by JD Nelson
“No, though I know it isn’t right. I am not sure that I can stop myself. The temptation is unbearable.”
Taking advantage of this unheard of lapse in Jakob’s judgment, I slipped the jeans over my hips and stepped out of them, straightening just in time to catch him adjusting himself. I gave him my best bewitching smile and stepped out of the tub towards him.
“What are you up to, Erin?”
I sashayed past him to the bed swinging my hips provocatively. “What do you mean?”
He was hot on my trail as I climbed into bed and under the blanket. “Erin, what are you doing to me?” He motioned to the hard sex that was by no means concealed by his boxer briefs. “You are enjoying seeing me suffer, are you not?”
I looked from his eyes to his erection and held my thumb and forefinger up, grinning. “A little bit.”
He groaned. “Mischievous little elf. How shall I punish you?”
“I could think of a couple hundred ways.”
He walked to the other side of the bed and climbed under the covers, pressing himself into my back as he whispered into my ear. “I am sure you can, but you know, I think making you wait to get this cock between your thighs will be punishment enough.”
I gasped in mock horror. “You wouldn’t.”
He slid his hand across my ribs to cup my breast. “Would I not?”
I moaned in satisfaction. I wanted his hands all over my body.
He trailed his fangs across my shoulder. “Where do you want them, älskling?” He trailed his fingers down my stomach, inching lower as he spoke. “Here?”
“Yes,” I sighed, moving against his fingers and reaching for his erection.
He hissed when my hand grazed the fabric. “Careful, Erin. We cannot get out of control.”
I was way past losing control. His clever fingers already had me on the edge of orgasm. “Please,” I begged him.
Growling, he pierced my shoulder with his sharpened canines and everything went black. I thought that I’d been struck blind. Then, everything came barreling back in fast-forward as I reached my peak, screaming out his name.
It was a minute or two before I could even speak again. “Jakob?” I was hoarse and sagging against him.
“Hmmm?” He licked my shoulder and bit down again.
I sucked a pleasured breath through my teeth. “How opposed are you to mating someone who isn’t your true-mate?”
“You are the one—my fated. I feel it when I look at you, when you touch me. It cannot be the spell.”
I knew how he felt. It was as if we had a force-field around us, a magnet of sorts. I turned to face him. “Are you sure?”
“At first, I thought that my desire for you was false, that it was your beauty or the book that was causing the attraction, but now, I am positive that is not the case.”
I took a deep breath, in anticipation. “What’s changed?”
“Everything, älskling.”
I could feel his heartbeat pounding against my sensitized skin. Turning over, I put my ear to the light hair on his chest. “Your heart is racing.”
“Your blood has made me intoxicated, and your thoughts are…arousing. He chuckled. “You are not the innocent female I thought you were when we met, Erin.”
I was trying hard to ignore the need to take advantage of him while he was still rock hard. “Are you disappointed?”
“No. My concern is that Soren will be provoked to murder me if he finds out about our involvement. We must keep what will be between us a secret—for now.”
I swallowed hard. “What’s going to be between us?”
He spoke without taking his eyes off of mine. “When we are allowed to be mated, nothing will keep me from doing things to you that will make me hard as steel when I reflect upon them.”
My breath caught.
He smirked. “You have nothing to say?”
I had plenty to say. First and foremost on my mind was, “Why won’t you fuck me?”
Laying back, he sighed. “Do you think that I do not want to? All of the blood in my body has circulated to my dick!”
“And that’s exactly why we should do something about it. It could become a medical problem.”
He was intrigued. “What do you suggest? Wait. Damn it. Do not answer that. We cannot, Erin. We should not have done what we have already.”
“Why not? Who’s going to know?”
“I will. Think about it in terms of Victorian times on Midgard. It is much the same here. If I make love to you and we are found out, it will taint your honor and you will be shunned by our kind.”
“There’s no one here to find us out Jakob, and I’m pretty sure that when I go back to Midgard no one will care if we had sex there.”
His expression became serious. “You will not be going back to Midgard. I will not be persuaded otherwise. I cannot protect you there.” He paused to gauge my reaction. “I understand if you are upset by it. It will be hard to leave your life behind.”
“Honestly, I’m not upset at all. That bookstore is killing me. Yes, I love it. But working twelve hour days, three hundred and sixty-two days out of the year, is starting to take its toll on my sanity.” I stopped. “How am I going to support myself while I’m in Álfheim?”
“I will support you, Erin. It will be my privilege as your future mate,” he said, a little offended.
I straddled his waist, sighing when he cupped my breasts. “Do you know what my privilege is, as your future mate?”
“No. Indeed, I am almost afraid to ask.”
Leaning down to nip him on the lips, I started working my way down his stomach, breathing in the scent of spice on his skin, embedding it to my memory, between every descending kiss.
He laced his fingers into my hair, tightening them to stop me. “Erin, please. If you do not learn to block your thoughts today, Soren will strike me down for what you are trying to do.”
I gave up and sat down beside him. “Why can’t we just tell him about us if we’re true-mates?”
“We will. It has been one day. Give him a chance to become reconciled with the fact that you will be mated to any male first.”
