by J. J. Keller
She placed her palms against his face. Smears of blood appeared on his left cheek. “Aidan!”
“What?” He shook his head, releasing droplets of cool water that splashed her.
She shoved him, roved her gaze over his lower body searching for the injury.
“Ah, yeah, I feel the same. The bed’s in there.” He nodded.
“No.” She swallowed. “Blood.” She held up her fingers, then shoved him, trying to get him to turn.
“Oh, don’t worry.” He pivoted and grabbed her hands.
“But your rear has a—”
“I know. A K-9 took a little flesh. Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”
By the time he’d finished his explanation, she had a fresh towel and was dabbing at his wound. Definitely a bite, more on his hip than rear.
“The doorbell. Could you answer it while I dress this scratch?”
Chapter Ten
Skylar grabbed a towel and headed toward the front door. The annoying chime gave her a headache. “No, don’t worry, the bells don’t bother me in the least.”
“I can change the tune,” Aidan shouted.
Approaching the entrance, she wiped her bloodstained fingers on the damp cloth. Through the side window, she caught the profile of a man. She tugged the oak panel and faced him. Handsome didn’t begin to describe him, light brown hair, piercing amber eyes, a perfect broad smile which quickly turned downward.
“Skogul?”
“Frak!” Blood sugar lowering as fast as an anchor in deep water weakened her. Her knees collapsed. Skogul. My name is Skogul. She propped her shoulder against the doorframe, needing the support to keep her upright.
His eyes narrowed. “Well, I see some things never change.”
“Guess not.” She shut her eyes for second, and heard Aidan singing over pan music with a strong flute overture.
“Are you here for me? Has something happened to Harry?” His gaze shot to the hallway. “Aidan’s not Einherjar material.”
She stared at him and disappeared under a flood of memories. Her past. Her mission. Odin! Bits and pieces of phrases and her skills. Her damn rubbery legs gave out. “Shut up, Basil.”
A door shut behind her. Aidan would be coming. The shifter. She slipped and reached for a safety net, something to cling to.
Basil grabbed her arms, holding her upright. “What the hell? Are you okay?”
She needed time to get her thoughts in order. Aidan would be arriving at any moment to find out if his veterinary skills were needed, and she wanted to get her bearings. “Take me to your car.” She took a step and yelled into the house. “Aidan, I’ll be right back.”
Gripping the porch column, she turned to Basil. “Shut the door.”
“Bossy as ever,” he mumbled. The door clicked and, with his help, she made it to the jeep. She sat on the passenger seat of his large car. He shut her door and, a few seconds later, climbed behind the wheel. “Is Harry okay?”
“I need to ask you questions about this mission and especially about the gaps in my memory.” She rubbed her aching head. “Drive, but not far, just secluded.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you answer my questions.” His voice had a raw quality. As a marine, he always had a commanding tone, but now something else was present. Sweetness came across in his southern twang. Foremost in his thoughts would be his friend, Harrison Lombard.
“No. I’m not here for you, and Harrison is fine. Fantastic in fact.” She couldn’t catch her breath and feared passing out.
“Tuck your head between your legs and take deep breaths.”
“Drive, Vanguard.”
She exhaled. Excitement rippled across her skin. Skogul. Relief warmed her. Yes, that’s my name. Skylar was nice, but it felt so good to be herself again—Skogul. She loved her name and her home, Asgard. Kiara. Had Göndul found out her friend was pregnant? Perhaps that was the reason no one from her squad came to assist her or send messages.
The car rocked on the rough road under its tires. She kept her head between her knees and breathed deep. Memories, hundreds of them, flashed by so fast she made a grab for one and it had already gone. Her recollections swelled until tears rose. How had her memory loss occurred?
Her mission was to go undercover, powerless, and hidden beneath a shield of deception. The head wound must have truly erased her memories. She had to discover the shifter’s origin. Oh no! A coarse moan escaped from her throat, leaving a harsh burn. Good or evil? What had she learned so far?
Aidan. Their romance: forbidden and so precious. On her last visit to earth, months ago, they’d met, and she’d fallen heart and soul in love with Aidan Hall, a possible enemy.
