The Rýkr Duet

by M. E. Clayton

  “What’s that all about?” he whispered as he leaned in closer to me.

  “I almost fucked Neve in the backseat of her car earlier,” I rushed out as quietly as I could.

  “The storm,” he surmised.

  I nodded. “The storm.”

  “So, what’s the problem?” he asked. “Sounds like she’s getting onboard the crazy train willingly.”

  I shot my brother a look. It was easy for him to make jokes because Avalon wasn’t a spiteful shrew destined to give him headaches for the rest of his days.

  I wasn’t so lucky.

  “Will you be serious for once?” I snapped.

  Griffin let out a low whistle. “Damn…” Since he’s always been the serious one, I knew he was dying to say those four little satisfying words: I told you so.

  I let out a steady breath. “She might be coming around to accepting all this bullshit, but she doesn’t like me, Griff,” I told him. “She doesn’t fucking like me. How am I expected to tie myself to a female who doesn’t like me for the rest of my goddamn life?”

  “Maybe if you’d quick being a dick, that might change her mind about you, Easton,” he fired back. “You haven’t given her one reason to like you.”

  “She’s not exactly sweet as a peach her-damn-self, Griff,” I hissed. “I’m ready to roll over on this fucked-up experiment, but how am I supposed to convince Neve to give up the ghost, too? If the real world would just fade away and let me stay in bed with her for the rest of our lives, sure, that’d work. But I doubt that’s the way it’s going to go down.”

  “You have to get her to sleep with you,” he advised as he shrugged a shoulder. “The rest will figure itself out, but you have to tie her to you first. Sleeping with her is the only way to do that.”

  My teeth were clenched so hard that there was a real threat to cracking one. “She’s already accused me of manipulating the bond to get away with what happened in the car,” I told him. “Are you saying I’m supposed to just keep that up?”

  His brows drew inward. “Well, you didn’t tell me that part.”

  I rolled my eyes like a pre-teen girl, then went into greater detail about what happened earlier. I left out the sexual elements of what happened, but I told him everything from the second I spotted Neve with that asshole up to when we’d gotten out of her car. I even told him about threatening her parents, and that really set him off.

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he growled, and Griffin wasn’t much of a growler. He was the reasonable brother. “Why would you threaten her parents?”

  “I was desperate,” I admitted. “I swung in the dark.”

  “And missed, you asshole,” he clipped out.

  “Can you fucking focus for one minute?”

  “On what, exactly?” he shot back. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me or what advice you’re seeking?”

  I ran my hands down my face and back up again, tangling them in my hair.

  And pulled.

  I was so goddamn frustrated, and I was hitting the trifecta: mentally, emotionally, and sexually. And no matter how many times I’ve told myself that this was all my fucking fault, taking responsibility for my stupidity wasn’t helping me a lick. It was just pissing me off further, and I couldn’t say that I wasn’t going to punch my father in the face the next time I saw him.

  “I’m just pissed,” I finally admitted. “I’m just pissed, Griff.” I let out a dark laugh. “I’m pissed for me, Neve, you, and Avalon. And even though you and Avalon have seemed to have made it work, I’m still pissed for you. I’m so fucking mad at everything.”

  Griffin let out a deep sigh. “I know you are,” he replied. “You’ve been pissed off for four damn years, so I imagine it’s kind of hard to just turn it off, but…Easton, man, you’re going to have to make up your mind about what you want. What’s stronger, your anger at Dad or your need for Neve?”

  “Right now, my anger at Dad.” Right? If my need for Neve was stronger, I would have taken her in the backseat earlier. I wouldn’t have been able to stop if my need for her had been that strong. Meanwhile, the anger I felt for my father never ebbed. It never stopped. I’ve been mad at him since the day he told us about his fucked-up experiment. I wasn’t sure I could turn it off, even if I wanted to.

