Page 16 of Rathgar

Janie snaps her head up at my words, her eyes surprised and a little angry. “You’re the big, bad alpha, remember? What were you doing, just hovering over my bed watching me sleep? Or were you about to run off too, now that you’ve finished with me?” Her voice cracks and her arms wrap around her knees.

My heart breaks for her. And more than ever, I want to tear that bastard that hurt her limb from limb. “I was simply checking on you,” I snap back. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

Janie snorts. “I’ve heard that one before. Every time I let a man into my life or my bed, I end up getting hurt.”

I can’t take it anymore. I lunge forward, letting the anger and emotion transform into something else. I cover her body with my own, my hands pinning her to the bed as I force her to look at me. Her breathing picks up and her skin heats under my touch, but she’s not lost to the heat just yet.

She needs to hear what I have to say, and she needs to understand.

“Listen to me, Janie.”

She gulps. Lets out a shuddering breath. Nods.

“I know you haven’t had the best luck with men. I know there have been people that hurt you. If I could make it all go away, if I could avenge your pain and make it better…I would.” I dip my head lower, next to her ear. She shivers at my touch, but doesn’t pull away.

“Don’t you understand yet? You’re not on Earth anymore. I’m not one of them. Yes, we do things differently around here. That’s not going to change. But you know what will change? The way you expect to be treated. Hear me now, and listen well: no Aesir man will ever harm you. It’s the lowest, most dishonorable form of cruelty and cowardice. If I ever cross paths with that lowlife, you better believe he will regret the day he chose to abandon you.”

Janie softens under my touch, her eyes wide. The tension’s still there, but slowly, it’s fading. Good. That means I’m getting through to her. I press a kiss to the pulse of her neck. Her ear. Her cheekbones. Her nose.

“While you are here, I, nor any of my men, will ever lay a hand on you without your consent. I would never, ever hurt a female I was not in combat with. Especially not…” I groan as her scent starts to swell again. “…my omega.”

Janie slithers her hands up to cup the sides of my face, and I cover her soft palms with my own. I plant a kiss on her knuckles, then drop my head to capture her lips in a kiss.

I wish I could express myself better. I wish that I could tell her just how special she is and have her actually believe it. But this is all we have, for now, so I nuzzle against her and take in the sounds of her quickening breaths. The staccato beats of her heart.

And as her heat heightens, so too does my hunger. I use that to my advantage — to tease out those sensations and help her forget the past. I can’t undo the way she was treated and I can’t change what’s already happened. But maybe, just maybe, I can give her enough good memories to replace the bad ones. And who knows. Maybe one day she’ll look in the mirror and be proud of what she sees there.

As Janie softens beneath me and my cock jumps to attention, I draw out the moment, leaving her gasping and writhing before my dick’s even out. It won’t come close to expressing what I really feel…but it’s enough.

CALL

JANIE

I sigh with relief and contentment as I ease into the steaming bath. After experiencing the best in Aesir luxury, I can see what Lara didn’t want to leave. The bathtub’s more like a small spa, featuring more jets, nozzles, and scented soaps and lotions than I’ve ever seen in my life.

And to think that these people live like this…

It’s a far cry from our old life, that’s for sure. I lean my head back onto the pile of towels and stretch my legs, letting the hot water ease away my aches. My heat’s finally going away, and although I can’t deny it was fun, my body’s ready for a little rest and relaxation.

Ever since my heat hit, the days seemed to blur together. If I wasn’t having sex with Rathgar, I was thinking about having sex with Rathgar. It’s terrifying, having something so all-consuming take hold of you on a daily basis. But also, kind of liberating?

I close my eyes and let the soothing massage of the water jets take me away. My mind drifts…and I find myself once again thinking of Rathgar.

Odd. I’m not even in heat anymore. Anyone would be hot for the nearest dick if they were all hopped up on hormones, but now? I had no reason to still be thinking about him. Right?

Even the tub feels a bit more empty without him in it. The last few times, I’ve bathed while wrapped in Rathgar’s arms. I sit between his legs while he scrubs my skin and shampoos my hair. All the while he whispers such sweet nothings to me, words that would have fooled a younger me.

But I’m older and wiser now. I know it’s nothing more than a chemical reaction for the both of us. I can appreciate the experience, remember it fondly, and move on with my life. That’s that.

I wonder if he’ll stick around once I go in for my physical and get the final test results. My stomach cramps at the thought. I remember all too well that fateful night when I confronted Jack.

He’d promised so much. Acted like he truly cared for me, like he would be there for me no matter what. In a matter of moments, all that changed with two pink lines on a plastic stick. I never heard from him again after that night.

Good riddance.

I think back to how passionate Rathgar got when I told him about it. How utterly shocked and disgusted he was that someone would do that. I scoffed. Maybe things really are different here, but it’s all too common down on Earth.

Will Rathgar keep his word, or will he be yet another man that disappeared at the first sign of commitment?

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