He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. “Tell me all of it.”
“It’s not a pretty story.”
“You’re a warrior. I knew that when we wed. You already told me you took your revenge on innocents as part of your curse. And yes,” she hurried on before he could object. “It is a curse.”
He closed his eyes and hung his head. His blond hair fell over his face, partially obscuring it. His broad shoulders slumped.
She hated seeing him this way. For as strong a man as he was, he’d been alone all these years. There’d been no one to share his troubles, no one to care.
“I don’t want to add to your burdens or pain, but I need to know. Would you deny me this?”
Their future, everything that was to come, hinged on this next decision. She needed his honesty. Maybe it was wrong to demand it. They’d been together such a short time compared to how long they’d been apart.
But there were hard lines for her, and this was one of them.
…
The time of reckoning was at hand. If he put her off again, she might leave. She loved him. That knowledge was core deep. But she demanded to be treated as an equal.
And she had the right to know the true nature of the beast to which she’d opened her body and heart. Was that why he’d rushed to take her in the shower? For fear she might turn him away when she discovered his secret? Had he wanted to strengthen the physical bonds between them before revealing everything?
Yes. The truth was undeniable. He’d put his wants and needs ahead of hers.
“We can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”
He put the truck in gear and pulled back onto the road. “Put on your seat belt.” He pulled on the harness he’d snapped over his own chest. “The metal piece on the end goes in here.” He showed her on his. “It’s the law and it’s for your safety.”
He waited until she’d snapped the metal piece home. He should have done it for her before they’d left. Once again, he was failing to do everything in his power to protect her, too wrapped up in his own worries and concerns.
He kept his attention on the traffic as they moved away from the heart of the city toward the outskirts.
“After I found you—” The image was etched on his mind and would be for all time. “Your body was so broken.”
She slid her hand onto his thigh and squeezed. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Fuck, Anja.” He covered her hand with his to keep it in place. Her touch grounded him. “I should’ve been there.” And he’d carried that pain with him every single day like an old and faithful friend. “I’m sorry.” Words would never be enough to convey the regret he carried in his soul.
“You do not need to be sorry. It is not your fault. But I forgive you, if that’s what you need.”
He took his foot off the gas and briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, it was difficult to see. He blinked back the tears that threatened to unman him. Some might say that wasn’t a modern way of thinking, but he wasn’t a modern man in spite of how long he’d walked the earth. He was a Norseman to his blood and bone.
“I lost my mind. I wanted to kill everyone.” Then he told her something he’d never admitted to another. “I wanted to die, to be with you and the children.”
“Oh, Bjorn.” She brushed her hand over his arm, running it from his biceps to his wrist and back up again. “I wanted you with me, but more than that, I wanted you alive. I knew if you fought well you’d eventually end up in Valhalla. I was confined to Freya’s Hall as a part of my service, but many warriors move freely between them. I prayed you would search me out and find me. But you never did.”
He ground his teeth to keep from roaring in anger. Yet another way he’d let her down.
They were silent for the longest time. She kept her hand on his arm while he drove. Traffic thinned and they left the city limits and started the journey upstate on the I-87.
“It was a brutal storm.” He picked up the story as if he’d never stopped. “The rain snuffed out the fire I’d started to burn our home to the ground. Lightning flashed and thunder shook the ground. The gods were angry with me, but I didn’t care. I was furious with them.”
He paused, and then continued. “Not all the men I attacked died. The ones who survived being bitten were changed. They hid, shunned by their own families and friends for what they’d become.”
“Werewolves?” Her fingernails dug into his biceps. Her entire body was rigid beside him.
“Yes. So you see, Odin did create werewolves in a roundabout way. He changed me, and I changed them. They marry and their children carry the curse with them.”
“Can they bite people and turn them as you did?”
“A bite is usually fatal. Only the strongest survive.”
“That’s why you’re one of the Brotherhood. You’re different, just as they are.”
“They saved me. When they found me, the animal side had almost swallowed the last of my humanity. And I didn’t even care by that point.”
“How did they save you?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Maccus informed me I could get my shit together and control the beast or he’d put me down.”
“He didn’t. How could he be so cruel?”
This time he laughed outright. “You’ve met Maccus. Tact is not one of his strong suits. And it wasn’t cruel, it was a kindness. It snapped me back to myself, made me see what I’d become, what I’d done.
“I had so much blood on my hands.” Even now, he sometimes smelled it, saw the stains on his hands. “I knew if I ever had a hope of getting to the afterlife, getting to you, I needed to atone for my arrogance, for the lives I’d needlessly taken.”
On a beautiful day like this one with the sun high in the sky and his wife by his side, it was hard to believe his life had ever been so dark and bleak, but he never allowed himself to forget. That was the way back to the madness that had almost consumed him. He had to be ever vigilant and remain in control of himself and his wolf.
