Viking Warrior Rising

by Asa Maria Bradley

  The man dragged Naya to the car and stuffed her in the front seat. “Nobody move.” Training the gun on Leif, he walked around to the driver’s side.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Leif saw Naya slowly twist in the seat. The man would hear her if he didn’t do something. “Let her go and we’ll leave you alone.” He banged his fist on the hood.

  The man laughed. “If I return without her, I might as well be dead.”

  Naya slowly raised her legs.

  The man turned around to sit down in the driver seat.

  Swiftly, Naya kicked him in the head with both feet. As bones crunched, his body slumped to the ground.

  With a battle cry, Astrid ran up and kicked him in the stomach, then the head.

  The man wasn’t moving. He never would again.

  The Valkyrie still ran her dagger through his heart.

  Sten pulled Astrid off the mangled body and then leaned down to retrieve the gun. “What do we do with the bodies?” he asked.

  Leif didn’t care. He ran around the car and opened the passenger side. Crouching down, he peered in at Naya. “You okay?” he asked in a low voice.

  “I’ve been better,” she said, her eyes unfocused. An indented ring decorated her temple where the muzzle had pressed against her skin.

  He felt like walking over to the bastard on the ground and kicking him one more time just for good measure. Instead he lifted a hand and gently caressed her temple.

  She flinched, but held still as he touched her skin, brushing a few strands of hair away and tucking them behind her ear.

  “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you,” he said.

  “Your timing was perfect.” She smiled, and then leaned back into the leather seat, sighing contentedly. “Bitchin’ bikes,” she mumbled. Her body relaxed and her breathing deepened.

  * * *

  Naya stretched in the chair in front of her beloved desk. After the kidnapping, Leif had informed her she was moving in with him and the rest of the crew.

  On principle, she’d protested—for about a minute. When the Vikings moved her furniture from her apartment into this room, she knew protest was pointless.

  Living in the mansion meant she didn’t have to find a new place to live. Irja’s research on the wolverines might also shed some light on Scott’s condition. Naya just had to make sure she kept her connection with the wolverines a secret for as long as she could. Plus, the house was basically a freaking fortress out in the middle of nowhere. The security systems could use some upgrades, but overall she felt safer than she had in years. She’d be able to finish Holden’s contract with relative ease before she moved on to a new city. She’d already ordered the hardware she needed for the club. Another day or two and she’d visit his house to finalize those plans as well.

  Her irritating internal voice whispered that the close proximity to one blond Viking king had other perks, but she squelched it. As much as feeling like she belonged filled her with joy and ease, her main priority was her brother. Nothing else could matter.

  Naya rose and stretched some more. She’d been at the computer for five hours straight. Time to find something to eat.

  She made her way downstairs and stopped in the kitchen doorway, watching Leif as he munched on a sandwich at the table. His gray long-sleeved T-shirt stretched across broad shoulders and outlined his pecs through the cotton. A scrap of leather tied back his blond hair.

  He swallowed, raised a glass of milk, took a big gulp, and then grinned at her.

  Her breath caught. Those dimples and milk mustache should come with a warning. He was hot and cute all at the same time. She tried to ignore the heat rushing through her body and the way her nipples tightened.

  His smile widened, as if he knew how her body reacted to him. “I just made a huge roast beef sandwich. Want half?”

  “Sure.” She sat down across from him, reaching for the offered plate without meeting his gaze. Heat trailed along her nerves as his eyes assessed her. When the silence stretched to the point of awkwardness, she looked up. “What?”

  “Are you ready to talk about those men?” His eyes were solemn.

  She’d put him off all day, explaining that she was tired or busy or couldn’t remember much. But she owed him an explanation.

  He reached across the table and rested his hand over hers. “Look, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But I do want to reassure you that you’re safe here.”

  She was afraid of them coming after her again, but even more scared of Leif looking at her differently. Right now his gaze said she was someone he liked. Compassion reflected in his clear light-blue eyes. Naya didn’t want that to change.

  What would happen when Leif figured out she and the wolverines shared a creator? When he realized she might be a threat and he couldn’t trust her around his people?

  She took a deep breath. “I didn’t grow up like most people.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “How do most people grow up?”

  “You know, staying long enough in one place to go to school and maybe make some friends.” She slowly drew her hand out from under his and traced a crack in the table with a finger. “We moved around a lot. We’d just pack up in the middle of the night and go somewhere new. Dad used to call it ‘going on an adventure.’” She dared a quick glance.

  He was watching with calm eyes.

  “What I didn’t know was that we weren’t just moving, we were escaping. When I was twelve, we didn’t escape quickly enough.” A chill rippled down her spine. She pulled her arms closer, hugging herself.

  He got up and sat down on the chair next to hers. He didn’t touch her. She leaned into him.

  “Men came to our house. They had guns. They made a huge mess, rifling through our things. I hid under the stairs. They found me and dragged me into the living room. My parents were on the sofa. Mom was crying.” Naya had to stop and breathe. Furiously she blinked to clear the moisture in her eyes. Her brother had been under the stairs with her, but there was no need to tell Leif about him.

