I eyed Thor carefully, not really content with his answer, but at this point, I didn’t really care anymore. What was done was done. It was time to move on.
“Hel has taken some friends of mine. They’ve been gone for months, and I’m trying to get them back, but I have limited resources in Midgard,” I said, telling him the truth. “Odin let me visit Valhalla where I found out there were other valkyries in Midgard. I need to find them. Maybe they can help.”
Thor scratched at his chin. “You’ve seen Odin, eh?”
“I’ve more than seen Odin. He tried to kill me,” I blurted, not knowing why I told him that.
“Is that why you’re with Fenrir?”
“No!” I shot up from the bench. “It’s not like that. No matter what, I would never kill our father.”
“Can you say the same for the wolf?” He raised a brow. “Our truce with Loki is delicate, but he’s not trustworthy. And as you can see, neither are his children.”
I swallowed loudly. No matter what, that damn prophecy would follow Fen wherever he went, and what his sister was doing wasn’t making matters any better.
“I trust Fenrir with my life,” I said. “He has saved it countless times, and there have been many times where he could have killed Odin, but he hasn’t.”
“I see.” Thor eyed me. “And he’s done this for you?”
“What?”
“Fenrir, he hasn’t killed our father because he’s in love with you?”
My eyes widened, and I almost fell backward. “He’s not in love with me!”
“It sure seems that way. He’s quite overprotective of you.” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.
“He’s a wolf; they’re all like that.”
“Be careful, Hrefna.” Thor stood. “I worry, if you break his heart, what he would do.”
In other words, would he go kill Odin? But Fen wasn’t in love with me; he couldn’t be. We said no emotions.
“So, what do you plan to do with me?” I asked him. Freya wasn’t wrong. The law stated I should be in prison for defying my sisters and turning my back on my duty.
“You’re safe, Hrefna. Frigg is queen, and she won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, but I was shocked she would protect me. She never disliked me like Freya did, but she always stayed behind the scenes as Odin’s first wife. “As for the other valkyries and finding your friends, I might be able to help with that.”
My shoulders relaxed, and for once I felt a little of the weight of the world leave my chest. With Thor’s help, we might stand a chance.
4
Flashback
The clouds were dark and gray, thunder roared and lightning struck the still night. Every Asgardian was hiding inside their homes, not daring to come out when Thor was angry. Lightning struck the cobbled street before us, and the ground shattered, debris flying in the air. I held my arm over my face to cover myself.
“By the gods, what has him so upset?” Hildr said beside me. We were walking the empty streets of Asgard. It wasn’t necessarily the brightest idea, but curiosity got the best of me. “I don’t know, Hrefna. Maybe we should go back to Valhalla.”
A loud roar came from the town center, and I hurried to follow the sound. The sword behind me bounced on my back as I ran.
“Hrefna!” Hildr yelled quietly, but I ignored her.
Thor, in all his golden armor, stood in the middle of the town center, hands fisted and lightning exuding out of them, striking the sky. His eyes flashed the same as if it were a current running through his body. He held his fist in the air and then slammed it on the ground. The force threw me and Hildr back.
“We should not be here,” she growled.
I got to my feet, my eyes full of wonder, and walked toward Thor. Hildr stayed put, hissing at me to get back.
“Thor,” I said loudly enough that he could hear me. “What is wrong?”
His gaze snapped in my direction, and it was so feral, I wasn’t sure he even recognized me. He watched me for some time before the lightning disappeared from his eyes and they turned hazel.
“Hrefna,” he whispered, but I heard him. “You should not be around me when I’m angry.”
“You’re going to tear Asgard apart,” I admonished. “You must stop.”
“I can’t. Mjölnir is missing.”
My eyes widened. His hammer was missing. But that was impossible; it came when he called. No force possible could stop it.
“We will find it, Thor,” I stepped closer to him, careful of the lightning. “But you need to control yourself. Think of Asgard.”
“You will help me?” He tilted his head to the side.
I steeled myself and straightened, placing a fist over my heart. “I swear to you, I will not fail you.”
Lightning crackled between us, and thunder reverberated in the sky before it simmered and disappeared. Thor hovered over me, taking a fist and placing it over his heart.
“Then, Hrefna, I will forever be in your debt.”
5
Present Day
I parted ways with Thor, and he promised to find me later so we could come up with a plan. I climbed the stairs up to the palace to look for Fen when I heard the murmurs of him and Loki. I shouldn’t eavesdrop. I trusted Fen, but I couldn’t help but tiptoe inside and hide behind one of the pillars.
“She was an overachiever, your sister. Although I never suspected this.” Loki laughed as if amused. “It took a lot of persuasion to get the charges dismissed for your part in freeing her. I haven’t even received a thank you.”
“I never asked you to do that,” Fen growled.
“You didn’t have to, boy!” Loki yelled. “Just because your sister’s crazy doesn’t mean you are.”
“If you knew how unstable she was, why did you help me free her?” Fen whisper-yelled. “Why tell me about the valkyrie in Midgard?”