  “Then leave the girl alone and go back to Rýkr,” he advised. “Forget the rest of the day and go home. Go home and talk to Severus about severing your bond. Ask if it can be done. Ask someone anything, Easton.” My brother shook his head. “You can’t go on like this. Sixty years is a long time to be miserable.”

  “That’s your solution?” I asked, pissed that it sounded so simple coming from his mouth.

  “I promised Avalon that I’d let her finish her senior year and graduate,” he said. “I can watch out for Neve and made sure she’s got the support she needs while you end things between you-”

  “I’m not ending it,” I snapped, his casual approach to my life pissing me off further. “She’s mine. That’s not what I’m…fuck…”

  Griff’s eyes widened. “Holy shit,” he gawked. “It really bothers you that she doesn’t like you, doesn’t it?”

  I didn’t lie to my brother, so I told him the truth. “Yes.”

  Griffin toss his head back, then rolled his neck around, trying to lessen the stress I was undoubtedly putting there. When he looked back at me, he said, “Spill your guts,” he finally advised. “Tell her the truth. Tell her that you were and are pissed about what Astra did and that you did mess with other girls to rebel and that you do hate the idea of not having a choice and that your biggest struggle is handing Astra everything he’s wanted on a silver platter because you are feeling pissed off and resentful.”

  My brows shot up. “Because that’s supposed to endear her to me?”

  “No,” he clipped. “But it explains why you’ve been behaving like an asshole, and maybe if she sees that there is a valid reason for your behavior, she can distinguish the difference between you acting like an asshole and actually being an asshole.”

  I thought about that. “Basically, throw myself on the sword.”

  “Do you have a better idea?” he countered. “Tell her the truth, Easton. Tell her you were fucking wrong and you’re struggling with admitting that to yourself. If at the end of your emotional self-cleansing, you still feel like it’s not worth the fight, then go back Rýkr. Part ways and do your best to deal with it.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t part ways,” I replied. “Not after what happened earlier. I can’t walk away from…” I let out a deep breath. “Let’s just say the broken pieces don’t feel so broken anymore, and I’m not about to give that up and go back to living with all that…turmoil.”

  Another deep sigh. “Look, I don’t like the idea of Astra winning just as much as you do but having Avalon in my life trumps everything else. I’d rather congratulate Astra on his successful experiment than reject my bond with Avalon. I want Avalon to be happy more than I want Astra to be miserable.”

  “Well, now I really feel like an asshole,” I grimaced.

  “Sharpen your sword, throw yourself on it, claim the girl, and then let’s do what we need to in order to make this right.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “We take the girls to Rýkr and get them the answers they need to be able to move on from this clusterfuck,” Griffin replied. “We give them the opportunity to confront Astra and take back some control.”

  “And if it all goes to shit?”

  “Don’t care,” he returned easily. “As long as I have Avalon, I don’t care about anything else.” Another sigh. “However, I’m also not the crown prince.”

  I snorted. “Like I give a fuck about that.”

  “So, we show the girls that we don’t give a fuck about anything but them,” he said. “We prove ourselves.”

  I liked the idea of confronting Astra. I liked the idea of the girls having the opportunity to unload their newly found baggage. “Let
’s do this.”

  Chapter 12

  Neve~

  As predicted, the second we made it to Avalon’s locker, Griffin was there waiting for her, his arms crossed over his chest, his shoulder leaning up against the metal.

  It was a damn shame they were so damn good-looking.

  The second we were within earshot, he winked at me and said, “Hell of a thunderstorm, yeah?”

  I flipped him off. “Don’t,” I almost laughed. “Easton’s a big enough asshole for both of you. You don’t need to join in.”

  Griffin grinned, and though they were fraternal twins, he looked so much like Easton it made my heart lurch. “Just trying to lighten the mood,” he defended.

  “Pointing out how I’m an idiot is not lightening he mood,” I replied dryly. Then a thought occurred to me. “Speaking of idiots, where’s your brother?”

  My entire body shivered when Easton’s voice reached my ears. “Right here.” I turned around and watched him make his way towards our little group. “Miss me?”

