“You did not lie with Soren, woman,” Rokar cut in. “That’s what your sister has been trying to tell you.” He cocked a flirtatious grin at her. “Not that I would have minded.”
So he was back to being a flirt again? Interesting.
Shea gestured at Rokar, pointing out his personality. “That started the moment he found out you hadn’t screwed his cousin.”
Despite what her other personality might think this one felt tremendous relief. Still, best to be safe, so she looked at Soren. “We didn’t? You’re sure?”
“No.” Yet he didn’t appear all that happy. “We did not.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “So why the glum face?” More presumptuous than intended, she glanced from Rokar to Soren again. “Isn’t this a good thing?”
“As far as fated mates go, it is,” Sage assured. “As far as what Soren learned that night, things may have just gotten a bit more complicated.”
“Why?”
“Because of the flashbacks you were having,” Soren revealed. “The sole reason I brought you back to my lodge for the night.” He shook his head. “I wanted to give Kenzie and Eirik a night of peace then when morn came you had vanished, and too much was happening, so I had no chance to share...” He seemed perplexed as if struggling to think clearly. “Or at least I don’t think I did. All I felt was a driving need to go to Ava and protect her, so when Sven ordered me that way, I went.” A frown settled on his face. “I was blinded to anything but a need to protect her.”
“Above Tess?” Rokar growled though a spark remained in his eyes when he glanced at her.
“Yes.” Soren shook his head, truly troubled. “Not just me but my dragon was compelled.”
“Is she okay?” Tess asked, growing troubled as well.
“I don’t know because I never made it there,” he said. “But I sense she is unharmed...that she is no longer in immediate danger.”
“No longer?” she mouthed. “Christ.” She rubbed her forehead. “She has no ‘first’ to protect her. I should try to get back.”
“Dad’s her first,” Shea reminded. “He won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Against the likes of Skáld and his minions?” Tess balked. “He’s not nearly strong enough.”
“Well, my gut tells me that if her fated mate senses she’s safe for now,” Shea said. “Then she probably is.”
Davyn and Håkon nodded in agreement.
Tess sighed, unsure what to believe. All she could do was hope because she had a funny feeling she wouldn’t be able to get back to the twenty-first century any time soon. Based on Soren’s expression, she had quite a bit to deal with right here.
“So what sort of flashbacks was I having?” she asked him.
Håkon removed the meat from the fire to cool, and Leviathan handed her a skin of what turned out to be ale.
“You did not just have flashbacks about a red dragon,” the look in Soren’s eyes was daunting, “but another far more sinister one.”
“More sinister than that monster on my tail earlier?” She snorted and shook her head. “Hard to believe. That thing wanted to snap me in half.”
“Exactly,” Sage said softly. “And didn’t that strike you as kind of odd considering it’s supposed to want to mate with you?”
“If you want to get technical Big Red said he was gonna enjoy torturing me for all eternity,” she muttered. “So death would probably be preferable.”
Rokar frowned, a little less flirtatious at the moment. “What else did he say to you?”
“He referred to me as his slave,” she said. “And asked if I knew how much trouble I had caused him.”
“Perhaps it would have been wise to bring Eirik and Kenzie after all,” Håkon said. “To find out if anything the red dragon said ties in with what happened on their adventure.”
“Nope, no Kenzie here unless she’s absolutely needed,” Shea said. “Not while she’s pregnant.” Her eyes cut to Sage. “And you’re not staying much longer either.”
“No,” Sage agreed. Her gaze went to Tess. “But I had to come for a bit...I needed to help at least one sister if I could.”
“You’ve helped us all in one way or another,” Shea assured, patting her hand.
“Actually,” Leviathan murmured, his contemplative eyes on Tess as he evidently considered Big Red’s words. “I think what the red dragon said to Tess ties in perfectly with what you learned from her flashbacks, Soren.” His eyes flickered from Soren to her. “Because who she referred to the most would have made his offspring’s life very difficult, would he not?”
