by C. R. Jane
I licked my lips and glanced up at Loki. He gave me an encouraging nod. Clearing my throat, I stated, “Ashleigh Hartsock, sir. I mean, your majesty, your godliness?” I tried again, not sure what to call the god before me.
Odin chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “Odin is fine, child.” He paused for a moment, and then lifted a hand in the air. “Ah, I remember now. You’re that human in the coma.”
“Coma?” I gaped at him, not sure I was hearing him right.
Lacing his fingers behind his back, he inclined his head sadly. “Quite right. You are here because your body is so close to death that you have broken through the veil. It’s not surprising you ended up in Loki’s territory rather than at the gates.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” I glanced between the four of them. “So, I’m not dead?”
“Not yet,” Odin answered morosely.
“But I will? Die, I mean,” I squeaked out, suddenly conflicted by all of it.
Before Odin could explain, Baldr threw an arm around Thor’s shoulder and grinned. “Oh, to be sure, if you aren’t now then you will be soon. Not many come out of comas like yours.”
“Baldr.” Thor scowled at his brother. “Have some sympathy for the lass. She might still yet pull through.”
“Yes, she might,” Odin commented, interrupting their argument, and then addressed me. “You should enjoy your time here while you can, for if or when you are sent back.” He turned to his sons and with a pointed look, ordered, “You two help Loki make sure Lady Hartsock is comfortable until that time comes.” Odin returned to me with a soft expression. “We want you well acquainted for your new life here as the royal adviser.”
“Royal adviser?” Loki gaped at me, and then looked back to Odin. “Are you certain? It’s her?”
Odin nodded. “Quite. Now, off with you. The feast will begin soon. You won’t want to miss it.”
Royal adviser? Wow, that’s a big job. I didn’t know what I did to earn such a title, but I couldn’t help feeling happy about it. However, the prospect of not knowing if I was alive or dead was a bit disconcerting.
“Well, you heard him, lass.” Thor threw his arm around my shoulders, knocking me out of Loki’s embrace. “Let us feast until your fate has been sealed.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “As always, Thor, you have such a way with words.”
As we made our way out of the throne room, I had to agree. Life or death. Which one would it be? And would I be happy with the outcome?
Chapter 8
The great hall, where the feast was held, was exactly as it sounded—great. There were long tables filling the high-ceilinged room. The tables were covered in food, so much so that I wondered how they were ever going to eat it all. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of an appetite after what I’d just learned.
When you were told that you could die at any moment, it kind of put a damper on anything else. Before, when I’d thought I was already dead, I had been fine. I’d accepted my fate and was ready to move on. But now…now it was like I was hanging in the balance. Not alive and not dead. Just waiting...for something. I couldn’t help but wonder what could cause me to tip the scale from one side to the other.
Even if I could though, which way would I choose?
Alive. I knew what was waiting for me there. School, my family, my friends, and...maybe even Chris?
Dead though…I glanced around the table where Baldr was telling a riveting story to the table like his life depended on it. Everyone laughed when he pulled his dagger from his belt and stabbed it into a small bird, holding it up like a trophy.
Thor was chuckling at my side, his hands busy with eating as he drank as much ale as he could. Every once in a while he’d give me a dimple-filled smile that made my insides melt, and I’d have to bury my face in my cup lest I embarrass myself.
Loki, however, was quiet beside me. His dark eyes took in everything like I did while he ate from his plate and drank from his cup. When those penetrating eyes swung around to meet mine, I flushed. His hand slid into my lap and he squeezed my thigh.
I squirmed in my seat.
“Ashleigh,” Thor murmured in my ear, his larger hand landing on my other thigh. “Why don’t we take this party elsewhere so we can get to know you...better?”
I looked up into those bright blue eyes and found myself drowning in them. Before I could think too much about it, I nodded.
At my consent, Thor stood and lifted me from my seat. Loki followed behind us as we made our way out a side door and into a sitting area. There were several couches here, and even more food and drinks.
Gods sure liked to indulge. I guess when you’re dead, there wasn’t any worry about getting fat or too drunk.
Thor sat me down on one of the couches, taking the seat next to me. Loki lounged on a seat across from us, his eyes watching on our every move. I opened my mouth to speak, but Baldr appeared in the doorway in a rush.
“Have I missed anything?” He collapsed on the couch next to me, sandwiching me between the two blond gods.
“We were just getting started.” Thor smiled and brushed his fingers along my jawline, leaving a tingling trail in its wake.
“Starting what?” I asked, my voice low and breathless.
Baldr’s hands came up behind me and rubbed my shoulders, brushing his large fingers along my neck and back. His breath was hot on my neck as he moved in close. “We want to get to know you, lass.”
I wet my lips and tried not to moan when Baldr found a rather tight muscle. How did I even have stress if I was dead? Wasn’t Valhalla supposed to be where I would be worry free?
