Regret left a bitter taste in Cat’s mouth. She clenched her jaw. The fucking bastard who’d bitten her would die. She didn’t know how she’d accomplish it, but she would. And if I can’t, I’ll shove his ass in one of the walk-in freezers and let him rot.
She had to find Rune and tell him what she’d learned. She stormed across the room, threw clothes on and froze with her hand on the door knob. Janice’s email repeated in her head.
He pulled an orgasm from me and left before we even had sex.
Why? What guy would walk away from a willing woman, especially her beautiful sister? But he hadn’t been a man. He’d been an eldjötnar, a child of fire.
And Rune is a child of mist.
She clamped a hand over her mouth. Mist had settled over her the first time Rune had made her climax. She’d thought she imagined it. It had been cold in his house and well… She hadn’t wanted to admit anything weird had happened. The release he’d pulled from her had blown her mind.
Had the fire demon been looking for the same, a sign of his element? Smoke, perhaps? And why did sex with Rune trigger the appearance of mist, but Janice’s encounter had resulted in her being infected?
Dammit, all the unresolved questions were driving her nuts. She wanted answers.
Draven claimed to have them, but he’d fled from the village, scared off by Jaron.
Don’t be a fool, Cat. You’re not seriously considering believing him over Rune, the man who worshipped you last night and has only treated you with respect since he met you?
No, but… She sighed. He’d admitted to not wanting to walk the path they were on. It made her wonder if what he’d shown her was true affection or duty. He wanted to protect her because she was a treasure. Draven had called her that too. It begged the question, what length would Rune go to keep his prize? Draven had suggested any.
Mumbled voices reached her, pulling her thoughts away from her uncertainty. She pressed her ear to the wood.
“She has agreed to mate you?”
Rune’s sigh slithered down her spine. Her body awakened with the simple sound. She pressed her lips together and ignored her desire.
“Not yet, but she will.” Rune paused. “She must, Jaron. There is something different about her. She is special.”
“Or it could be that she is the first female you’ve touched since your last consort.”
“Actually, it was yours that I’d fucked last. Malin had been in Lyal’s bed the day we’d left.”
“With me too.” Jaron chuckled. “Your female had favored my dick.”
“And? I didn’t care. Malin was meant to carry my sons, nothing more.”
Cat covered her mouth. The cold tone to Rune’s words chilled her. It mimicked what he’d said about the eldjötnar and didn’t support his claim they valued their women.
“Yes, they were our obligations, but is that not what Cat is? Something to protect?”
Rune grunted.
The door handle jiggled. She jumped back and knelt at the bag on the floor. Rune entered.
“Cat?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah?”
His eyebrows turned down. “What are you doing?”
She pulled something out of the bag. She had no clue what.
“Getting this.” She held it up and nearly groaned. A box of condoms. Shit. “I’m going to leave them in the bathroom for the next guest. I figured since we don’t need them and—”
“Okay.” He watched her carefully as if he sensed her words for what they were—a diversion. Finally, he closed the door behind him. “We have a flight out at three. You slept most of the morning away so Ivan’s wife will send something up for you to eat before we leave.”
The mention of food made her stomach growl. “Great.” She dropped the box and stood. “I’m starved.”
He moved toward her in a slow stalk that weakened her knees and set her heart racing. One hand at the dip above her ass, he drew her against him and kissed her. Slow strokes of his tongue heated her body and readied her for his possession. It shocked her how quickly moisture pooled and slickened her lower lips. The lengthening of his cock against her belly matched her growing desire, but he didn’t quicken the pace of his kiss. The careful way he took her mouth was necessary, though. The tips of his fangs poked past the straight line of his teeth.
He eased back. Glowing bluish gray eyes met hers. “As am I.”
She clamped a hand over her throat. “I’m not ready. I—”
“Of course not.” He stepped away from her. “I still need to explain to you what our mating will entail.”
If he mentioned sharing her with his brother, they were done, unbelievable attraction or not.
“Well, go ahead.”
He ran a hand through the short waves of his hair. “I will require certain things from you.”
She waited for him to tell her what. He took an interest in their rumpled bed sheets, fingering the silky edge. “And those would be?”
He slid his thumbs into his front pockets. “Your blood, your body.” He caught her gaze. “Your heart.”
Her pulse kicked into high gear. She gave a nervous laugh and barely stopped herself from running for the door.
“Um, you don’t mean that literally, right?” He’d said his species never would repeat the crime the eldjötnar had committed, but his conversation with Jaron had planted the seeds of doubt.
He chuckled. The sound eased her tension. He closed the distance between them and laid his hand over her chest. “Your love, Cat.” He tipped up her chin. “You are mine to protect. I will do anything to ensure you are safe. I’ve told you this.”
He had and with his hand on her body, her doubt seemed silly. It was the same reaction she had whenever he touched her. It was also beginning to make her question her sanity.
“Even mate me?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why ask me such a thing?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know you well, Rune. I’m trying to understand.”
“I wouldn’t take the step unless I wanted it.”
