Hands over my ears, half to shut out the sound, and half so I didn’t smack her, I shook my head. “Damn, Nikki!”
Fingers clutching at her heart as though she feared it would burst out of her chest, she stared at me with wide eyes. “Sorry, but you snuck up on me. And, girl, we thought you were dead.”
“So did I.”
I picked the mop up and handed it to her. Needing to get away from the overpowering stench of the bleach water, I started toward the kitchen. Not that it would be much better in there, but at least there wouldn’t be a bucket full of the stuff.
“Okay, not dead. I figured you took home takeout. You did, didn’t you? You never do that,” she said.
I cringed. Takeout—the waitresses’ polite term for taking home a guy they met in the bar that night. To split hairs, that wasn’t exactly what I had done. Raul had been coming in to see me every night for two weeks, tipping heavily, cranking up the charm, and even leaving a rose on my Jeep each night last week. While that was far more time than most of the women in this place took, it was far less for me. In fact, I had never done it. One-night stands weren’t my thing. But I thought we’d had a connection, and he led me to believe it wouldn’t have been just one night. At least I hadn’t let him in. Who knows what he would have done if I had. After all the odd shit that happened, I should have known better.
“It was that hot guy in the Jag, wasn’t it? I want to hear all about it!” she called after me.
Ignoring her, I pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen. The rapid clicking of a knife on a cutting board drew me around the fryers to the prep counter in the back. Bald head shining with sweat, my boss stood hovered over a half-chopped head of cauliflower. His white apron strained to hold in his bulk as if he expected the thing to double as a girdle. So as not to repeat the incident with Nikki and potentially have a knife thrown at me, I rattled my keys in my pocket as I approached.
The chopping ceased and a pair of muddy brown eyes shifted over to glare at me. “Sonya. You’re alive.”
The fact that he didn’t sound happy about it was going to make the necessary groveling almost impossible. But it was grovel or get another month behind on my tuition loans. If I hadn’t skipped out on enrolling this last semester, I wouldn’t have had to start paying them. But I had to get my head together and figure out what I wanted rather than just aimlessly chalking up debt on classes I didn’t need for a major I wanted to change. “I had an accident, couldn’t make it in.”
“Or to a phone?”
“I was knocked out.”
Lips pursing, he shook his head. “Well, no one called in for you.”
Stiffening, I had to force my teeth apart so I could answer. “I don’t have anyone. You know that.”
The chopping commenced. “Not my problem. You not coming in, now that’s my problem.”
Slow, steady breaths helped cool my temper a little. “I’ll work double shifts, no days off, whatever it takes to make up for it.”
Again the chopping stopped and he turned halfway toward me. A grin revealed nicotine-stained teeth. His gaze crawled up my body. “Whatever it takes?”
Anger so hot it hurt scorched its way through me. My teeth ached as if I had been grinding them again, but I hadn’t. “Fuck you.”
The vehement words came out sounding strange, as if something were in the way. Something pricked inside my mouth and I tasted the coppery flavor of blood. On instinct, my tongue rolled forward, feeling my teeth. What felt like fangs stretched both down and up. Two on the top and two on the bottom, exactly like I had seen on Raul. No way. The world swam a bit as I worked my way up to a panic attack. Maybe some of whatever Raul had slipped into my drink remained in my system. Unlikely, highly unlikely, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around the alternative. I took a few deep breaths to push the panic back.
“What the fuck?” I whispered.
Thankfully, my boss’s eyes were on my breasts instead of my mouth.
“That’s what it will take,” he said.
Pressing my lips together, I spun away from him. “Not a chance in hell, you son of a bitch,” I said as I stormed away.
The chopping commenced.
“Oh no, did he fire you?” Nikki asked as I blew through the swinging doors.
Tongue working against the impossible fangs in my mouth, I tossed my keys onto the bar and kept walking. “No, I quit,” I said without looking her way.