“So you became one of the Forgotten Brotherhood.”
“It didn’t happen overnight.” Understatement of the century. “It took years before I had full control of myself.”
“You fought the curse of a god and won.”
He’d never thought of it that way. “I supposed I did. It took Asher and Maccus both to contain me until I finally had a handle on things.” So many endless days and nights in physical pain and mental agony because he wasn’t killing, wasn’t feeding the murderous urges that swept through him.
“They stayed with you?” The leather of the seat creaked when she sat back. He missed her touch on his arm, but knew it couldn’t be a comfortable position for her.
“One or the other was always there. Back then, it was the two of them. Since me, we’ve added a couple more to the ranks. All misfits.”
He fell silent, mentally and emotionally exhausted. They both needed a respite from their problems. There was a lot to digest. Once they reached their destination, he’d shift and show her what he truly was.
There’d be no way for her to hide her reaction.
Chapter Eleven
Anja had finally fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. He’d forgotten how cozy and comforting it could be to sit with someone who wasn’t demanding attention or conversation but was simply content to be with you. It was familiar and harkened back to better days.
She stirred beside him, lifting her head from where she’d rested it against the side window. He’d given her his leather jacket to use as a pillow. “Where are we?”
“About forty minutes out.” He checked the gas gauge. “We need to get fuel. And we might as well stop for groceries. There’s plenty of canned food at the cabin, but nothing fresh.”
“Okay.” S
he dragged her fingers through her hair and folded his jacket. She stared out the window. “Everything is so different. There are so many buildings and people everywhere in the city and so very few trees and nature. I like it here better.”
“There is still plenty of nature, just away from most of the people. Where we’re going will be more familiar.”
The culture shock had to be huge, but she handled it as she did everything else, doing what needed to be done. “I’ll show you everything you need to know. Ask anything.”
“I’ve heard of these huge markets, grocery stores.”
Watching traffic, Bjorn merged into the turn lane and then into the parking lot of a small local grocery. “They’re everywhere, filled with food shipped in from all over the world. They bring it in on planes and by boat or truck, depending on the distance. It’s like a huge marketplace with every food you could ever want.”
“I can’t even imagine what it looks like inside.”
After he parked the truck, he turned off the ignition. “You don’t have to. You can see for yourself.” He rested his hand against the side of her face. “If at any time you are uncomfortable or overwhelmed, we’ll leave.”
Not surprisingly, she squared her shoulders and frowned. “I can do this.”
“I know you can.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, pulling away before he pushed too hard.
Her lips were parted, and when she ran her tongue across the lower one, he barely swallowed back a groan. The woman was sexy without even trying.
She tugged on the seat belt, trying to remove it. Before she grew frustrated, he released it. She examined the mechanism, pressing it several times until she was certain how it worked.
He ached to wrap his arms around her, to kiss her, to stroke her body until she cried out his name in pleasure. Instead, he gave a curt nod and exited the truck. Reaching between his legs, he adjusted his dick so it wasn’t being strangled in his jeans.
Anja was already out of the truck, staring at the store. “Is it safe?”
That gave him pause. Normally he’d say yes. Now he wasn’t so certain. “Maybe you should stay in the truck, hunker down, and hide. I can get what we need.”
Hands on her hips, she shook her head. “We both go or neither of us does.”
There was a finality to her voice that he recognized well. “It should be fine. Contrary to what you might believe, werewolves aren’t everywhere.”
He held out his arm and motioned for her to go ahead. She strode forward, allowing him to admire the sway of her ass. It was firm and round and he wanted to nibble on each perfect globe before taking her from behind.
He swore as his cock jerked and jammed against his jeans, searching for a way out.
Anja stopped in her tracks and peered over her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” he got out from between clenched teeth.
She frowned and hesitated just outside the building. Then she glanced down. A slow smile spread across her face. “You’re right. Everything is fine. Very fine.” Giving a little laugh, she continued on, with more of a swing in her hips.
The corners of his mouth twitched. The little vixen knew what she was doing to him. She was naturally sensual and not the least bit ashamed of her sexuality. He loved that about her.
The automatic door slid open as she approached. She stopped dead in her tracks. “Why did it open? Is someone watching?” She glanced around, her shoulders tense, her hands out by her sides, ready to defend herself if necessary.
“Excuse me.” A woman with an overflowing bag on one arm and a toddler perched on her hip walked out of the store.
Bjorn tugged his wife out of the way. The woman gave them a distracted smile and hurried across the lot. The toddler smiled and waved.
“There are sensors in the doors,” he explained. “They can tell when someone is entering or leaving and automatically open.”
Anja shook her head. “Like the elevator we rode on, yes? This world is filled with magic.”
