by Connie Mason
“I know we parted on less than cordial terms, but I have come to see the error of my ways. Wed me, Reyna. Wed me and come to live with me. My parents adore you and so do I.”
Why not? Reyna thought. Wulf didn’t want her and she wanted a home of her own and children. The sudden thought occurred to her that she might already be carrying Wulf’s child. She touched her stomach beneath her cloak. If she were increasing, the babe would need a father. Was Ragnar the right man?
“Reyna, say you will wed me.”
“I will think about it.”
Ragnar grasped her shoulders, his fingers digging through her cloak into her soft flesh. “ ’tis the Norseman, I knew it!”
“Ragnar, I…” The words died in her throat when she saw several armed men materialize from behind some nearby trees.
Ragnar noticed where she was looking and spun around. To his credit, he drew his sword, preparing to defend himself and Reyna. “Norsemen! Run, Reyna!” he cried.
One of the men stepped forward and removed his helmet, revealing himself to them. “Olaf!” Reyna exclaimed.
“Aye, Reyna, I have come for my brother. Where is he?”
“You know this Norseman?” Ragnar bit out.
“Aye, ’tis Olaf, Wulf’s younger brother. Put your sword away, Olaf will not hurt us.”
Wulf was slogging through the snow when he saw Dag limping toward him. His heart thudded painfully in his chest. Had something happened to Reyna? Dag saw him and waved. Wulf ran to meet him.
“Are you injured? What happened? Is Reyna all right?”
“Reyna is fine, Wulf. I stepped into a rabbit hole and injured my ankle. Since we had traveled but a short distance from home, I decided to turn back. Reyna is safe with Ragnar.”
“I am not sure about that, Dag. Can you manage on your own?”
“Aye, ’tis not far.”
“Then I shall make sure Reyna reaches her destination safely.”
“Wulf, Reyna is in no…” He might have been talking to the wind, for Wulf had already sprinted off. Dag continued his slow journey home.
They cannot be far, Wulf thought as he followed footprints in the snow. He came to an abrupt halt when he heard voices up ahead. He sensed danger and unsheathed his sword. He didn’t know what or who was ahead, but he would fight to the death to protect Reyna. Taking cover behind a thick tree trunk, Wulf crept from tree to tree until he came close enough to make out what was happening.
The first thing he saw was Ragnar, sword drawn, taking a fighting stance. Then he saw Reyna, who didn’t seem frightened in the least. Gazing beyond them to the enemy, Wulf nearly lost the ability to speak when he recognized his brother Olaf and the crew from his dragon-ship standing behind him.
Wulf stepped out from behind a tree, calling Olaf’s name. “Olaf, what do you do here?”
Olaf crouched and whipped around, smiling widely when he saw Wulf approaching him. Relaxing his stance, he waited for Wulf to reach him. Then they came together, clasping arms and patting each other on the back.
“I am here to rescue you, brother,” Olaf replied.
Chapter Thirteen
“Have you naught to say to me after I’ve come all this way to save your worthless hide?” Olaf chided.
“I cannot believe you are here.”
Finally their arms fell away and they merely stared at each other.
“You are looking well,” Olaf said. “Captivity must agree with you.”
Reyna moved to join them. “Wulf is no longer a captive. My family planned to return him to his home in the spring.”
Olaf’s eyebrows shot up. “How did that come about?”
“Wulf defended our farmstead against invaders. His courage earned him a new name and his freedom. He is now known as Wulf the Defender.”
“You have done well for yourself, brother,” Olaf praised.
“While you,” Wulf charged, “risked your life and those of our friends by crossing the sea during this uncertain time of year.”
Olaf shrugged. “It was either me or Hagar and he was needed at home. I left before Hagar could stop me. One of us had to rescue you, and I preferred it to be me.”
Wulf’s attention sharpened. “Something is amiss at home. What is it?”
Olaf glanced at him, then looked away. “ ’tis mother; she is unwell.” His gaze settled on Reyna. “There is no one in our land with Reyna’s healing skills.”
