Chloe kicked off her little shoes, leaving them in the middle of the room. Going over to the sofa, she took the throw that was neatly placed over the back and wound it around herself. Moving past me, she disappeared into the bathroom without a word. Okay, then. She would apparently make herself at home. In my home. Which I had never shared with anyone, the whole two hundred years I had been in London.
“I did live with Analise,” she shouted through the bathroom door.
Oh, that was bloody fantastic. That meant she couldn’t go back. Which meant…
“I have nowhere to go now.”
Gritting my teeth, I went over to the kitchen area and switched the kettle on. The one good thing about England was the way they made their tea. When I had first landed on the shores from Denmark, I had ordered a hot drink of any kind to calm the chill in my bones. The landlady had brought over tea laced with milk and sugar. I didn’t like to let anyone know about my secret love of English tea, but I needed a cup right now.
Opening the cupboard door, I took out one of the perfectly placed mugs. There were things littered here and there, but my kitchen was always tidy. A habit my mother had taught me a thousand years ago. She hated having a dirty cooking area. She always insisted Vikings could only stay strong if their food wasn’t contaminated. It had certainly made me grateful for the lesson.
“Are you making tea?”
I had been so deep in thought, I hadn’t heard her come out of the bathroom. Her small hands held the blanket tight around her. It would stink of woman now; I would have to wash it. Not that I was against the smell of a woman, but usually, I preferred it over me. Although, not Chloe; that wouldn’t be right.
“I suppose you want one?”
Tilting her head to the side, she smiled at me. “Yes, please. I’m surprised you’re not a raging alcoholic.”
“Alcohol impairs judgement and makes men fat. Eventually,” I replied without even thinking.
The tea made, I gestured towards the sofa. If I had to do what Freya asked, we had to have a little talk.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the mug from me and going over to sit down.
I followed, gingerly lowering myself in the chair opposite. Putting my mug on the table, I quickly tried to hide the novel that sat next to my reading chair.
“Pride and Prejudice? Do you have a girlfriend?”
Coughing, I nodded. Better to lie about that than admit that I was in the middle of the romance novel. It would not do me any favours to have the girl-woman know too much about me. Especially my reading habits.
“Analise said you were a loner. Are you reading Pride and Prejudice?” Her eyes were on me, watching for any giving sign.
Keeping still, I watched her back. When her gaze met mine, she swallowed hard. She could probably see the darkness in my eyes. The hard rigid set of my jaw. So far, she had treated me as a normal person. But, I wasn’t. And, I was afraid that I would train the softness out of her.
“Have you any idea what Freya has got you into?”
“Why are you so…cold?” Her instant retort made me sit back in my seat.
Studying her face, I noted the tiny mole on the right side of her jaw. Her pale skin was smooth, with no blemishes anywhere. A lick of mascara covered her lashes, but no other makeup covered her face. The brown of her eyes was dark, almost black. It was an unusual shade to go with her dark blonde unruly hair.
“What do you know of me? What lies did Analise and the others tell you?”
Chloe sat back on the sofa, getting comfortable in my home. I gritted my teeth, holding back the urge to make her less comfortable. She looked around, probably noting the lack of television and mod cons. I was a man of simple needs. Material ideas didn’t bother me. Not anymore. I had grown too used to new gadgets throughout my long life.
“You’re a barbarian, ready to kill, instead of reason. Loki hates you because you have the one thing that he wants. Thor’s thunder. He speaks to his descendants in their dreams, urging them to find and kill you.”
“I’m well aware, Chloe.”
Crossing her legs under her, she sunk into the corner of the sofa, her eyelids becoming heavy. The girl would not be sleeping until I had more answers. I didn’t care how tired she was.
“Okay, they weren’t lying in regards to that.”
“Have you ever been in love? I mean, I doubt you have because of how cold you are, but…”
I thrust up from my seat as her sentence trailed off. Her hair fanned out around her as she pressed herself further into the grey sofa. Pacing, I ignored her flinch. I had worked hard to be that intimidating. It was a good thing it worked.
