Fury of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 4)

by Sky Purington

  “I need the skin or fur of something that died not pointlessly but for a worthy cause,” she said, still winded. “Something that would serve a purpose in keeping these bones safe.”

  Matthew nodded and pulled out a small pouch. “Use this. It’s made of animal hide. I usually keep food items in it when traveling.”

  “Perfect, it protects what helps nourish you,” she murmured as she poured the bones into it and cinched the tie. The second she did, her breathing eased and relief washed over her.

  “Thank you.” Her eyes went to his. “I feel much better.”

  “Good.” He kept eying her with concern. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, definitely.” Alarm shot through her when she realized how out of it she had been. How disconnected from her daughter. She looked around. “Where’s Emily?” Panic grew when she didn’t see her. “Is she with Sven?”

  “Yes,” Cameron said as Matthew offered her a skin of what she soon learned was mead. “They are not far from here. He took her into an adjoining cave with Kodran and Kadlin. Thanks to his quick thinking, she never saw your reaction to the bones. I’ll go check on her now.”

  “Thank God. That would’ve frightened her.” She nodded her thanks to Cameron before he left then widened her eyes on Matthew as something occurred to her. “Is she still...human?” Her voice caught and she shook her head as what happened earlier came rushing back. What it felt like seeing her daughter become a dragon. Because if she’d gone off with Sven, maybe she was giving it another shot.

  “All is well.” Matthew offered a reassuring smile and cupped the side of her neck. “Emily is still human. Nothing else.” He tilted her head, so she was forced to make eye contact. “And you made sure of that. Only you. Do not forget that, Shannon. You share a very special bond with your daughter.” His hand slipped into hers. “You have already connected with her dragon. She knows you’re her mother. That is rare on the first shift.”

  “Why?” she whispered, feeling kind of lost as she stared at him. “Don’t dragons know who their mothers are?”

  “No, except for me the first time I shifted, everyone else has only recognized their fathers,” he said, as his thumb brushed back and forth gently over her jawline. “But then all of us had dragon fathers and human mothers. So dragons recognized fellow dragons. The only difference with me was that I had the same mother in another life.”

  “So are you telling me Emily likely recognized me because I was a fellow dragon?” she murmured. “Or because you think I might have been her mother in another life?”

  At this point, anything was possible.

  “I do not know.” He shook his head. “All I know is that there is a special bond between you and your daughter. A deep connection.”

  She nodded and whispered, “I know.” Then she swallowed hard, still upset. “Deep connection or not, I’ve never been so terrified that she wouldn’t know how to shift back.” She shook her head. “And while I’m thankful she did, I have a feeling that she’ll need me a whole lot less now. That she’s growing far stronger very quickly. Which is good. I know that. Still. It’s strange to sense your child growing up so fast in a way you don’t understand.”

  She felt a little lost as her eyes stayed with his. “All of this has been a lot.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  Speaking of overwhelming things. She glanced around. “Where did Vigdis go?”

  “She vanished,” he muttered. “Who knows where but anywhere is better than here.”

  Very true. She was an odd, unsettling woman.

  The further away she was the better.

  Shannon might be wrestling with her emotions, but the feel of him so close, and the warmth of his affectionate touch was certainly getting through. Desire was building when she should be focused on anything but. Based on the look in his eyes, he felt the same.

  “Things might not have gone how you planned,” she said, determined to ignore the heat building between them. “But I wanted to thank you for trying to offer Emily some fun…and for handling her dragon so well.” She looked at him curiously. “I’m not sure how dragons are supposed to act, but she seemed really comfortable with you. Trusting.”

  “She was,” he conceded. Shannon didn’t miss the surge of happiness he felt. “Her behavior was unusual for a child embracing her dragon for the first time. But I’m glad she liked it and happier still that she trusted me.”

  A feeling of contentment settled over her at his words. A sense of rightness that caught her unaware. Yet again, she was warmed by his concern for Emily. His protectiveness of her when she didn’t always make it easy. And his actions weren’t that of a man trying to win over her mother through her but those of one determined to win over Emily herself.

  “Come.” He stood and held out his hand. “I will show you where you and Emily can bathe then we will rest and eat. Perhaps after that, you could share more about Vigdis? Your possible connection to one another?”

  “Of course.” Shannon took his hand and followed. “Unfortunately, there’s not much to share except that I’ve dreamt of her before. And the dreams are never particularly good. She has a very intense way about her. Something that was just confirmed.” She shook her head. “I have no idea why she acted that way with me. Why she knelt or wanted me to take her bones. You know about as much as I do where that’s concerned.”

  Yet what Vigdis said about her mother and father weighed on her mind. What had the seer meant? Because it almost sounded like they were still alive somewhere. Or perhaps even lingering in the land of the dead. And why would she find her father and report back to Vigdis about it to somehow find her mother? That would be the last thing she’d be inclined to do.

  “She is a troublesome seer,” Matthew muttered. “It is unfortunate that your fates are somehow connected.”

  Shannon couldn’t agree more. “A fate evidently connected via her bones. Why not just tell me what she knows? Why be so cryptic?”

  “It is hard to know with Vigdis,” he grumbled. “She likes to be mysterious.”

