The Valkyrie and the Marine

by J. J. Keller

  He flipped her onto her back. “This time, my dear,” he sucked on her earlobe, “I’m in charge.”

  Her woman part acted strangely; the muscles sucked, moving together and apart, exciting her in ways she wasn’t aware of but hoped would continue. Her hand moved from his hard sinewy shoulder to feel the pulsating movement below as his legs settled between her thighs.

  His fingers massaged between her folds. She rocked, needing more than a simple swipe. Next he smoothed the nub of her inner woman, outlining the fold clockwise. She plunged upward. Trying to find the solution to the urgency, she gripped the bed covers.

  “Wet. You’re so ready.” The huskiness of his voice spun her further into throes of pre-ecstasy.

  “Yes.” She gasped, wanting to fly on the wings of her Valentine. “Now, stop this madness. Let me—”

  “Shh. Not yet.” His finger or maybe two entered her. Her muscles contracted, trying to pull him deeper.

  “You’re so tight,” he murmured into her ear.

  She didn’t know if that was good or bad, she only knew a new sensation, a desire to scream in joy as tingles and blasts of energy rushed to where his fingers stroked.

  “Please, I need…”

  His body covered hers. “What do you need? Tell me what you want.”

  Gazing into his eyes, she saw love reflecting in the deep pools. “You. I want to join with you, to become one.”

  “I don’t have a condom. You’ll be unprotected.”

  “I don’t understand.” She pushed her hips upward.

  “From disease, pregnancy.”

  “Valkyries do not become ill, and I’d love to have your baby.”

  He placed his elbows on each side of her head. Her woman scent wafted into the air. His lips touched hers, starting at the outside and working their way over to outlining her lips. His tongue entered her mouth. She hesitated to play because the action would lead to one thing. What if Odin wanted to see if she could restrain herself and not fall prey to a human’s lovemaking? Harrison moved his mouth to her breasts, sharp pulls to each nipple made them ache. One push and she could get satisfaction. As bright as a strike of Thor’s lightning, the battle within ended. She wanted him regardless of the consequences.

  “So we’ll always be together.” His cock slid between the slick folds of her hot pulsating entrance. His hard strong penis entered and filled her.

  “Yes. Whatever. This feels so good.” She kissed his neck.

  His fingers were braided with hers, so she took her other hand and held tight to his firm buttock as he thrust deep. A musky scent filled the air around them. The juices on her thighs and inside her made the path slick. He pulled back and halted at the junction, his penis swirling in small teasing circles. She clamped her thighs against him, urging him to enter fully to the hilt. If only she could read his mind, she could discover if she pleased him. The lack of her Valkyrie abilities created powerlessness, and she didn’t like it one bit. “How does it feel for you?”

  “Ah, love, are you here to kill me?” he whispered then ran his tongue around her earlobe.

  “No.” She shook her head. No, how could this be? Being the inventive, the most clever warrior didn’t provide a sure sense of sexual prowess, why couldn’t she provide him with love and happiness as well as life? “Never. I had to save you.”

  “Why?” He thrust again.

  A loud moan pushed out of her. “Because…”

  His penis nudged the tip of the spot that pulsed. Her heels went to his upper thighs. She tried to force him to enter again, if nothing else she had stamina and that would surely impress him.

  “Because?” he insisted.

  “When we were evaluating who to select from the fallen, I chose you. Looking into your mind was like walking through an adroit maze. You have all of the qualities I admire—loyalty, strength and courage. My heart sang and my stomach bounced in a funny way. I didn’t want you to die, so I chose to keep you safe. I touched you, that day on the battlefield, and I knew…”

  “Knew what?” His hot breath caressed her neck.

  “That my fallen warrior—” A soft cry stole her words. “I beg you, do not torture me further.”

  “Continue,” he demanded, not heeding her pleas.

  Illogically, that you could create a hum inside me and love me. “That I needed to be here, with you, share love.”

  Their thighs slapped together as she acknowledged her fear. Her goal was achieved, but perhaps not the one Odin wanted. She was bound to and in love with a human.