Tess narrowed her eyes, not liking the sound of that. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He’s talking about Big Red’s father wanting you for himself,” Rokar divulged, winking. “It sounds like you enjoyed men as much in that life as you do in this one.”
That statement earned him a frown from everyone, but in his defense, he was caught in the same careless flirtatious personality she was in earlier. Recognizing that this wasn’t the real him, she forgave his insensitivity and focused on Soren.
“Just give it to me straight. What did I do in that life and who is Big Red’s dad?”
“By the sounds of it though he pursued you relentlessly, you shunned Big Red,” Soren said softly. “And instead took his father as yours.” His eyes grew stormy while he shared her horrible revelation. “As you told it, his father was Skáld himself.” His gaze leveled with hers. “Tess, you took the double-headed serpent as your mate.”
Chapter Twelve
THE MOMENT TESS ground out, “I would never take Skáld as my mate!” Rokar’s ill-timed lightheartedness simmered down. It was the first time he was aware of his personality shifting and could not be more grateful. Better to be focused right now.
“According to you, you mated with Skáld, Tess,” Soren continued, his expression grave. “You said you went willingly to the other side to be with the red dragon but ended up drawn to Skáld instead.”
“And we...mated?” She cringed, clearly trying to come to terms with that. “Seriously?”
As far as he could tell, her personality had leveled out some too. Though upset about Soren’s news, she didn’t appear as crestfallen in general anymore.
“Yes,” Soren confirmed. “You said you mated with him, Tess.”
“Which doesn’t necessarily mean that much,” Shea pointed out. “Heck, if I believed my flashbacks at the beginning of my journey, I might’ve claimed I’d mated with triplets, but we all know that didn’t happen.”
“Only because the third brother died,” Tess reminded.
Shea waved it away. “All I’m saying is everything’s open to interpretation, and nothing’s cut in stone.” She shook her head. “Not even flashbacks.”
While she appeared unconvinced, Tess didn’t argue but turned troubled eyes Rokar’s way. “So you haven’t sensed anything, huh? Nothing as profound as me hooking up with the kingpin of bad guys?”
“Bad boys is how you say it, right?” he started only to trail off when something occurred to him. The same thing that occurred to her sisters it seemed.
“Sonofabitch.” Sage’s eyes widened. “The two can’t be related...”
“But what if they are?” Shea exclaimed.
Tess glanced between her sisters. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t see it, do you?” Sage’s brows pinched together. “The whole bad boy connection?”
When Tess frowned, Shea elaborated.
“You’ve been into bad boys for as long as I can remember.” She shook her head. “Not a truly decent guy in the lot as far as I know.” Her brows swept up. “What if that’s because of Skáld and whatever happened? Maybe your dragon is drawn to his sort for a reason?”
“Yeah cuz bad boys are hot,” Tess drawled before she rolled her eyes. “Bit of a stretch, don’t you think, ladies?”
“Not really,” Shea said. “Just look at how I nearly hooked up with twin brothers in
the twenty-first century because of my inner dragon’s experience with not triplets but twins in a previous life?”
“Shea makes a good point,” Sage said. “Which also backs up the premise that what appears to have happened might not have in reality. Because she never actually mated with the twins.” Her eyes went to Rokar. “The only way to figure out what really happened is for you two to continue your journey and jump your emotional hurdles together, just like the rest of us had to.”
“Magnus’s sentiments exactly,” Tess muttered before she looked at Soren. “What else did I say in my flashbacks? Anything about another dragon I might’ve loved?”
Soren shook his head. “You were solely focused on Skáld.”
“Wonderful,” she said under her breath before her eyes met Rokar’s again. “Am I correct in guessing your personality’s leveled out again too?”
He nodded. “Yes, I felt the change once I knew you didn’t approve of being with Skáld.”
“Why would I ever approve of that?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “All I know is it must have brought our dragons closer based on our current dispositions.”
