Chapter Thirty

*Reggie*

As much as I love babies, the trip back to the bunker is long and stressful. Trying to fly below the radar of massive monsters is hard when you have an infant crying whenever it is hungry, sad or mad. My mate has to fight several more monsters, but he never complains. Whenever he looks into her little face, I can see the growing love there. His devotion to keeping us safe is unfailing despite his own wounds.

Morning on the third day marks the last day of travel and I can’t say I’m sad. The journey was long and hard. The constant need to defend us has slowed Ragnar down, sometimes hiding us until the threats pass. We are now hunkered down in the little storage shed where my journey first began. Sutton and Angel, her little girl, slept inside the building while Ragnar and I slept outside. Or rather I slept, and he kept watch.

I am as happy to be done traveling for my own sake as I am my mate’s. He is exhausted, running on fumes at this point. His body is magnificent but even he has his limits. For the thousandth time, I curse my lack of weapons. Both my guns were lost along the way, which means I can’t provide cover for him to rest. It is driving me bonkers. So, to say I am grumpy this morning is an understatement.

Climbing onto Ragnar’s back, I hold on tight as he kneels so that Sutton can hand me Angel before she climbs up behind me. Once we are all on and secure, Ragnar takes off at a lope. The trees begin to thin and my heart soars as the sights become more and more familiar. The clearing with the fence in it comes up fast and I can’t help but look around for the damn cat-gator-coon monsters.

Sure enough, a snuffling cry from the woods sends a shiver down my spine. The remembered chase is enough to traumatize me for life. Thankfully, they aren’t brave enough to attack Ragnar. They hang back, the occasional flash of movement the only sign that they are even there. Sutton looks around us curiously, spying one of the beasts for just a moment.

“What are those?” She asks, fear tingeing her voice. She hasn’t completely freaked out at any of the monsters we’ve encountered, but she isn’t exactly comfortable either. Not that I can blame her. Another Gersil tried to eat us yesterday, fucking soccer balls from hell.

“Those are Jintas.” Ragnar responds, his voice gravelly with exhaustion.

“I call them Cat-Gator-Coon beasts. Or sometimes Cat-Coon-Gator. Regardless, they have a nasty bite. A whole pack of them chased me into a barbed wire fence.” Ragnar tenses beneath us, his gaze swinging angrily to the trees. A laugh bubbles up, easing some of my grumpiness. “Calm down baby, you can kill them when you aren’t about to fall over.” He tenses more, offended.

“I would never dream of falling over while you are upon my back. I would rather eat my own paws than harm you.” He defends, making my heart swell.

“Of course you wouldn’t. You are the strongest male I know.” Leaning down, I hug his neck to placate him. Mollified, he keeps walking. Sutton can barely contain her giggles from behind me.

“You two are so sweet I am getting cavities.” She giggles out and I can’t disagree. The love I feel for him is terrifyingly strong. So strong that I’m pretty sure I’d fist fight the devil if it meant Ragnar would be safe.

Only a few more minutes pass before I see the first sign of our property. The fence that is broken down surrounding the main house comes into view and my heart stops when I am confronted by the lifeless shell of my former life. The ghosts of memories and shared laughter is like a physical ache.

Ragnar keeps moving though, coming around the house and it feels like a weight is lifted off of me at the sight of our warehouse. It is still standing, no obvious damage to be seen. It is almost identical to when I left it if it weren’t for the twins standing guard outside.

They scent us before they see us, standing at attention. A howl of joy escapes them, their happiness contagious as they bound forward to bump snouts with Ragnar. My normally reserved mate returns the greeting.

“You live!” Kil yips happily, jumping up and down. His tail swishes around his feet.

“We live! I fought the humans off barehanded and dragged us all the way here.” I joke but I regret it when I see the awe on their faces. They don’t quite get jokes yet. Ragnar huffs out a laugh at their expressions.

