by Audra Hart
“Never Mo! I know you are woman of strong moral beliefs and those beliefs always guide your actions. But you are none the less a very, very sexual person. You always have been, and it is even stronger in this incarnation. I suspect you never had a shortage of men trying to get into your panties, even though many would say you are truly rather ordinary looking, some would even say you are too tall, and too wide. But that didn’t keep men from trying to get into your panties, did it?”
“I guess not,” Morna says quietly, as she wonders why Agnar is engaging in this topic of conversation.
“You know I was goaded by Loki to try to seduce you when you were sixteen, but it didn’t take much goading on his part. I wanted you very badly, ever since I first fought with you on the sparring fields. I am ashamed to admit that I lusted after a fourteen year old girl. I even made jaunts to Airendell to watch you, hoping to learn more about you. That’s how I knew about you and Rinda even before you told anyone here. I struggled with my lust until you were sixteen.” Agnar rakes his hands through his hair and pulls out a flask and takes a long drink.
“A lot of the attraction I felt for you came from the way you are on the battlefield. That rush you experience during battle, that sensation you experience when you best a man in combat. It is a great deal like a sexual orgasm. And your body would react to me physically, even though mentally and emotionally I held no real attraction for you. I tell you this because I really want you to understand why I tried so hard and boorishly to have sex with you that time. I really wasn’t a total pig Morna. You have to understand that,” Agnar says quietly.
“I do Agnar. I did flirt with you that night, and I did thoroughly enjoy what you did to me up against that wall in my father‘s hall. But when it became obvious that what we were doing was leading to intercourse, I had to stop it. I had sworn to myself to be a virgin when I found my mate. And while I was physically drawn to you, you certainly weren’t what I wanted in a mate. You weren’t the one for me, and I was not the one for you.” Morna sighs and lights another cigarette. Agnar offers her the flask, and she shakes her head no, not wanting to cross that line with her son’s health. But she smiles at her slight regret because she can tell by the smell that it is the same good single malt that she prefers.
“You know your body will process the alcohol before it can even reach the child.”
“That’s probably true, but I take enough risks with little man’s wellbeing as it is.” Morna looks at Agnar and says, “You know later, we did become very solid comrades as protectors of the Gateways. I grew to respect you, even though we fought like insane warlords at times. I am sorry I reacted so badly when I first found out you were in love with my daughter. It was truly a shock, in light of remembering your face shoved in between my legs when I was sixteen years old.” Morna says with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Morna I meant it when I said I was a reformed reprobate. I truly love Aideen, and only Aideen. I have no interest in other women at all,” Agnar says earnestly.
“Ag, I know that. Why are you dredging all this up?” Morna asks in bewilderment.
“Because I want you to know I will always protect and love Aideen. And I want to be able to tell you how very much she is like you. She exhilarates in battle, in the very same way you do. She is fiercely protective of those she loves, just as you are. She really wants to do the morally right thing, just as you do.” Agnar sighs, “Morna, I want you to tear down the wall between you and my mate. She needs something from you that no one else can give her.”
“What might that be?” Morna asks.
“Your respect.” Agnar says.
“I am learning to respect her. I already respect her as a powerful Spell Weaver and a great healer. I adore her sense of humor. I am filled with joy because she became so close to her younger siblings, especially Aiden, so quickly. Give me a break Ag. I love the girl with all my heart, but I really don’t know her that well. If everything wasn’t so damned crazy I would be trying to spend more time with her, to get to know her and Kylor better… but have some patience with me. I am trying.” Morna says in frustration.
“Morna, are you sure you don’t keep the wall between the two of you because of Lucian? She was unnaturally attracted to her father. She is an equally amazing sexual being, just as you are. Do you not on some level view her as competition?” Agnar asks quietly.
Morna stands and turns to face Agnar. She looks him in the eyes and growls, “Bastard!” While simultaneously holding him in a binding spell and levitating him twelve feet into the air, and slamming his body against the house. “If Aideen did not love you so much, I would happily squeeze the very life out of you right here, right now!”