  ****

  Snuggled next to him, Kiara slept, deeply and restfully. Harrison shoved the dark blue sheets to the side and climbed out of bed. His dress trousers rested beside the bed where they’d been dropped earlier, so he poked his legs through the holes. A search through the pockets brought the paper Kiara had released on the veranda the night before. The sun would be cresting outside his windows in a matter of fifty minutes at best. He plopped onto his chair and smoothed the paper on top of the desk.

  “Damn.” The message had been written in some old language, similar to what was engraved on the Rune Stones he’d read about during his search for details of Valhalla. The hum of his laptop indicated it was booting; seconds later he searched for a translator. Rune Stone meanings and alphabet. “Great, this should take all day.”

  An hour later he had an inkling of what had caused her tears. Odin has sent us to a battlefield and we are dressed in the ugly colors you paraded in the great hall. I’m confident we will be successful and you will be allowed to return home. If not, in four days I will come to you and we’ll be exiled together. Do you think we could manage on Earth? Yours or fondly he couldn’t quite decipher, Skogul. According to Wikipedia, Skogul was a Valkyrie name. Male or female?

  Kiara stirred. Harrison shut down his computer, hid the paper under the laptop and went into the bathroom. He’d shower then return to bed. If his luck continued he’d spend the morning on the mattress trying to convince her to stay with him.

  The second bout of lovemaking was even better than the first. His angel, in whatever form, had unbelievable power over him. Lack of control wasn’t something Harrison was familiar with, nor did he appreciate the absence. But he remained tethered to her, their hearts in sync.

  Her arm rested on the pillow above her head. He brushed his fingers along the sensitive inner skin of her arm and contemplated what to do with her. How to keep her earthbound? “What would you like to do this afternoon?”

  The drum of rain against the side of the house drew her attention away from his wake-up call.

  “Is it raining?” Her sleepy voice was as titillating as snake charmers’ pipe music.

  “Yes, regardless we can get out. We’ll take a car and sightsee. Maybe have lunch at a restaurant.”

  Heavy-eyed she shook her head. “Car? Restaurant?”

  He kissed the callused palm of her hand. “A car is an enclosed conveyance that will take you from place to place. Restaurant is a building a person visits to eat a meal, morning, noon, or at night. We pay the owner for serving the food and beverage to us.”

  She flipped onto her side and caressed his face. “This car, does it fly?”

  “No, but an airplane does.” He knew he had her, for at least a day, when she jolted into a sitting position.

  “Can I see one of those too?”

  She dropped the bed sheet, exposing her nakedness and reaffirming his lack of control over his cock. Why did her words create powerlessness in him, spinning his heart in every direction?

  “I can do better than that.” He scooped her into his arms. “We’ll go to the nearest military base, and I’ll take you up in a plane.” He hated the amount of excitement that rippled through his croaky voice. Being released from active duty hurt more than he’d anticipated.

  She touched his scar and frowned. Was she concerned for her safety? The military didn’t believe he could perform in the field any longer; maybe she didn’t trust him either. “Or maybe a pi
lot will take us up, and I’ll explain the mechanics,” he amended.

  Her hand moved to his chest, fingers sprayed over his heart. “I’d trust you with my life. You take the reins and only the two of us will fly.”

  His heart did that funny flip. For the first time in several weeks he was his old self, a strong, whole man.

  She pointed to the bathroom. “May I use your bathing chambers?”

  “Of course.” He planted a wet kiss on her neck then lowered her feet to the floor. “I’ll get some clothes from Heather for you to wear.”

  Kiara’s immense number of questions, about everything, made the drive to the city as well as the day in the cement jungle speed by and before he knew it, they were once again sharing a passionate night. He didn’t know what powers, if any, an earthbound Valkyrie possessed, but she’d woven her magic around his entire body, capturing his heart and soul.

