There it was. His tongue in my mouth, that skill I remembered, it was all there but this time he was giving it to me, not using it to take from me. It was slow, it was about discovery, exploration, showing, telling, rewarding and I softened more, pressing closer as his hand moved light over my nightie, warm, not invasive, soothing at the same time heating.
And I was heating, slowly, very slowly, because that was all he did, building the warmth, stoking the fire. He had time and he was going to take it, so he did.
And I did too. Hesitant, I explored his thick, soft hair and the muscles of his shoulders and back. All the while I explored his mouth, his tongue, tasted his lips and he explored me.
I liked what I discovered. It was freaking fantastic.
Finally, his big hand roved over the cheek of my ass and feeling it, feeling him so hard and warm pressed against me, his mouth so generous, his skin so silky sleek, fire suddenly shot between my legs, my hips pressed into his and I made a soft noise in his mouth.
Frey broke our kiss but his lips still touched mine and his fingers cupped my ass. “My wife likes this,” he whispered.
“Yes,” I whispered back because it was true.
Unhurried, his fingers pulled the material of my nightie up and I stared in his eyes, my body warm and still, my mind focusing on everything all at once, the feel of him, the smell of him, his lips so close, his eyes so gorgeous, his eyelashes so thick, the room lit with candlelight, my lips feeling bruised, my mouth wanting his back, the brilliant feel of my breasts pressed hard against his chest, the better feel of his hard cock pressed against me – he finally got the material up and slowly, like he had all the time in the world, as I held my breath, his fingers slid back down inside my panties.
Fire seared through me.
Oh my God.
Why was that so, unbelievably, phenomenal?
I didn’t know. I didn’t care. I just knew I wanted more.
So the instant I felt him skin against skin, my eyes drifted closed, another noise escaped my throat, I pressed tight to him, everywhere I could get and slow was a memory.
His hand clenched my ass, his torso pushed my back to the bed, his mouth slammed down on mine, not slow, not making out, not generous but hot, wet, hungry and amazing.
He shoved a knee between my legs but he didn’t have to. I opened them and bent my knee, pressing the inside of my thigh to the side of his hip as I arched my back to connect with him, tightened my arms to pull him into me and I moaned into his mouth.
He kissed me hard and deep then his mouth went from mine, down my cheek to my ear and I pressed into him, my fingernails grazing the skin of his back, I pushed my foot into the bed so I could shove my hips against his.
“You want me,” he growled in my ear.
My head turned so I could touch the tip of my tongue to his earlobe, my brain and other parts of me noting I liked the taste of him, then I whispered, “Yes, Frey.”
His hand left my ass, trailing around swiftly, it was suddenly between my legs over my panties, the touch light but definitely there and unbelievably enticing and his head came up, his eyes locking on mine.
“Gods, you want me,” he repeated, his voice thick and I knew he felt the damp evidence that proved this between my legs.
“Yes,” I breathed, moving my hips to grind down on his hand and he instantly cupped my sex and took my mouth in another hard, wet kiss.
I whimpered as he kissed me while his hand slid up, fingers pressing in, God, so freaking awesome, then up to my belly, I could feel the tip of his middle finger pressing in just above my panties, preparing, he was going to go skin to skin and I could not wait.
I drew in a deep breath of heady anticipation, sucking his tongue deeper in my mouth and then his entire body froze.
Then his head came up and I blinked as I watched it turn just a little like he was listening.
Then he growled, deep and low and seriously freaking pissed off, “Gods damn it.”
I blinked again.
Oh no.
What did I do?
He pulled away.
Oh God!
What did I do?
“Frey?” I called as he maneuvered his big body over mine.
“Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll return.”
I turned with him as he quickly moved to the overhang of the loft, not the ladder. He wasn’t going to waste time, he was going to drop down which was crazy but I was stuck back thirty seconds ago.
“But…” I whispered, eyes on him, voice trembling with disappointment, “what did I do?”
