“You’re not bad at this,” Erik said as he stepped to the side, avoiding a shoulder blow.
The comment brought her back out of her introspection. “Thank you.” She spun the staff over her back and narrowly missed catching him at the knees. “You as well.”
The sparring continued for a few seconds, her blood singing.
He was enjoying it, too, his face flushed as he ducked out of the way with a laugh.
As the time passed, his expressions changed, shifting to be more serious. There was no laughing, no smiling now.
He dropped and swept his leg out, forcing her to jump. Her heel landed on a rock, and she fell backward, landing with a huff as the air rushed out of her lungs.
Erik stood over her, breathing hard. He extended a hand, his short hair sticking to his forehead. His scruffy beard was already beginning to grow out, the rough bristles adding a more rugged, earthy look to his appearance. Now he looked more like a Viking, and it was easy to imagine him with a war ax, ready for battle.
A burst of desire flared up, the need in her inner core surprising her with its intensity and ferocity. Brenna blinked, and the emotion disappeared in a haze of confusion, leaving her sore and sensing she’d just missed out on something wonderful.
She gripped his hand and stood.
“Let me catch my breath.” He coughed, giving her a wide smile. “Been a long time since I had this type of work out.”
She leaned on the wooden stick, taking advantage of the short break to steady herself. “You’re doing well. Fully recovered from the warehouse fight?”
“Which one?” He let out a soft chuckle. “Not my best showing in either case.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Between Mad Matty, you, and Kara, I took a bit of a beating.”
“Kara.” Brenna sighed, her thoughts shifting. “She’s changed. She’s not the woman I remember, not the sister I left. She’s turned cold, heartless. I thought I knew her once but…” She shook her head. “I hope she sees her way clear of this folly. This isn’t what a Valkyrie does. This is not what’s in her soul.”
“She’s a woman on a mission. I don’t hate her, but I won’t let her win.” He took hold of the staff, his hand almost touching hers.
“She won’t give up the search. She’ll be as drawn to us as I was to you—there’s no stopping.”
“Drawn to me,” he corrected her. “Not like a year ago. On the battlefield where we met.”
A vice squeezed her chest, pushing the air from her lungs.
“Back then, when you came down from the sky…” He shook his head. “I thought you were a hallucination. A dream conjured by my mind to try and deal with the fact I was dying. You went to my men, to my people, and took their souls, and I couldn’t do anything but watch.”
Brenna could do nothing but nod.
“I yelled at you, and you turned to me.” He tapped his chest. “Came over. Took off your helmet and knelt. You kissed me.”
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Tell me the truth. Why didn’t you take me with the rest? With Scotty and April? Was I not…” He hesitated, his voice strained. “Worthy enough?”
Her knees weakened as she stared at him, hearing the pain.
“Why didn’t you take me?” he repeated. “Why did you leave me behind?”
“Because…” Her throat felt swollen, the words forcing their way out. “Because I knew you were not destined for Valhalla, not then.” She blinked, aware of the tears blurring her vision. “You are more than worthy. I…” She paused. “I saw it in your eyes. You cared so much about your fellow warriors, you challenged me to fight for them. I don’t know how to describe it, but I knew it would have been wrong to take you.”
“I don’t quite understand, but that’ll have to do.” He drew a deep breath. “Explain the kiss to me.”
“The kiss?”
“The kiss.” He arched one eyebrow, one edge of his lips twitching upward. “I assume you remember that part of our first encounter.”
She fought to not put her hand to her mouth, the tingling on her lips reminding her of the fateful meeting.
“Why did you kiss me? You didn’t do that to all the men.”
“I don’t…” She fumbled over the words, trying to make sense of her scrambled thoughts. “I didn’t…”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t kiss me because that’s the one thing I remember clearly, the one thing that stuck with me through my entire recovery.” He moved in again, his voice strong and commanding. “So why?”
“I was curious. I didn’t know what it’d be like to kiss a man.” She spat the words out, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the staff.
“Never kissed a man before?” A spark of mischievousness flared in his eyes. “How about a woman?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I mean…” She gritted her teeth, done with this line of questioning. “I don’t kiss. Anyone. Never had a reason to.”
“I see.” His voice dropped to a low whisper. “So, tell me—did you like it?”
Her mouth went dry as she stared at him, her mind going blank.
Brenna swallowed hard before springing two steps back and spinning the wooden stick around in both hands, taking refuge in the familiar routine.
She couldn’t think of anything else to do.
“Right, then. Rest time’s over.” Erik shifted into a fighting stance, smirking. “Now that you’re warmed up, let’s see what you’ve got, Valkyrie.”
He feinted at her, prompting a fast strike that missed his head by inches, the staff slashing through the air with a swoosh. He let out a hoarse laugh and advanced on her, the baton flush against his arm.
He wasn’t playing around. Neither was she.
The time for games was over.
She lunged at him, smashing the rod against the rough wood. He flinched but kept his ground, replying with a hit against her forearm—not hard enough to break the bone but she’d have a bruise in a few hours.
The pain helped her focus as she took a step back, regaining the advantage of the staff’s long reach.