“What is wrong with Thora?” Reyna asked.
“We do not know. She coughs and has grown weak and listless. I hoped to rescue you and bring Reyna home with us.”
Reyna stiffened. “How did you intend to convince me to return to your farmstead?”
Olaf’s face reddened. “I was prepared to use force, if necessary.”
“Abduction would not have worked, Olaf. I am with my family again after a long absence; I would not have gone with you willingly, and my brothers would have fought to the death to keep me safe.”
Olaf sighed. “I anticipated that but I had to try.”
Reyna looked up as a snowflake hit her forehead. The sky had darkened and the wind had risen. “A storm is brewing. We should return to the farmstead. My family will provide food and shelter for you and your warriors until the weather allows you to return to your homeland.”
“How did you know where to find me?” Wulf asked. “Anyone could have taken me.”
“We searched for you everywhere. If some of the villagers had not seen a Dane ship in the fjord, we would not have figured it out. I still was not sure until we saw Reyna.”
“Is your dragonship secured?” Wulf asked. “We will need it for the return voyage across the sea.”
“We found a landing in a nearby fjord. Luckily it wasn’t frozen over. We stopped at a village first and asked directions to Jarl Harald’s farmstead. We made it known that we were friendly. Our trading expeditions served us well for we speak the Dane language well enough to make ourselves understood.”
“Summon your men and follow me,” Reyna said. “The weather worsens.”
Ragnar had simply stood by and listened during the conversation. Frowning, he asked, “Are you sure you wish to bring Norse warriors into your home, Reyna?”
“I vouch for my brother and his crew,” Wulf snarled. “We do not bite the hand that feeds us.”
“Do you trust the Norseman’s word, Reyna?” Ragnar continued, ignoring Wulf.
Reyna gazed up at Wulf, his forthright gaze meeting hers. “I trust Wulf. If he vows there will be no trouble, I believe him.”
“Then I had best return to my farmstead before the weather closes in.” He turned and strode off.
“We should leave too,” Reyna said as she noted the snow swirling around them. “If this develops into a fullblown blizzard, finding our way home will become extremely difficult.”
Holding the hood of her fur cloak down with her gloved hands, Reyna trudged through the snow toward the farmstead. Wulf fell into step beside her while Olaf and the others followed.
By the time they reached the farmstead, the hall was barely visible through the heavy curtain of snow. Reyna’s feet and hands were nearly numb and her nose had turned red. She led the large group to the front door, opened it and motioned everyone inside.
Everyone in the hall froze in place as more than a dozen Norsemen filed through the door. Harald, Dag and Borg reached for their swords. The Norsemen looked to Wulf for direction.
“Hold!” Wulf said, striding forth. “My countrymen are no threat to you, Jarl Harald.” He pulled Olaf forward. “This intrepid fool is my brother, Olaf, who ventured across the sea to rescue me. The rest of these equally foolish Norsemen blindly followed my brother into danger. We wish you no harm. But now that they are here, they beg your hospitality until such a time that we can return home together.”
Harald strode forward to greet the unexpected visitors. “I have to agree with Wulf the Defender. You are foolish men who risked your lives for naught. We would have returned Wulf to his h
ome when the weather permitted. But you are all welcome to remain until you are ready to journey across the sea to your homeland. Olaf can stay with Wulf in the stillroom and the others can bed down on benches and the floor. We have plenty of fur pelts to go around.”
He turned to his wife, who had come up to join him. “As for food, I will let my wife decide if our winter stores are sufficient to feed everyone.”
“We have food aplenty, husband,” Maida offered. “The harvest was good this year and the Norsemen can hunt for meat when the need arises.”
“Thank you,” Olaf replied. “I am happy my brother proved himself worthy of freedom, for he is needed at home. Our mother is ill and a large part of her illness stems from worry over Wulf’s disappearance.”
Reyna looked away. She felt guilty for refusing to return to treat Thora, but this was her home. This was where she intended to stay.