His body arrested at my tone and his eyes came to me. They took me in quickly and then he was right there, his hand cupping the back of my head, his face all I could see.
“Nothing, Finnie, everything is fine. Stay up here. Don’t leave this space. I’ll return as soon as I can. Promise, wife.”
I stared into his eyes, he must have seen what he needed to see for he moved to touch his mouth to mine then he shifted swiftly and disappeared under the curtain, throwing his big body over the side of the loft.
I heard him land on his feet and I stared at the flickering candlelight on the curtain. Still staring at the curtain, I heard the front door open and close.
What just happened?
Did my husband in an alternate universe who I barely knew just turn me on more than I ever had been in my life then take off for what seemed like no reason, throwing himself off the side of a loft?
Then it hit me that he was turned on too. I could see it in his eyes, hell, I could feel it pressed against me. He wanted me. Bad.
Then he was gone.
He’d heard something.
Oh God.
He’d heard something.
Did Raiders have enemies?
Oh God!
Of course they did! I read the stories. Maybe they weren’t romanticized. Maybe the sea was filled with perils. Maybe he’d looted and pillaged and now it was payback time.
And he was out there in nothing but breeches!
I rushed across the bed, threw back the curtain and then went feet and ass first out of the loft to the ladder. Foot by foot, hand by hand, I quickly descended the ladder, rushed to the dark kitchen and went directly to the knives. Pulling out the biggest, scariest, sharpest one, I ran to the front door.
I heard his voice, not what he was saying, but he sounded pissed.
Shit!
I couldn’t rush outside in a nightie without knowing what I was rushing into and what Frey was facing.
Crap.
I went to the window, quickly pushed the heavy curtain aside and looked out.
Then I froze.
Then I stared.
Then I fought against passing out.
Then the teeny, little man with pointy ears and an upturned nose wearing a strange dark blue hat that looked like a cap with a straight white feather poked in the side and whose whole body was weirdly glowing ice blue turned to look at me.
Then I heard him say to Frey, “Your Ice Bride has seen us, Frey Drakkar.”
My eyes shot to Frey standing out in the freezing cold in nothing but breeches but the teeny little man didn’t have to tell Frey that. Frey was staring at me and shaking his head.
Then he moved to the door.
I jerked from behind the curtains and hyperventilated.
The door opened and I turned to face my husband.
Eyes on me, he said softly, “I asked you to stay in the loft, Finnie.”
“There are little fairies outside,” I breathed, forcing out the words through quick breaths.
His brows drew together in a way that wasn’t scary but, instead, surprised and he replied, “Those aren’t fairies, wife, those are elves.”
Elves?
Elves.
Holy moly!
My head slowly turned to the curtained window I could no longer see out of but my mind conjured the vision of what was essentially our front yard that I’d seen littered with about a dozen, maybe more, teeny men and women
glowing ice blue.
Elves!
Oh my God!
How cool! This world had elves!
I looked back at Frey and whispered, “How cool!”
He held my eyes and told me his mind was not on elves when he asked quietly, “Can you explain why you hold a knife?”
“You’re a Raider,” I said without hesitation, wanting to get my explanation over with so we could talk about Elves, “you probably have enemies. I thought, with the way you took off, that they’d found you, it was payback time, you were unarmed so I wanted to see if I could help.” His face again registered surprise for an instant before it softened but I didn’t really notice mainly because my mind was on the elves outside so I asked, “Are those really elves?”
He moved toward me and my head tipped back as he did. When he got close, his hand carefully came to mine, took control of the knife then, when he had it, his torso twisted slightly and he tossed it so it landed with a soft funph on the couch.
With free hands, I lifted them and curled my fingers on his shoulders, shaking him a little to get his attention and when he turned back to me, I leaned close, went up on my toes and whispered excitedly, “Frey! Seriously! Are those really elves?”
His hands settled on my hips and he peered down at my face, one side of his mouth hitching up before he said, “Yes, Finnie, it’s been centuries but they have returned.”