“You may leave before the end of the night,” Thor continued, his thumb brushing along my lower lip. “We would be poor hosts indeed if we didn’t make sure you thoroughly enjoyed yourself and all that Valhalla has to offer.”
I blushed fiercely as my eyes blinked open to meet Thor’s heated blue gaze. “And are you part of that?”
Thor chuckled. “Well, of course, as Odin’s favorite son—” Baldr snorted, but Thor continued anyway, “I have to be sure you are,” his other hand slid along the smooth fabric of my dress, pushing the edge of it up, “thoroughly, enjoyed.”
“Enough talk,” Baldr grumbled, placing his hands on my hips. He pulled me back until I fell into his lap. My butt rubbed against the thickness beneath me as Baldr’s lips found the junction of my neck and shoulder.
My eyes rolled back in my head. Baldr might be tactless, but he sure knew how to use his mouth. When his large, warm hand cupped my breast over my dress, I pulled away. “Hold on a second. Hold on,” I huffed, and licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry.
“What is it, lass?” Baldr inquired, as his fingers plucked at my nipple, making me gasp as heat pooled between my thighs.
I pushed his hand away. “I just...this is all moving so fast. I just found out I’m dead or, well, not dead. I don’t know.” I shook my head. “And now all three of you want to...get to know me?” I used air quotes with it. “Do you want to,” I cleared my throat, trying to get the nerve to say it, “share me?”
Loki was the one to answer. “Of course we do.” My eyes shot to the mischief god where he had one leg crossed over the other, doing nothing to hide the noticeable bulge in his pants. “How could one of us be enough to keep you satisfied? You’re obviously far superior to other human women if you’re going to be the new royal adviser.”
“So, that’s what this is about?” I moved out of Baldr’s lap, crossing my arms over my chest with a scowl. “You just want to be able to say you banged the new adviser?”
Thor scoffed. “Of course not. There’s no glory in mating with a human who doesn’t have half a brain cell in their head. Being the royal adviser means our father seeks out your opinion above our own. If anything, we are beneath you.”
I dropped my arms, and my irritation lessened. “Oh, but still, it’s a bit weird, isn’t it? Do you usually share women?”
The three gods exchanged a l
ook and then shrugged.
“It’s not something we often do, but we have been known to team up when the woman is right.” Baldr winked at me before grabbing my arm. He dragged me back into his lap, and I let him.
Baldr’s mouth returned to my neck, with both hands cupping my breasts now, and I gasped, arching into his touch. “But what about me?”
“What about it?” Thor unhooked the strap of the opposite side of my dress. He placed open-mouthed kisses on my shoulder and down my arm until he got to my hand. He sucked my finger into his mouth, and I felt the pull of his lips somewhere completely different, making me cry out in pleasure.
As I tried to get a grasp on what I wanted to say, I stuttered, “I mean, uh, fuck, I don’t usually do this with other men, let alone at the same time. Ah, right there.” I moaned and leaned into their ministrations. Baldr had his hand up my dress now, and both sides of the top half had been released, baring my breasts to the room.
Loki made a strained sound that had me opening my eyes. He was no longer just sitting. He had his cock out and was stroking it up and down as he watched the two gods fondle and kiss me. My mouth dried at the sight and I licked my lips. Loki’s eyes darted down to the movement, and so I did it again. Then, feeling brave, I pulled away from the two gods who groaned in displeasure and crawled across the floor to kneel before the trickster god. He watched me with dark eyes as I replaced his hand with mine. Locking my gaze on his, I lowered my mouth to the engorged tip. I licked and swirled and swallowed until his fingers tangled into my hair, and his hips jerked up against me.
“Fuck, Ashleigh,” Loki gasped, and I grinned around his cock, feeling pretty proud of myself. I had about a two-second warning before Loki tensed and his release filled my mouth. I swallowed it as well as I could, before sitting back and sliding my tongue suggestively along my lips.
“And you thought she wouldn’t be into it.” Thor barked with laughter before growling, “My turn. Come here, lovely. I want to taste you before the night is through.”
Chapter 9
I spent all my time in Valhalla with the three gods who had taken over my body and soul. I spent my days walking alongside at least one of them as they told me the histories and great stories of old. Then, at night, I would lay in their arms. We would kiss and fuck with no care for tomorrow.
But I knew it was coming.
Odin, though he told me I was to be one of his royal advisers, had yet to ask me to advise him on anything. I was pretty sure, like me, he was waiting to see if I would live or die. However, as the days went by, I found myself not wanting to go back.
“Let’s stay here forever,” I sighed, sagging into Thor’s bare chest. Loki had my other end across his lap, with a sheet barely covering his naked body from my gaze.
“We could,” Thor agreed and leaned to down to kiss me, “but what would we do for food?”
“You would think with your stomach when such bountiful fruit was laid before you?” Loki chuckled, sliding his hand up my thigh to cup my heat.
