Wolves Among Danes

by Dolly Nightmare

  Things turn silent as his words set in, and my heart clenches. He is probably right...letting Bodil live was a big mistake that could harm both of us in the future, but she is with child...I couldn’t let myself or Frey kill an unborn life. It didn’t feel right…

  We eventually reach the water, and Frey goes to help me undress, but I push his hands away, not in the mood for his affections.

  His lips tug down in a frown, and I move away from Frey in our silence, but he is at least understanding as he doesn’t talk or try any more advances.

  Instead, he turns away, sitting on a rock facing the woods. He is still on high alert, his ears listening and his eyes waiting for anything in the woods to move so he can sink his teeth into it.

  I undress, and I begin to wash myself, thinking of yesterday and bathing with Bodil. In such a little amount of time, she found out about Bard’s death and who killed him. I hadn’t realized I’d been spotted either...An old man, she said. Which old man?

  There aren’t many villagers here that are old, many of them dying in battle young and full of life. It is rare to see any old man, especially with Fenrir’s blood in them which slowed the aging process drastically.

  Then I remember the shapeshifting seer in the village. He would have known about my killing of Bard, as he did see my future...why not my past?

  Could it have been possible that he turned into an old man and tricked Bodil?

  “Frey,” I say out loud, gaining his attention while in the water.

  “What?” he questions, his back still turned to me.

  “Can you tell me about your seer? He’s strange, isn’t he?” I say.

  “The seer...” Frey mutters. “Our seer has been dead for a long time.” My eyes widen, and Frey turns to look at me with his eyes curious, and he asks, “What seer are you talking about?”

  “The one that can shapeshift...The one with the crazy eyes and dark hair who wanders around the village with a cane,” I explain to him. “He’s thin and tall. Talks weird as well. He claimed to be a seer.”

  He gives me a funny look, and he chuckles at me before he says, “I have never seen him...Sounds like you had a run-in with Loki himself if I were to take a guess.”

  I remember Fenrir talking about Loki, how Freya and Loki have taken a liking to me but Loki was not a God to be liked by, as he was a trickster...I even gave him my blood, and he shapeshifts just like the tales from Gods have said. It makes sense now.

  Loki was closer than I ever thought, and I could have even run into Freya by now, but I can’t think of anyone who resembled her. Then again she wasn’t here to trick me or deceive me but help me.

  “Frey, have you ever thought to run into one of your Gods by accident?” I question.

  He thinks before he trails, “No... The closest I have ever been to the Gods was when I met Fenrir when I came of age and obviously being named after the twin Gods Freya and Freyr.”

  I nearly forgot about the male counterpart of Freya, her supposed twin brother Freyr. He was apparently beautiful and was also the God of fertility, wealth, and good harvest.

  Frey was named after the two, his mother naming him such. Possibly because she knew he was going to be handsome, and because of the lineage he was born into, he was wealthy. Much to my surprise, we never had a bad harvest either. Though I wonder why Arvid never named him, it was the father’s honor.

  I give him a funny look, and I say, “You do remind me of Freyr...”

  He laughs at me, and he says, “I’m a wolf, lass—a descendant of Fenrir, not a God. Don’t get any funny ideas in your head just because you have met Loki, and I was named after the Gods...Leif isn’t a woman either, and neither is he my twin, and I never met a giant and wanted her hand in marriage.”

  I narrow my eyes in suspicion, and I ask, “So even if you meet a giantess, you won’t ask her to marry you?”

  “No…” He laughs. “I am no God, and I don’t think I can have any fun with a giantess as my wife.”

  I finish washing up, and I step out of the water, feeling clean inside and out.

  I step into the grass, and I put on my dress despite still being wet. He stares at me and says, “But you can think what you want. I don’t mind if you think I’m Freyr himself. It’s actually a compliment coming from you.”

  I stare at him, the dress clinging to my body from being damp, and I tie the strings to my chest. “I change my mind about you. You’re nothing like Freyr.”

  He sighs, and he stands from the rock he was sitting on. He wanders over to me, putting his arms around my waist and pressing me against him. “That’s a shame. I could have been worshipped by everyone in the village if you spread such a rumor about me being Freyr.”

  “I don’t think anyone could worship you as a God,” I say, leaning back into him, enjoying his warmth after being chilled by the cool lake water. The morning air isn’t too warm either for a June day.

  But now there was a mystery about Freya and if I ever met her or not. I don’t think I have. I think she’s more in my head than a person in my life, like Loki pretending to be a seer. She, after all, is the person in my head whispering to always accept Frey, and I finally did.

  Let’s hope her whispers are right about him. I think the secrets which were spilled today about Bard to Frey didn’t turn on me like I had expected. He knows of my secrets, and yet...he is still with me.

  Frey leans down, pressing his lips to mine from behind me after turning my face towards him, and I shut my eyes at his lighthearted kiss.

  Now it is time for me to stop rejecting him and accept him as Freya has wished for me to do all along.

  I love Frey, and there is nothing I can do to change that. Even if I hadn’t told him in words, I wish for the courage to tell him someday and I hope it will be soon.