“Right.” Tess thanked Håkon when he handed over some meat. She eyed their surroundings. “So what’s next? Do we just hang here until Níðhöggr sends some sort of sign or are we supposed to go somewhere?”
“Håkon and I are heading back to the Fortress,” Sage said. “As for the rest of you, I imagine you’ll know what direction to go when the time comes.”
“I’m surprised you and Magnus aren’t fast friends,” Tess mumbled around a piece of meat. “You’re vague like him.”
“But she’s usually right,” Håkon defended. He sat and rested Sage on his lap, his heart in his eyes when he looked at her. Sage, in turn, offered him a lingering kiss that ended up bringing Rokar’s eyes to Tess’s lips.
He liked how full and well-sculpted they were. How tempting. While he had enjoyed a fleeting kiss or two during the random times he’d lain with women over the past few years, none were the sort he had shared with Helga. None as passionate or heartfelt. Yet as his eyes lingered on Tess’s lips, he felt a stirring to taste them. To see if they felt as soft and sweet as they looked.
“Oooh, feel that,” Shea murmured, her hair suddenly sparkling. “My Cupid’s sensing some serious chemistry in the air.”
“Uh, yeah.” Tess’s rounded eyes swept over her sisters and their mates. “Between the four of you, it was bound to happen.”
Shea slid a devious grin Rokar’s way. “I wasn’t talking about the four of us.”
When Tess’s startled eyes shot to him, he glanced away but not before she likely saw what Shea sensed. After all, his cock was so hard he wouldn’t be walking anytime soon without the aid of magic. While he kept his eyes solidly on the fire, he knew her gaze grazed his groin once again when she issued a low growl of approval.
He glanced her way, but she avoided his eyes, muttering, “Damn dragon.”
This earned her a chuckle from the couples as Shea spoke for the lot of them. “It only gets better because trust me, your dragons won’t let you escape each other for long.”
“So what’s the deal with your hair, anyway?” Tess was obviously trying to change the subject when she focused on Shea’s locks. “Where’d the black go?”
Rokar glanced at it in surprise, more relieved than he anticipated that it no longer included Soren’s hair color.
“Beats me, Sis.” Shea shrugged and fingered her locks. “Yet another thing you can’t completely depend on in all this because my hair tends to pull others in on occasion. For Davyn and me it was Pierce.”
“You slept with Pierce, though.” Tess frowned. “Then he went on to play a pretty big part in your story considering his elven blood and all.”
“True,” Shea conceded, contemplating Soren while she spoke to Tess. “Which means Soren will probably play a big part in you and Rokar coming together.” She winked at Tess. “Beyond sleeping together, that is.”
“Ya think?” Tess quipped and looked at Soren. “My bet is those flashbacks, and opening up to you like that had everything to do with my dragon trusting you.”
Soren nodded in agreement. “Yes, there was a connection.” He gave Rokar a look of reassurance. “But not a romantic one...” He seemed to struggle for the right words. “More like a kinship, I might feel for a warrior I’ve fought alongside. A strong camaraderie.” His eyes swept over everyone. “In truth, it was that feeling above all others that drove me to bring her to my lodge. To keep her safe.”
“Yet you would have left her to go to Ava,” Rokar reminded.
“Just like you would have gone to Tess if the roles had been reversed,” Håkon said. “Seen clearly in your response when Tess vanished into Helheim earlier.”
“It is a powerful urge,” Davyn added. He pulled Shea closer, touching her affectionately. “The need to protect our mates outweighs all others.”
Davyn’s statement brought to mind Bjárr’s ominous but very confident words that fateful autumn day years ago. How convinced he was that Rokar could protect them all if need be.
Bright sunlight had sparkled over calm seas as his son tied back his blonde locks, his eyes alight with excitement when they met Rokar’s.
“This is the day you and Mother took your marriage vows,” Bjárr reminded. Eager, he pulled Rokar down the dock. “So we must ready the boat and bring her out on the water.”
He met his son’s smile. “Must we then?”