  Keep it simple. Keep Scott safe.

  Leif slipped his arm around her shoulders without moving any closer. Just a comforting gesture that still gave her space.

  “Dad looked at me with such sadness in his eyes. He kept saying he was sorry. I didn’t understand what for. Then the men dragged me away. Mom screamed. Dad shouted ‘no’ over and over again.” She stopped.

  Leif squeezed her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Take your time.” His voice vibrated deep in his chest as she leaned against him.

  “Mom ran after me and grabbed the man holding me. He hit her face so hard, her nose started bleeding.” Tears trickled down Naya’s cheeks. Impatiently she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Another man shot her between her eyes.” She swallowed.

  “It’s all right,” Leif said. “I got you. You don’t have to say any more.” He tightened his hold.

  “No, I want to.” Naya snuggled closer. “Dad came running out of the house. He looked right at me, screaming my name. They shot him in the back of the head.” She closed her eyes against the memory, the shot and Scott’s screams ringing loudly in her ears.

  Leif hooked his arms under her knees and pulled her into his lap.

  The steady heartbeat against her cheek gave her courage. She needed it to get through this part. “I spent the next ten years in captivity at some sort of pseudo military camp. They injected me with enhancement drugs and trained me on weapons and computers.”

  Leif said nothing, but tightened his arms around her.

  He smelled of fresh air, clean, and something uniquely him, something male and vaguely spicy. “The reason I am stronger and faster than most humans is because I’m filled with weird chemicals. A killing machine. A super-soldier.” She waited for him to say something. Anything.

  She couldn’t look at him. The disgust in his eyes would kill her.

  His strong hand cradled her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I’m so sorry about
your parents.”

  She searched for horror in his gaze, but found only sorrow and compassion.

  “Those men who abducted you today, they were from this camp?”

  Swallowing to get rid of the lump in her throat, she nodded. “They’ve been hunting me since I escaped.”

  “How have you avoided them until now?”

  “I keep a low profile.”

  “Naya”—he made her look at him again—“how long have you been on the run?”

  “A little over a year.”

  Leif cursed under his breath. It wasn’t in English. His lips brushed against hers. “You are safe now. I will protect you.”

  She wished the kiss had been longer. When she was in this man’s arms, she wanted dangerous things, impossible things. “Thank you. But I will only need to impose on you for a week, two at the most. Then I’ll be able to free up funds and move on.” Far enough to where he couldn’t find her once he figured out that she and the wolverines were spawned by the same devils.

  A muscle on the side of his jaw twitched. “There’s no need for you to leave.” Leif growled fiercely. “You’ll stay with us.”

  “I’ll stay for a while, but then I will have to go,” she said slowly. Even if it took Leif a while to figure out the connection between her and the wolverines, there was still the ticking time bomb that the handler told her about. She might be a threat to Leif and his people.

  Leif’s eyes bored into hers. “You have to stay here.”

  She bristled. “Nobody tells me what to do. Not even a king.”

  He breathed deeply and unclenched his fist. Slowly. “Of course. I wouldn’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” He slid her off his lap, stood up, and walked out of the kitchen without looking at her. “I need to talk to Harald about this.”

  She stared after his retreating back. That was so not the reaction she had expected.

  Chapter 11

  Naya searched the fortress for Irja. She ignored the guilt eating her for not coming clean with Leif about the connection between the wolverines and the lab. If Irja could find something medical that Dr. Rosen had missed, she’d gladly tell the Norse warriors everything she knew. And then hightail it out of there before the Vikings killed her. Until then, she had to keep anything that might alienate her from them a secret.

  She found the dark-haired Valkyrie in the medical lab, elbows deep in test tubes and pipettes.

  Irja turned and smiled when she saw Naya. “Are you settling in okay?”

  “I’m only staying for a little while.” After Leif’s freak-out, Naya thought it best to mention a time limit.

  Irja looked disappointed. “Oh, you’re not happy?”

  “It’s not a matter of being happy. I just need my own place.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t really mooch off you guys for the rest of my life.”

  “That’s not how it would be.” Irja frowned.

  How had the conversation gotten off track so quickly? Naya rotated her shoulders. They were still stiff after her kidnapping adventure. “I think maybe we should drop this topic.”

  “I don’t want to drop it.” Irja’s face was stubborn. “Is that how you see the rest of us? ‘Mooching’ off Leif¸ our king?”

  Great, now she’d managed to offend the one person who felt like a friend. Well, what she imagined friendship felt like. “No of course not. You guys are like family to him.”

  “You are now family too.” Irja’s dark eyes were solemn.

  Naya had to swallow past the lump that unexpectedly filled her throat. “You hardly know me.” It had been so long since there had been anyone to care for other than Scott.

  “That’s not important. What’s important is that you are one of us.” Irja took a step closer.

  “When did I become one of you?” This was happening a little too fast. Why did both Irja and Leif insist that she stay? What was their agenda?

  Irja opened her mouth and then closed it. “Never mind. Our king has accepted you and that means we accept you.”

  She ignored the happy flutters in her stomach caused by those words. “Leif decides what all of you should do?”