  “No doubt.” She pondered it and eyed him. “So does Heidrek have her stones now? The last I heard, he had her bones, and she had the stones.”

  Matthew shrugged as they entered a smaller cave with a decent sized pool of water. “I do not know.”

  “Don’t you speak telepathically with him?” she said. “Couldn’t you ask? I’d be curious how many people she’s spreading herself around to.”

  “I rarely speak with Heidrek within the mind,” he said. “And would not risk it now with so much enemy territory between us. Someone might hear.”

  Shannon knew he wasn’t being entirely truthful. And while she should probably leave it alone, it wasn’t in her nature not to help. “I know you’ve harbored anger at your brother for a long time, but now you know why it seemed like he wasn’t where he should have been during that battle. You weren’t there but in Helheim. Heidrek was there, and from what I’ve gathered, he was doing everything in his power to save his people. He purposefully wounded himself so he would appear weak, and they would chase him, giving everyone else a chance to flee.”

  Matthew offered no response other than a discontented grunt.

  “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you’re in charge of our little party,” she reminded. “That means doing everything in your power to keep us safe. And if contacting Heidrek can do that, I’d think you’d be right on it, enemy or not. You’re brothers, and he’s a demi-god Dragon Seer. Surely that means you can connect with him without anyone knowing.”

  The reason she gave, however, was not the real reason she wanted him to contact Heidrek. The truth was, she wanted him to reconnect with his brother. They were close at one time. Before the battle. Before Matthew became haunted and changed. He deserved to have his old life back. His son. Happiness. And most definitely his brother.

  “I will try,” Matthew said softly. “But only because you asked it of me.”

  Shannon offered a sma
ll smile and nodded. “Thank you.” She tested the temperature of the water. “Not too bad.”

  “Hello, Mama,” Emily announced as she and Sven entered. “Where’d the nice lady from my dreams go?”

  Nice? Vigdis? “She had to go home.” Shannon gestured at the water. “Time to take a bath.”

  “Kadlin has just returned,” Matthew said. “I will have her stand guard at the entrance. If you need anything, just ask her.” He whispered a chant into her mind. “Use that to manifest soap.” He murmured another. “That to dry you and Emily afterward. Then the one I taught you earlier to dress.” His eyes held hers. “Do you remember it?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. But I thought it wasn’t such a good idea to use magic?”

  “Because we are close to the Place of Seers it is somewhat safer,” he explained. “So small amounts of magic are fine.”

  After he and Sven left, she and Emily bathed and dressed. All the while, Shannon asked her questions about Vigdis and then what it felt like to become a dragon. If she had any fears or concerns. As to the seer, Emily had little to say. Only that she’d visited her dreams on occasion and was always nice. As to what it felt like to become a dragon, she had plenty to share. She soon realized that Emily already had this conversation with Sven and learned quite a bit. If anything, her daughter was telling her what to expect when Shannon finally shifted.

  “You’ll feel so strong, Mama,” Emily gushed. “Like you could lift a whole house. It’s amazing. And you’ll see things differently. Clearer with some red color. And you smell everything a lot better.” She cocked her head. “Why don’t you try shifting now? I’ll help you through it. I bet you’ll be a beautiful dragon.”

  Shannon smiled, charmed by her daughter’s offer and her outlook in general. In some ways, she was glad Emily had already shifted so when it happened to her mother, she wouldn’t be frightened.

  “I’m not quite sure how to do that yet, sweetheart,” Shannon responded. “And for now, it’s safer if I don’t.” She gave her a pointed look. “It’s safer if neither us does, okay?”

  Emily nodded. “I know. Sven already told me. And he taught me what to do if my dragon tries to surface. Just focus on normal everyday things and don’t let my emotions take over.”

  “Good.” Shannon smiled and wondered if Sven would manage to take his own advice. She knew he had little if no control over shifting earlier.

  As promised, Kadlin was waiting outside the entrance when they exited.

  “Might I speak with you alone for a moment, Shannon?” she asked.

  Shannon nodded. “Of course.”

  Curious, she followed the Viking woman to another cave after leaving Emily with Sven. She supposed she shouldn’t have been all that surprised by Kadlin’s forward question.

  “I wish to lie with Cameron,” she announced, her hands planted on her hips. “Will he be able to handle me?”

  Shannon bit back a smirk. “I have no idea.” She perked a brow. “What precisely do you mean by that?”

  “I am not only a warrior but a female dragon,” Kadlin explained as if Shannon should have already figured this out. “Will he be able to handle me?”

  Shannon shook her head in confusion. “What do either of those things have to do with being intimate with someone?”

  Was she missing something? Were dragons rough during sex? Sure, she definitely felt an escalated level of passion with Matthew, but it didn’t feel overly violent.

  “I like to lie with strong men,” Kadlin said. “Ones who match my strength.”

  Oh, poor Cameron. Watch out. Shannon continued to bite back a grin.

  “Honestly, I have no clue what my brother-in-law is like in bed,” Shannon managed. “I think the best thing to do would be to ask him yourself.”

  “I will not be inclined to talk to him when we’re alone,” Kadlin muttered. “I get too aroused.”