He’s lying. That’s not what he said to Jaron. She stepped away from him. “So matings are based on love, not obligation.”
“Not necessarily, but ours will be, which is why we are waiting.” He skimmed his fingertips down her spine. She arched under the simple swipe. A sigh escaped. “And if I am to remain honorable, I need to feed.”
She bit her lip. The confusion returned over his motives. She shoved it away. Once he left, she could go over his words and determine what he meant. His nearness messed with her mind.
“Okay then. I’ll wait here. I need to do some research too.” She walked toward the desk. Each step away from him eased some of the unquenchable desire. By the time she sat, she could breathe easier. “I believe I know how the eldjötnar found out about your gods.”
He stepped behind her but didn’t touch her. She was grateful. “Really? How?”
She told him of Janice and the encounter she’d had, but not her theory of why the guy had left. Cat didn’t want to voice it until she had more facts. She waited for him to acknowledge how his element had surrounded her during sex. If he saw it too, she could confirm it wasn’t simply her imagination. His features hardened, the only sign he’d heard her, but he didn’t comment.
“Be ready to leave when I return.”
With that, he turned and stormed from the room. The door slammed. She stared at it for a moment. He might’ve left, but she was just as confused. The only difference—she didn’t feel the need to push him to the bed and ride him.
* * * * *
Rune left Ivan safe inside his office after feeding from him and stormed to where Jaron sat on a chair opposite the stairs. It gave him the perfect viewpoint of Cat’s door. Other than allowing Jaron into her room, putting him on guard duty was the only way to ensure her safety while Rune fed. He’d sealed the windows of her room with ice but he refused to trust her not to run again.
She still doubted him.
“What do you remember of the alternate outcome to Ragnarok?”
Jaron tilted his head and leveled his silver eyes on him. “No more than you. We share the same memories.”
So they did. Rune made a noncommittal sound and paced. Ragnarok had happened many times before he had been born. The events had been detailed and passed on to the humans so they would believe.
The alternate outcome had not.
The gods hadn’t wanted it known. For all their faults, they were a noble and honorable race, but they were still individuals with unique personalities and motives. They didn’t want to die, not permanently at least. If they did, a new set of gods would take their place.
What would the new race look like? And how would they become immortal to ensure the end of the world never again came to pass? The only immortals were the children of mist and fire.
Or their human mates.
Rune pivoted on his heel and faced Jaron. “The eldjötnar believed that the only way to prevent Ragnarok was to give ultimate control to one element and eliminate the need for mist and fire to clash. They vowed to take the place of the gods.”
“Yes, but it is foolish. Surtr himself killed Freyr during the final battle. Many times. He never absorbed his powers.”
“But humans can. That is what the gods feared. And we take human—”
“Mates.” Jaron stood. The chair clunked to the floor. “This is not good. We need to find the gods before that happens.”
Rune pinched the bridge of his nose. “I fear it’s too late for that. Our only hope is to find the humans now hosting the gods’ power before the eldjötnar do.”
“And do what with them?”
“Protect them.” Rune glanced at Cat’s door. “Mate them.”
“Cat?” Jaron shook his head. “Your consort did not kill our gods. I believe her and so do you.”
Rune shrugged. “Maybe not directly, but she’s special. The mist has shown its affinity toward her.”
Jaron slid his gaze to the door. “It has chosen her.”
“Or she has picked her element by selecting me.”
“Either way, you must mate her before the fire demons steal her away.”
“The way we did their consorts?” Rune leveled a hard look on him. “Malin never quite believed Draven would have murdered her. She loved him.” Life had come full circle. The irony hit him square in the chest. “In the end, being with us killed them anyway.”
“No, the eldjötnar ended their lives. We would have given them an eternal existence.”
“In a loveless bond.”
Jaron have a half-shrug. “Is that not what you’re proposing now?”
“I can only speak of my involvement with Cat. Mating her is my choice, not something forced upon me by the elders.” Rune faced his brother, the one who’d labeled him cold. “I love Cat or at least I’m falling in love with her. She appeals to me. Her personality, beauty and…”
Rune glanced over his shoulder and stared at Cat’s door. She was up there on her computer, researching. Well, hell.
“And what?”
“Her intelligence.” Rune met Jaron’s eyes. “She is driven by the quest for knowledge.”
Silence stretched. Finally, Jaron cursed. “Like Odin.”
“Yes, like Odin.” Rune nodded, the full scope of what he theorized hitting him. “And she’s mine.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cat accepted the tray of food from Ivan’s son. “Thank you.”
The boy nodded and slipped out of the room.
Cat set the food on the desk and lifted the lid. A folded piece of paper sat on top of the sandwich. She opened it and read.
Are you ready for your answers? Open the window and let me in.
She crumpled it and tossed it in the trash can. Did the fire demon think she was a fool? She didn’t doubt Rune enough to blindly put herself in danger by inviting one of the creatures into her room.
She shoved the food away. No way would she eat anything the eldjötnar had touched. How had he gotten into the hotel with Rune and Jaron here anyway?