  Irja looked surprised. “Of course. He’s our leader, approved by Odin.”

  “Odin?”

  “The ruler of Valhalla.”

  “Ah.” It was as if she’d landed in an episode of a game show where everyone but her knew the rules. And the answers.

  “Didn’t Leif explain all of this to you?”

  “Not exactly,” Naya said.

  Irja loaded some test tubes into a centrifuge. “What can I help you with? Or did you come to keep me company?”

  Naya felt guilty for wanting something other than a visit. “A little of both,” she said, sitting on a stool. “Did you find out anything else about my blood?”

  Irja frowned. “Leif said you didn’t want me to run any more tests.”

  “You stopped investigating the blood because I asked you to?”

  “Of course.”

  Naya didn’t know what to say. She’d assumed Irja would continue doing the research. “Thank you for that.”

  The other woman nodded. “Do you want me to look for something specific?”

  Naya smiled, appreciating Irja’s way of cutting to the chase. “My blood is contaminated with chemicals. I would like to know what they are and how they function.”

  “What effects have you noticed so far?” Irja reached for a pen and pad of paper, then calmly looked at Naya as if they were discussing where to go to lunch.

  Naya hesitated. If Irja could help Scott, it was worth the risk. But how far could she trust her? What would happen when the Valkyrie got around to investigating the wolverine blood?

  “I am much stronger and faster than a normal human. I also heal abnormally fast.”

  Irja nodded. “I knew this already. Your body purged the poison as well as Leif’s. A regular human would have died from the dose you received.”

  “Leif didn’t die.”

  Her hand stilled mid-sentence. “Leif is not a regular human.”

  “Do all of you heal as quickly as Leif?” Naya watched Irja’s face closely to detect any facial twitches indicating a lie.

  “We do.” Irja’s face gave nothing away. “But we are not like you. Nothing was added to our blood.” Irja sighed. “It is not my place to tell you this.”

  “I know, Leif is supposed to discuss this with me.” Naya jumped off her stool. “But he seems a little agitated at the moment. Why don’t you tell me who you people are?”

  Irja held up a hand. “I’ve already said too much. Let’s get back to your blood enhancements.”

  Naya opened her mouth to protest.

  The other woman shook her head, and then looked down at the pad. “I don’t think what you have described could be caused by just one drug.” She looked pensive.

  “I don’t know how many different kinds of drugs there are in my system.”

  Irja nodded. “Your blood definitely does not function like regular human blood. At first I thought it was a by-product of the poison you’d received.”

  “I don’t know very much about the poison.” How much had Irja found out about Naya’s weird abilities?

  “It’s derived from plants and shuts down the circulatory system. You should have died, but your body fought the effects. Maybe because of these added chemicals.”

  “Is there any way you can find out exactly what’s in my blood and how to remove it?”

  Irja thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. Why would you want to eliminate it if it is to your advantage?”

  Naya wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I don’t know what the long-term effects are.”

  Irja nodded. “One day, I hope you trust me enough to tell me how you received this anomaly.”

  Naya paused and then decided it was worth the risk to share a little about Scott. “My brother grew up in the lab too. His blood is probably also filled with nanoparticles.”

>   Irja’s hands stilled. “You have a brother.” She kept her head down. “Are you close?”

  “After my parents died, I took care of him. Scott is two years younger.” She hesitated; she hadn’t meant for his name to slip out. Irja’s quietness, her stillness, made you want to share things. “He’s not well.”

  Irja looked up. Sadness flickered in her eyes. “What’s wrong with him?”

  “The super-freak injections fried his central nervous system.” She had to be careful not to give too much away. “He’s not coherent and doesn’t respond to anyone, or anything.”

  Irja touched her arm. “I’m so sorry.” She pulled back, studying Naya intently. “This is why you want me to test your blood. You want to diagnose your brother’s illness.”

  There was no need to deny it now. She nodded.

  “Where is he?”

  Naya gazed into Irja’s eyes a little longer before answering. Understanding and compassion flickered in their dark depth, and something else. Despair?

  She looked away. “I can’t tell you. The people who kidnapped me are hunting him too.”

  Disappointment pulled Irja’s lips into a frown. “One day you will trust me, but I understand. I had a brother.”

  “Had?” Strangely, this surprising revelation eased a hardness in Naya’s chest.

  Irja avoided her eyes. “He went out to battle and didn’t come back.” She gave Naya a sad smile. “You’re one of us now, but I don’t speak about my brother to anyone.”

  “What do you mean I’m one of you? Because my blood cells have been altered?”

  The Valkyrie frowned. “No, because you are bonded to Leif.”

  Naya snorted. “I barely know him.” But you do have feelings for him. She blushed when she thought about what had happened in his office.

  “You will both get to know each other, which will bring love. And peace and contentment.” A secret smile pulled at Irja’s lips.

  Naya decided not to comment. Let Irja believe in fairy tales if she wanted to. “When do you think you’ll know more about the contamination of my blood?”

  “I wouldn’t call being stronger and more likely to survive a contamination.” Irja stood. “I’ll get to work right away. I might need some more blood from you later.”