They’d driven a couple of minutes when he brought the car to a stop. Basil patted her back. “You want to come up for fresh air?”
“Thanks.” She raised her head and pressed against the seat. The window lowered, and she inhaled the woodsy scented wind. “I have to get out and move.”
She shot from the car and stumbled along a narrow trail, clearly used by small woodland creatures. Lungs hurting and not knowing how far the path led, she slowed to a crawl.
“What’s going on?” His voice, closer than she’d expected, shot through her. Once again, she’d lost focus. What kind of leader deviated from her mission?
Strength through knowledge entered her body, allowing her a clear view of her past and the possible outcome if she didn’t succeed. She pivoted, tilted her head, and evaluated him. “I can’t read your mind.”
He laughed. “Lucky me.”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “From the past, I can only remember talking to you at Aidan’s house, when you chose Pippa instead of going to Asgard. Tell me everything you know that happened thereafter.”
A loud chortle came from his pretty lips. “You were a pain in the ass.”
“Basil.” She snarled. “I’ve lost a piece of my past. Either through my head injury or my memories had been erased so I could accomplish…a mission. Now, what can you tell me from the last time we saw each other?”
“A quick recap. You came to Earth from Asgard to take me to Valhalla. Harrison hoped I’d join his supernatural squad.” He winked. “While you were here you and Aidan became close. He could see your sparkly skin. Odd, only the two of us could.”
He shuffled a couple of inches. Why did talking about her visit to Earth make him nervous?
“Like you said, I stayed here instead of going to Valhalla. The four of you, Harry, Kiara, and a woman, holding a glowing ball on a stick, disappeared in columns of sparks and stars.” He stared at her. “Then silence from the other realm until Pippa and I returned from our honeymoon a couple of days ago. Our ranch manager told me the vet had a broad staying with him. She couldn’t remember her name and from the description—” He moved his finger through the air. “I knew it was you.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, me. What do you know about Aidan?”
“He’s a nice guy. Honest and very good with animals. His family lives in Canada, but he only talks about a sister. I can see by the crease between your eyes, you remember your connection to him.” He winked. “That frown should be a smile. You had a good time.”
Her heart pounded as fast as the woodpecker sharpening its beak on a nearby tree. Aidan was different. He had a lot of claw mark scars on his back, almost as if he had been in a fight with a bear, but why had that allowed him to view her when her shields were erected? “He is special.”
A peculiar personal lop-sided grin, the one saved only for those few Basil trusted, lifted the corner of his lip and spread, forming deep creases on the sides of his mouth. “I see.”
Her world tilted on its axis. A powerful Valkyrie does not faint in the middle of the forest.
“You okay, Skogul?”
She reached for him. “Everything is spinning.”
“Sit.” He grabbed her arm and guided her to a rotting log.
She sat and pressed her head between her hands. The fragments co
ntinued to form, solidifying. The wolf form had a wound on his hindquarters. As a human, Aidan had a bloody puncture wound on his ass. He saw her, a supernatural. All of the memories, the pieces of a puzzle, on a grand scale, fit together. Once again, she asked—was Aidan good or evil?
Basil touched her shoulder. “Are you going to be all right?”
She couldn’t get used to the tenderness in his voice.
“Your pleasantness caused me to catch my breath, a big catch.”
He flicked her ear. “Yeah, and you’re as sweet as ever.”
She could scarcely swallow. “You’ve changed, become nicer. Love must make the world a better place.”
He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You cool?”
“Yeah. Memories are just catching up with me.” Sarcasm felt right. She straightened, clapped her hands together, and took a deep cleansing breath.
“Let’s go back to the house. Aidan will wonder where you went.” He helped her to stand.
Equilibrium restored, she locked her knees. A mission would not be forfeited because of faint adoration. Human love was an emotion and not for a Valkyrie with ambition. “You never told me the reason for your visit.”
“Wilson’s been found.” He held her arm, and they walked to the car. “You need to send your radio wave message to Harry and let him know.”
