A soft smile came to her lips as her eyes went to where he used to have a dark aura. One he knew was completely gone now.
“You two really are exceptional together,” she went on. “She pulled you free of Helheim. A world in which you became more immersed due to your dragon’s inherent need to be closer to Dagr even before he was born. And you, in turn, pulled Kenzie free of all that bound her.” She paused, her eyes moist if he was not mistaken. “As I believe was recently said, you are free of your cage now...all of you.” Her eyes held his. “Cherish that, he who was once my dragon. Cherish that because you deserve it every bit as much as she does.”
He tried to speak but could not find the words. Not only because she had just answered so many questions but because he sensed this was goodbye in a way he never expected.
“I will not see you again, will I?” he murmured.
“You can barely see me now,” she pointed out, trying to keep it light. Something most would not think her capable of, but he knew better. “Crossing Dagr into this world took a great deal of effort. It took not just you and Kenzie mating but me letting go and his kin ready to embrace him. It took all of this for him to find his way to where he should rightfully be. Where he belongs.”
He nodded, sad for her. “You are letting him go...”
“To a degree,” she murmured. “Though I will see him when I can, I want what is best for him. You, Kenzie, his siblings and all the rest of his kin.”
He nodded again, not sure what to say. He was humbled by the love she had shown his family. Grateful for the friendship that had meant so much to him. That always would.
“Goodbye, Eirik,” she said softly, as her eyes flickered to his sail then back. “All is as it should be now. Your little ones are with you. Enjoy life, your family and know that I will always love you.”
“And I you,” he whispered, his eyes with hers until she drifted away in a cloud of dark smoke. When he glanced up at the sail, it was to see two little dragon faces sizzling down to just one again.
That’s when he realized two things. They only saw one earlier because Dagr was transitioning from Helheim to Midgard. So his dragon’s spirit had been caught in limbo, therefore nowhere really. And the other revelation? Color aside, the single fiery dragon that was on all the sails represented the singular flame of mating on Múspellsheimr. The amazing sensation that Kenzie and Eirik had so clearly felt.
The perfect meld of mind and soul.
When he looked down the dock, eager to be with her, Kenzie was waiting, her heart in her eyes as she held out her hand. “Are you coming then, mate?”
Only then did it sink in what Hel had said.
What he had longed to hear.
He and Kenzie were officially mated.
Chapter Thirty-Three
KENZIE BROKE OUT in another burst of cautious laughter as Shea declared, “Now you’ve got it!” then popped up, grinning after Dagr’s ax sailed over her head, missing Thorulf by inches as he roared and whipped a blade back at Dagr.
Shea caught it midflight and sighed, shaking her head. “Thorulf, if you’re gonna whip a blade at someone, you need to make sure they don’t see it coming.” She gestured at Dagr, who had his hands braced, ready to intercept the knife. “See what I mean.”
“I do, Auntie,” Thorulf replied obediently before he stuck his tongue out at Dagr then whipped another blade so fast it flew by Shea and would have caught Dagr in the shoulder if he hadn’t ducked.
Soren clapped and cheered him on. “That’s my boy!”
Eirik, in the meantime, seemed just fine not cheering his son on but gazing at him with adoration.
“It’s been what, four hours or so since we closed the mega gateway between worlds and already, Shea’s warrior auntie?” she murmured, cuddling closer to Eirik.
She was so damn happy to be on his lap with a long lost son nearby and a daughter in her belly, she couldn’t see straight. If that wasn’t enough, her animals seemed to be flourishing here despite the dragons.
Not surprisingly, Harley had deemed himself protector of all children. It didn't matter whatsoever that he barely knew them. And Pink and Floyd? Well, Floyd was lounging belly up on a Viking style chandelier made of bones acting as if he’d enjoyed one too many sips of ale. And Pink, by all appearances, finally seemed to be completely in her element.
“I don’t think I have ever seen an animal behave like her before,” he murmured in her ear before nibbling her lobe.
“Nope.” She chuckled as Pink sauntered from tabletop to tabletop eating whatever she damn well pleased, daring any who thought to shoo her away to give it their best shot. “This is a first.” She shook her head. “No more timid Pink apparently. She’s in charge in ancient Scandinavia.”
“Mmm,” he murmured as he peppered kisses down her neck, pulled down the corner of her shirt then sprinkled more kisses on her new tattoo.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” she whispered.
As it happened, her new tattoo had finally appeared and depicted two big dragons with one wing wrapped around each other and their free wings around two little ones.
“It is something,” he agreed, inhaling her never-ending scent of arousal. “I get the feeling it’s the sort of tattoo that will see many additions as time goes on.”
“I certainly hope so,” she murmured before her lips caught his and they shared yet another long, deep, thoroughly arousing kiss. They had danced, laughed and spent ample time with their son and family.
She had never been happier.
Not for a moment.
“We should...rest soon,” he murmured against her lips, clearly ready to take her.
