fire I feel. If I were injured, would you leave me?” I scoff at the sheer possibility earning me a watery laugh. “Exactly. As it was, they didn’t want to kill us. They wanted to sell us off to the damn aliens as an experiment.” Reggie murmurs indignantly, casting glares into the darkness, as if she just remembered our audience as well.

“You are not allowed to die, not even for me. I won’t allow it.” I state arrogantly, earning me a glare from her beautiful eyes.

“I don’t do well with orders, not that I would have listened even if you had been able to know what was happening.” She snarks, her tears drying up quickly, which was my goal.

“Now, why were the Gilgamites here?” I demand to know, addressing the darkness as well as my mate. The men clear their throats before Sam steps forwards.

“They gave us all of the technology we would need to build our fortress if we promised to report any human/monster pairings. When we saw Reggie with you in that store a few days ago, we knew we had to report.” Anger flares up inside of me and my eyes must give away some of the rage because Sam fidgets nervously.

“You are only alive because I need information, otherwise I’d kill you for the sin of threating my mate. I heard you earlier. What do you mean that they demanded my mate or else you will die?” He clears his throat again, this time nervous. Another man steps forward, this one angry and brash.

“Who gives a fuck? For some reason they want this nasty bitch left alive.” My eyes narrow at the insult to my mate and I take a moment to analyze the man before me. He is short, squat and aging. His eyes are the color of mud, and his hair is thinning. He is clearly unwilling to follow authority but masks it for societal acceptance, as proved when he puffs out his chest as others laugh at his remarks.

“Elijah! Back the fuck off for five seconds!” Sam admonishes, shoving the shorter man away.

“No! I’m tired of this bullshit. She is a permanent thorn in my side, if only the bug-eyed bitches had killed her like we thought they were going to do. Now we are forced to watch her hang all over this scaly motherfucker.” The short man responds but I barely register his words. My mind is hung up on one thing and one thing only. His name.

“Elijah.” I rumble out, my spines lifting along my back and legs as I register the threat before me. The man who harmed my mate. The man who put the sadness in her eyes. The man who took what she wasn’t willing to give. The man who mocks her. The man who haunts her. The man who is going to die.

Reggie releases me, pushing back from my chest to look up at me. Her hands move to my snout, pulling it down so that we are eye-to-eye. Her own eyes widen when she sees the expression on my face. Expecting a fight, I brace myself for her denials. For her to ask me to tamp down my nature, my need to avenge her. I brace myself for the request only to get a grin in response. She follows it up with a nod. Feral satisfaction fills me, and I let my beast take control.

The moment she releases my snout, I move away from her to face the men. Sam sees my spines and spikes and immediately moves away, his hands up in supplication. Elijah doesn’t. He sees my threat and meets it head on, as if he stands a chance. As if he doesn’t reek of fear.

“What the fuck?” He jokes, trying to act superior as I raise to my full height. Part of me wants to shift into my monstrous form and shred him limb from limb. That would be too quick. I want him to feel every slice of my claws on his flesh as I tear it from his bones. I want him to scream for mercy before realizing it falls on deaf ears.

“Elijah, do you have something you wish to say to my mate?” I ask, uncaring if he doesn’t understand my meaning. His sins have sealed his fate, I simply wish for my mate to get the closure she needs. Everything else is pushed from my mind but the coming vengeance. All concerns, worries and fears are gone. My vision is tunneling as my beast emerges within me, lending me his strength so that we may both do this for Reggie.

“Fuck that bitch?” Elijah responds, too dumb to realize he just signed his death warrant. Sam isn’t quite as idiotic though. Fear lights in his eyes and he motions to the other men. They stare between Elijah and I with their own fear before backing away slowly. To his credit, Elijah isn’t completely oblivious. He notices his men withdrawing. Instead of taking their cues, he mocks them. “Don’t be pussies! He is wounded, half drugged out of his mind, and we have weapons. What the fuck is he going to do?” He looks at them for an answer, but they simply shake their heads.

“Dude, shut the fuck up. That thing is going to slit your throat before you can even blink! Look at the hardware!” One murmurs, his eyes wide as he stares at my spikes and sails. Blocking them out, I turn to stare back at Reggie. She has to say his name. Once his name leaves her lips, I may rend him limb from limb and dance in his blood. Her gaze meets mine; the haze of shock has cleared completely.

“Sam. Do not intervene. This justice is a long time coming. I do not know that I could stop him even if I wanted to.” Her voice is as clear as the meaning in her words, though they are lies. If she asked me to walk away from justice I would…until I could creep back in the dead of night and finish the job.

“Reggie, don’t do this.” Sam pleads, backing far enough away from Elijah that he is in no danger. His words hold hope, but his actions tell a different story. Maybe he was simply too weak to achieve the justice my mate deserved, or he didn’t realize the severity of his friend’s actions. Regardless, I will not make the same mistake he did. Human weakness doesn’t affect me. I care not what type of man Elijah was, is or will be. His sins are all I see, and they will be the last thing on his mind as he dies.