  Chapter 26

  Gods, Beasts & Princes

  Somewhere deep in the woods, the woman named Bodil ran with a missing arm, running anywhere where the wolf named Frey and his lover Ellie, were not.

  Her head is dizzy as she fears she will lose the child in her belly or even worse her life. She has already lost a lot of blood and keeps collapsing to her knees, but she is always mindful of the way she falls due to her round belly. One bad fall, and she knows the outcome.

  She begs her Gods to save her life, but more importantly she begs them to spare her child; however, her Gods are silent. The soon to be mother, once fearful, now boils with rage at the two lovers, the one who took her arm, and the one who took her lover’s life.

  Bodil wants them to suffer as she grabs on to her arm, still dripping blood onto the ground. She will do anything and everything. She clenches her teeth, and for the final time, she drops to her knees upon feeling dizzy.

  The world spins, and she tries to snap out of it.

  No, she can’t die here...

  She can’t...

  She will make those two suffer first.

  As her vision blurs and spins, she looks in front of her to see a gray wolf. Her heart stops, as well as her curses to Frey and Ellie.

  Her skin grows cold, seeing the hungry eyes of the wolf not too far in front of her.

  It must smell her blood...

  She picks up a stick with her left hand, and she starts swinging it wildly in front of her, yelling, “Stay back! Stay back!”

  The wolf curls its lip and steps back, and it snarls at her before it for some reason runs away. She feels relieved as it goes back to wherever its den may be, thankful the wolf is more frightened than hungry.

  But her worry doesn’t stop as not only a few feet away from her someone stands, leaning on a crooked and knobby staff. She looks up to see a man in a robe grinning at her. He stares down at her, his eyes, two different colors, crazed and lit with amusement as if enjoying her suffering.

  “What do you want?” she questions, her voice shaky. “Who are you?!”

  “I believe we met before but right now you don’t look so good little Bodil,” he coos to her while rubbing his
staff gently and kindly instead of going to her and helping.

  “What do you want?” she questions again, backing up from him, unsure of his intentions.

  “I don’t want anything...I was coming to you to see if you want anything.”

  She gives him a look of confusion, and he asks, “Were you not just pleading to the Gods for you and your child’s life? Also, revenge?”

  She looks shocked, and she mutters, “You’re a God...”

  “Sure, dearie, whatever you think,” he says, giggling. He kneels down to her, and he says, looking at her arm, “I just need some of your blood, and we can become good friends...maybe even a lock of your pretty brown hair. Ahh, my friendship is cheaper than that of the ugliest whore. Cheap, cheap, cheap.”

  “And maybe if you’re interesting enough, I will tell you a way to bring back your dead lover. What a lovely friendship it could be!” the man says, his teeth seeming sharper and longer.

  The woman looks at him in awe instead of fright.

  A large hand covers the brunette named Margaret’s mouth, and she screams and struggles with the man with the mask as he pulls her into a dark alley.

  The red-haired man hurries his friend as he leaps off his horse. “Come on, Elias. Knock her out already. I don’t even know why we are taking her with us...”

  The masked man named Elias quickly knocks the brunette out who goes slowly limp in his arms, and he looks up at the red-haired man and mutters one thing, “Mate...”

  The red-haired man rubs the back of his head as he mutters, mocking him, “Sheesh, you mutts and your fantasies about mates.”

  Elias ignores him as he tosses the girl over the horse and climbs up, mounting it as he stares down at his friend and he says, “England...We will meet Lazarus there.”

  “I didn’t miss that prick at all,” mutters the man. “And don’t you want to bid your family farewell?”

  Elias’s blue eyes narrow at his friend before he grumbles, “These people aren’t my family. My family is with Lazarus and my father.”

  “I suppose, seeing as the woman abandoned you when you were just a small little thing. But hey, at least you have brothers that seem nice, right? Hmm, what are their names again? Frey and Leif, right?” his friend tries to joke to lighten the mood.

  “My brother is Lazarus,” Elias says before kicking the sides of his horse and taking off, making the red-haired man sigh heavily.

  “Back to England, I suppose,” he grumbles, having to find another horse.

  A man with silver eyes and brown hair topples over a wooden carved chest piece with the tip of his finger, his fingernails sharp and delicate appearing.

  His eyes look up to the man sitting across from him, a man with silver hair which is tall and thin, a man who is Edward Blythe.

  “I’m bored with this game...” Lazarus says leaning back in his chair, it creaking while eyeing the man in front of him.

  Edward stares at the toppled over piece, and he asks, “Shall we play something different then?”

  The brunette grins slightly as he stands up from his chair, his hands running across the table, and he says, “Perhaps...Maybe a good Christian man like yourself can entertain me until I get back the bride I was promised.”

  The man leans forward, and Edward remains stoic as he stares back at him. He picks up the cross around his neck, and he grins, rubbing at its surface. “Or will your religion get in the way of our new games? No drinking blood...and no laying with another man.”

  “I told you. I don’t care about my religion,” he mutters low, his eyes cast down in some sort of shame.