I brought his palm to my mouth, kissing the center. “I don’t want any male. I want you.”
“That just reaffirms the fact that I must teach you to shield your thoughts. We cannot delay. What do you have up there, a card catalog? The level of organization is incredible. I could pick out anything I wanted to see.”
“So, my mind is a loose cannon? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes.” Smiling, he moved to the foot of the bed, folding his legs beneath him. I pulled on the shirt he gave me in the bathroom, mirrored his position, then waited…and waited. He didn’t say a word, just stared at my face.
Confused, I waved my hand in front of him. “Are you still there?”
His cunning smile widened. “Yes.”
I narrowed my eyes in distrust. “Why are you smirking?”
“I am waiting for you to realize that you are naked from the waist down.”
Glancing down at my exposed bottom half, I snatched the pillow into my lap. “I did not mean to do that.”
He tapped his temple. “I know.”
“Then, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I was enjoying the view?”
“You are as bad as Nils!”
He shook his head, horrified. “There is no way that could ever be true.”
I giggled. “That bad, huh?”
“You have no idea.” He lowered his gaze. “Do you want to put on something? I am ready when you are.”
Lowering my eyes to the straining bulge in his lap, I lifted my brows. “I can see that.”
He tackled me to the mattress, placing fervent kisses on my lips and jaw on the way down. “Do try to control yourself, you naughty elf.”
I sighed in genuine discontent. “If I must.”
He kissed me again with a resolute look on his face. “You must.”
I tra
ced the ridges of his back with my fingers. “Fine. Let’s do this.” And by do this, I mean, hot, enthusiastic sex.
Laughing, he asked, “Do you think it is within your power to ignore your preoccupation with my penis for a few minutes? I have something important to teach you.”
“Oh no. I’m not making any promises. You do realize the aforementioned penis is in a most favorable spot between my legs, right?”
“Believe me, I could not be more aware of where it is, but in the interest of my safety, I am asking you to try to control yourself.”
I pretended to give it deep thought. “I could give you three, maybe four minutes.”
“How magnanimous of you.” He shook his head and made an unsuccessful attempt in hiding his smile. “I will start off by pushing a boost of magic into your system to help you along. Are you ready?”
As I started to tell Jakob the exact thing I wanted pushed into me, he put his hand over my mouth. “Do not say it. I am in agony.”
I could so relate to that.
Intertwining the fingers of his right hand with my left, he nodded and I felt an immediate tingling that ran up my arms and made my hair stand on end. It was a delicious feeling.
“Make a conscious effort to keep me out, Erin. Close off what you do not want me to see or hear. ”
“Okay.” I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on keeping my thoughts private, though I knew that it would be easier said than done. It was almost impossible to think of anything but the weight of Jakob between my legs.
“Perfect!” Jakob exclaimed, scaring the life out of me. “It took Emelie all day to learn what you have just done in one try. Try to keep me out for as long as you can.”
I smiled. “If it keeps you where you are, I can do this all day.”
Jakob shook his head and sat up on his knees. “You are evil, älskling.”
“It’s hereditary, I think.”
“That, I believe.”
After several more successful attempts, I gave up on not yawning. “I’m fading fast, Jakob.”
“Sleep. Just remember what I have taught you in the evening when you wake up.”
“I won’t forget.” Imagining that my secrets were locked tight in an impenetrable bubble was as easy as, well, imagining that my secrets were locked in an impenetrable bubble. I couldn’t believe that Emelie had had trouble learning this. It was so simple.
“You cannot, älskling.” His worried voice matched his expression.
“You know, you’re making Soren sound a little scary.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck where he’d bitten me. “He is fair and just. You have nothing to fear.”
“But?”
He sighed. “But, because we are not mated, we are not allowed to act on our impulses, no matter how intense the attraction is between us.”
“I’m kind of okay with keeping this a secret.”
“I am glad to hear you say that, because next time, I will not stop—even if you are on fire.”
CHAPTER FOUR
In the evening, I was awakened by an earthquake, or what I thought was an earthquake. When my eyes snapped open, Nils was the first thing I saw. He was holding out a shifting stone while shaking the bed with an urgent bouncing of his foot. “Wake up! Soren is here,” he hissed.
Jakob disappeared with the stone just as I jumped out of the bed and ran, half-naked, to the dresser for another pair of Emelie’s jeans.
Nils watched me yank them on. “What are you doing to our resident do-gooder, Erin? This is the kind of thing that I would get caught doing.”
“Are you going to tell Soren?”
He burst out laughing and put his arm around me. “I live for shit like this. You have no idea how long I’ve waited to have ammunition against the altar boy.”
“Not one word to Soren, wolf. I don’t care what you do with the information, as long as it doesn’t get back to my brother. I mean it.”
He held the door open. “I’m starting to think that Jakob is perfect for you. Both of you are little old ladies—always worried about something going wrong.
“It’s called caution, Nils.”
Grinning, he said, “Caution? Nope, never heard of it.”
That did not surprise me.
If Soren suspected anything out of the ordinary, I couldn’t tell. He sat on the sofa, dressed in an ordinary pair of faded jeans and a University of Oslo t-shirt, his cool demeanor normal—for him anyway.