  I didn’t.

  My body did.

  My body was stupid, though.

  But instead of admitting that, I ignored him and turned back to my sister. “Look, I-” A pair of warm, strong, capable arms wrapped around me from behind, rendering me completely mute.

  “I missed you,” he lied.

  Avalon’s eyes met mine, and I knew she could tell I was struggling.

  Or caving.

  Ever since I was ten, I’ve wanted a boyfriend who would make me feel special, pretty, wanted, and loved, but if this wasn’t a case of being careful what you wish for, then I was stupider than I thought. The way Easton felt wrapped around me was everything I’ve always wanted times a million and the feeling was heady and probably destructive. No matter how good he felt, being tied to another human being like this was still a scary concept. All I kept picturing were those heartbroken wolves that howl in the night at the loss of their mate. All I kept picturing was the heartache they endured for the rest of their lives, the biggest piece of their souls missing.

  Fuck.

  My.

  Life.

  “Maybe we should give you guys some privacy to talk,” Griffin suggested tactfully. “I’ll see you in third, Easton.”

  Avalon’s eyes were still fixed on mine. “Are you okay with that?” she asked, and I wanted to hug the shit out of her. And I would have, too, if Easton hadn’t had a lock on my body. Even with her soulmate at her side, Avalon was still not going to leave me if she thought I needed her. My sister had that quiet strength about her that people never saw coming.

  I jerked my thumb towards Easton standing behind me. “Go head,” I replied. “I can handle this idiot on my own.”

  Avalon’s lips twitched. “Call me if you need me.”

  And then Easton said the one thing I never expected to come out of his mouth. “She’s safe with me, Avalon. I promise.”

  Swoon.

  How in the hell was I supposed to resist him and make a stand for all that was right, then give his family the blasting they deserved, when he was saying crap like that?

  So unfair.

  “She better be,” my sister sing-songed right before Griffin grabbed her hand, and they made their way past us to go do whatever it was that they did when they had a moment’s privacy.

  When they were finally out of sight, I turned in this jerk’s arms and looked up at him. “Seriously?”

  Easton’s arms dropped from my body and I hated that I hated that. “I had a talk with Griffin and it all really comes down to two things.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I keep you or find a way to let you go,” he said simply. Shrugging a shoulder, he added, “And after what just happened in your car, I’m not letting you go.”

  I couldn’t stop the sad laugh that escaped as I ran my hands down my face in pure exhaustion. Like that stupid prophecy in the book, I was tethered to Easton. I knew this. I could feel it, for Christ’s sake. There was no denying the bond and that it existed, or that it was just as consuming as Avalon’s was with Griffin.

  But, God, how I hated the lack of control of it all.

  It was time to be honest, though. “I don’t know how to move past the resentment of the situation,” I told him truthfully. “I don’t know how to look at you and not want to fight against everything you represent in my life.”

  Something in Easton’s expression changed. He was regarding me more thoughtfully. He looked as if he was seeing inside my soul. I knew it wasn’t his powers because his eyes were still blue, and he couldn’t use them on me anyway, but something changed.

  Finally, he said, “I feel the exact same way.”

  “But?”

  The jerk smirked. “But I want to fuck you.”

  “Eat a dick,” I spewed before turning my back on the asshole.

  I felt his arm wrap around my waist at the same time his laughter tickled my ear. “I’m kidding,” he laughed.

  “Screw you,” I fired back. “This isn’t a fucking joke, Easton.”

  He turned me around in his arms. With the jerk laughing at me, I had expected to see mirth on his face, but there was nothing but seriousness staring down back at me. “You think I don’t know that?” he hissed. “This is my life, too.”

  “Then quit acting like a dick,” I snapped.

  His other arm came around me, and I hated my obvious weakness where he was concerned. “I’m not acting like a dick. I do want to fuck you.” I should have felt appalled at his choice of words, but all I felt was turned on. “But I want to fuck you because you belong to me, Neve,” he clarified. “Not because I want to get my dick wet. Not because you’re hot. Not because teenage hormones are a motherfucker. I want to fuck you because. You. Belong. To. Me.”

