Page 43 of Ragnar

“Six months. Give them six months.” Laura chimes in, showing the General something on her tablet. He rubs his chin thoughtfully for a moment before nodding.

“You have six months before we will come again. That should be ample time for you to become pregnant. If within the six months you remain barren, we will run tests to see what the problem is. If you are unable to produce offspring, you will be removed from the program.” Dawning horror and bile claw their way up my throat until I just barely hold in the dry heaves. I am saving us now, only to doom us later.

“Remove from the program? You will simply kill me if I can’t get pregnant?” Indignation leaves no room for a filter, my words coming out raw and tortured. The general gives me a droll stare.

“Depends how difficult you become. Regardless, if you choose to ignore the summons I will destroy every human in this compound as a reward for your stubbornness. Six months. You will meet us here or I burn what is left to the ground.” He leaves his words to echo behind him, whirling to walk away as if he has dismissed me from his mind. Laura gives me a pitying look before she turns to follow. They make it to the outer door before he turns around to address the scientist beside Laura.

“Awaken him and release him.” For just a moment, I am convinced I see him wink but he is gone before I can process it. The scientist taps away at his tablet before he also leaves. Laura looks back one more time, an unreadable look on her face before she too is gone.

“What the fuck?” A male voice asks from the shadowed interior of the warehouse, making me jump. Sam. I completely forgot he was even here.

“They can’t be serious? That fucker is going to destroy everything in here!” Their frantic words are beginning to turn fuzzy, the meaning barely penetrating the fog in my brain, everything fracturing my tenuous hold on reality more and more until I can’t do anything but fall to my knees. My hands clasp the sides of my head, trying to hold the pieces together. It is easy to act brave when you are surrounded by threats. Now that it has passed, the adrenaline dump is hitting me like a freight train.

My whole body starts to shake, tears tracking down my cheeks. A twitch at my back makes me fall forwards, twisting so that I fall on my ass as I watch my mate awaken, the chains no longer on his legs and neck. Like my own personal guardian angel, he rises above me so that when my vision begins to tunnel, I see only him.

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.

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