It was settled, then. The Norsemen huddled around the central hearth to soak up the warmth, and later sat down to a hearty meal, their first hot food since they’d left their homeland. After, one of the Norseman, a talented storyteller, enthralled everyone with his sagas of ancient battles. It was full dark when the visitors were provided with sleeping furs and Wulf and Olaf headed out to Wulf’s sleeping hut.
“How is it that you were given your own sleeping space?” Olaf asked once they entered the small hut.
Wulf immediately walked to the dying fire and fed wood onto the grate. “This is Reyna’s stillroom, as you can see by the herbs hanging from the ceiling to dry. I asked for permission to use it as private sleeping quarters. Later, I was freed for helping to defeat the attack on Harald’s farmstead. During the battle I learned that the attack was led by the Dane who raided our farmstead, the same one who took the lives of Astrid and our aunt.”
“You killed the bastard, I hope.”
“Indeed I did.” He hesitated, then said, “Reyna saved my life during that battle.”
“Sounds like you’ve been leading an active life in the land of the Danes. I hope you have no qualms about returning home with us.”
Reyna’s face rose up before Wulf. He shook her image away. “No qualms whatsoever, brother. Tell me about our mother. Is she truly as ill as you say?”
“Aye, but I am sure that seeing you again will revive her flagging spirits somewhat. She began to fail shortly after you and Reyna disappeared. She started coughing and her condition only grows worse. We need to convince Reyna to return home with us.”
Wulf sat heavily on a bench. “Reyna has only just been reunited with her family, Olaf. She has a fiancé waiting to wed her. Good luck convincing her.”
Olaf’s shoulders stiffened. “Then we must kidnap her. Bringing Reyna to the farmstead is imperative if we wish to save our mother.”
Wulf shook his head. “I cannot allow you to do that, brother. Harald has been good to me. I will not betray his trust in such a manner. If Reyna returns with us, she must do so willingly.”
“That will never happen.” Olaf rested his head in his hands. “I’m tired. ’twas a difficult journey across the sea.”
“You will find sleeping furs in yonder cupboard. Take what you need and make your bed before the fire. Tomorrow we will visit the steam hut if we can wade through the snow to reach the door.”
Wading through the snow was exactly what they had to do the following morning to find the steam hut. And it was still snowing.
“It looks like we’re going to be stranded here for a while,” Wulf remarked. “At least you will be fed and have a warm bed until the weather breaks.”
“I am grateful the weather held until we reached land,” Olaf said. “Thor was looking out for us.”
“The gods favor children and fools,” Wulf muttered.
The two brothers spent an hour in the steam hut, running out naked into the snow once, then returning posthaste. Invigorated, both men dressed and walked to the hall to break their fast.
Men were milling around everywhere in the hall. Wulf wondered how the family was coping with the crowded conditions. He looked around for Reyna and saw her near the hearth, conversing with her mother. She must have felt him looking at her for she turned her head in his direction. Their gazes met, clung, and then Reyna quickly looked away.
“Is Reyna angry with you?” Olaf asked.
Wulf shrugged. “With Reyna ’tis hard to tell.”
“She is coming this way,” Olaf whispered. “I’ll make myself scarce while you make peace with her. Do not forget, brother, we need her skills. Do your best to convince her to return home with us.”
Olaf wandered off toward a group of Norsemen as Reyna joined Wulf. “Were you and your brother talking about me?” Reyna asked.
“Olaf was commenting on your father’s generosity. It was good of him to extend his hospitality to my countrymen. Not all Danes would welcome Norsemen into their home.”
“My father is a good-hearted man. Do not betray his trust.”
“I would not do that,” Wulf said, looking directly into Reyna’s eyes.
She looked away first. “The thralls are setting food out on the tables. Come break your fast with us.”
The food was plentiful and hearty. Wulf ate his fill and joined a group of men who had volunteered to do chores and hunt. Hindered by falling snow, the hunting party soon returned to the hall to while away the time dicing and spinning tales.