  Chapter 11

  Day five of five Earth-timed days as a human dawned, if she counted her arrival day, and Kiara feared being yanked away from Harrison at any moment. In contrast, the threat of being forever earthbound had created a panic in her until she got to know Harrison. Now the dread of leaving him or taking him with her to Valhalla replaced her initial anxiety. She couldn’t control this irrational feeling and that alone added to her unease. Missing her sisters, her life on Asgard, and riding Bright through the night sky caused her breath to catch. Did humans experience this mad mix of emotions every day or was she different because she was only a temporary Earth-walker? She hoped the latter was true.

  Harrison introduced her to the internet. She tried to research common information about humans and Earth, but converting the words into her language gave her a pain in her head. He offered her a pill to take for this headache, as he called it, a clever name for the illness. Was the pain first of many aches? Perhaps this was what Odin wanted her to learn when he stripped her of her superiority and made her subject to human frailties. She got it. A Valkyrie’s powers were not to be taken for granted.

  Humans were powerless creatures.

  But having fallen in love with Harrison she wanted to spend more time with him, despite the ailments and an unlikely future together.

  Whenever Harrison asked her questions about her reason for being with him she took him to bed.

  Clearly her first belief, that having sex with Harrison would get her back into Asgard, was incorrect. The intimacy drew her closer to him. She’d made the mistake of telling him she’d been exiled and he wanted details. Why? How could she tell him she tried to use his battle strategies to make her Valkyrie sisters more secure from the enemy? He would perceive her as witless if she told him she introduced the camouflage clothing and was tossed out of Valhalla. Therefore anytime the question of her inhabitance on Earth came up, she stripped off her clothing.

  She smiled. She and Harrison were good together.

  Each night, after he fell asleep, she went outside hoping to have another message from Skogul. She needed a clue to when and if she’d return, but nothing came. Tweet must be locked in her cage and Skogul in battle. The longer Kiara remained with Harrison, the more attached she became to him. How could she leave him?

  Her foolish heart beat as wild as the boar she’d seen in the woods near Harrison’s house. Stomach cramping, she drew a deep breath of fragrant winter air and wished upon the brilliant stars. Kiara’s heart had been hooked to Harrison’s like those sparkling bits of heaven to the sky, and it would be impossible to sever the thread.

  Today was day five; her day of reckoning.

  ****

  Five days had passed and Kiara continued to avoid the topic of her reason for appearing at his doorstep. Every time Harrison brought up the subject of her staying with him, she switched to a more stimulating endeavor. Today, she couldn’t get away. His mother had contacted a friend who owned horses. The elation on Kiara’s face as he explained they were going to ride was worth the blisters his butt would have later in the day. Who knew, maybe she’d be willing to put a salve on the sore bum. Regardless of the outcome, seeing her smile would be worth the pain.

  They spent the morning in an apparel store buying riding outfits. He wore a new Sherpa sandstone jacket and beige cowboy hat. Kiara selected a pair of black boots, riding trousers, a thick wool sweater, and a vest that matched his coat. The weather continued to be clear and sunny without a hint of snow or rain, so at least he didn’t need to worry about the equine taking a fall.

  Harrison hadn’t come this far with her to end it tragically by a broken neck. He glanced at her. Her cheeks had reddened. The color was stark against the brilliant white of her skin. “The day you saved my life, do you remember anything strange about the fight…er battle?”

  She tilted her head, her long ponytail slipped over her shoulder. “I’m not sure what you mean. I wasn’t myself that day and could only think about you.”

  He smiled. Oh yeah, she was into him, even if she didn’t say the words outright. “You said before that you offer each chosen warrior...”

  “Einherjar.”

  “Yes, ane-hin-are.”

  She grinned. “Very close.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t hear you offer Patrick the opportunity to become immortal.”

  “I didn’t speak aloud. I talked to his mind.”

  “And you heard his response through your mind?”

  “Yes. All Valkyries can delve into others’ thoughts.”

  “Are you reading my mind now?”

  She laughed. “I don’t need to. You want to have sex.” Sadness marred her beautiful features. “Mind reading has always been a part of me, except as a human. I don’t have the ability.”

