Bikar (Brigands of Ruk #6)
1. Bikar
BIKAR
With a heavy heart, I sever the comm connection with Falon.
Forcing myself to turn away from the massive sight of the ship as it disappears from Deapra’s atmosphere—whilst unknowingly harboring my brother—I shake my head in frustration.
Falon, the most impetuous of my siblings, snuck aboard as a stowaway.
And deep in my soul, I know I may never see him again.
What makes it even worse is that I am the only one privy to the knowledge he has left us to chase a female that loathes the very sight of him.
The ship he has decided to infiltrate is captained by none less than one of Commander DaR’s sons.
Falon is going to need all the luck he can get, and it makes my blood run cold that he could be killed for his actions…
and we would never know, since right now, communication with beings beyond the Veil is all but impossible.
Peering up at the sky, I offer a quick prayer to the gods of Ruk, specifically Lux—the god of light.
Great Lux, please watch over my brother. He is going to need it.
Frack.
Now I have to tell mam what Falon’s done. She just reunited with all of us, and now this happens. Her hearts are going to break all over again, and then there is little Atasha…
Our sister grew exceptionally attached to the six of us faster than we ever expected.
I suppose hearing mam talk about all of us her entire life created larger-than-life expectations for her older siblings to live up to—not that any of us wish to tell Atasha anything to the contrary.
She has all of us wrapped around her tiny little finger.
Truth be told, I am not in good standing with any of my brothers right now, and delivering this news will do me no favors.
In my single-minded determination to get what I want—desperate to bridge the gap with my mate, who’s terrified of males—I knowingly sacrificed the well-being of the only younger brother I have.
Murgul.
A pang of regret hits me in the chest as I stride back inside the rock compound to convey my news. I am not sure how well this will go over, and I have to admit, if only to myself, that I do not want to share this.
Frack you for making me be the one to do this, Falon!
Entering the crowded dining area, the sound of raucous laughter warms my soul, but the tic that my presence is noticed, an awkward silence descends over the room.
My brothers and their mates are spread out around several of the tables enjoying a break in the rotations duties.
The levity fades away as if it never existed, and dread fills me.
Rubbing the back of my neck in dismay, I clear my throat and do my best to ignore the way Murgul, Vrog, and Gwen glare at me from their seats.
“Ehm. I have something to tell everyone.”
Slavic, in his usual fashion, frowns at me and booms back expectantly. “Well?”
Taking a fortifying breath, I spit it all out at once. “Falon snuck aboard EvO’s ship, Destiny, to chase after his mate, Edie. By now, they are almost to the edge of the Void, if they have not reached it already, considering how advanced their vessel is.”
A sharp, wounded sound escapes Atasha, and she collapses against mam’s side, tears streaming down her wee, heartbroken face. Her little body heaves with the force of her sobs as she vents her turbulent emotions in the comforting arms of our mam.
Slavic leaps to his feet and roars. “He did what?! We have to go get that fool. Einar, Ruarc, Murgul—get to the Zenith. NOW! We do not have a tic to lose.”
Shrugging my vest off, I relax the muscles in my back, and spread my large, leathery wings out, effectively blocking the doorway. The sight of them shocks everyone enough that they slide to a halt before me. “No.”
Narrowing my eyes, I glare at my hot-headed brethren, pausing just long enough to ensure I have their full attention before continuing.
“I managed to have a brief conversation with Falon before Destiny left the atmosphere. He deliberately stated that he does not want us to come for him. Edie triggered his mating collar, but his lascivious ways have estranged her from him. She has no need, want, or love for our brother. Which means she will never consent to remain with us when EvO and ViN revealed a planet with more humans and luxuries we cannot provide our own humans here on Deapra.”
Almost in unison, my brothers deflate before me.
Their large forms slumping with dismay and sorrow at the loss of Falon.
Einar wraps his massive arms around Slavic and Ruarc, pulling them close, offering them comfort the only way he knows how.
A low moan escapes Murgul, and Gwen appears at his side, sliding under his arm before hugging him to her.
Watching my bloodthirsty sibling cling to his mate sends shards of guilt and regret stinging through me.
Slowly, all my brothers’ females approach and pull their mates into the comfort of their supple forms. I must admit, if only to myself, that I am deeply jealous of what they have, since my mate reeks of terror anytime I approach her.
Taking a small step away, I give the couples their space as my presence is clearly not really wanted.
This is the first time since escaping the Aynar on Viri 9 that any of us have been separated from one another, excluding the brief time when Murgul was captured and tortured by the Velgriddix.
Essentially, being permanently separated from each other is a concept that none of us were ever prepared to deal with, and the overwhelming scent of sorrow is so thick it could choke a being.
Slow footsteps approach us, and mam appears.
Peering over her shoulder, I see that she has left Atasha with Bambi and her dear friend, Heather.
I offer my mate a hesitant smile, and she immediately turns her head away from me.
My wings droop in dismay, and I make myself refocus on our mam.
To my surprise, she reaches up, patting first Slavic, then Ruarc, then Murgul, then Einar, and finally me—lovingly—on the cheek.
Her face relaxes, if only a little, as she sees her sons finding solace in the arms of their females. When her red-rimmed gaze falls on me, standing alone, something akin to pity fills her eyes, and I avert my face, unable to handle the disappointment residing there.
Mam freely offers us all the maternal comfort we have longed for over many orbital rotations. Her world-weary gaze is full of emotion, but her mouth is firm as she comforts us, the rasp in her voice more pronounced than usual. “I cannot say that I did not expect something like this. A mate…”
Her voice breaks, sorrow dripping from every word, but her somnolent eyes bore into mine as she keeps going.
“…a mate is everything, my sons. Take comfort. The one called SCOUT said he would establish some sort of communication since Amy Lynn, ViN’s daughter, bonded with our Atasha.
We may never see him again, but that does not mean he is completely lost to us. ”
Mam’s final pointed look strikes the chord she fully intended it to.
It tells me she does not condone what I did to Murgul, but she understands why.
Because a mate… is everything to a Ruk. That is more than any of my brothers has offered me of late.
I have wanted to rage at my siblings and ask them what lengths they would have gone to for their mates, but that would stir needless disharmony between us.
Retracting my wings, I shudder at the sensation of them slipping into the slits hidden amongst the spines across my back.
Then I nod in understanding while simultaneously avoiding my brother’s stares.
None of them is slow of wit and knows exactly what’s being left unspoken.
Turning, I spin on my heel and leave the room…
but not before I glance at my precious mate again, just for a tic, basking in her presence from afar.
For now.