by Renee Jordan
But not tonight.
~ ~ ~
Raven
The monster's fist slammed into me.
Pain exploded through me. I sailed up the slope and landed hard on the ground. Dents marred my breastplate. My chest ached. My heart labored. Fear shot through me. “Magnus,” I cried out as I shook my head. “Magnus, help.”
No. He wasn't here.
“Your lapdog won't save you, Valkyrie.” Griff crashed through the trees. He was a wrecking ball plowing through forest. Wood snapped and trees toppled before him. “My brothers have already ripped him to pieces.”
Panic gripped me. I fought it down as I forced myself to stand. I gripped my sword in both hands. Griff was so big. He would beat me to a pulp. He loomed over me, his hooked beak wide open as he screeched. His mighty fist swung at me.
I sprang to the side, my feet scrambling on the slope. The ground shook when the fist landed. I turned and swung my blade. I scored a wound on his wrist. He didn't feel it. He swung his fist in a backhand at me.
I ducked. The fist clipped my helmet, throwing me onto my back. My helmet tumbled away, bouncing down the side of the mountain. He punched again. I rolled to the side and scrambled to my feet.
His beak pecked down and crashed into my armor. Pain flared. The sharp tip of his beak punctured the silvery armor and pierced my side. A wave of cold washed through me. I stumbled back and took a wild swing with my sword, driving him back.
I couldn't fight him. Not without help. Not without Magnus.
I had to flee.
I scrambled back up the slope. Trees snapped and crashed behind me as he lumbered through the woods. The ground shook, propelling me to run faster. Panic nibbled at my thoughts. Thinking was hard. There was only fleeing.
I had to get away. I had to escape.
Griff couldn't get the Sun's Tear.
I reached the top and leaped. The ground rushed beneath me. My black hair streamed behind me. Trees rushed by me. I raised my arms as I crashed through branches. I hit the ground near the middle of the slope. The impact jarred me.
“No,” I shouted as I pitched face first.
I tumbled down the hill. My armor groaned as I bounced off trees. My body ached when I rolled to a stop at the bottom. Between my armor and being a Valkyrie, I managed to keep from breaking any bones.
Griff shrieked as he barreled down the slope, an avalanche of broken trees crashing before him.
I gained my feet and ran, racing through the bog. I didn't care about getting my boots wet. I ignored all the aches in my body and the wound in my side. I barely felt the pain. My shirt and jeans were wet with my blood.
That didn't matter. I had to escape.
“You can't run forever, Valkyrie. Just give up.”
I would not let Magnus die. The warmth of the Sun's Tear bled through the pouch into my skin. It was soothing, like soaking in a bathtub to ease weary muscles. The heat washed away pain and fatigue. I ran faster.
The thuds and crashes grew softer. I ran faster than Griff. I wove through the pines and firs. Headlights flashed through the trees. The road was ahead. Magnus's truck waited. I could reach it. I could get away.
“Keep running, Raven,” I hissed at myself.
Hope drove me to run faster. I ignored the growing stitch in my side. My breath exploded out of me. I had to keep running. Griff screeched behind me. Trees broke and splintered beneath his crashing bulk.
I broke through the trees, my eyes scanning. Magnus's truck was to my left. “Yes.”
I raced to it, dismissing my armor. I caught the pouch with my left hand as my right shoved in my jeans pocket for the keys. I ripped open the cab and fumbled with them. Griff screeched. Before me, trees crashed down onto the road. His crimson bulk burst out of the forest.
I jammed the keys in and twisted. The truck roared to life. I put it in reverse and slammed on the accelerator. Gravel sprayed before the truck as I whipped it around and away from Griff. I shifted into drive, my heart screaming.
The tires squealed on the asphalt before the traction bit and I tore off down the road. I was doing it. I was getting—
Metal crunched. The truck spun. Without a seat belt on, I was thrown against the door. The world spun, and I tumbled through the cab. Up and down became the same thing. Then the truck stopped rolling, and I crashed onto the roof of the cab.
My vision fuzzed. Metal ripped and the truck shook.
“Where are you hiding, Valkyrie?” cawed Griff.