“Yes, Father,” he replied solemnly, though his eyes were as merry as ever. “She would love that very much.” He nodded, quite sure of himself. “I think she would probably love having me there too as you remember your special day.”
So very true. “Would she then?”
“Oh, yes,” his son assured, his all-encompassing smile wider still. “The weather is perfect, and even if it were not, your dragon would protect us.” He nodded once. “It would protect its mate and offspring.”
He looked to the sky again but sensed nothing sinister on the horizon. Bjárr was right. It truly was a beautiful day. The perfect sort to bring his family out on the water to enjoy one another’s company. And even if it was not, he could protect his kin.
“I think you’re right, Bjárr,” he confirmed. “It is a good day to enjoy the sea.” He winked at his son. “All three of us.”
“We must ready the boat then!” Bjárr declared happily, erupting in laughter when Rokar scooped him up and tromped down the dock. His son’s laughter was so infectious that he laughed too; convinced he was living the perfect moment.
“Rokar, Leviathan said he would go, but I think it’s best if you did,” Håkon said, his voice cutting into Rokar's reverie.
He blinked and focused on his cousin, not sure what they had been talking about.
“Someone should go after Tess.” Sage pointed down the shore. “She’s off on another one of her spontaneous nature hikes.”
He nodded and did what Sage suggested. Had something happened again? Did something trigger a personality switch? Though he lagged behind as she walked the shore, she shook her head and waved him forward without glancing back. So he caught up, unsure what to say when she kept walking and remained silent.
Eventually, she spoke, her words casual, her personality seemingly unchanged. “This place is amazing.” Her eyes went from the thick forest with its variety of trees, some native to Midgard some not, before they swept over the surrounding mountains, rivers, and lakes. “So this was all created using the seers’ mountain magic?”
He nodded. “So it seems.”
“When I connected across time with Kenzie I felt this place, you know.” She glanced at him before looking ahead again. “I felt how protective it was not just to my sisters and me but you Sigdirs.” She scooped up a handful of pebbles and kept going. “As I’m sure Kenzie shared, the rocks in this place really mess with Skáld’s dragons.”
“So I have heard,” he replied. “
Though I’ve yet to see proof.”
“Can’t you feel it?” She rolled the pebbles in her hand. “There’s a sense of protection all over the place here.” Her eyes went to his. “I bet if push comes to shove, this land will protect us.”
He nodded, hopeful. For the most part, it seemed to have assisted his cousins coming together with their mates, so there was that. As to safeguarding them against the enemy, he wasn’t entirely convinced. After all, several enemies had already slipped into this Realm. Håkon and Sage's enemy Leif being the most notable one.
When Tess sighed and glanced at him before looking ahead again, he realized talking about the Realm was just buying her time. She wanted to speak of something else but didn’t know how to go about it.
“What is it, Tess?”
She glanced at him again, before she stopped and skimmed a rock along the water’s surface. “You know I used to have an unfailing weather radar that I put to excellent use as a child.” A small smile ghosted her lips. She narrowed an eye on a pebble then did the same to the water. “Because the weather directly affected how smooth Lake Placid would be, which in turn helped me gauge how far my pebble would skim.”
“I was a master at it,” she went on softly. “Never wrong. Not once.” She snapped her wrist and skimmed a pebble perfectly over the smooth water. “Until the day I met you.” Her eyes met his. “Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Though he could argue that unknown forces were at work, he realized what she was getting at.
“You followed my thoughts back there,” he murmured, not sure how he felt about that. “About the day I lost...”
Caught off guard by a swell of emotions he had long learned to quell, he was unable to finish what he was going to say.
“I’m sorry,” Tess whispered. She went to touch his arm but stopped. “I didn’t mean to intrude. Your dragon just pulls mine in and doesn’t let go...or at least that’s what it felt like.” Moisture glistened in her eyes. “The point is...” She inhaled a ragged breath and seemed to search for words. “I don’t think the storm that took your family was natural.”
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