The black rug under my feet dragged under my thick boots. The slap of the soles when they landed on the wooden floor past the rug made Chloe cringe. I was six foot four with a fair bit of muscle. Of course my footsteps would be heavy. That was exactly why I chose an apartment above a factory. No one would hear my pacing at night.
“I only talk about important things. Everything else is filed under ‘I don’t give a fuck’, therefore, we need not speak about it.” Cracking my knuckles, I looked at her to make sure she hadn’t dropped off to sleep.
She stared at me, her cheeks slightly pink. The brown of her eyes looked like her pupils had expanded. If I looked too long, I would get dragged into their deep pits. That woman had some serious depth to her. No wonder she struggled to become a warrior.
“Tell me your story, from the very beginning.”
Sitting up, she pointed at my seat. For once in my life, I did as the woman bid. Sipping my tea, I waited while she cleared her throat and got comfortable.
“As Freya said, she made me join Loki’s descendants. They tried to train me to be a fighter from a young age, but I struggled. I didn’t resonate with them, you know?”
I didn’t know. In the whole thousand years I had been on earth, the only family I had resonated with had been lost to me almost as quickly as my mission had begun. I had forgotten what it was like to be close to anyone. It wasn’t important to me.
“So, I kept trying my hardest, but they soon became frustrated and hoisted me onto an elderly family member, instead, concentrating on another of their children. It didn’t matter which one killed you, ultimately. When they died, I pretended to be Analise’s niece to get back in with them.” Her voice was quiet, almost childlike.
“And, how have you lived so long?”
Putting her mug on the small table beside her, she glanced at me before staring out of the huge window I’d had installed in the ceiling. The stars twinkled, although their brightness was affected by the lights of London.
“Freya came to me when I hit twenty. She told me that my mission wasn’t complete. I had to keep trying to get involved with them. It took me a long time to be able to find someone who came from Loki’s bloodline who wanted to help me. Freya froze my age, so I could achieve my mission. I had to keep making up new stories to each family, moving around the world to avoid suspicion. Sometimes it didn’t work,” she muttered the last part of her sentence.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees, the leather making them slide before I forced them to grip. “Did you have to kill them?”
Her laugh was bitter. “Don’t be silly. I’ve never killed anything before. Freya always stepped in. Always helped me. She really is my saviour.”
The snort that came from me made her stare. It was unusual for me to show such emotion, but hearing Freya be called a saviour was somewhat a shock. Especially after what she had done to me. A thousand years was a long time to hang onto the idea of vengeance. It was an even longer time to long for death.
“Why do you feel like that about Freya? She’s a Viking Goddess. You of all people know what that means.” As she tucked her hair behind her ear, I looked up through the glass, leaning back against the chair.
“You do know that she put Thor’s thunder in me?”
Her murmured affirmation didn’t make me look away from the stars.
“Okay, so no one’s perfect.”
Springing from my seat faster than she could blink, I shot across the space to her sofa, lowering myself so my eyes were level with hers. She yelped in surprise as my breath hit her face. “Oh, but she should have been. Why now? After all the years I’ve been hunting, why does she send me help now? And, you, of all people!”
Her inhale was sharp as I stared into her eyes, trying to read her soul. What was the point in sending me someone who would die in an instant? It wouldn’t help, it would hinder.
“I don’t know, Trygger, I don’t know.”
The rush of her warm breath made me back away, almost stumbling over the edge of the soft rug. I hadn’t been that close to a woman for a long time. When I had sex with one, it was quick and never featured kissing. I couldn’t be doing with intimacy.
“Am I that vulgar?”
Her insecurity made me take a deep breath and sit down, yet again. Keeping my cool with this person was going to take some major practice. My anger was always focused. I either killed or exercised it out. Or sex. Sex was a good outlet.