Upon reaching the door I realized I had locked it. If I waited, I risked Nikki seeing the fangs that may or may not be a delusion left over from the attack. Was it the delusion, or was I fooling myself that he may have drugged me? I couldn’t risk having her answer that for me. Without even thinking about it, I popped the lock of the doorknob with one easy twist and pulled the door open. Fear fueled my steps as I did my best not to run to my Jeep. The whole “Raul drugged me” excuse was starting to seriously lose credence. My mind did not want to go where the symptoms were trying to take me. I was a rational girl after all.
An envelope tucked beneath my driver’s side windshield wiper stopped me dead in my tracks. My gaze attempting to dart every which way at once, I snatched the envelope and jumped into the Jeep. My surroundings appeared as vacant as when I had arrived. Leaning forward, I pulled my lips back from my teeth and looked in the rearview mirror. Unless the delusion had graduated into hallucinations, there really were fangs in my mouth. A set on the bottom and a set on the top, like a canine. I had seen something like this before, a long time ago, but I had written it off as a trick of the shadows and moonlight. It took several deep breaths to drive back the rising panic that threatened to make me throw up.
The smell of Raul’s subtle but expensive cologne wafted up from the envelope. How had I found that crap sexy? I wanted to toss the envelope away from me, but I couldn’t. There could be answers inside the damn thing, hopefully answers that wouldn’t sound as insane as I was beginning to feel.
Before opening the envelope, I grabbed the screwdriver from the glove box and started the Jeep. Trying to keep one eye on my surroundings, I pulled out the letter with hands that shook like a junkie’s. It was written with an actual pen. I was surprised he hadn’t just texted me. Of course, that wouldn’t have had the same creepy factor this did, and this guy seemed to be all about the creep factor now.
Sonya,
For what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry things happened the way they did. That wasn’t how I wanted this to go. Hurting a woman, taking her choice, those are things I never wanted to do. And you are so special. I’m sorry. You will have questions about what you’re becoming. I have answers. Come find me, please. Until you do, may Odin watch over you.
Yours,
Raul
“Becoming? What the hell?” I grumbled a few more choice words while looking inside the envelope again.
Such a familiar closing to a letter hardly seemed appropriate after having only known him for two weeks, despite the mediocre make-out session that ended with far more kink than I’d liked. And “becoming”… What the hell was that supposed to mean? I chanced another look in the mirror, raising my upper lip into something like a snarl. The fangs were still there. But then I knew that already; I could feel them. There had to be a medical explanation. But if that were so, why did I feel so lucid? I went over all the drugs I knew of, over the counter and otherwise, but couldn’t come up with any that possessed such a strong psychotropic and yet left the victim functional. Or maybe I just thought I was functional.
Wait, had he seriously said Odin? I reread the note to make sure.
“As in Odin from the Norse legends,” I murmured to myself.
I knew the guy was into Odinism like my dad had been. We’d talked about it briefly. But he’d never actually mentioned his Gods or said much about it beyond that discussion. I thought it had been only a weird coincidence. More and more people embraced the old religions nowadays. It had nothing to do with my dad. It couldn’t. Tears blurred my vision. Either I was going mad or som
ething seriously messed up was happening to me, something impossible. I was leaning toward madness, or a delusion brought on by a roofie or those crazy stories my dad had told me years ago.
You’re special, Sonya, chosen by Odin. Someday it will all make sense, he used to say. But this couldn’t possibly have anything to do with that. Those had been stories to entertain a young girl. Some girls got Cinderella for a bedtime tale; I got the Norse eddas. Some were princesses in their daddy’s eyes; I was touched by Loki and chosen by Odin. Tears made hot tracks down my cheeks.
Maybe this sick bastard had known my dad somehow, met him in prison or something, and was messing with me. If that was the case, I was going to tear him a new one. No one messed with the memory of my dad.
My fingers closed around a business card inside the envelope.
The Staybridge Suites, Missoula, Montana.
“Montana?” I exclaimed as I shook my head and threw the Jeep in reverse.