“Just rest?” She trailed a finger languidly along his strong neck. “When Auntie Emily, Sage, and Shea have already planned a grand sleep-over for Dagr and Thorulf so we can...ya know.”
“I’m not sure I do,” he whispered in her ear.
“You will,” she promised as she slid off his lap and focused on Tess first though she spoke to Sage. “Is she going to be all right? Should I be worried?”
“Not until there’s something to worry about,” Sage replied, eying Tess as well. She wasn’t flirting with every man present as she typically would have. Instead, since the battle—one she technically should not have witnessed from Midgard—Tess was just different. Calm and composed she was determined to, of all things, set sail with Soren and Leviathan to go find Rokar.
Because as it was, there had been no sign of Rokar or Einnar’s brother since. They weren’t in Helheim or Hel would have told them. No, they had simply vanished.
“Sven’s keeping a close eye on them all,” Sage assured.
“Okay, but seriously, how crazy is Tess’s behavior right now?” She frowned. “Sure, it makes sense that Soren and Leviathan would want to go to Rokar's aid, but Tess? Besides a little telepathic flirting across time, she doesn’t even know him.”
“Doesn’t know him yet,” Sage reminded, giving her a pointed look. “In this life anyway.”
Right, because him being her fated mate was definitely looking likely.
“Everything’s going the way it’s supposed to, and Rokar and Tess are where they’re meant to be,” Sage murmured, exceedingly good at that line by now. But then she had every right to be seeing how she had been correct about both Shea and Kenzie being where they needed to be when they found their mates. So it stood to reason she knew what she was talking about.
“Tonight’s about you, Kenzie,” Sage continued. “Trust me, Tess will be just fine because I’ve got one helluva playfest planned for the kids and she’s going to be on scene whether she likes it or not.”
“Well,” she said, “if anything can pull her out of that stoic state it’s Dagr and Thorulf.”
“Right,” Sage echoed, grinning.
“Keep an eye on my animals too,” she managed to get out before Eirik twirled her away onto the dance floor, and dropped to a knee in front of her. He held her hand and gazed up at her with more lo
ve than she ever imagined seeing in a man’s eyes as he declared to the room, “She thinks I forgot, but I never got an answer.”
“You never got an answer about what?” Dagr piped up, striding over to them, obviously aware of Eirik’s pre-planned skit.
“I asked Kenzie to marry me, and she never answered,” Eirik said, still loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Perhaps she does not want to marry you, Father,” Dagr said.
“Perhaps not,” Eirik agreed.
“Is that true then, other mother?” Dagr asked, his heart in his eyes as they met hers. “Do you not want to marry Father?”
She swallowed hard and blinked away tears, knowing exactly what she wanted and where she wanted to be. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Cheers erupted as she embraced both Dagr and Eirik before her mate scooped her up and bid everyone goodnight. As it happened, Emily, his aunts, his mother, and Kenzie’s sisters had decorated his lodge with a thousand little lights held fast by magic. A wondrous otherworld display that welcomed home kin they thought lost to them and the woman who loved him.
“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered as he set her down then took his sweet time undressing her.
“As are you,” he whispered as he spent long minutes cherishing every part of her. As he made her feel things she didn’t know she could feel.
After that, it was one sensation after another as they made love over and over until they lounged languidly in one another’s arms, enjoying the warm fire and soft snow falling outside.
“Do you think Rokar’s really in Midgard?” she murmured. “I know it seems like we closed the gateway between this world, Helheim and all the other worlds but what if he’s still caught up in it somehow? What if he’s not here in this world?”
“As Sage said earlier, he is where he’s meant to be right now,” he said softly, holding her beneath the furs as the first light of dawn dewed the forest beyond the window in purple. “And he is on Midgard. I would know otherwise as would his kin.”
“I hope so,” she murmured, reflecting on everything. “I’m sort of amazed that we didn’t need all that much help in Múspellsheimr. I know Pierce, Shea and Davyn assisted some, but no sign of Heidrek, Bjorn or Dahlia.” Her eyes met his. “I was kind of hoping to meet them.”
“You will,” he assured. “In time.”
She nodded, looking forward to it. “I didn’t get to see any Múspellsheimr fire demons or Alfheim elves on our adventure either.”
“Probably for the best,” he replied. “Ally or not, I would not have wanted Dagr near a demon.” He shrugged. “And remember, only Shea and likely Pierce can actually see an Alfheim elf.”
“True.” She grinned. “So all we needed, in the end, was the power of the four of us.”
Because while those on the ship helped some, their family coming together like they should as she and Eirik became mated was what they had truly needed.
“So what do you make of Hel tasking Leviathan with Dagr and Thorulf?” she continued because it had been weighing on her mind. “Because I got the impression that was a lifelong thing.”
“It is,” he confirmed. “And I think she chose wisely when it comes to an extra protector for our son and those his age. Those Dagr will share lifelong bonds with.”
“So not just Thorulf then?”
“I don’t think so,” he said softly as he put a hand over her belly. “But all to come including our daughter and Sven and Emily’s little one.”