  Shannon well understood that. When it came to Matthew that is. Not Cameron.

  “Then maybe you should just let nature take its course,” Shannon said. “If he doesn’t like your aggressiveness, I’m sure he’ll let you know.”

  Kadlin considered her, a hopeful glint in her eyes. “I have never disappointed a man.”

  “Then there you go.” Shannon starting drifting toward the main cave, all set with this conversation. “Ready to head back?”

  Kadlin didn’t move but said the last thing she expected. “It would make all of us very happy to see Matthew as he once was. To see him happy again.”

  Shannon stopped. “I’m sure it would. I feel the same way.”

  “Good.” Kadlin kept eying her. “Because I get the sense you are the only one capable of making that happen. So you will, yes?”

  Unsure what she was and was not capable of when it came to him, she answered carefully. “I’ll do my best to be a good friend to him.”

  “And you will become his mate, yes?”

  She figured she might as well be honest. “I offered as much, but I guess it’s the sort of thing that only happens if it’s meant to be.”

  “It is good you offered,” Kadlin confirmed as she joined her. “Now he knows you love him. That is a start.”

  Love? How did she get that out of what Shannon had said?

  “Kadlin, I offered because I want us to be stronger,” Shannon said. “Not because I love him.”

  The Viking gave her a knowing look. “I do not think you are the sort of woman to offer such a thing to a man you do not love.”

  “I have a child to think about,” Shannon countered. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Even become a mate to a man I didn’t love.”

  “Some say it is the sex that creates the bond between my kin and yours,” Kadlin said. “But I think it’s more. I think it is the moment love is first discovered. So say what you will, but I don’t think you would have asked Matthew if you did not see it happening. Newfound power or not, I don’t think you would allow him to become Emily’s father if you did not see love between all of you happening.”

  Before Shannon had a chance to respond, Kadlin declared it was time to bathe, and strode off. A little stunned, she stared after the woman. She would have never guessed Kadlin ran sentimental. As to her observations, Shannon wasn’t quite sure what to make of them except there might be a small grain of truth there. One she certainly wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

  By the time she rejoined the group, the food was cooked, and everyone was chatting. Well, mostly just Emily, Sven, and Kodran. Cameron seemed, for the most part, to be listening while he ate. But she didn’t miss the random glances he cast in the direction Kadlin had gone.

  Matthew was silent, staring at the fire until she joined him and he redirected his attention her way. “Is all well with Kadlin?”

  He looked sexier than usual with his damp hair slicked back as if he’d run his hand through it a few times since bathing.

  “Yeah.” Her eyes flickered to Cameron before returning to Matthew. “She just needed some girl talk.”

  His brow perked as he took her meaning, but he said nothing about it. “How are you doing now? How is Emily?”

  “We’re doing well, thanks.” She chuckled. “Emily’s eager for me to embrace my dragon.”

  “As am I.” His eyes met hers. “I expect you’ll be very beautiful.”

  Shannon blushed at the compliment. “I’ve spent more time than you’d think staring in the mirror trying to imagine what I’d look like. Not so much my level of attractiveness but just exactly how a dragon looks in general.” She shrugged. “I could guess based on books and folklore, but there was no way to really know. Cybil’s pictures depict dragons formed out of clouds, so you don’t really get the full gist of it. I didn’t until I saw those dragons on the cliff.” She shook her head. “We’re a pretty impressive looking species. At least the female was.” She scrunched her nose in distain. “Not so much the male.”

  “That is because he’s evil,” he said. “Wait until you see a Si
gdir male dragon.” There was a twinkle in his eyes. “Wait until you see me.”

  “I look forward to it.” And she did. “Very much.”

  Heat flared between them as their eyes held.

  “Cybil’s picture depicts me as shades of blue, but that must have been due to the lighting,” he said. “Because I am green like my eyes.” His voice lowered, deepened. “I can show you within the mind how my dragon looks if you would like.”

  The heat only seemed to be increasing. A hot flush that she knew had everything to do with the way he was looking at her.

  “I’d like that,” she said softly. “But I get the feeling you should do it when we’re alone.” Another flash of heat rolled through her. “When we have more privacy.”

  He nodded and was about to say more when the air cooled. Not too much but enough. He tensed as seconds later Freydis and Sigrunn walked by arguing. They paid no attention to the others but kept going until they vanished.

  “We did not cross over to Helheim that time, did we?” he said into her mind so the others— who clearly hadn’t seen them—would not hear. He’d grown tense, and a frown had settled on his face.

  “No, they crossed over to our side,” she said. “But they didn’t see us.”

  “How could they not see us?” His frown deepened. “They walked right past us.”

  “Sometimes it happens like that,” she explained. “Spirits are still in their own world even though they’re in ours. Those are the more peaceful hauntings that don’t affect humans overly much.”

  “I dreamt about Freydis and Sigrunn but never would have guessed they were still on Midgard,” he murmured aloud. “Sometimes I swore I felt their presence. Now I know they really were close by.” His eyes met hers. “If I’ve always been part of Helheim somehow, why couldn’t I see them before you arrived? Why couldn’t I see other spirits?”