The door opened. She glanced over her shoulder. Rune’s wide shoulders filled the space. Her thoughts scattered. Each time she looked at him, he grew more captivating, more gorgeous, more everything. She also couldn’t shake the feeling that she had to lock him to her side before she lost her chance.
His heated gaze settled on her. “Cat.”
She went to him, the draw undeniable. He linked his arms around her waist. A tug slammed their bodies together. He captured her mouth on a fierce kiss. Desperation and stark hunger fueled it. She felt it in each stroke of his tongue with hers. He ate at her mouth as if he hadn’t seen her in years and wouldn’t again. In truth, it had only been an hour, but the same demands pulsed through her. She needed his touch as much as her next breath.
He slipped his hands under her shirt and covered her breast with his palm. She didn’t wear a bra. He’d cut the straps on the only one she’d brought. A swipe of his finger over her nipple pebbled it. She pushed more of the flesh into his hands. He massaged, teased the tip and continued to love her mouth. Desire hit hard and fast.
She reached for the button of his pants.
He grasped her wrist. “Sorry, angel. We don’t have time. Our flight leaves in less than an hour.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Then you need to stop kissing me. As soon as you get your hands or mouth on me, I want sex. This is getting a little ridiculous.” She shoved out of his arms. “And quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. You turn me into a bundle of hormones.”
He chuckled and ran his finger over her shoulder. Tingles skipped across her skin in his wake. “I’m glad, Cat. You don’t know how much it pleases me that you enjoy my touch.”
Because your last consort had favored your brother over you? She didn’t ask the question though. If she did, she’d have to admit to eavesdropping on him.
He settled his hands on her waist and stepped behind her. The long line of his arousal pressed into her back. “I want you.”
Unable to resist, she leaned into him. “You confuse me, Rune. Do you know that? You just said we didn’t have time for sex.”
He clamped his mouth over her neck. The press of his fangs against her skin quickened her breaths. She gripped his arms. He eased back so only his lips brushed her throat. “As soon as we get to your home, I want to make you my mate, Cat. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
She sucked in a breath. “Why the rush? You said we had time.”
He released her and moved away. She glanced over her shoulder. He stood rubbing at his neck. “I’ve changed my mind.”
Alarm bells went off in her head. “Why?”
“Because.”
“That’s not an answer, Rune.” She turned and crossed her arms under her breasts. “What’s changed over the past hour?”
“When I fed from Ivan, I learned Draven was here asking about you. He’d even planted a compulsion in the human’s mind to contact him as soon as you arrived in the hotel.” He clenched his fists and took a step closer. “He knows you are my consort. We have a history, Cat. If he can steal you from me, he will.”
“What kind of history?” She held her breath. Would he confirm what she’d overheard?
“It doesn’t matter. I will protect you from him.”
“By mating me?”
“Yes, I—”
“What history do you have with Draven?” She let the warning show on her expression. She wouldn’t let it go.
His eyes grew cold, distant. “He claims I stole the female he had planned to mate. In truth, I saved her from him and gave her a new life.”
“What was her name?”
His features hardened more. For a long moment, he said nothing. Finally, he sighed. “Malin.”
“Oh.” It was all she could say.
He held a hand out to her. She didn’t reach for it. He dropped it and curled his fingers into a fist. “You are my future, Cat. Please t
ell me you understand that.”
In the face of his expectant look, she nodded.
“We’ll talk more in a bit, okay?”
She gave another dip of her head and walked toward the door. She opened it and stood to the side.
“Sure. I need to call the lab anyway.” And think about his words. There was something not right about his sudden change of heart.
He stepped through but grasped her hand before the door closed. Warmth snaked up her arm and ignited her body. She swallowed past the surge of lust. “I’ll keep you safe from him.”
“Okay.”
She yanked free and closed the door. Doubt was a dangerous thing. So too was temptation. Both surrounded Rune. She didn’t know what to do about either.
The ringing phone dragged her out of her thoughts. She answered the landline.
“Hello?”
“Do not hang up, Catherine. Hear me out.”
Draven.
She backed into the corner of the room. The spot gave her a perfect view of the windows covered in ice and the door. She didn’t see any signs of smoke.
“Why should I?”
“Because I want to earn your favor. Give me a chance.”
Did he? Janice’s face flashed before her. Cat curled her hand into a fist. “Who killed my sister?”
“I don’t know. I can only vouch for myself. I am unmated and do not carry the curse.”
“Okay then. Chance over. Good—”
“Did Rune admit to stealing my consort? Or how coldly he treated her? Did he—”
“Stop it. Do you think I’m a fool? A fire demon infected my sister. Why would I believe another one over Rune?”
“I know and I am sorry for her death, but I had no part in it. What I am trying to do is save you from the same fate.”
She snorted. “Then don’t sweat it. Rune already offered to do that.”
“But he can’t. He is not eldjötnar. The blood he would share with you will not protect you from the virus. Only mine can.”
Excitement replaced the irritation of his call. “Give me a sample.”
He laughed. The low sound didn’t affect her the way Rune’s did. She was glad. One sinful temptation was enough.
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