The bastard expected me to meet him in Montana. Suddenly all those conversations about places we wanted to travel, his questions about where I had been, seemed decidedly pointed. He had not only done this on purpose, but it seemed he had planned it. And the sharp points of two pairs of fangs pushing against my lips meant I had no choice but to seek him out.
Chapter Four
Ty
Thoughts still fuzzy from the aftereffects of the horse tranquilizer they had used on me, I glared across the table at my captors. Or rather, those who had ordered me to be brought in with the other delinquents. Six people sat on the other side of the solid oak table, three men and three women. A mixture of tension and power rolled off them. The tiny room was choked with it, making it seem all the smaller. One of the men wore a police uniform, the others were casually dressed, but they had no less of an authoritative air to them. Sunlight spilled through a window behind them, reminding me of how long they had knocked me out and held me up with their questioning.
“I have already informed you that I knew nothing about what Raul was doing in my territory, that is why I was hunting him. If I had, I assure you, he would not have been successful. Now let me go so I may check on the woman. I will not ask again,” I warned.
If I had known what he was up to, Raul never would have succeeded. That poor woman… I had to get back to her. Not only was it my responsibility because she was in my territory, but something about her would not let go of me. Could I fight all six of them off to get away? I was not sure. But I was sure I would try if I had to, and I let that show on my face. I knew I could take a few of them down at least, which would be devastating to them in more ways than one.
One of the men in a black leather jacket sprawled a spider-like hand onto the desktop as he leaned forward. He glared down his hawkish nose at me, pinprick pupils dark behind his dirty blond hair, which was shaved to the scalp on the sides and long on the top and back like the Vikings of old. It took all my restraint not to lunge across the desk and tear into him. I could have broken my bonds easily and done so, but I was not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had riled me with no more than a look.
“As you shouldn’t. You are in no position to ask for anything,” he practically hissed at me.
The man in the police uniform shot the speaker a harsh glance. “Enough, Bain. I think we can all agree that Mr. Viðarsson had nothing to do with the woman getting attacked. He clearly tried to stop it. And you stepped out of your bounds of authority by tranquilizing him and bringing him in.” He gestured to someone standing behind me. “Remove his bonds and let him go. We have the matter of the woman’s kennari to discuss, and we must decide on it quickly.”
Bain shot the man a sharp glare. “No, Isak, I had every right. The man was present during an unsanctioned biting. He wouldn’t have come in on his own, and you know it. We can’t let him go until we’re sure he had nothing to do with it.”
“Agreed,” came a woman’s voice from beside him.
It was a voice I had once found sultry. But now I heard the derisive, judgmental tone it truly held. Through the carefully styled wave of brown bangs, she tried to glare a hole through me. The disdain in eyes set above cheekbones so sharp they looked like they could cut made me wonder how I had ever found her lovely. To say Morene disliked me—and I her—was putting it far too gently.
Pulling at the collar of his police uniform, Isak turned a hard look upon Bain. “We can, and we are. The majority has ruled.”
I tensed as footsteps approached from behind. Steel rasped through sisal and my bonds loosened. The rope stuck to my blistered skin in places, forcing me to peel it off. The bastards had soaked it in wolfsbane. I could not say that I blamed them, especially knowing now that it had been Bain who brought me in. He and I had a monumental score that he feared I would settle someday. Having the Council rein me in would make him feel safer. If they hadn’t taken such drastic measures with the wolfsbane-soaked ropes, this would have ended quite badly for him. But I had control of my temper now, and a reason not to act out. Yet.
Tossing the rope aside, I rose from the chair, rolled my shoulders, and took a step toward the desk. The group across the table from me tensed as one, several of them moving to rise as well, Bain even baring his teeth. Not wanting to seem too aggressive, I halted. The three who had started to rise sat back down. Relief flashed across Bain’s hollow face.
“Allow me to be her kennari,” I said, making it more of a demand than a question.
Bain’s beady eyes narrowed at me and he pulled his lips up farther from his teeth. “Why on Helheimr would we do that?”
“Because I am the closest one you have. And because she has met me. I tried to save her; she will be more likely to trust me,” I said.