He hadn’t ever thought of it that way. Having been here through all the changes over the centuries, it all seemed normal to him.
“Come on.” With his hand on the small of her back, he guided her inside. She hurriedly stepped through the door, as if fearing it would slam shut before she was able to enter.
When they were safely inside, she stopped. Her mouth fell open. People pushed carts, announcements blared over the PA system, and before them lay rows of food.
He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, one at her waist and the other across her collarbone. “We can leave whenever you want.” What had he been thinking? He had to ease her into this world, not keep throwing challenge after challenge at her. This might not be a superstore, but it was a decent sized grocery. He brushed a kiss against her temple. “I’m here with you. Always.”
She tilted her head back, her eyes wide with wonder. “I want to see everything.”
…
Never in all her years had she seen such a variety of food. Not even in Freya’s Hall. There, they tended to cook many of the same meals, which included plenty of meat and boiled or roasted vegetables. This was something else altogether.
The lines in the corners of Bjorn’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. “Let me get a cart.”
He pressed another kiss to her temple before heading off to a row of metal storage bins on wheels. Pushing it ahead of him, he rejoined her. She ran her fingers over the open mesh of the metal. “This is clever. Do we need something this big?”
“We’ll fill it. That way we won’t have to come back for weeks.”
Right, they were going into hiding until they figured out what to do. It was easy to forget she was being hunted by the gods and that her husband was a werewolf.
Her stomach clenched and she began to sweat, but managed to keep a smile on her face. She would not allow anything to steal this moment. Bjorn was still the man she loved, for better or worse. Times like this were rare and precious.
“Where do we begin?”
She’d been to markets and festivals, watched the ships unload after trading missions and raids, but never had she seen anything like this. Everything was so colorful and plentiful, the aisles clean and well lit.
“Why don’t we start on the outer edges? That’s where they keep the fresh fruits and vegetables and meats.”
Trusting him to guide her, she wrapped one hand around the edge of the cart and followed when he pushed. When they turned the corner, there were rows of different kinds of meat, all wrapped and sitting on shelves that had cold air circulating around them. “So much bounty.”
Bjorn touched her shoulder and pointed. “Whatever you could want is here.”
That started them on their expedition. She had so many questions and her husband patiently answered them all.
“What’s this?” She held it up in front of her. It was yellow, long and slightly curved.
“A banana. You peel the skin off before you eat them. They’re sweet.” He picked up a bunch and put them in the cart.
While Bjorn dumped a big bag of potatoes into the bottom of the cart, she wandered over to a section filled with leafy greens. Leaning down, she began to read the labels printed on the shelves. Most things had signs by them with prices as well.
“Hey, lady, can you move out of the way?”
A male stood beside her. Unlike them, he didn’t have a cart, but a smaller basket hooked over his arm. He was about her height and was frowning.
He reached in front of her and grabbed a bag with spinach printed on it. Curious, she leaned forward. Some of the vegetables were in bags while others were not.
“Really, lady? What’s wrong with you?” The guy nudged her as he leaned across her to grab a second bag.
A low growl sounded behind them. She spun around and stepped in front of Bjorn, who’d c
ome up behind her. “Watch your tone,” he warned the other man.
Her husband towered over the stranger, who took a step back and then simply shrugged. “Whatever. I just want to get my groceries and get home.” With that, he turned and walked off.
Bjorn reached out to grab him, but she managed to catch his hand first. “We don’t need to bring attention to ourselves. And I was in his way.”
“He could have asked nicely for you to move.”
“Manners and hospitality seem lacking in this world.”
Her husband blew out a breath. “You’re right. He would have likely said and done the same to me. That doesn’t make it right.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “You okay?”
The worry in his eyes bothered her. He was on edge. And why wouldn’t he be? For her, he was defying the orders of a god. There was no way out of this situation for either of them that didn’t end badly.
With her enthusiasm dimmed, she remained beside the cart as Bjorn tossed in a few more items. “Let’s go,” he said and pointed their cart toward the front.
They’d filled it with many of the things she pointed out, but they’d mostly stuck with those she was familiar with.
The strangest part was watching him pay for their purchases. He slid a card through a machine attached to the counter. It transferred funds from him to the merchant.
By the time everything was bagged and in the truck, she was ready to be gone from here. When she climbed into her seat, he was there to attach her seat belt. She could do it herself, but it was nice to have someone take care of her for a change. He looked like he might kiss her, but shut the door instead. Leaning back her head, she sighed. Would life ever feel normal again?
Once they had gotten fuel and were on the road again, he held out his hand. In it was the fruit from the store—the banana. He must have gotten it from one of the bags after he’d settled her in the vehicle. The thoughtful gesture pleased her. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Not much of a smell.
Bjorn Cursed Page 10