“I knew you couldn’t resist.” Loki chuckled. “I just didn’t expect you to fall in love with her. For the love of the gods, boy, you’re like a different person. You used to be more like me.” There was pride in his voice, and when I thought about it, Loki was right. Fen had changed. A lot. When I met him again in Portland, he didn’t take much seriously. He reveled in chaos and mischief; he was the definition of Loki’s son. Now, I didn’t even know how to describe him. He was different; he’d grown up.
“I don’t know what you expect me to say,” Fen said, clearly having given up.
“I expect you to know what to do when the time comes. Family before anyone else. Always remember that,” Loki said.
That could mean so many things, but my mind wandered to the only possible conclusion: that eventually Loki would side with Hel and he expected Fen to do the same.
I quietly went down the stairs and around the palace to the front entrance and yelled, “I’ll see you later,” pretending to have just parted ways with Thor before running up the steps to the palace. I loudly crossed the way, making myself known as I headed toward Fen and his father.
“Raven.” Fen stepped away from Loki as if he were guilty of something and met me halfway.
“Hrefna.” Loki extended a hand to me. “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you. My son has said many wonderful things about you.”
I looked at his hand then at him before taking it. Formally meet you? He must not remember then. “I’m sure,” I mumbled.
“We should be going,” Fen said, pulling me away. I waved at his father and let Fen drag me out of the palace.
I said nothing until we were far enough away and closer to town, having forgotten the horse we rode in.
“Are you okay?” I asked as we speed walked, dirt flying around us.
“I should be asking you that.” Fen looked back at me. “What did Thor say?”
Deflection. Fine, I’d take it. For now.
“He wanted to apologize for leaving me stranded on Midgard for almost a century,” I said, kicking at a rock.
Fen snorted.
“I hope you told him to fuck off.”
“Not exactly.”
He stopped walking, which almost made me run into him.
“He left you there when he could have brought you back to Asgard or even accompanied you in Midgard. He could have done something! But he left you alone, Raven. Don’t let him off that easy.”
My eyes narrowed. “I let you off pretty easily. I mean after you tricked me into releasing your sister, stealing from me, and then using me to travel into the fae realm. Oh, and let’s not forget the many fights we had because of the Sword of Souls. So, let’s not go placing judgment on others because we’re pissed, okay?”
“It’s not the same, Raven, and you know it,” he gritted.
“Are you kidding?” I screamed. “I’ve had men betray me countless times, and you mean to tell me you’re not all the same? Give me a break, Fen.”
I didn’t want to, I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help myself. I stared at his chest and took a look at his soul. It was a rumbling cloud of gray with just a little bit of blue now, and that worried me. His father had gotten to him.
“Are you going to betray me, Fen?” I said without thinking.
“What?” He did a double take.
“You heard me. Do I have to worry about you betraying me again? Because if you do, there will be no mercy for you.”
Those obsidian eyes swirled with an emotion I didn’t understand, and his jaw clenched as we stared each other down.
“You have nothing to worry about, Raven,” he said, not necessarily answering my question. I didn’t push. I didn’t want to start a fight, not when we needed each other the most.
We walked the rest of the way in silence until we made it into town and to the local inn where Fen paid for a room for us to spend the night. Even though we’d had a disagreement, he still got a single room with a single bed to share. It was nothing fancy, not like he was used to at least, just an old wood-framed bed with a nightstand that held a pitcher of water on top of it. There was a window that looked out to the road, and it was open, letting the breeze blow the curtain in. A dresser completed the room where a lit lantern sat with a box of matches beside it.
Fen didn’t waste any time. As soon as we walked in, he went straight for the bathroom and shut the door. The water began to run, and he started the bath. He needed space, and I’d give him that. At the moment, I didn’t much want to speak to him either.
The hot water from the bath was now tepid, and my skin was turning prunish. I’d been in the bath for quite some time, hiding from a conversation I was sure we’d have once I entered the bedroom. I stood from the tub and grabbed the nearby towel, wrapping it around my body. Carefully I stepped out of the bath, making sure not to slip, and went out to the bedroom, dripping water on the floor.
“They’re some tunics in the dresser, but you can wear my shirt for bed,” Fen said, and I nodded. He lay in bed in nothing but his boxer briefs.
I went to the dresser and opened one of the drawers. Sure enough, inside were an array of tunics of varying colors. Very Asgardian. I wanted to laugh because there was no way I would ever wear one of these things again. Then again, I had nothing else to wear and if I wanted to blend in … fuck.
“Don’t worry about how you’ll look,” Fen whispered in my ear, placing his hands on either side of me on the dresser. I hadn’t heard him move. “You’ll look good in anything you wear … or nothing at all.” He reached for my towel and let it fall to the ground.
His hand slid down the curve of my body from my waist to my hip, and he gripped me tightly, pulling my back to the front of his body. His lips were at my ear, and a shiver went down my spine as his tongue grazed my skin.
“Fen.” I practically moaned his name as I felt him harden behind me. This wasn’t good.
“What are we good at, Raven?” he whispered in my ear and then placed a gentle kiss on the sensitive spot behind my earlobe.
“Fighting,” I said stubbornly.