“I’m going to work out, you sleep if you want.”
Leaving her, I jogged up the stairs before she could answer. As I was about to walk across the open balcony to the gym door, she called up to me. Hanging over the railing, I looked down at her. My dark ponytail fell over my shoulder as I leant my arms on the wood.
“Yes, Chloe?”
“There is one thing you can do to make this work, you know that, don’t you?” she said, pulling her blanket even tighter around her as she lay down on the sofa.
“What’s that?” I replied, keeping my face straight from the brewing annoyance.
Her yawn stretched her mouth wide, revealing great teeth considering how old she was. “Just train me to be as good as you. I could be a Viking fighter, too.”
4
Loki’s Blood Falls
“GET UP!” MY shout echoed around the open area.
Chloe jumped, looking around as I threw a pile of clothes at her. They weren’t going to be flattering to her curvy figure, but that didn’t matter. It was all about the training.
“What’s going on?” She rubbed her eyes, ignoring the clothes on her lap.
I wandered over to the kitchen area, pulling out a juice to start my day. My fitness regime had been tweaked throughout the years, but my diet of meat, vegetables and fruit was still key. Food became boring after processed food got invented.
“You want to be a warrior, get off your arse and get dressed. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Chloe held up the jogging bottoms I had given her, her lip curling into a displeased sneer. “I can’t wear these. Or, this!”
The T-shirt was long. It had to be to fit me. “I don’t see a bag of clothes with you.”
Downing my drink, I waved for her to get on with it. Instead of doing what I asked, she got up, leaving the outfit on the sofa, and put her hands on her hips. Her skirt was creased where she had slept in it.
“I’m going to collect my clothes. Then, I’ll come back here.” She went to march towards the two steps by the kitchen. They led to the front door and out of the building.
Moving to block her, I tilted my head. “You think you can just waltz into wherever it is you live? After what happened with Analise last night?”
Her step faltered as she came to a halt in front of me. Putting her hands on her hips again, she looked at me, nibbling on her lip as she glared me down. Or, tried to.
“Okay, they still live there. So, I’ll sneak in and grab my stuff. It won’t take long. When I’m back here, I’ll…”
“Oh no. Don’t think because I somehow got roped into training you, you get a place to stay. We’ll set you up somewhere else.” Slamming my cup on the kitchen side, I regarded her.
Shrugging, she put her arms to the side. “Fine by me, meathead. I’m quite capable of sorting myself out. I’ll just pop round here for my training sessions. And, then, I’ll be on my way.”
Nodding, I took hold of her arm as she went to walk past me. “I think I better come with you to get your stuff.”
Biting my tongue, I stayed quiet when she shrugged again, tugging her arm out of my grip. The woman was just as offhand as I was. Why did she accuse me of being cold, when she was so bloody chilly herself?”
“Haven’t you got better things to do today?”
“Well, I was going to find a special friend of mine to work out my…frustration…but, I can help you first.” Bending to pick up my leather waistcoat, I froze when I turned to face her.
Her cheeks were bright red and her mouth was screwed up. Apparently, I disgusted her. The corners of my lips sunk into my cheeks. I wasn’t going to change who I was, just because a woman who I wasn’t fucking was hanging around.
“What?” I asked innocently.
Her huff made me chuckle as I put the waistcoat on and did up the fastening. The old jacket had been with me since my Viking days. I had made it myself when my mother insisted I was equipped for the times ahead. She never expected me to live so long. Her parting words on her deathbed had been a plea for me to hurry, so I could join her in the heavens.
A lump came to my throat as Chloe went down the steps, leaving me with my thoughts. Grabbing the gun I had stolen from her, I tucked it into the back of my waistband. If Loki’s relatives were anything like they had been previously, they didn’t give a shit who was around when I showed up.
“Are you coming?” her moany voice called from the front door.