I instantly pressed in deeper, chest to chest, fingers digging in his shoulders as I felt my eyes go wide, a big smile split my face and I cried, “How cool!”
He grinned then he said, “I must go with them.”
I blinked. Then I asked, “What? Why?”
“They have come to me with a message. It is important. I must go to the adela tree.”
Whoa. Wow. Cool again!
I totally wanted to see an adela tree. Not to mention, hang with elves.
I pressed closer and asked through my still bright smile, “Can I go?”
He kept grinning into my face but shook his head as his fingers gave me a squeeze, “No, wife.”
I felt my mouth turn down and asked, “Why?”
“They have a message for me, not you or us. And it is only me they expect at the adela tree.”
“But –”
“So it will only be me at the adela tree.”
Hmm. Bummer.
As was my way, when adventure was afoot, I didn’t give up.
“Can you go out there and maybe… ask if it was cool if I came with you? I could stand out of earshot,” I offered and he gave a short chuckle but shook his head.
“It must only be me.”
“But you’re big and scary and they’re teeny and not scary and you can stomp on them with your feet if you had a mind to. Maybe you can just tell them I’m coming.”
His brows drew slightly together again and his hands slid from my hips to the small of my back as his head dipped to mine and his voice went low.
“Finnie, it is true, I am their lord, but this is not their only form. They have awesome power and I command them but only because they have returned to the surface. They can retreat and I do not wish them to do so. If they want only me, as their lord, I should hear what they have to say and decide, during ensuing meetings, if I will take my winter bride.”
I was staring up with him with what I knew were big eyes when I breathed, “You’re their lord?”
He studied me then said, “Finnie, you know that, everyone does. The Frey of the line of Drakkar always commands the elves.”
Ho boy. I didn’t know and Sjofn hadn’t seen fit to share that tasty morsel in her note.
“They await, wife,” he prompted me on a slight squeeze of his arms.
“Right,” I nodded, “of course.”
I started to push back and then realized my hands on his shoulders and body pressed to his were not encountering cold. He’d been inside for awhile but it wasn’t like we had central heating. It was always a wee bit nippy, even with the fires blazing.
And his skin wasn’t cold. Not even a little bit.
I dropped my head to stare at his chest then it shot back and I stared at him.
Then I whispered, “Why aren’t you cold?”
His head tipped slightly to the side for a second before he quickly righted it and replied, “I do not suffer the cold, Finnie, this you also know because everyone knows it. I do not suffer in heat either.”
Uh.
Wow!
And.
What?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t ask because clearly I was supposed to know. And also unfortunately I had to cover.
“Right,” I said quickly. “I forgot.”
He examined my face while repeating, “You forgot,” in a way that said he didn’t believe me and in a way that said he either thought I was slightly unhinged or highly untrustworthy (or both).
“Uh…” I started to cover further, “I’m kinda freaking out about the elves being back after centuries, Frey. It slipped my mind.”
He stared at me. Then he whispered, “Right.”
Totally didn’t believe me.
So I covered more by smiling at him and I did it big. That worked. His eyes dropped to my mouth, his arms convulsed and the tension went out of his big frame.
I gave him a light push with my hands and said, “You better go. The cool-as-shit elves are waiting.”
That got me another hitch of one side of his mouth then he nodded and let me go.
When he did, I turned and looked around the room, saw his stuff tossed on a trunk and hurried to it.
He followed me and I handed him his sweater. He took it and pulled it on while I blathered.
“When you get back, I want to know everything. This is so cool. I love this. I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.”
“Finnie –”
I handed him his socks and cut him off. “No. Don’t say you can’t tell me. If you hear what they say and you can’t tell me, okay. But maybe you can. Don’t burst my bubble now. You can burst it later if you have to.”
He took his socks but didn’t put them on. He just stared at me.
Then he hooked me with an arm around my waist and I was suddenly plastered against his body and his mouth had crushed down on mine. He gave me a short, hot kiss (with tongues) then let me go.