“Was your night pleasant, sister?”
“It was. Well, it was after I got the valknut tattoo thing. Jakob taught me how to block my thoughts and Nils phased for me. It was fun.” My lips stretched into a manic smile. I needed to reel it in a bit.
Unperturbed, Soren returned my smile. “I am glad that you enjoyed yourself. However, I am afraid that what we will be doing this evening will not be nearly as enjoyable. Father has requested your presence at his castle.”
My excitement over meeting my father for the first time was extinguished with Jakob’s entrance. His face was horrified.
“Are you insane, Soren? You cannot take her there.”
“He has asked to see her. It is best not to make him ask again.”
Nils huffed. “This doesn’t feel right.”
“No, it does not,” Soren agreed. “However, if the escapees are in league with Odin, this may be our best chance at finding out what they are planning.”
Jakob was appalled. “By risking your sister? It is a dangerous move to make.”
“Is it that dangerous?” I asked.
“No. Let us go,” he answered, distracted as he took my hand. It was obvious that Nils and Jakob were making their opinions known in a silent conversation.
“Guys, come on. The sooner you let us go, the sooner we will return.” I tapped my foot, impatient to get it all over with. “We’ll be back pretty quick, right?”
“Yes. I will keep in contact, Jakob, should we need your assistance.”
Jakob nodded, but I could tell he didn’t want me to go. His troubled face was the last thing I saw as we materialized to Ásgard.
The trip to the forest surrounding Odin’s castle was the work of a moment. As soon as the blinding, bright light faded from my vision, I looked around in wonder, over the moon to see a world so different. Álfheim seemed to be similar to Earth, but Ásgard was surreal. Everything from the plants to the towering trees had a hazy, almost shimmering quality. It was magical. There was no other word for it.
Soren pointed at the monstrosity of a castle dominating the landscape ahead. “Odin’s castle.”
“Are we walking?” The distance to the castle was at least five miles, if I was lucky. I’d never make half that in the heels I was wearing.
“Yes. I thought it would give us an opportunity to talk.”
“Sounds good,” I said, putting on a fake smile. His hopeful face was so adorable. I hated the thought of disappointing him, even though I was pretty sure that he would have to carry me halfway into the trek.
An unusual smile lit his features. “I find that I am excited to learn more about you. All of our other siblings are at least a thousand years old. It is refreshing to meet one so young.” He extended his arm. “Tell me about your human life in Midgard.”
I took his arm, then jerked my hand away. “You’re vibrating.”
He laughed. “So are you. Your magic is bursting to get out.”
He could say that again. “Yeah, I know. I set myself on fire this morning.”
“Are you injured?” He stopped, looked at my hands and touched my face.
“Oh, no. I’m fine. I’m a fire-walker. At least, that’s what Jakob said.”
Soren’s face was unbelieving. “Did you say a fire-walker?” His voice came from inside my head. “Speak to me using your thoughts.”
“That’s what Jakob said,” I sent at him, hoping that I’d done it in the correct way.
Soren nodded and looked around. “We are going to experiment.”
&
nbsp; I was wary. “What do you mean?”
He gathered a handful of leaves and put them in a pile on the path. “Stand back.”
A sharp crack sounded a moment before a bolt of lightning struck the leaves and they burst into flame.
“See if the fire burns you.”
I shot a crazed look at him. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I will heal you, should you become injured. Rest assured.”
“Okay.” Leaning down, I reached for the fire, holding my breath. It was warm, but not unpleasant. It kind of tickled. I glanced up at Soren in awe and laughed with joy. “Wow.”
He shared in my jubilation. “You are amazing, sister! See if you can pick up the flame in your hands.”
I didn’t have a clue how to do what he asked of me, so I gave him a blank stare and waited for instructions.
His crimson eyes glowed with excitement. “My apologies, your lack of fear makes me forgetful of your ignorance. I believe that you will adjust to the Norse-lands with ease.”
Lack of fear? I was terrified of everything, from the spooky moss covering the trees, to the glittery quality of the air surrounding us. Most of all, I was afraid to meet my Father.
“I can see by your expression that I have been mistaken.”
“I’m sorry. I am trying to be brave.”
Hugging me into his side, he said, “There is no need to apologize, Erin. I have asked too much of you already.”
“No, let me try.”
Nodding in approval, he gave me a go ahead motion. “Just scoop it up into your hand, if it does not obey.”
“Obey?”
“Yes. You are mistress of the flame. It shall be your constant companion. I can see it in your eyes even as we stand here.”
“I hope you do not plan on taking the fire-walker to your father, Víðarr.”
We both spun to see the owner of the tiny voice that caught us off guard. I was surprised to find a small female, dressed in an elegant gauzy green gown. Her brunette curls were pinned up high on her head in dual purpose—to avoid the delicate, gossamer wings that were beating madly to keep her at our eye level and to hold up the elaborate jeweled crown she wore.
Soren pulled me down into a kneeling position with him. “Queen Layla, we thank you for the gift of your company. Allow me to introduce my sister, Erin of Midgard.”