‘Not quite but close enough. Did you bring the medicine?” He asks, dipping down so that I can slide to the ground before helping Sutton down as well. Neither twin answers, their gazes locked onto the newcomer. She fidgets, uncomfortable with their attention.

Leaving Ragnar to explain it all, I rush to the side door and yank it open, driven by the desire to see my sisters, to see that they are safe with my own two eyes. It seems like an eternity has passed since I left the safety of our bunker for my mission. My mind is so filled with all the hypotheticals, that I don’t realize I’m not alone until it is too late.

A scream rips from me when I am greeted by an absolute nightmare. A giant spider is sitting beside the bunker entrance, all of his eyes focused upon me. Just like the Gilgamites, he is an odd mixture of bug-like and human-like features. My heart nearly beats out of my chest when he rises to his full height, staring down at me with mixed emotions.

The sound of tearing metal is loud. Covering my ears, I am not prepared for Ragnar quite literally tearing down a wall to get to me, his teeth bared as he confronts this newest threat. He makes it halfway to the spider dude before freezing. I watch in horror as he stands up, the threat disappearing from his demeanor.

“Why did you scream?” He asks confused, scanning what remains of the building for a threat.

“I believe I startled your little mate.” The spider murmurs, standing even taller to greet Ragnar. Ragnar turns to me, confused.

“You didn’t describe what he looked like, and I was unprepared.” I murmur, trying to defend myself. This must be Rolcor, the mysterious monster that lived in the warehouse with Ragnar.

The bunker doors choose that moment to open, my sisters rushing out to investigate the chaos. They don’t even spare Rolcor a look, their eyes landing on me with varying degrees of shock and disbelief. My heart clenches with worry and fear for them before reality rears its head. They are safe. We are finally safe, and we have these males to thank for that.

Relief takes over when I see that they all look healthy, alive and well. Tears fall as all the worry, fear and stress from the last few weeks melts away and it all becomes worth it.

“Reggie!” Kaine cries, running full tilt until she crashes into me, wrapping her arms around me. Michelle and Steph follow close behind, falling against us until we are one giant hug pile. We are all crying, trying to talk at once.

“I thought you were dead!” Steph cries.

“You bitch! How could you leave us that long?” Michelle demands at the same time.

“We weren’t sure what to think when the big guys showed up with your bags.” Kaine murmurs, hardly able to talk through her tears. Pulling back, I wipe at my own face before telling them the entire story.

By the time I finish telling the PG version of the last few weeks, their eyes are huge as they stare at Ragnar, who has come to sit beside me while we talked. His massive head is lying next to me, his eyes closed as he takes a much-needed cat nap.

The twins and Rolcor are keeping watch outside, waiting for Talnag to return from a hunt for fresh meat. Apparently, they have taken it upon themselves to care for my sisters in my stead. Though according to the twins, Talnag was reluctant to stray far from the city. It makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy knowing that our family is growing.

“You are his mate?” Steph asks, her face furrowed with confusion and a little bit of disgust. My nonexistent hackles rise, waiting for their judgment. If they can’t accept Ragnar as my mate, I will be devastated but ultimately it won’t change my mind. I love him too much. They are safe, they are cared for. It is time I start living for myself.

“I am. Is that a problem? If it is then I will leave again. I owe him everything, as do you.” I murmur, motioning to Steph’s arm which is wrapped in bandages but looking much less irritated than the last time I saw it.

‘It’s not a problem, it’s just weird.” She says with a shrug, her gaze no longer focused on me. Turning I follow the line of her sight, through the gaping hole that Ragnar caused. She is looking at Rolcor, and to my shock he is looking right back at her.

“It’s only weird if you make it weird. Our world is changing, as are the norms. The only one who is stopping you from finding happiness is you.” It is a harsh truth but one they all need to hear.