The truck suddenly flipped over, throwing me down onto the bench-like seat. With a shearing groan, the cab's roof ripped off. Griff peered down at me. His feathered fist reached down into the cab. I summoned my sword. He snatched up the white bag containing the Sun's Tear off the dashboard.
“What does your flesh taste like, Valkyrie?” Griff asked. He clucked his beak, then pecked down at me.
I thrust my sword up. The blade pierced Griff's eye. He screeched in pain and stumbled back. The ground shook. The world spun about me. I tried to move. My body hurt. Blood pooled on the seat, leaking out of my side.
I failed Magnus. I needed to get out of the ruins of the truck and get back the Sun's Tear.
I grasped the steering wheel with a blood-stained hand. I tried to pull myself up. The world swam and grew black.
“Magnus,” I croaked.
Chapter Thirteen
Magnus
The wind raced past me as my bike roared through Maple Valley. Raven was in pain. Her fear called to me. Why wasn't I with her? Why didn't I listen to her instead of letting my rage control me?
What happened to my self-control? I never used to grow so angry.
The rage was the wolf. It poisoned me with anger. It compelled me to fight and fight until my body gave out. It was what I needed to be to protect Raven, but I had to control it. I couldn't let the wolf control my actions.
I had to be its master. A man was in control of his passions. They did not rule him.
I let my instincts guide me. Raven was still alive. She was a fighter. She wouldn't give up. I passed cars as I pushed my Harley faster. My bike growled beneath me like a she-bitch, a hungry wolf on the hunt. I ignored the burning as I breathed and the blood oozing out of the scratches lacerating my chest and sides.
The pain did not matter. Raven mattered.
~ ~ ~
Raven
“Hey, are you okay?” a man's voice drifted to me across a vast void.
Not the man's voice I wanted to hear.
“Lady, what happened to you?”
“Magnus,” I groaned, struggling to open my eyes. It was so hard. I just wanted to sleep. I shivered. Cold gripped my body. My warmth slipped away.
“Don't worry. I'll get help for you. Just hang on.”
The man's voice sounded soft. Timid. I couldn't count on him. I forced myself to open my eyes. I couldn't lie here. Griff had stolen the Sun's Tear from me. The fact I had a bleeding abdominal wound didn't matter right now.
“Open your eyes,” I growled.
They fluttered open. Stars blazed across the midnight-blue sea curving above me. Pain stabbed into my abdomen. I let out a groan as I reached for the steering wheel. My teeth chattered. The Sun's Tear was far away.
“Magnus,” I groaned as my fingers struggled to snag the steering wheel.
“Just don't move,” the man cautioned me. He was skinny, glasses perched on his nose and his hair long and scruffy. It was the same length as Magnus's blond mane, but lacked my werewolf's primal strength.
This man's long hair made him seem so weak.
“You really shouldn't move,” the man said as he bit his lip. He had his cell phone in hand. “Okay? I'll call 911. You just lie there.”
“Can't,” I groaned. My fingers snagged the steering wheel. I pulled myself up.
That was a mistake.
“Damn,” I groaned as the pain radiated out of my stomach in stabbing spurts, consuming my entire torso.
I fell back down. The sky spun a
bove me.
“See, you can't move. It's not good for you.”
“Where are you, Magnus?” I groaned. “Give me your phone. I need to call him.”
“Just relax. It'll be fine.”
A motorcycle's engine roared. The growl of a Harley. A smile crossed my lips. My wolf had arrived. I had been angry with him. I couldn't remember why.
It seemed like such unimportant bullshit right now.
“Hey, she needs help,” the man called.
Boots crunched on the gravel. I smiled as Magnus ripped open the shattered door of the cab. His blue eyes swept over me. They tightened as he focused on my abdominal wound. Scratches covered his body.
“You look banged up,” I groaned.
“Picked a fight without you around,” Magnus answered.
“You shouldn't do that,” I smiled. “It doesn't work out well for either of us.”
“I see that.” He reached for me. His jaw tightened. His injuries were worse than they appeared. But that didn't stop him from picking me up and cradling me in his strong arms. I winced against the pain and the world fuzzed almost to black for a moment.
“Hey, don't move her. She's injured,” the man gasped. “An ambulance is on the way.”