Wulf was rarely alone with Reyna during the following weeks and he missed the closeness they had once shared. Watching her move about the hall made him go hard with wanting. Her lithe body held an attraction for him he had felt for no other woman, not even Astrid, whom he had loved dearly. How could he leave Reyna behind when he departed?
The cold and snow continued unabated, trapping too many people in one place. Sometimes tempers grew short and the warriors would bicker among themselves. Chores still needed to be performed and animals had to be fed, breaking up the monotony of white days and black nights.
Weeks turned into months as the winter slowly passed by. Finally, a break in the weather sent excitement through the hall. The warriors decided it was a perfect day for hunting and divided into two groups, each setting out in a different direction.
Reyna watched the warriors leave, with Dag and Borg leading one group and her father leading the other. When she saw Wulf join Harald’s group, she decided to visit the stillroom to pro cess some of the herbs her mother had gathered last summer before she had arrived.
Trudging through the snow, Reyna entered the still-room, removed her outer clothing and began gathering bunches of herbs hanging from a line strung across the low ceiling. Suddenly the door opened and a cold breeze swept into the room. Reyna spun around and saw Wulf standing in the doorway, his shoulders blocking out the light. He stepped inside and closed the door.
“What are you doing here? I thought you went hunting.”
Wulf glanced toward his pallet, where a wicked-looking blade rested on the furs. “I left my hunting knife and returned to retrieve it. What are you doing here?”
“I decided to work in the stillroom today. Some of the herbs are ready to be pro cessed.”
Wulf removed his outer wear, tossing the heavy furs on a nearby bench. “I am glad to find you alone. Privacy is hard to come by in the crowded hall.”
“I did not know we needed to be alone,” Reyna shot back.
“Do you still intend to wed Ragnar?”
“Naught has changed my mind since last we spoke. If you recall, you refused to—”
Before she could finish, he hauled her to him, clamping her against the hard length of his body and lowering his mouth to hers. She squirmed in his arms, but he held the back of her head firmly in his large palm so she could not turn away. Then, to her mortification, she did not want to turn away. As always, Wulf’s kisses made her knees tremble and she clung to him, aware of the stimulating scent of aroused warrior and the compelling taste of his mouth.
His mouth moved over hers, hard, hungry and desperat
e. She felt utterly consumed by him, appalled by his easy seduction of her. Had she no pride? When would she learn the handsome Norseman wanted only one thing from her? He did not want a Dane for a wife; he wanted a bed slave.
She pushed against his massive chest. “No, Wulf, I cannot let you do this to me again.”
“You want this, Reyna. Your eyes and body do not lie.”
“I am female and human, Wulf. No flesh and blood woman could resist your kisses. But that doesn’t make it right.”
Wulf’s eyes devoured her, his hunger for her ravenous. “No matter how long and loud you protest, you are mine, Reyna. You will never wed Ragnar.”
“You are wrong, Wulf. Ragnar is my last chance for a husband and family. No other man will want me, not after all that has happened to me.”
Wulf’s silver eyes darkened as he lowered his head and claimed her mouth. He kissed her like a man starved for the sweet taste of her, his tongue slipping into her mouth to explore her more fully. He groaned into her mouth. He had been denied this pleasure far too long. He kissed her until her breath seized and his head began to spin with heady pleasure. At length he broke off the kiss and gazed into her eyes.
“Return with me to my homeland, Reyna.”
She lowered her eyes. “I cannot do that. I will be neither your thrall nor your bed slave.”
“You will be treated as one of the family; why can that not be enough for you?” His eyes blazed into hers. “My mother needs you, Reyna.”
“Your mother needs me, but you do not,” Reyna charged.
“I do need you. We can be…” he searched for a word and seized on the only one that came to him, “partners.”
“Partner is a pretty word, Wulf, but not as pretty as wife. Ragnar does me honor by asking me to be his wife.”
“You know my feelings. Wedding a Dane would dishonor the memory of Astrid and my unborn child.”
“How would bedding me without marrying me be a more honorable choice? Your wife is dead. You cannot live in the past forever.”