Reggie turns to me, her eyes bright with stress and to my horror a few tears. Striding forward, I wrap her up in my arms, conscious of my spikes. Her demons. I can see them dancing behind her eyes, hurting her mind even when her body is safe. As hard as I try, I can only slay them for a little while before they return. Swiveling my head, I stare straight at the reason for her pain. The reason for the memories that haunt her. Sensing my tenseness, she looks up at me and then follows my gaze.

“Ragnar, I love you.” Her voice is soft, meant only for me until she turns to address the men. “I do not believe I have formally introduced you all. This is Sam and his deputies.” She motions to the swiftly retreating men, men who stare at her as if she has lost her wits. A grin splits my toothy maw when I catch her game. My muscles tighten, preparing for what is to come. Anticipation builds when she opens her mouth to speak once more. “And this, is the man who raped me. The man who cornered me and wouldn’t take no for an answer.” She motions to Elijah, toying with me. She hasn’t said his name. Rage builds, the need to act like venom under my scales.

“Say. His. Name.” I growl at her, noting that she is unbothered. A ghost of a smile crosses her sweet lips.

“Elijah.” She whispers, her eyes locked on mine. That single word has the wings of death settling in my hearts so that I become a harbinger of doom. When I turn to glare at the filthy human, his cockiness is gone. Finally, he has the sense to look scared. Perverse pleasure fills me when I consider the fear he is going to feel in the next few moments. Smart enough to be afraid but still too dumb to know what is coming or to run.

Locking gazes, I let my shift come over me slowly. Every crack of muscle and shifting of bone drawn out until he has no doubt that he is staring death in its eyes. When I am finally in my monstrous form, I let the tenuous control I have on my emotions fall. With a roar, I lunge forwards. As expected, the sniveling coward falls to his ass with a shout.

Comically predictable, he grabs for his gun. Toying with him, I pretend to stumble on the slick concrete, giving him enough time to swing around and shoot off a few rounds. A few of the other men do the same, trying to save their friend with one last ditch effort. Maniacal laughter bubbles out of me when I see their looks of horror, the realization that the bullets only bounce off of my scales.

“Not so big and strong now, are we?” I mock, standing tall once more.

“Fuck you!” Elijah shouts, his scent completely saturated with fear. Looking down at his gun in rising panic, I could almost gloat when he throws it down and tries to run. It takes less than three strides to catch him with my tail, sending him airborne. The crash of his body down to the concrete is satisfying. “Help me!” He cries, pleading with his horror-struck friends. None step forward. How fitting.

“Such a shame, isn’t it? It really must sting when your cries for help are ignored.” The duality of the situations is purposeful. If I must become a monster to defeat one, then so be it. I never claimed to fit the mold of an upstanding ‘man’. I am no man, and I will take pleasure in the destruction of this coward. It is the Memnar way.

When he moves to run again, I pounce, holding him to the floor with one paw. His struggles are valiant but ultimately useless. He has no hope to escape me. His little fists beat against my paws, his blunt nails trying to gouge and maim me. Rolling my eyes, I lift a claw to slide it beneath his throat. A blast of fear scent nearly staggers me, as well as the stench of urine. This time I do laugh.

“Squirm all you want little worm, I’ll never let you go. Not until I bathe in your blood and feast upon your entrails.” On my home world, an offense against your mate is the ultimate insult. The highest level of crime that is punishable by death. I have no pity, not even when he begins to beg.

“Help me! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry Reggie! Please, I am so sorry.” Tears roll down his pallid cheeks. It only fans the flames of my rage higher.

“Reggie! Stop him!” Sam demands, somewhere to the back of me. Angrily, I snatch Elijah up in my grip and spin to face the sheriff.

“Stop me? There is no stopping me. My mate was wronged, and I will mete out the justice that you failed to.” To emphasize my point, I slam the small body in my grasp onto the ground. Just barely, I manage to avoid crushing him. Shouts of anger and disapproval ring out, but the most important voice stays silent.

Meeting Reggie’s gaze, I gauge her reactions. She is pale but I do not see judgment in her eyes, only love is shining back at me. Despite the awful fear smell coming from Elijah, I can still scent her. It is strong and relaxing. My whole body reacts to it, the tension bleeding from me little by little. As much as I want this, to feel the glory in killing Elijah in a gory battle, I want her more. It has been too long since I was able to just hold her. She is calm in the middle of my storm.

Looking down at the battered, half-conscious man beneath me, I make my decision. It is time we go home. The human is in agony, his face twisted with fear, an acknowledgement of his coming doom. His body is already broken, his spirit fragile. It is enough for me. With a flick of my wrist, I snap his neck.