  His desire to have her smile again was squashed. He wanted off the horse and to see if she could recapture that day in Korea and give him insight into the possible betrayal by one of his own.

  They’d ridden across the plains, through the forest, and now headed toward the side of a hill. A pat to the black horse’s neck and Harrison finally admitted the truth. “I always want to be with you.”

  A deep soul-wrenching exhale came from her parted lips.

  Too much. Too soon.

  “I’m not sure about the mountain—I’m not a good rider.”

  Harrison’s stallion of course was named Contrary, but despite his despicable name he had a sweet nature. He wasn’t sure if Kiara hugged her horse or the horse hugged her, but their bodies had become one. Once in a while a snort, sounding like a blissful moan, would come from the reddish-brown mare. A simple gentle nudge of her knees and Big Red stopped on the path.

  “Not a mountain, just an ant hill. Where I come from, the land is similar to yours. We often scout our mountains looking for giants who are a threat to Asgard.” She rubbed her mount’s neck. “We’ve been riding for at least three hours and there’s only a tiny bit of light left before we’ll need to return. Does your head hurt?”

  “No,” he insisted. Skogul’s note said in four days he/she would come for Kiara. They were on their fifth day; perhaps Kiara would remain earthbound, with him, forever.

  In the light of day her skin glittered, reminding him she was supernatural and didn’t belong on Earth…with him. The heaviness of his heart didn’t stop his strong desire to have her, to try and hold her. As if reading his body language Contrary stopped. Harrison lifted from the saddle, stretching.

  Kiara grinned. Her green eyes became glowing bits resembling Spanish emeralds. “Let’s dismount and take a break.”

  Harrison thought a snicker came from her sublime pink lips. He could man-up, ignore the jibe and continue riding or possibly have sex outside, on a smooth warm rock. “Sure, if you need one.”

  He withheld the moan of pain as he valiantly dismounted. Snatching the bottled water from his saddlebag, he led the horse to a stark tree near a boulder. Tethered, the horses munched on the limited blades of grass. Harrison took Kiara’s hand and they walked to the seats, created by time and the elements, on the side of the boulder. The chur
ch-like aroma filtered through the air when she moved. No doubt he smelled of pungent horse, old leather, and salty perspiration.

  His fingers touched hers as she took the container of water. She must have been affected because her fingers shook when they wrapped around the flask. Posed with an elbow on the rock’s flat surface, he drew a strand of her hair close to his nose, obtaining a whiff of her caramel-vanilla fragrance. A deep inhale committed her personal woman aroma to his mind. He intended to memorize every inch of her, so when she disappeared…he didn’t want to think about it.

  “I need to return to my apartment in D.C. We’ll need to leave around eight tomorrow.”

  She fell flat to the stone surface. “I can’t go.”

  Her perfect, makeup-free face that held joy moments before became morose. She’d been moping around the last two days. More than likely she’d anticipated being rescued by Skogul, but nothing had happened. Keeping her mind occupied was difficult, but fortunately for him the nights were filled with trying to romance her into staying with him. Harrison encouraged her to discuss her supposed banishment. She refused, pretending to be on a holiday, visiting, absorbing as much information from the television as she could and asking a multitude of battle strategy questions. At the end of the day she’d shed her clothes and screw his brains out.

  He glanced at her. Why didn’t she want to stay with him? He turned toward her, his side on the hard boulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She didn’t open her eyes, but a twitch on one of her high cheekbones sent a message.

  He wet his lips, deciding to ask the question burning into his core. “Skogul—a guy or a girl?”

  She shot upright. He pressed his arm against her stomach to prevent her tumble into thin air.

  Chapter 12

  Harrison’s quiet question bounced off the faces of the boulders. The horses snorted and clattering hooves rang as they moved to a grassy area. Kiara couldn’t form words. Had she spoken Skogul’s name aloud during her sleep, prompting his question? She feared she’d never see her friend again, so Skogul had been in her thoughts a lot lately.