Magnus ignored the beta male. The man continued to squawk as Magnus carried me to his Harley. The motorcycle growled as it idled. I smiled at the bike as Magnus set me on the seat. He knew I was strong enough to ride.
Magnus mounted his bike. I hugged him, leaning against his broad back. My eyes closed. “Thank you.”
“I'll always come for you,” Magnus answered. “You're my beauty of the night. The world would lose all its vibrancy without you. The night would be lonely, empty. The stars dimmed of their radiance.”
I smiled. I held onto those words as my consciousness drifted down into darkness.
~ ~ ~
Magnus
The smile on Raven's face when she saw me rip open the truck's door settled the question of Loki. She didn't love the trickster. The god of mischief had merely stolen a kiss from her, and I walked in at the wrong moment. If I hadn't listened to the wolf snarling inside of me, I never would have lost my cool.
Her arms were tight about my waist. Her body was warm against my back. She slept as she recovered from her wounds. The pain of my scratches and broken ribs eased as I roared off into the night.
I had my beauty back.
The wolf snapped and snarled inside of me. Who had hurt her? It was clear the Thief was behind it. What was his game? It must have something to do with the eclipse and the Sun's Tear. Odin had appeared and Raven must have tried to retrieve it on her own.
I twisted the throttle, driving faster. That was my fault. I lost control and drove her to it. Everything had gone wrong today.
The fucking Thief.
My teeth ground. My brothers lay dead. Jim, Poncho, Sam, Boots, Rick, Rash, Gopher, more. Butchered. I never even realized Thomas had been replaced. The wolf howled louder. Heimdall's ax thirsted for the Thief's blood.
The ax yearned to avenge his fallen owner.
The ax would glut itself on the Thief.
But first I had to find a place to hole up. None of the club's safehouses could be trusted. The Thief had replaced Thomas. He knew Thomas well enough to mimic him. Had he tortured Thomas to learn information?
Yes.
“Raven,” I said.
She shifted behind me.
“Raven. I need to know something.”
“Yes,” she whispered, her words slurred.
“Your friend's house in Covington. What's the address?”
Covington was dangerous. Not all the Blood Eagles had died. Several escaped and Griff was never at the ambush. But would the enemy expect us in their backyard? I didn't think they would. I drove through the back roads as Raven drifted in and out of consciousness behind me.
Chapter Fourteen
Raven
The world smelled fresh and wonderful. I breathed in deeply as my hand rubbed at the sheets. They found a hard body. Magnus's musk filled my nose. I smiled and moved to his warmth. I was so cold. I hugged him.
His arm went around me.
I didn't open my eyes. I wanted to be held by Magnus. I needed to be held by Magnus.
I let myself sink back into sleep as I listened to his heart beat. The rhythmic thud comforted me. His chest rose and fell. His hand stroked my shoulder. He was awake, watching over me. I smiled as I drifted back into my dreams.
When I awoke again, I was on my side. Magnus's strength pressed into my back. He spooned me, his arm draped over my body. His skin was warm on mine. A flush ran through me. I was all too aware that I was naked beneath the covers.
This was Haleigh, my best friend, and her boyfriend Kris's guest bedroom. I vaguely remembered Magnus bringing me here, along with the shock and fear my friend had when she witnessed my battered form. She probably wanted to call 911. I wondered how Magnus stopped her.
I pressed back into him, my hips wiggling. He let out a soft growl as a shaft hardened against the curves of my rear. I smiled and undulated my hips, grinding back on him. My nipples ached. His hand slid up my stomach to my breast.
He squeezed. I moaned.
Magnus's lips kissed at my ear. He nibbled on my lobe. Delightful trembles ran through my body. I ground harder on his swelling cock. His girth nestled between the cheeks of my ass. I let out a happy sigh as his fingers pinched and rolled my nipple.
“Mmm,” I purred as his teeth nipped my ear. A liquid, molten passion filled my pussy. My body warmed.
My fire may have been diminished by Odin to motivate me to find the Sun's Tear, but I had Magnus's to keep me warm. I savored his dick throbbing against me. His dick was fully hard. I clenched my butt-cheeks around his shaft.