Rolling my eyes, I went after her, determined to start training as soon as possible. If she had truly lived for over two hundred years, she must have some sort of idea how to fight.
“So, how have you not killed a single person in the whole of your life?” I asked as we left, jogging down the steps that lead to my door halfway up the building.
Moving past the car parked out front, I gestured for her to follow me to the river. A small speedboat rested against the dock, waiting to take us up-river.
“Is this yours?”
I nodded as I climbed in, gesturing for her to follow. Not many creatures had their own river transport. It made for a quick easy getaway.
“You’re not very chivalrous, are you?” she muttered, stumbling into the boat.
I could have caught her, but I didn’t. Letting her fall onto the boat floor, I turned to start the engine. When I glanced back, she was on her feet, rubbing her knees.
“If you want to be a warrior, I can’t hold your hand. You know that.”
As I went to turn away, she replied. “Fuck you.”
The laugh escaped me before I could stop it. I sat in the driver’s seat, ignoring her cursing behind me. If Freya wanted to saddle me with someone, I would do everything in my power to make her the best warrior she could possibly be.
“Where do you live?”
She made a noise, trying her hardest to defy me.
“If you don’t tell me, how can I get us there?” Why did women have to be so difficult?
“Near Westminster.”
Her grunt made me look over my shoulder just as I was about to accelerate onto the water. The hem of her skirt was stuck on the chair. She tugged it, a whimper coming out of her mouth when it ripped to her knee.
“Well, don’t just sit there!” she snapped, bending to try and wrench the material off whatever it was caught on.
“Okay,” I said, pressing forward on the control.
The boat jerked away from the dock before gliding onto the river. Chloe screamed as she fell back, her bottom bouncing on the light blue leather seat behind her. The sound of her skirt shredding even more made me keep my eyes ahead. I didn’t want to bear witness to anything I shouldn’t.
“You’re intolerable!”
My smile grew as she hurled insults. The calm water soothed me. There w
as something about being away from the land that brought me peace. When I had crossed the sea to England from Scandinavia all those years ago, I promised myself I would buy a boat. I had already visited many countries by land and sea, but I had never had the means to purchase my own.
“Did you hear me?” Chloe shouted.
“Yes, you said I was a fucking wanker, who likes to wank. I can’t say I disagree. Sometimes needs must when I’ve not found a lady in a while.”
I still didn’t turn around as I replied. The smack around my head made me jump. Throwing a glare over my shoulder, I chuckled when I saw one of her pink shoes on the floor next to me.
“Good throw.”
Her scowl made me laugh harder. She had managed to finally detangle herself, but now sat clasping her skirt together. If only she had worn the clothes I had given her, we wouldn’t be on our way across the city.
“They warned me that you were cold hearted. I thought maybe they were over exaggerating, but now I see they were right.”
If I were a more sensitive man, I would have been hurt by her words. But, I wasn’t. It was true. Cold hearted I had become. Cold hearted, I would stay. And, not one person in the world had judged me enough for me to change. Or, got close enough to crack the ice.
“Chloe?” I sighed, turning to her as I set our course for straight ahead. “Everything you’ve heard about me is true. When you learn to turn your emotions off, you’ll understand.”
She blinked, staring straight at me. The chill of the wind made the hairs on her arms stand on end. The brown of her eyes deepened again, almost turning black.
“I’ll never turn my emotions off.”
Turning back to the controls, I navigated around a river-taxi. London was just waking up, the city coming to life. The lights started to go off as the sun crept up over the buildings. The London Eye glittered in the reflection of the sunrays, the pods still on the crisp but clear morning.
The light of day always made me feel hopeful. Dark Crawlers and souls slunk away during the day, leaving the city as my playground. If I needed to relax, I could find a lush green park, or an ancient building. That was one thing about England my Viking blood appreciated. Its ancient history rivalled my own.
Thunder Hunter: Viking Soul Book 1 (Viking Soul Series) Page 4