“Raine …” Keeping his voice soft, Skars attempted to pull her out of her terror-filled haze.
She didn’t react. Her eyes were glazed, as if she was gazing inward.
He gritted his teeth at what he would have to do to pull her out of the childhood memory that she was unable to escape on her own.
“Wife! Hear me!” His strident order had her blinking.
“Skars?” Tremblingly, she clutched part of the broken railing. “What are you doing here?”
“I never left you. You have been within Bjorn’s, Arne’s, or my eyesight since I left your side.”
“I have?” she asked tremulously.
“Já. I did not travel galaxies to lose you because you do not understand our ways.”
“The Viking way sucks!”
Neither man could prevent their amusement from showing at Raine’s insult while she appeared ready to pass out in a faint.
“Já. We can discuss it back on my ship.”
“I’m scared I’m going to die.” She whimpered when the rail started making grating sounds.
“I cannot climb to you; you’ll have to climb down to me. I sent Bjorn for a transport, but I’m afraid the rail will give out before he can get here. If you climb down, I will hold you until he arrives,” he promised.
“I can’t climb down. I’m too afraid,” she whimpered.
“Wife, I will not let you fall. I swear.”
“I can’t.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Wife, look at me. I have something I want you to see.” Holding his position on the statue, with his free hand, he started to unbutton his shirt until his shirt lay exposed. “Can you see from there?”
“I can’t.” She narrowed her eyes on him. Then it must have dawned on her what he was trying to show her. “Am I pregnant?”
“You are carrying my child, wife. You have to be brave and climb down. Please, Raine, I’m begging you to come to me. If you do, I swear I won’t let you fall.”
“How should I climb down?”
“Get down on your stomach and scoot over the edge. I will be able to reach you.”
Heartbreaking cries came from her as she followed his instruction.
Getting in position underneath her, Skars grabbed her by the top of her thighs while Jurzed held him steady from behind as he lowered her into his arms. Turning her in his arms, he sat down with her in his lap.
He wanted to cry tears of his own when she burst into tears of relief. She raised her head, and he felt her hand smooth over a spot on his chest.
“I’m really pregnant?” she asked in an awestruck voice.
“I wouldn’t have lied to you about—” Skars stopped at her disbelieving look. “I may have been willing to lie to get you off the deck, but before the night was over, you would have been, anyway.”
A whirring sound had him carefully rising, with Jurzed’s help, to place Raine in the nejim Arne was driving.
“What about you …?” Raine gave Jurzed a shy smile. “King Jurzed?”
“Bjorn is coming also. I won’t be far behind,” he promised, giving Arne the go-ahead once the door was closed.
Once the nejim was heading away to his ship, Skars turned toward Jurzed. “I owe you my gratitude. I will repay my debt to you for your help this day.”
“That’s two debts you owe me. I’m keeping count.” Jurzed held his hand out for him to clasp.
A smile came to Skars’ lips. He was sure of that fact. One day, there would come a reckoning for the debts he owed Jurzed, but today wasn’t that day. Jurzed was smart enough to hold the debts over his head until he would benefit from them the most.
“The cost of the first debt shouldn’t be high.” The trader in him wouldn’t let Jurzed overvalue his assistance. “If I remember that night, and I do, you gained experience that may come to benefit you in the future.”
“Já.” Jurzed’s serious expression, which was never far away, returned. “But unless I find my tru-mate on Earth, my experience won’t benefit me the way yours did.”
A sound had them lifting their heads.
“I will have Bjorn take you to your men, then he can come back for me.”
Jurzed didn’t argue, taking the space behind Bjorn.
Before Bjorn could close the door, Skars leaned his head inside. “Thorsen told you the boy is in fragile health?”
Skars saw Jurzed tilt his head questionably to the side. Both of them knew Jurzed was already aware of Piper’s condition. He had asked to talk to Trygve, and both clans were looking for the medicine she needed.
“Já?” Jurzed’s eyes became piercing.
“We expect her to come back in good health.”
“Her?”
Skars gave his friend a cunning smile. “Did I say her? My mistake. I meant to say him.”
Straightening away from the nejim, Skars almost regretted telling Jurzed about the deception that had been played on him by the woman, then gave a fatalistic shrug as Bjorn flew them away. At least his friend no longer had such a serious expression.