“Wow,” she murmured. “I wonder how Leviathan feels about a lifetime of babysitting.”
“I do not think he minds,” he said. “And remember, because he has stopped aging at the same rate as us, they will all be his age eventually. At least physically.”
“That’s right.” She met his eyes. “That should be interesting.”
“I imagine it will be.”
“Meanwhile, he’s getting ready to shun protector duties to go find Rokar,” she reminded. “Which sort of surprised me, actually. Are they close?”
“No,” he said. “But they may be growing closer now because of the First Blade on Rokar’s back. I believe they’ve formed a new bond and that Leviathan’s presence on Rokar and Tess’s adventure will be important.” He shrugged. “As to him leaving now, he has a path to follow but will always return to our offspring wherever they may be. I don’t doubt it for a moment.”
“That’s comforting, actually,” she said softly, ready to stop talking and resume doing other things. Clearly in agreement, he kissed her, then kissed her again, before, naturally, they made love once more.
At some point, they dozed off only to wake to bright sunlight splashing over the bed. Dagr was between them, embracing them tightly before he leapt up and roared, “You better run!”
She and Eirik chuckled as Dagr shifted into a little dragon and flew out the door after Thorulf’s equally small dragon who must have been goading him.
“You think our daughter will be any calmer?” she murmured, meeting Eirik’s grin before he pulled her back down, yanked the furs over their heads, closed his mouth over hers and murmured into her mind, “I hope not.”
Making sure all doors were magically locked, they continued to enjoy each other for a long while, making up for all that was taken from them. Time stolen. A life that should have been theirs but denied them. Not now though thanks to an ancient vendetta that was proving to be far more than any of them bargained for. One that had brought her into a world she never could have imagined and into the arms of a man she intended to spend forever with.
“I love you, Eirik,” she whispered, finally understanding the words as their eyes met beneath the furs hours later.
“I love you too, Kenzie,” he whispered back before he pulled her close and they continued doing what they intended to do for the rest of their lives.
Rediscovering each other and enjoying all the wonders life had to offer them.
Coming Soon
Available now for pre-order
DETERMINED TO END HIS enemy before he has to mate, Rokar pursues his nemesis with a seething, unquenchable bloodthirst that grows stronger by the moment. Though memories elude him, he knows deep down Skald’s latest minion caused him unimaginable grief in his last life. Worse yet, he knew the moment she entered his mind, that Tess was at the root of it.
Desperate to avoid more pain and risk love being ripped away from him again, he races to conquer his foe before he gets too invested. Unfortunately, however, the power of his heart draws him to Tess no matter how hard he tries to avoid it. Now he must face old demons on a fast-paced, otherworldly adventure that becomes not only a conquest of his enemy but of his grief-stricken soul.
Find out what happens next on a journey through time, and turbulent memories as Rokar and Tess find their way back to each other in Viking’s Conquest (Viking Ancestors: Rise of the Dragon, Book 5) coming July 1st, 2019. Available now for pre-order.
Amazon Universal Purchase Link- getbook.at/VikingsConquest
Just Curious?
First off, I’d like to thank all of you who have kept reading my books and followed my characters over the years. As I always say, without you they’d be voiceless, their stories forever untold. I’d also like to thank those of you who just found me. I hope you’ve enjoyed spending time with all my various characters. Enough so that you might share your experience.
To that point (and it’s taken me over a decade of writing to work up the nerve to ask this), if you enjoyed this story, would you consider leaving a review? Just a line or two. It would mean the world and would make such a difference when it comes to reaching more readers and continuing the craft I so love. If you’re up for it, thank you in advance. I appreciate it more than you know as do my characters.
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Sky
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Midgard Locations Glossary
Ancient’s Lair– Ancient dragon lair
Cave Catacombs– Network of interconnected caves across Scandinavia
Cave Harbor– Harbor in Ancient’s Lair
Cave of Memories- Cave born of Forest of Memories
Dragon Lair– Sigdir dragon lair
Forest of Memories– Powerful forest that captures traumatic events or memories and replays them
Hvergelmir’s River– A river in Níðhöggr’s Realm that pours from the well that nourishes all life
Hvergelmir’s Spring– Spring that feeds Hvergelmir’s River
Kjar’s Cottage of Shields– Demi-god’s lodge of magical Viking shields
Maine Ash– Níðhöggr’s ash tree in modern-day Maine
Mt. Galdhøpiggen’s Peak– Home of the seers
Níðhöggr’s Ash– Great serpent’s ash tree in Scandinavia
Níðhöggr’s Realm– Safety point created by Níðhöggr for twenty-first century time-travelers
Place of Seers– Magical location only those with seer blood can go
Skáld’s Ash– Double-headed dragon’s ash tree in Scandinavia
Skáld’s Domain– Double-headed dragon’s domain in Scandinavia
Vanaheim Willow– A point of safety within Skáld’s Domain
Viking Fortress– Stronghold once ruled by King Heidrek
Viking's Ransom (Viking Ancestors: Rise of the Dragon, #4) Page 24