She sat in the passenger seat. “Is Wilson at the police station?”
Basil climbed behind the wheel, started the car, and drove. “Morgue.”
Shudders racked through her at the thought. An instant memory of the smells of a mortuary caused her to gag. “What happened?”
Basil frowned. “He fell from a tree. From the bite marks on his arms and legs, a coyote got to him, maybe chased him up an old oak tree, and down he came.”
“Coyote or wolf?”
He shrugged and drove the car into Aidan’s driveway. “A four-legged beast.”
Aidan stood on the porch, phone to his ear and a set of keys whirling on a finger. He hung up from the call and rushed to her door.
She flung it open. He grabbed her tightly against his chest.
“I was worried.” He pushed her away. “You simply disappeared. I thought Wilson—” He tugged her close to him again. “Don’t ever leave without telling me more than, I’ll be back.”
“My fault. My cousin wanted to see the Rescue Ranch, thinking to help her memory.” Basil shut her car door and leaned against it. “Right, cuz?”
Aidan released her. “Cousin? You’re British?”
Right, the police thought she was European. Not British. “It’s in the family line.” She glanced over her shoulder at Basil. “When he showed up at the door I recognized him.” Turning to Aidan, she clasped his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry. Greedy, memories bombarded me and I grasped for more.”
“So you remember your real name?” Aidan gazed at her, an inkling of surprise and maybe fear shined in the gray depths of his eyes.
“Skogul,” she whispered. Didn’t he want more? More of her background? Did he want to know if she had a life mate?
“Skogul Vanguard,” Basil said.
Aidan took her hand and led her onto the porch. “Come in. We’ll have coffee and talk. How was your honeymoon?” He stopped on the first step. “Wait. Bill sent you to collect me, so we could join the police in tracking Wilson.”
Basil scratched the side of his face. “About that. Wilson’s dead. Looks like he got gnawed on by a coyote, climbed up a tree, and fell. Broke his neck.” He nodded to her. “You’ll need to identify him as one of your attackers.”
Basil’s expression told her he didn’t believe anyone could attack her. Aidan’s eyes narrowed. Despite the wound on his rear, he hadn’t known about Wilson until that moment. He hadn’t killed the man. Score for good.
“I’m glad it’s over.” Aidan moved his hand to her shoulder and tugged her closer.
She tucked her shaking hand behind his back, folding her fingers at his waist.
“How’s Pippa taking the news,” Aidan asked.
Pippa, pretty, dark, horse lover, and Wilson’s sister. And the reason Basil didn’t go with her to Valhalla.
“She’ll be fine. Aidan, could you take Skogul to the sheriff’s office? Maybe they’ll let her look at photos instead of the ah…body.”
“Yes, of course,” Aidan said.
Basil motioned him.
Aidan released her, and the men walked a couple of feet, keeping their faces turned away.
Bereft from the loss of his comforting contact, she shivered. Not hearing their whispered conversation and unable to read their minds, she’d depend on whatever Aidan would tell her later.
“See you later, Skogul.” Basil nodded and opened his car door.
“Bye, Basil. Thank you.”
He glanced at her. A questioning expression crossed his face. “Do you want to stay with us, at the ranch?”
Even without knowing about her mission, Basil would support her. She could get comfort from being around someone she knew, but the thought of not being close to Aidan every day shook her. “I’d rather stay here, with Aidan.”
Basil saluted, climbed behind the wheel and moments later, his car was out of sight.
Aidan, lean and tall, how she loved those long limbs, was propped against a white column staring at her. Memories of her past and present lust and desire burst through her.
The remnants of his worries, clear in his eyes, glossed the silver gray with a fiery sheen. “Are you a Miss or a Mrs.?”
Her emotional rollercoaster juddered to a stop and dumped her into a white frothed whirlpool of desire. She’d stifled so much. Now those feelings fought her and damn it, fear and need beat her. With dry lips and equally parched throat, she drew the word from deep in her gut. “Miss.”
Aidan stared, not providing a clue as to his thoughts on the matter.