  “You could have fooled me...You and your wife seem to take your prayers very seriously,” Lazarus says, leaning into his neck and grabbing the back of his chair, biting into it carefully, two sharp fangs making the skin pop under pressure.

  From there Edward moans, giving himself willingly to the man in front of him, a man which is a creature called none other than a vampire.

  Chapter 27

  The Year Will Be A Long One

  So many things were changing and I could do nothing to stop any of the events that would come the following year.

  I could not stop Loki, the Viking’s mischievous God from wandering amongst mortals bringing mayhem and chaos wherever he goes for that is his nature.

  I could not stop the beast disguised as a man from taking my friend from right under my nose.

  I could not stop the vampire from plotting war and destruction from across the sea.

  So many hands at play. men and also Gods but I had chosen this path and it would become my fate. I had decided to be with the savages betraying my religion and my family to become a Viking and a wolf.

  But everything during this time isn’t so bad as when I return home with Frey later that afternoon good tidings greeted us.

  We see Leif grinning at us outside the place that is now my home.

  “Aww, there you two are. I told mother you guys were either fighting or fucking. Guess both?” he says, raising his brows, seeming pretty happy for someone whose day was ruined yesterday with a bowl of stew.

  He is bubbling with excitement so much he can’t wait for us or wait against the door he was leaning against. He begins to walk towards us, who are not even up the small hill yet.

  Frey gives him a look of confusion, and he asks him, “Why do you seem so happy?”

  “Hmm, well, there are two things that make me happy today,” Leif says, putting his arm around his brother and dragging him to the house. I follow not wanting to be left behind in whatever he was going to tell Frey.

  “First, the big cat has finally left on his journey to find his sister. He couldn’t take the news Runa told him. He went absolutely crazy, trashed the mead hall, scared everyone, and took off after telling mother he was leaving... Hope he never comes back. He traumatized poor Runa,” Leif explains, first.

  “Adisa is gone...” I mutter sadly, upset I didn’t at least get to see him off and maybe slap him for ratting me out.

  Frey seems to question another thing, “What news did Runa tell him to make him snap like that?”

  Leif’s grin grows, and he pats his brother’s shoulder. “Awww, well that’s the second thing...Runa’s pregnant with my child.”

  Frey stops walking before he grins ear to ear and roughs Leif’s hair up. “What, you little prick?? I’m your older brother, and I haven’t even got that far yet.”

  Leif pulls away from Frey, and he fixes his hair that has gotten messed up. He begins to pat it down, and he says, “Well, that means I am more of a man than you are, Frey.”

  Then Frey suddenly frowns, and he questions, “You haven’t told mother or father yet...Right?”

  Leif frowns too and he responds, “No, of course not. I mean, our father will be proud but mother...well you know she won’t take too kindly to the news.”

  “So, what are you going to tell them when she’s uh...noticeable?” Frey questions next.

  “That it’s not mine, if asked. I’ll probably say it is Adisa’s...” Leif trails not seeming to be happy about the decision he has made.

  “Why can’t you tell Noma the truth?” I ask Leif, and I look to Frey with uncertainty. I mean, she couldn’t still be upset over what happened with the fight involving Adisa...right?

  Leif’s eyes glance to me, and he replies, “Mother doesn’t like any deformities. I guess she considers Runa one with her eyes and how different she is. She would never accept Runa carrying my child or even let the child be born...We’re even lucky she let Runa stay in the village this long.”

  Deformities...

  I am reminded of when I was younger, and she was helping me wash. She told me she was a slave and bore a child with a deformed face. It could be possible she saw Runa as that child...

  I guess it makes sense why she hates Runa.

  Frey and Leif don’t know....

  I won’t mention it to either of them, as it’s not my secret to tell.

  “I see. That�
��s unfortunate,” I mutter, keeping my eyes cast down before I look back up at them.

  “That it is Ellie,” mutters Leif. “So, you’re the only two who know the truth unless you count Adisa. So, keep your mouths closed. I don’t need mother finding out.”

  I nod my head, and Leif starts to walk back to the house. Frey and I follow him, but before I can reach the door Frey grabs my hand pulling me back, and I look at him confused.

  “Be prepared. Mother is going to hound you...with all sorts of questions,” he states before letting go of my hand.

  “I know....Unfortunately,” I mutter, and I open the door going inside with Frey behind me.

  I see Noma grin and Arvid crinkles his face upon seeing my bitten up neck.

  ‘I guess I better get used to this...’ I think, staring at Frey’s parents and Leif plops down next to his father while grinning at me as well. He looks like he is going to sit back and enjoy the show and also throw in some jests while he is at it.

  ‘As this is my family now as it is Frey’s. Whether I like it or not,’ and I smile slightly at them not knowing what other face to make.

  I guess I have some awkward explaining to do...

  But the year is far from over as it would be a long one...and our enemies are just gathering, and I still have things to finish.

  Across the sea, a war is brewing, and even here in the village mischief and evil stirred. There is no escaping as I am still cursed and Godless and prophecies are left unfilled. Nothing is over.

  This is just the beginning.

  Exclusive Extract

  Here is an exclusive extract from the sequel to Wolves Among Danes-Vampires Among Saxons, coming in April 2021