His hips moved, sliding his cock between them. I let out another soft sigh. I turned my head. Magnus's whiskered cheek caressed mine. I found his lips. I closed my eyes as his mouth captured mine.
His kiss possessed me. His tongue claimed me. I met it, kissing him back with equal fervor. After the terror of fighting Griff, it seemed like an eternity since I had seen Magnus. Guilt lurked in the back of my mind.
It really didn't matter at the moment.
We were together. The apologies could wait. Deeds were needed now. Hot, passionate, physical deeds.
Magnus's hand left my breast. His calloused hands stroked down my abdomen. There was only a small, sharp pain as he brushed the bandage on my side. I would have another scar to join the three curving across my hip—a parting gift from Fenrir.
I broke the kiss and shuddered as Magnus's fingers reached my pubic hair. He stroked the curls adorning my pudenda. I bit my lip as the heat churned inside my depths. I squeezed my thighs together and pressed hard against his cock.
“Magnus,” I panted as his fingers moved lower.
“My beauty,” he groaned before his lips sucked on my neck.
Magnus's other hand slipped beneath my body, wrapping around to find my breast. I let out a moan as he played with my nipple. Decadent tingles raced across my skin, compelling my hips to writhe and electrifying my pussy.
Magnus's teeth nipped at my neck as his hand pushed lower through my curls, forcing between my sealed-tight thighs. I parted my legs for him. My skin was alive with sensations, hyperaware of the fabric beneath me, the blanket on top of me, and Magnus's hard body against me.
“My wolf,” I groaned, reaching my hand back to run through his wild mane. He sucked harder at the nape of my neck as his fingers explored between my thighs.
His hungry mouth marked me as his fingers traced the folds of my pussy. He pressed a thick digit between my lips, exciting me. My moans grew louder. His finger stroked harder on my pussy as he growled against the nape of my neck.
I would have a hickey.
I never had one of those before.
“Yes,” I moaned. “Keep touching me. You know...oh, wow...just how to touch me.”
“You're a power
ful engine,” Magnus growled in my ear. “High performance. Everything needs to be just right to make you purr.”
“An engine?” I moaned as his finger slid deeper through my folds, teasing my labia and gathering up my slick juices.
“An engine,” Magnus repeated. “Let me make you purr. Let me unleash all your power. Let me ride you to your redline.”
I gasped as his finger touched my clit, circling the sensitive nub. He backed off, giving me just a taste, revving my motors for a moment. It was oddly sweet the way he talked about it. An engine he had to tinker and adjust, to coax out every last drop of performance. Pleasure.
“So you're my big, sexy mechanic,” I groaned as two of his fingers pressed into my molten depths. I squeezed down on him. “Working your tools in and out of me. A little tweek here, a little twist there. Making sure I'm all lubed and ready to go.”
I twisted my torso around to look at him. His blue eyes twinkled in the darkness. They reflected light like a wolf's. My pussy clenched down on his fingers again as a powerful shudder ran through me. My werewolf mechanic. He would keep me safe, he would care for me, and make sure I was well maintained.
My hand in his hair tightened. I pulled my wolfish mechanic down for another hot kiss. My rear ground hard into his shaft. His tip was wet with his excitement. He was eager to be in me, but he was patient. He wasn't a boy desperate to get his rocks off as fast as possible and then fall asleep before satiating his girl.
A man knew how to squeeze every ounce of performance out of his woman. To make sure she was satiated and pleased before he took her even harder and enjoyed his ride.
Damn, I made the right choice.
His fingers stirred faster through my sheath. My liquid heat spread, swelling inside of me. His thumb quested and found my clit. I bucked as the sharp pleasure rippled through my body. I moaned into his kiss, squeezing my eyes shut as I let him tinker and squeeze every bit of performance out of me.
The pleasure swelled through me. My toes curled. My hips undulated faster, teasing his poor cock. Magnus growled and groaned into the kiss. His hand tightened on my breast, his fingers pulling on my nipple.
The sharp pain added a splash of spice jolting through me. I kept kissing him as the pleasure built in my core. He twisted the accelerator, flooding me with more gas to burn. I groaned as my body shuddered in his arms.