Morna allows him to crash to ground without warning. She walks over to him, and stands just out of his reach. “Why would you say that to me Agnar? Do you not understand that just because I am devoted to my mate, that doesn’t mean I am so small minded, petty and unsure of his feelings that I would deliberately keep my own daughter at arm’s length to ensure his love for me. It is just what I told you Agnar, I don’t know my own daughter that well. That’s all it is.”
“Then why haven’t you asked her to join your Protectors? You asked Ingrid and Annie, but not your own daughter.” Agnar says as soon as he is able to draw a breath.
“Because recruiting warriors for the Protectors is Ingrid’s job, not mine. I selected seasoned, experienced warriors as my number one and number two. Selecting other warriors, well now it’s Ingrid’s job. I will have final say, but she will hand select our warriors, not me.” Morna says in frustration. “Hell, I didn’t even know she was interested.”
“Mama… why did you assault Agnar with magic? I heard him hit the house, and heard the very last of your conversation, what could have provoked this?” Aideen asks quietly.
Agnar sits up slowly and says, “Aideen, she was probably justified in her reaction. I think I stuck my nose in where it doesn’t belong and really handled it badly to boot.”
“I’ll say that you stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong,” drawls Luca, his voice heavily laced with double meaning, He is standing in the entrance to garden off the south lawn. “It is truly a testament of how much my mate loves our daughter that she did not end your life for your impertinence.”
Morna whips her head around and meets the eyes of her mate. She is unsure how much he has heard. “Fine, fine! Whatever!” Huffs Morna. Then she turns to face her daughter, “Aideen, do you wish to be part of my Protector Warriors? Or was your interest in serving as a Warrior limited to the Warriors of Airendell?”
“I was and still am interested in serving with you, Mother. In whatever capacity you see fit. I want to serve our Guild and our family,” Aideen says sincerely.
“Good! Talk to Ingrid. You will have to go through whatever training she sees fit. You will also have to undergo the rites of fealty to me and to the Guild. You still okay with that?” Morna says quietly. When Aideen nods, Morna smiles and then walks over and hugs her.
Morna turns to face everyone else that has now gathered in the garden, and says, “Now, let’s get inside and clean up the dinner dishes. Kylor has something he wants to teach us and we should get to it soon.” Morna walks over to Agnar and offers her hand to him. He accepts and rises cautiously. “Agnar, you wash the dishes.” She turns to Kylor and says, “You dry kiddo. Breena and Damian, make sure the kitchen is put to rights. Kyle and Nora put away the leftovers. I will clear the table, with Dad’s help. Aiden and Aideen scrape the dishes and haul the trash out. Ingrid and Annie, please see that the floors are cleaned as well. Auggie, you go pour yourself a good three fingers of the scotch in our study and take the rest of the night off. Hell, take the whole bottle if you want it. Thank you for a lovely dinner. That was the best meatloaf I have ever eaten.”
When Morna finishes her tirade, everyone is silent for a moment until Agnar smiles and says, “Yes ma’am,” before heading into the house. Morna smiles too because she knows that Agnar
would willingly take a beating anytime to help his mate. Aideen must really want this. Then everyone else, says, “Yes Ma’am” and heads off to the job she assigned them. Valliant, Vali, Bellona, Gullveig and Heimdall had decided not to check out the loud noise outside, and therefore avoided being assigned a job. Collingwood has gone for his nightly walk, and also avoided being a part of the cleanup detail.
Morna turns to follow them into the house when Luca comes up behind her and whispers as he wraps his arms around her, “I admire your self-control, my love. But I want to know exactly what happened between you and that man when you were sixteen.”
Morna turns to kiss her mate chastely and says, “No love, you probably really don’t want to know exactly what happened. But I will certainly tell you.” And then she turns intending to go clean the table off.
Luca doesn’t release his hold on her and says, “I want to know, Morna.”