“We can discuss the pros and cons of alien dick later. Did you say there is a baby?” Kaine squeaks, changing the subject. Shit! I completely forgot about Sutton. Climbing to my feet, I am not surprised when Ragnar is instantly awake and, on his feet, so that he can follow me outside.

“Holy shit!” Michelle gasps, startled. Grinning at her reaction, I hurry outside. Sutton is sitting on the ground, rocking a sleeping Angel back and forth.

“Sutton I am so sorry!” My face heats with a blush, unable to believe I forgot all about her. She smiles graciously, waiving away my apologies.

“Don’t worry about it. Rolcor was just telling me about your sisters and how worried they were for you. Besides, Angel needed fed and naps better when it is quiet.” She leans down to kiss her daughter’s head.

“Oh my god, she is so adorable.” Kaine whispers, moving to greet Sutton with a side hug. My other sisters follow suit, oohing and awing over Angel. Stepping back, I lean against Ragnar’s leg. Tipping my head back, I stare into his beautiful azure eyes, basking in the moment. My sisters are outside in the daytime, getting to see a baby for the first time in three years.

We are safe, cared for and we have hope. We all were afraid we would die slowly in the bunker, abandoned by our world while just trying to survive. All of that changed when I caught the attention of the giant beast above me. The most gorgeous, kind soul I’ve ever met.

He fell asleep quickly earlier and I wasn’t able to formally introduce my sisters to him before. Now, my heart feels sure to burst with the need for them to meet. For them to know the beautiful soul that I have the pleasure of calling mine.

“Guys?” I say out loud, catching my sisters’ attention. They swivel to look at me with curiosity. Stepping forward and to the side, I wave towards Ragnar. “Ragnar, these are my sisters. Sisters, this is Ragnar. The love of my life, my heart, my soul, my mate.” His chest puffs up with joy at my words. Slightly unsure, all three sisters just stare at him.

“He is a hell of a lot scarier than the other two.” Kaine mumbles, chewing on her lip in thought. A laugh bursts out of me, not expecting that to be the first thing she said.

“Is not.” Kan mumbles, annoyed. It doesn’t escape my notice that he and Kil have had their eyes glued to my younger sister since she joined us out here.

“Shall we test that theory?” Ragnar asks, using his newfound grasp of the English language as a weapon against the less developed twins. Rolling my eyes, I turn back to Kaine with a smile.

“Yes, he is. He is a big, beastly male who maims any monster he meets.” I say in a mocking tone. Ragnar uses his snout to knock me off balance, affronted by my tone.

“Need I remind you how many beasts I’ve had to kill to keep you safe?” He growls playfully, rubbing his snout against my side. My sisters watch our exchange with varying degrees of annoyance and disgust.

“Get a damn room.” Michelle snarks, standing to dust the grass from her bottom. “Welcome to the family Ragnar. She is your problem now.” She jokes, moving to playfully punch my shoulder.

“It is my honor to call you family. Part of my pack.” Ragnar murmurs, choked with emotion. Smiling, I turn to wrap my arms around him. Shifting, he wraps me up in his arms in a bear hug.

“Holy shit. They get smaller?” Kaine demands, staring at Ragnar with a smidge of awe.

“Smaller is a relative term. He is just less…dinosaur-like.” Steph responds, her own face giving away her shock.

“Okay, maybe I want to hear about the pros and cons of alien dick now.” Kaine mumbles, fanning her face playfully. Sutton laughs quietly, trying to not wake Angel from her nap.

“That is a conversation that will have to wait. I need to go find Talnag and tell him everything that has happened.” Ragnar murmurs, his gaze focused on Sutton. Tilting my head in confusion, I turn away from my now bickering sisters to face him fully.

“What is wrong?” I ask, gaining his attention from the other woman.

“I think it is best that I let Talnag know that Sutton is with us. Have you not wondered why she is comfortable around me, has been right from the start?” He asks, leaning close to whisper his concerns directly in my ear.