“And fucking.” He kissed me again as his hand roamed around to my stomach and up to my breasts. He grabbed a handful before pinching my nipple and then soothing it. He pinched and pulled, a good balance between pain and pleasure. I placed my hands on the dresser to keep myself up, and my breathing became heavy. His other hand went to my stomach and slid down between my thighs, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as I threw my head back. It landed on his shoulder.
“You’re so wet,” he said.
I shook my head. “I just showered.”
I could feel his chest rumble on my back as he chuckled. “No, that’s not it, my dark Raven.”
His fingers rubbed the wetness between my thighs until he slid two fingers inside, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled away and spun around. Fen wore a shit-eating grin, as if he knew exactly what he was doing, and maybe he did. Fuck it.
I pushed him back onto the bed and ripped his boxer briefs off him. I climbed on top of him and took his hardness in my hand, directing him inside me. His hands latched onto my waist as I rolled my hips, taking all of him in.
“Fen,” I moaned, my hands on his chest to keep me up. I moved faster and faster, I could feel the buildup, the tightening of my walls. “Oh gods.”
“Come on.” He lifted his hips, and I took him even deeper until I was gasping for air as he pulled me down closer to him and sucked one of my breasts in his mouth. After that, I lost it.
My vision went white, and I could barely move, so Fen flipped me onto my back and began to thrust. He lifted my legs up and spread them wide. I could barely speak. All I could do was grip the sheets and ride my orgasm until I was screaming from the sensitivity.
Fen slowed and released my quaking legs before lowering himself down to me and kissing me gently on the lips. I jerked back, taken off guard, but fell into the kiss just as quickly. My arms wrapped around his neck, and my fingers ran through his hair as he slowly thrust inside me. This differed from the other times we’d had sex.
“Raven,” he moaned into my mouth as his hands roamed my body aimlessly. “I—” He groaned and thrust deep one last time and came, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
This wasn’t fucking. This was lovemaking.
I couldn’t sleep that night. Wrapped around me, Fen slept like a baby, but I was tense. How he didn’t notice was beyond me.
What the hell am I doing?
Will and Charlie were missing, and this was what I was doing? I needed to make some headway and soon or the guilt would start eating me up inside. Will and Fen didn’t like each other much, so I could only imagine what he’d think about this. Charlie tried to kill Fen, so she’d lose her shit. I needed them; I needed my friends. The times where I wondered whether Fen would betray me again was when I needed the advice of my friends. I would even settle for some wisdom from Verdandi, who I don’t much care for.
“Raven?” Fen’s sleepy voice cut through my thoughts. “Why are you awake?”
I didn’t want to talk about any of this, so I did the next best thing. I climbed on top of him and slid beneath the covers, lowering myself down his body. I got his attention now.
When the sun rose, I’d barely slept two hours, but it was enough to function. Fen had already taken a bath and was getting dressed. It was funny seeing him in a tunic.
“You look absolutely ridiculous,” I said as I sat up on the bed.
“Very funny,” he murmured as he figured out how to tie the rope at his waist. “Thor is waiting for us downstairs. Hurry up.”
I didn’t waste any time. I started a new bath and got ready as quickly as possible. I debated whether to put my regular clothes on or these damn Asgard tunics. The latter won out. I needed to blend, and I’d definitely stand out in a pair of jeans and a tank top, especially with some beat-up Converses on my feet.
I wore a red tunic, while Fen wore a dark green one. I realized, if I didn’t have breasts, with this damn haircut of mine, I’d look like one of the guys. A pretty one at least.
F
en and I left the inn and found Thor standing beside a stand where three horses were tied and drinking water.
“Good morning.” Thor smiled at me and nodded at Fen. He still wasn’t too sure about him. “I hope you both rested well.”
“We did,” Fen said and slid me a sly grin.
My face heated, and I wanted to punch him in the face. Make it obvious why don’t you!
If Thor noticed, he didn’t let on. “I brought you both some transportation. We’re going to the outskirts of Asgard where the troops are stationed.”
We followed Thor to the horses, and I got the brown one with the dark mane. “That’s good and all, but what does that have to do with what I asked you?” I didn’t mean to be rude, but I wasn’t here to help Asgard. I was here to get help for my friends and Midgard.
Thor laughed. “I understand, Hrefna. But before you go on your journey, there are some things you must know. There might even be some others who are willing to join you on your quest.”
I frowned. “I don’t play well with others.”
“Learn,” Thor said as he climbed on his white horse.
I couldn’t believe what he’d just said. I looked at Fen, and he only shrugged. He climbed on his horse and followed Thor out toward town.
Learn? No. I didn’t trust easily, and this would be a delicate mission where nothing could go wrong. I couldn’t rely on some strangers.
I climbed on my horse, dug my heels in its side. I followed behind Thor and Fen at a trot but kept a distance. What could I possibly need to know before I go looking for the other valkyries? This all seemed like a bunch of horseshit, but oddly enough, I trusted Thor.
The trek to the outskirts of Asgard was long, and I could feel the burn in my inner thighs. I hadn’t ridden a horse in years, maybe centuries, and I was feeling the aches and pains from it. But seeing the scenery of a realm I’d long ago left and forgotten brought on a bout of nostalgia. I never thought I’d be back here, especially under these circumstances.
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 39