He crept forward, taking it away.
The staff came up and around Erik’s arm, pulling him in closer as she disarmed him. The club flew away to land in the nearby brush, forgotten.
He grabbed the stave and moved in, his hands falling on hers as he advanced.
Brenna growled and yanked the spear, hoping to dislodge her opponent.
It didn’t work.
Suddenly, he was inside her personal space and rendering the shaft useless as a weapon. His fingers overlaid hers, trapping them on the wood.
Her thoughts scattered like leaves on the wind. She heard him breathe, the short pants matching her own. His dark brown eyes locked with hers, finishing the connection.
Her arms burned, her legs burned as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her mouth, the heated touch sending her nerves ablaze.
Chapter Nineteen
He hadn’t set out to kiss her, his original intention nothing more than to get some exercise and enjoy some time with her. A chance to relax without the others around, just the two of them doing what they did best.
But there was no way to back out, no escape from what he’d wanted ever since their confrontation in the parking lot. If he was reading her right, she wanted it, too. All the way back to their original meeting in the blood and sand, a job left half done.
He never liked leaving something unfinished.
The staff clattered to the ground as his arms went around her, one hand cupping the back of her neck as he moved closer, deepening the kiss.
She tasted of ambrosia, the sweetness making his head spin.
Her hand pressed against his chest, over his heart. It settled flat against a scar and scorched his skin with the heat.
Hers.
Their tongues dueled, the silent battle continuing for a few seconds until she gave in with a gasp, soft and pliable in his grip.
This was the woman who was supposed to kill him, drag
his soul away to rest with the other honored dead.
Erik never felt more alive.
The sound of a twig snapping brought him up and away from her, his senses drowning as he glanced around, vigilant despite the emotional rush. Instinctively, he took a step back, preparing for a fight.
A dog trotted by, heading into the brush. He gave them a glance before continuing on, tracking some small animal through the woods.
Jake’s laugh drifted over from the campground, joined by Lucy’s contagious giggle.
Brenna stared at him. She lifted a trembling hand to her lips, still wet from his kiss. There was a slight burn on her cheek where his fresh beard had brushed against her skin, adding to her appeal.
She’s never been kissed before. At least not like that.
But then…
The other obvious fact ground against him like sandpaper, shocking him into silence.
Oh my.
His arousal pressed against the front of his jeans, eager and willing to remedy that situation. He resisted the urge to turn his attention skyward, afraid a lightning bolt was about to incinerate him courtesy of Thor. Or Odin. Or Freyja or any number of Norse gods he was busy pulling out of his limited knowledge of mythology.
He shifted his hips in an attempt to tamp down his rising desire.
Oh my, indeed.
A cough came from nearby. Helen lifted her head, cheeks pink with embarrassment. She turned her gaze skyward, obviously not afraid of being impaled by a God’s fury as she avoided looking at them directly.
“Hate to bother you two but Jake’s just putting the breakfast burritos together. Might want to eat while they’re still warm.”
“We’ll be right there.” Erik waited until the older woman had gone before turning to Brenna again. “I won’t say that I’m sorry. Because I’m not. I do apologize if it scared you.”
“I…” She swallowed hard. “You fight well.”
“Thank you.” He picked up the staff and handed it to her, discarding his makeshift baton. “Bet Jake can find room for this on the roof rack. That way you don’t have to find a new one every time you want to practice.”
She nodded and took it from him. “I like the way you…practice.”
Her voice softened on the last word, leaving it open to interpretation.
He grinned as they made their way back to the campfire. “Perhaps we can do that again. I’m always willing to help.”
She punched his shoulder lightly as she moved ahead of him. “I’m sure you are.”
…
A thousand war hammers banged around her head, her pulse thudding in her ears.
This feeling…she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way…
Then she did.
Their initial meeting on the battlefield.
Brenna wavered, letting Erik catch up to her. He took hold of her forearm, steadying her.
“Are you okay?” He frowned.
“I’m fine.” She waved him off. “Just a little overheated.”
His smug look helped settle her stomach, the annoyance bringing her world back into focus.
Erik led her to the canvas chairs set around the campfire. “I’ll get you some coffee. Give you a chance to cool off.”
“Thank you.” She wiped her forehead, very aware of her racing heart.
This couldn’t be normal. Over the decades, centuries, the exercises had been exhausting and tiring, leaving her breathless but this…this was something totally alien.
A sliver of fear burrowed into her soul.
What’s going on with me?
Helen came over and sat beside her. She cradled the ceramic mug in both hands, her cheeks still scarlet.
“I’m sorry I interrupted you two,” she whispered. “I thought you were sparring and…”
“We were,” Brenna said. “I got up early to practice and he joined me and…” She couldn’t find the words and settled for staring at the dirt between her feet.
“I understand.” Helen patted her knee. “Just catch your breath. Been a long time since I’ve seen someone with so many stars in their eyes.”
Brenna raised her hand to her cheek, the skin warm to her touch.
“Not you.” Helen nodded at Erik, who was returning with a plate and a mug of coffee. “Him.”