It was more than that, but I wasn’t about to admit it out loud. Hell, I didn’t want to admit it to myself. Something about that woman pulled at me. The instant I laid eyes on her I knew she was special. Whatever it was, it was likely what had drawn Raul to her, which meant I had to keep him away from her at all costs. But being her kennari would be a double-edged sword, because I would have to keep my distance from her emotionally. The code demanded it. At least she would be safe in my care, though. And a spark was just a spark. I was a grown man in full control of my emotions and libido. Control would not be an issue.
Morene scoffed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. The jealousy I saw flash over her sharp features made my stomach roil. Bain muttered something derisive in Icelandic, but I missed part of it due to the others erupting into conversation. They turned to one another, huddling in to speak in hushed, hurried tones. Even from halfway across the room I could hear them, no matter how quiet they tried to be. The fact that they even tried to be quiet spoke of their disbelief in my power. Their eyes darted among one another, to me, and back again as they spoke. As many argued for me as against me. I was not sure whether or not I should take comfort in that. What I did not like was how four of them were arguing to send kennaris of their own.
I took another step closer to the desk, bringing their conversation to a screeching halt. “This is not about your reservations in regards to me. This is about a young woman who was bitten in against her will by a wayward pup who was likely trying to avoid an arranged marriage.” I paused and nodded toward two of the Council members. “Seeing as Raul is your son”—I paused and nodded toward another pair—“and he’s engaged to your daughter, a kennari sent from either party would not be impartial. This woman deserves the right to be brought through the verða by someone without an agenda. It is the law.”
The conversation started back up, but I was encouraged by the nods I received from two of the members who had been arguing to send their own.
“You sure you don’t have an agenda of your own?” Morene spoke above the others.
“Careful, Morene. You sound jealous. You dishonor yourself as a Viking woman and your pack if that is the case,” I warned.
Her eyes filled with so much hate it looked as though it would spill over. In a wa
y it did. Power rolled off her in a biting wave that raised the temperature in the room. Using my own power, I whipped it away as easily as a summer breeze. She glared harder at me, but it lacked weight this time. Hateful though she was, she knew she couldn’t best me and she wouldn’t try. I heard the others reach their decision before they announced it.
They fell silent. This time, the woman sitting between Isak and a broad man with a scar across half his face leaned forward. She was a petite thing with long, wavy blond hair. But her demeanor did not fool me. I knew Gyda was more Viking shield maiden than fragile stereotype.
“The majority has ruled. You shall serve as this woman’s kennari. Please approach her immediately to begin your duties. It is her choice whether or not she attends Raul’s trial the day after the next full moon, but we hope you will encourage her to do so,” Gyda said.
I nodded my head to them as a whole. A deeper bow was customary, but I did not owe allegiance to any of them, and I was not about to honor them by pretending I did. “I thank you for your wise ruling.”
With that, I turned to go. The young man standing between me and the door skittered to the side. Whether it was something he felt in my power, or something he saw in my face, I was not sure. But he cowered in the corner as if I had whipped him within an inch of his life. Helheimr, I half expected him to lose control of his bladder by the look of terror on his face. Then again, maybe it was not my power or my demeanor. Maybe the stories about me truly had grown that bad. I did not care about that or about the Council that once again erupted into conversation the moment my back was turned. All that mattered was getting to that woman and helping her before the verða took hold.
Chapter Five
Sonya
Only after I had ransacked my apartment for the few belongings I couldn’t live without was I finally able to make the fangs go away. The key seemed to be relaxing, something I was not very good at. All those years studying control in glíma—the Scandinavian martial art my dad insisted I learn—were what finally helped me do it. For the first time, I wished I had paid more attention to those lessons. Fighting just wasn’t my thing. The lack of desire to hurt anyone had always held me back. Or maybe that was because my dad had wanted it to be my thing so badly. My big rebellious idea had been medicine. Go big or go home was my motto, even in rebellion.
Bitten & Beholden (Children of Fenrir Book 2) Page 3