“Honestly? I’ve been worried about everything else. What are you saying?” I ask him, wanting clarification. Like a lightning strike, understanding hits me. “You aren’t suggesting that she is his lost mate?” Subtly I shift so that I can see Sutton out of my peripheral, seeing her in a new light.

“I cannot be sure, but the time frame is suspicious. She told us that she came to the human encampment a few months before she gave birth. Talnag told us he lost his mate about a year ago. Angel is six months old. I’m not an expert at human gestation but that seems like a striking coincidence.” His words place a niggle of doubt in my mind as I try to do the mental math and come to the same conclusion that he has.

“Go but be safe.” I murmur, squeezing him in a hug before stepping back. Without another word, he shifts at a run. In mere moments, he is swallowed whole by the trees.

“He will be fine. Talnag never goes far. Your pet prevents that. It follows him on every hunt. Talnag says he thinks the rat is looking for you.” Rolcor reassures me, coming to stand beside me as I watch my mate disappear. My pet? Turning, I mean to ask Rolcor what he is talking about when a cry is torn from me.

“FLOOFY! He is alive???” I demand, turning to the twins for confirmation. They nod at the same time, lupine grins lighting up their faces.

“The little grey rat alien?” Steph asks, drawing my attention to her once more.

“He is not a rat. He is Floofy, and he was hurt trying to save me.” Tears threaten to escape at the memory of his little body, curled into a pained ball.

“They are hard to eradicate for a reason. Their healing abilities rival that of the Memnars.” Rolcor informs me, sitting upon the ground so that he can talk face-to-face. My heart soars at the thought of Floofy being alive and well.

The afternoon passes peacefully, the sun warming our skin as we sit and chat outside. The males stay to keep watch but even so, my mind is filled with worry the longer Ragnar takes to return. When the sun begins to dip in the sky and the shadows lengthen, my heart nearly leaps out of my chest when he materializes from the darkness.

Standing to greet him, I am almost knocked off my feet by a blue-grey blur. Floofy hits me square in the chest, squeals of happiness shaking his tiny body. Tears fall into his scruff as I squeeze him to me, taking comfort in the weight of his tiny body.

“Is Talnag alright?” Rolcor questions Ragnar, everyone on alert as he walks up. Alone.

“Talnag wishes to stay in the forest for now.” Ragnar responds, his gaze finding mine. My heart skips a beat at what that could mean. Imperceptibly, he nods. Using Floofy’s small body as a cover, I turn to stare at Sutton.

While she is playing with Angel and her focus is upon her child, I catch her occasionally looking into the trees. My curiosity is piqued. What happened between her and Talnag, and why didn’t she tell me about it?

“She will speak about it in her own time.” Ragnar whispers in my ear, having shifted to pull me into his chest. He is right. Neither Talnag nor Sutton have been open about their past. It isn’t our place to pry, no matter how curious I am. Pushing it from my mind, I fully embrace this moment.

Turning in Ragnar’s arms, I hug him back, placing my cheek against his chest. Floofy gives an affronted growl before jumping down, running off to my sisters for comfort. A sucker for a cute animal, Kaine sweeps him up for a cuddle.

We made it. We are safe, in this moment surrounded by the people we love. The beat of his multiple hearts is soothing. Leaving the other males to keep watch, Ragnar sweeps me up into his arms, striding purposefully into the dark warehouse. He skips the bunker and heads straight for the tractor.

When he moves behind it, I see the hole in the ground. The one he used to watch us from that I claimed couldn’t possibly exist. Beside it is a nest of dried grass and leaves. Climbing inside, Ragnar turns on his side to tuck me into the cocoon of his body. It feels heavenly. To be loved. To be cherished in the arms of my mate.

“I love you Ragnar.” I murmur against his chest, running my hands down his sides in a caress.

“I love you too, little human.” His words rumble through his chest and into mine, a caress. A vow. A promise of forever as long as we are together.