She gave Brenna a wink before moving to sit beside Lucy. The redhead was chatting to Mark about the history of hot sauce as they passed the small bottle back and forth between them.
Erik handed over the coffee and food with a smile. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“I am.” She paused, considering her choice of words. “Quite.”
Erik raised an eyebrow and smiled before returning to Jake’s side and retrieving his own plate.
Brenna looked at the fat burrito, her mind still spinning.
She might not be experienced in the ways of love, but she knew what went on. She’d seen the warriors in their halls, partying and enjoying each other’s company. They fought hard and celebrated with as much enthusiasm, their evenings filled with loving and laughing.
Except there had never been the curiosity, the need to…
She struggled not to touch her lips again, to see if they were still swollen from his kiss. Their kiss.
She busied herself with eating, trying not to react as Erik settled beside her with his meal.
Jake grunted as he sat down. “Got to admit I never had much of a love for hot sauce until recently.”
“I heard as you get older your taste buds evolve.” Helen gave Brenna a wink.
Jake flipped his middle finger up, prompting a laugh from the other veterans.
A few minutes later, he put the empty plate aside and reached for a paper map stuffed in the side of the chair. He unfolded it, laying it out across his lap.
“We’ll hit town about noon.” Jake jabbed at the tiny red dot. “Stretch our legs, pick up more supplies before hitting the school assembly at two.” He pointed at Lucy and Mark. “You two up for this one. Gonna give them a bit more recent feel. Dinner’s going to be at the local Legion so prep for some more rubber chicken. But we ain’t cooking so that’s a bonus.”
The rest of the breakfast meal went as usual. Mark commented on how to spice up various types of food, and Jake told tales of how bland his meals used to be back in Vietnam. Lucy quietly collected the dishes and went off to wash them while Helen began to break down the camp.
Everything was normal except everything had changed.
…
The small town had been like a hundred Erik had traveled through, the local businesses lined up on the main drag. It was close to noon when the van slid into a parking spot, Jake already grabbing at the small coin tray at his side for spare change to feed the meter.
“Don’t go too far,” he warned. “We’ll start out again in an hour.”
Erik opened his door, stepped down, and turned around to face her, offering his hand.
Brenna hesitated only a second before taking it, letting him help her out of the back of the van and on the sidewalk.
It was a bright sunny day, and the shops had opened up, the light foot traffic rolling around them. Lucy stopped at one shop to ooh and aah over the display of purses, and Helen grinned when she spotted a craft shop.
Mark and Jake peeled off to glance at the hardware store. Erik noticed sometime during the saunter Brenna’s hand had slipped into his and stayed there, fingers entwined.
They continued down the street. It only lasted another block, ending up at a small park. Erik caught Jake’s eye and pointed at the grassy space, getting a nod back in response.
“This is nice,” Brenna said as she paused and studied a bookstore’s window display.
Erik glanced over the recent paperback releases. “Yeah. It is.” He jerked a thumb at the children’s section visible from the front, the mythology books lying open. “I have the urge to move some of those onto the religious shelves. At least non-fiction.”
She shook her head and chuckled.<
br />
The next store held a large rack of knives in full view, earning her appreciation as well.
Erik moved closer. “Jake’s got some weapons in the van. A pistol. Lucy’s got some knives in her kit.”
She didn’t turn, but he saw her eyes widen in the window’s reflection. “It won’t make a difference. Nothing will hurt her. Nothing will stop her.”
“Maybe.” He spotted the public library on the corner. “Come on. I’ve got an idea.”
It took only a couple of minutes to convince the librarian to let them log on via the public computers even though they didn’t have a local card and a few more to check his email. It was full of spam with only two notes from his fight manager, asking when Erik would be ready to come back on the circuit. There was an open spot in Oakland and…
“I’ll tell him to put me on the card. The fight’s this weekend, only two days away.” He tapped on the keyboard as she hovered nearby.
“We’re halfway across the country,” Brenna said.
“Yes, we are.” He sent the message. “If Kara’s monitoring the fight sites and/or tracking my email, she might see this and chase a false lead. A long shot but it’s something we can do here and now.”
“Won’t he be upset if you don’t show?”
“Probably.” Erik shrugged. “But if it helps keep Kara off our trail, it’s worth the angry email back.”
Erik’s next stop was the social media hubs, searching for any trace of the images taken two weeks ago from the school assembly.
“Damn.” Brenna reached over and touched the screen. “Not so great to be famous.”
The picture of Erik and the teacher were on a number of sites, gathering comments. Most of which noted his disappearance from the fighting scene after his loss to Mad Matty.
“I don’t suppose you know how computer literate she is,” Erik asked.
The scathing look ripped invisible strips off his back. “We’re not idiots. She’s sure to have picked up on this if she ran a simple search on your name.” She leaned in, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Helen put up that misinformation about you heading South after the assembly, and Jake’s done a great job of backtracking and jumping forward. It’ll slow her down, the facts fighting against her headaches—if she has any.” She paused. “I don’t know what Freyja has given her for this task, other than her lance. But even if she doesn’t suffer as I did, she’ll still stumble before finding the right road. We might have won some time.”
Her Alpha Viking Page 14