  “So, this is about sex again?”

  “No,” he denied. “This is about our bond. This is about us. This is about Rýkr.”

  “And what about your father?”

  “Griffin’s right,” he said. “If we make this about him, the only people who are going to suffer for it are us, Neve.”

  I dropped my forehead on his chest with all the exhaustion I felt. I knew he was right. I knew he was right, but that didn’t help with the anger. Neither did the way Easton’s hands began rubbing up and down my back.

  “I’m coming for you tonight,” he said, his voice low and serious, leaving no room for doubt. “I’m going to speak with your parents, and you’ll be spending the night at my place tonight.”

  I didn’t say anything as I stood there and let Easton comfort my confusion. I stared down at our feet, his hands soothing my uneasiness, his heartbeat a low echo around my head. I knew what he was getting at. I knew what it all meant. And I also knew I should be yelling at him or fighting him on this, but his hands on my body were making common sense fade away. After what happened earlier, it felt as if his nearness was the only thing that was beginning to matter.

  “I don’t even like you,” I muttered like a brat.

  With my forehead still on his chest, I felt him chuckle. “If it’s any consolation, I’m not particularly fond of you, either.”

  I couldn’t stop the laughter that escaped. I looked up at him. “You’re such an asshole.”

  “I know, baby,” he said softly, his arms tightening around me.

  “So, what happens now? After…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. If I let myself think too long on it, I knew I would begin to get nervous.

  “We’ll finish out the rest of the school week, and then…”

  My eyes narrowed. “Then?”

  “How do you feel about taking a trip to Rýkr this weekend?” he asked, surprising me.

  “What?”

  “I’m tired of being the only asshole you feel the need to yell at,” he smirked.

  Yeah, Easton Keenstone was going to be my undoing.

  Chapter 13

  Easton~

  Even though Griffin said Mr. Lively wasn’t an asshole, I w
as still here to take his second daughter from him, and I couldn’t see him taking that well. I shook my head as I added the Livelys to the list of people whose lives Astra’s fucked up.

  I knocked on the door and waited to see if Mr. Lively was going to let me in or tell me to fuck off. If he told me to fuck off, I wouldn’t be surprised, but I’d also have to defy him.

  After I had let Neve go to third period, I had thought a lot about what Griffin had said, and the simplicity of his statement had really hit home. He wanted Avalon to be happy more than he wanted Astra to suffer, and that was the bottom line for him. That goddamn bond we were cursed or blessed with-depending on your viewpoint-made Avalon Griffin’s priority over everything else. And I knew it wasn’t that he wanted Avalon to be happy, but that he needed her to be happy if he had any chance at happiness himself. The closer they got, the more fused their souls would become, and soon, he’d be able to feel everything that was Avalon Stallard Lively.

  And the same went for me.

  The door finally opened, and Mr. Lively did not look happy to see me. “Are you the other boy?”

  I did my best not to laugh. He made us sound like the plague come to sicken his precious children. “I am, sir.”

  He let out a deep breath. “And I suppose you’re here to tell me you’re taking Neve with you tonight, so that you can get to know each other better?” he deadpanned, and I was pretty sure I’ve never been more uncomfortable in all my life. Talk about awkward.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Lively started scratching the back of his head, dragging out the awkwardness. After a bit, he said, “And I suppose if I say no, I’ll get the same speech of how I’ll be traumatizing Neve by keeping you two apart?”

  This time, I snorted. “Though a painful and miserable existence, I doubt Neve will feel like she’s being traumatized,” I answered honestly. “The girl can hardly stand me.”

  Mr. Lively’s lip twitched, and I was pretty sure the man was trying not to laugh at my honesty. “Yeah, well, Neve’s always been rather independent.”

  I lifted a brow. “Is that what you call it?”