Then he ordered, “Loft, wife, I’ll be back soon.”
I smiled at him and agreed, “Okay.”
Then I rushed to the ladder and up.
Once in, I stuck my head out and called to my husband as he tugged on his boots, “Have fun with the elves.”
His head tipped back and his eyes caught mine. Then he shook his head. Then he grinned.
I grinned back and slapped the curtains closed.
Then I rushed to the bed, sat cross-legged in the middle of it and listened to the door open and close.
Then I giggled.
Holy freaking moly! This world had elves and I was married to their lord, a man who, for some reason (magic?), didn’t suffer cold or heat.
How… freaking… cool!
This adventure was totally worth a million dollars.
Totally.
Chapter Nine
The Message
Tyr’s hooves pounded through the snow taking Frey Drakkar over the rise behind his hunting cabin and beyond, through the trees that grew thicker and thicker and into the heart of the forest, the part that was so dense, even Tyr and The Drakkar had to slow to navigate it.
Then they entered an opaque, drifting white mist that only The Drakkar and his steed could penetrate, any other human attempting it would be cast back.
The elves were present.
Tyr and The Drakkar moved through the thick stand of trees and heavy vapor and saw the light of the adela tree piercing the mist and shafting around the dark trunks of the forest well before they arrived at the clearing that held the wide, tall, sparkling adela with its many narrow branches rising straight from the stump, its bark glittering, its twirly-end
ed twigs profuse and shooting out to the sides and straight into the air.
The Drakkar pulled back on Tyr’s reins at the edge of the fifteen foot circular clearing surrounding the adela and dismounted. The elves were already there, moving to the adela, touching it’s bark at the base where the tree rose from the earth, instantly transforming from their diminutive size to human size – stopping at a height not near as tall as The Drakkar, but as tall as his winter bride.
Drakkar approached with Tyr’s jaw close to his shoulder and stopped halfway to the glittering, magical tree.
Nillen, Speaker of the Elves, moved instantly to him, stopping two feet away from his lord.
Then he bowed his head by tucking his chin to the side of the neck before his ice blue eyes, Drakkar’s new bride’s same eyes, moved to his lord.
“Thank you for coming, my lord, Frey Drakkar.”
“This had better be good, Nillen, I was ten minutes away from consummating my marriage when your elves arrived.”
Nillen’s lips tipped up at the ends and his eyes sparkled like icicles. “We have bad timing,” he murmured.
“Immensely bad,” Drakkar agreed on an impatient growl. Nillen’s lips tipped up further but The Drakkar wasn’t in the mood to share his amusement. “Your message?” he prompted.
Nillen held his eyes.
Then he whispered, “You know our message.”
This was true. Drakkar knew his message.
They were there to discuss his new bride.
A bride who smiled at him, laughed and joked. A bride who he woke up to curled tight around his body. A bride who quailed at the sight of a dead deer on her table when she’d not only brought down numerous in her time on this earth, she had cleaned them and stripped their hides. A bride who cooked food like she’d been doing it her entire life, rather than having it served to her already prepared at every meal from the time she stopped suckling her wet nurse’s breast. A bride who said strange words and uttered bizarre terms such as, “freaking out”, “ticking me off”, “flip me out”, “pissing me off” and “all that jazz” as well as “technicality”, “beejeezus”, “cool-as-shit”, “jerk” and “the next level”. A bride who wore dresses and perfume and made up her face doing the two former with natural ease and the latter with obvious practice when everyone in the realm knew she did none of these. A bride who had an immensely graceful bearing but an unreserved and friendly manner, again, something she’d never had before. A bride who did not know the difference between elves and fairies nor did she know her husband held elf magic and was immune to heat and cold although this had been known for century upon century as the House of Drakkar birthed Freys into their line. A bride who returned his kisses with exuberance, melted in his arms and grew immensely heated merely at his hand moving over her rounded arse. And a bride who moved nearly immediately to assist him in defense when she feared he faced danger then behaved with unbridled delight when speaking of the elves.
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