Chapter Eleven
Aidan’s hand, rough but warm, held hers as he led her from the sheriff’s office. No cars motored along the streets, and no trucks idled in the parking lot. Odd, there should have been some activity. People take lunch breaks. In the relative silence, leaves rustled around her boots. Skogul hoped there wouldn’t be any worms under the dead, fallen foliage. The pungent odors screamed autumn to her and not her favorite time of the year. “It’s quiet. Where are the people?”
“They’re staying inside due to the approaching storms.” Aidan stepped around a puddle of water. Late afternoon shadows reflected on his beautiful cheekbones. Colored lenses proved an inadequate shield for what she knew existed beneath, sexy silver-gray eyes, windows to his inner being. He invited her to share his bed, life, and world.
She snuggled close to his side. “More to come?”
“It’s only the beginning of a rainy season. The rain will cleanse the Earth and provide nourishment and fresh starts.” He clicked the fob to unlock the doors.
“Sounds more like spring than fall.”
Basil and Pippa approached his car in the next row. Basil gave a nod. Skogul winked in return, but caught a glimpse of Pippa’s face as she sat on the seat. Pink-cheeked, puffy-eyed, her morose expression twisted her gut. “Sad isn’t it? Identification of Wilson only took a second, the paperwork several minutes, but watching Pippa’s grief, will stay in my memory forever.”
“Yes.” Aidan tucked her seatbelt in the lock. “Despite his foul deeds, his sister continued to love him and no doubt will mourn his loss.”
Aidan was a shifter. Were shifters honorable? Her Valkyrie preparatory classes introduced the concept of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ancient Aggie predicted a wolf would kill Odin during the great Ragnarök war. Although a shifter, Aidan embodied goodness. How could someone so lovely and sincere be malevolent?
He couldn’t. He wasn’t wicked. Perhaps he shifted to the wolf to help others. He’d saved her.
Her mission to find out about his species and if they demonstrated hostility could not be resolved. She had t
o discover a weakness for their king, a method of battling his species if they were indeed, an enemy. Had Aidan been cast out of the pack? Due to his kindness, had he been forced to seek refuge?
Responsible and caring, his character wouldn’t fuse with a wicked environment.
Mentally she tried to communicate with Göndul. “How am I supposed to dissect Aidan’s supernatural powers without all of my abilities restored?”
Göndul’s response wasn’t forthcoming. Perhaps her powers would come to her in segments. Skogul tried to pry into Aidan’s thoughts.
Nothing.
She rolled her finger over the radio dial, turned to her favorite station, and caught the end of a rock-rap mash-up. “My memory’s back, and I’ll hope the rest return ASAP.”
“What?” He quirked an eyebrow, then turned his attention to the road and the highway ramp.
Soon they would be home and she’d have a chance to snuggle close and get a few “sorry for your trauma” kisses, before...She licked her lips. Lovely thought.
“I like this song, ‘Music is Power Lyrics’.”
A smile tugged on his lips. “Because of the words, and that part with life and live ’til you die?”
“You know me so well. Why haven’t you asked about my past? I thought you’d be interested?” Other than the question of her marital status, why didn’t he ask? He hadn’t mentioned where she came from, her people, or anything personal.
“I figured you’d tell me in your own good time.” He slowed the SUV and eased to a stop at the side of the road. He released the chest belt, and turned to her. A large truck whizzed by. “You know I care about you. I guess, I thought, if you wanted to leave, you would have taken off, gone to the ranch with your cousin.”
“My what?”
“Vanguard?” A line on his forehead furrowed.
“Oh, him. We’re very close. I think of him more like a brother.” She leaned forward and traced along the V-neck of his open shirt. “I certainly don’t think of you like a brother.”
A long, slow breath came from his perfect lips. Short bristles of reddish hair shadowed his jaw. He removed his sunglasses. She longed to touch all of him. His gray-blue eyes twinkled. The fire burnt inside black centers. Whatever their past and future, she wanted him now. Their internal connection had become a visceral one. She loosened the stupid belt pinning her to the seat and wrapped her arms around his neck. First, a short kiss.