Morna swallows hard and looks at her mate. She really doesn’t want to tell him this. “Right now?” When Luca continues to look in her eyes and nods, Morna mutters, “Shit!” Luca leads her to a bench and sits, tugging on her hands until she sits beside him. “Well, we had been on the practice fields all day and I was feeling very full of myself. I was sixteen, tiny and I was more than holding my own with these Asgardians. You know how I get after a day like that. All that adrenaline, the sweat, the sense of accomplishment and the excitement. An impromptu feast broke out at Father’s house. I was finally starting to come down off the high of besting four out five that I had faced that day, and I headed for my room to bathe. Agnar caught up with me in hall and started kissing me. He didn’t say a word, he just backed me against the wall and started kissing me and fondling my breasts.”
Morna swallows hard and says, “I am sorry my love, but I was enjoying it. The calloused hands, the whiskers, the smell of sweat and my raging hormones were a heady combination. I didn’t snap out of it until he lifted my skirt and started kissing me between my legs. Actually, I was fine with that, but when he started to put a finger inside me I snapped. I yanked him up by his hair and punched him in the nose. And then I ran off like a frightened school girl.” Morna looks at her hands unable to meet the eyes of her mate.
“Why did that bother you so much?” Luca asks quietly.
“Because I had resolved to keep my maidenhead for you…” Morna whispers.
“You were stronger at sixteen than I was, Beloved. The first barmaid who expressed an interest in me was sadly subjected my inexperience and over eagerness. I am sure I didn’t do a thing for the woman. But I got a taste for it and tumbled several other barmaids and serving wenches before I met you. I know how powerful hormones are at that age.” Luca says as he tilts her face up to meet his. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. All of this happened before I was even born.”
Morna chuckles and says, “Yeah, bring up the age difference that will make me feel better,” she smirks and then says, “Why did you want me to tell you the details of that night? You already knew the essence of it.”
Luca shrugs, and says, “I guess I wanted to know if it was hard for you to stop him. And it sounds like it was. Oddly, that makes me very happy. You wanted sex with a man, but you resisted… waiting for, as it turns out, me. That’s a really powerful thing to know. And to also know that you broke things off with Rinda eight days after you met me and didn’t have any sexual contact with anyone until I finally found my courage two years later… that’s very special, to me.”
Morna groans and grabs him and kisses him deeply, passionately. When she finally breaks away she says, “Those were two tough years. I was hell on wheels during combat training waiting for you. Fionn figured out what was going on with me and would give me hell about it.” Morna chuckles.
“I heard him one time. ‘Morna, just go screw the boy’s brains out and quit trying to kill the rest of us!’” Luca does a perfect impersonation of Fionn. Morna laughs and strokes Luca’s cheek. “I knew he meant me, Morna. I knew you were as drawn to me as I was to you, but I wanted desperately to be on more equal footing with you before I admitted how I felt about you. That day under our oak tree… that was not planned, my love, being close to you just got the better of me,” Luca admits.
“I am glad it did. I was going crazy with wanting you, loving you, anticipating what it would actually be like. And you didn’t disappoint. It was the most amazing, beautiful, and yet raw sexual experience I could have imagined. You haven’t disappointed since, either.” Morna says quietly. She kisses her mate again and says, “We better join our family and friends before I mount you here in this garden and get caught in the act.”
“Indeed,” murmurs Luca with a smile. “But later…”
“Oh yes! Definitely later…” Morna says with a dreamy smile.
The whole family has quickly puts the kitchen and dining room back to rights. And then everyone goes outside to the garden. Morna blushes because there are a few smirks and knowing smiles when the family finds them kissing on the bench. Kylor smiles indulgently at his parents and begins his instruction in teleportation. After the first initial explanation, Aiden teleports the marble bench that Morna had been sitting on earlier from one end of the garden to the other. Morna laughs happily and claps excitedly. “Aiden, I knew you would probably be the first one to be able to do it.” Luca and Kyle are next.
A few minutes later, Luca walks out of the garden with Elias in tow. Morna watches them and wonders what is going on. Then Aideen and Ingrid successfully teleport the same bench. Nora surprises everyone by teleporting herself from the center of the garden to just inside the doorway into the house. Agnar and Morna tentatively teleport objects around the garden. Finally, Morna looks at Annie and says, “Aren’t you going to try?”
“No need. I have been teleporting since I was a small child,” Annie says happily. “But I have had a lot of fun watching all of you learn to do it.” Morna looks over at her mother in law, who seems to be enjoying herself as well watching everyone’s efforts. Annie watches Morna look for Gullveig and Heimdall and informs her that the Vanir witch had been summoned to the Healer’s Hall and Heimdall had returned to his post.
“Is Rodrigo okay?” Morna asks.
“Yes, there was an attack on the Thunder Garrison. Two warriors were crushed by a Troll. Gullveig is reconstructing their bones.” Annie says quietly. “I just found out two minutes ago. I was checking with Elias and Luca to make sure everything is okay at Airendell. I was about to report to Ingrid so that she could report to you.” Morna nods at that information and returns her attention to her family’s attempts at teleportation.
CHAPTER FOUR - MONFORT
A few minutes later Annie reports, “Luca reports that the Warriors are on standby at Airendell but everything appears to be fine. Elias has not reported back yet.”
Morna looks at Ingrid and motions her over. “We need to go check on Elias at Airendell.” The three women turn toward the house. Morna turns and looks at her family. “Ag, keep my kids safe. Aideen and Kylor, Ag is in charge until you hear back from me. Aideen, when we leave, get a buffer spell up around the house.” With that she leaves without looking back.
The three warriors quickly grab their weapons as they head out of the house and run toward the Bi-frost. Heimdall quickly transports them to Morna’s glen. She doesn’t want to set down where Elias did. Once in the glen, Morna nor Ingrid sense anything out of the ordinary, so they take off running for the village. They quickly sneak into the village and are about to slip into the Guild Hall when Luca stops them. He tells all three of them that an unknown man is holding Elias captive, with a firearm, and is demanding to know where to find Deidra Montfort.
Morna looks shocked for about two seconds and then she asks Luca exactly what part of the hall are they in and if anyone besides Elias is in there with the strange man. Luca tells her that they are just inside the main doorway and no one is there but Elias and the stranger.
“Luca, I do not know how this is possible, b
ut that voice sounds just like Rolan.” Luca looks shocked and asks her how she wants to handle this. “Annie, can you teleport me behind the Elder’s bench? When she nods, Morna says she will disarm the man with a spell and then Luca and the others can come in to subdue him. Morna asks Luca to enter through the door, Ingrid and Annie come in through the windows at the same time, overwhelm him with surprise.
Morna takes a deep breath as Luca and Ingrid get into position. When they are ready Morna crouches and nods at Annie who instantly teleports Morna into the hall, but behind the bench, out of sight. Morna raises up cautiously and locates the man. She almost gasps because she feels like she is seeing a ghost, because it is indeed Rolan Montfort. Morna quickly weaves a spell of her own design that makes the pistol in his hand too hot to hang on to, and when he throws it away, Elias puts him in a binding spell and tells the others to come on in.
Morna walks slowly forward, staring at Rolan in disbelief. How is he alive? And more importantly, how is he here? Rolan is facing towards the doorway and he doesn’t see Morna approaching him silently. But when he sees Luca, he obviously knows what he is and reacts with fear. Luca walks past the terrified man to his mate. By now Morna has come into Rolan’s range of vision and he is shocked, doubly so when the vampire puts his arm around his estranged wife.
“Deidra? Is that really you? What they hell has happened to you?” Rolan asks, disbelief and fear obvious in his voice.
“That was the name you knew me by Rolan. How are you alive? And how are you here? And why are you threatening my godson with that .38?” Morna demands regally.
“I am the son of a dark elf, Ciciceri. I didn’t want to follow her rules and the ways of the dark elves, so she allowed me to live among the mortals, but she put a charm on me that would immediately teleport me to her in the event I was ever in danger of dying. She told me a couple of months ago that you and our kids were all alive. Yesterday, I finally got her to tell me where I could find you.” Rolan struggles against the biding spell. “Deidra, I want to see my damn kids, and I want to see them now!” He demands.