My lips parted, and I arched my hips up into his hand. Thor cupped my breast, rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he spoke, “I do not deny the woman before us, I simply state a fact. If we want to spend our day lounging around in bed, exerting momentous amounts of energy,” he winked down at me before pulling my nipple tight enough to make me cry out, “then we must have sustenance.”
“I disagree.” Loki leaned forward, his long slender fingers dipping inside of me as his mouth trailed along my thigh. “I have all that I could ever possibly want…right…here.” He ended each word with a kiss to my thigh before his mouth replaced his hand on my aching core.
Thor snorted. “Ashleigh’s pussy is made from the nectar of the gods, this is true, but the poor lass won’t be able to walk, let alone advise my father, if we do not feed her from time to time.”
Loki muttered something against my skin that made me moan as his breath tickled my clit.
I could hardly hear what they were saying through the pounding in my ears. Why did they have to argue now? They could be doing so much more pleasant things with their mouths. Like Loki was.
“What are you two idiots blathering about now?” Baldr entered the bedroom, his eyes immediately going to my naked form. “And why are you even bothering to talk when that lovely lass is bare and soaking for a nice cock to fill her.”
“I’m with him,” I pointed out, and then threw my head back and gasped. Loki glanced up from my thighs with a smirk. “Less talking more...yeah, that. That right there.”
Thor and Loki chuckled—the latter causing me to moan from the vibrations. Baldr disrobed and climbed on to the bed with us. His hands went straight to my breasts, giving them as much love and attention as he could before kissing me on the mouth. I’d already figured Baldr was a boob guy. Thor was an ass guy. While Loki, Loki just wanted to wrap himself up in me and never let me go. I wasn’t conceited, he’d actually told me that last night.
My thoughts were interrupted by Baldr’s tongue plunging into my mouth. His fingers gripped my long, red hair and lifted me up toward him as he somehow removed Loki and settled his hips between my legs. I didn’t have any warning before Baldr pushed himself inside of me, stretching and filling me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and arched my hips against him.
I knew something was wrong before the guys did. I felt it in the pit of my stomach. A pulling sort of sensation.
At first, I thought Thor or Loki had started messing with me while Baldr was fucking me, but when I glanced down and didn’t see anything but Baldr’s gigantic cock sliding in and out of me, I felt sick.
“Are you alright, lass?” Baldr paused in his thrusts to cup the side of my face. “You’ve gone pale.”
“I...I…” I shook my head and pushed at him. I needed space. I couldn’t breathe. Something was in my throat. I fell off the bed and grabbed at my neck trying, with no luck, to get whatever it was that was choking me.
“What’s wrong with her?” Loki cried out and rushed to my side. He reached for me, but didn’t touch me as his hands hovered over me, with a helpless look on his face.
I wanted to tell him everything was okay, but I didn’t know that for sure. Could I die all over again?
“It’s her body,” Thor spoke up, coming up beside us. “It must be.” He knelt beside me and watched my face. “Can you feel it? What’s happening to you?”
I gasped and coughed trying to dislodge whatever was in my throat. I tried to nod but barely got one jerk of my head in before I felt a stabbing pain in my arm. Once more, I searched for the cause of it but found my skin unblemished.
“How do we stop it?” Baldr asked, still sitting on the bed as if he were afraid to come near me. “Is she going to die?”
Thor shook his head. “I do not think that’s what this is...” His words trailed off and sadness filled his eyes. “I think she’s feeling what’s happening to her body because she’s...fuck...” He pressed his fist to his forehead. “She’s waking up.”
“What?” Loki grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to him. “No, you can’t. Ashleigh, you have to fight it. You hear me?” He shook my shoulders slightly and panic covered his handsome face. “You have to stay. Don’t leave me.”
I didn’t want to leave him. Any of them. I wanted to stay right where I was, wrapped in their arms, loving on each other until Ragnarök came to take us all. I just wished I knew how to stop it.
“Loki,” Thor murmured, trying to pull the trickster god away from me. “You cannot make her stay. She’s human. If she still has a life to live out, we should let her. We can’t be selfish with her.” Thor’s blue eyes met mine, and my heart ached.
“No,” I croaked out. “I want to stay.”
“See, you heard her.” Loki pushed Thor away, trying to hold on to me tighter. “She should get to stay then. Why does she need to go back? What’s for her there?”
This time it was Baldr who answered. “A life. Family. Friends. There is a h
uman man there waiting for her to marry him and have his babies. We could never give her those. Not here.” His tone was laced with regret. My eyes slung over to the large man. His lips were pressed into a fine line and all his boisterousness was gone from his face. I’d never seen him so serious before, and it scared me.
“Ah, lass. Do not look at me like that.” Baldr sighed and ran a hand over his beard. “I do not want you to go any more than Loki, but as my brother said, we cannot be selfish with you. Besides,” he offered me a lopsided grin, “we’ll be waiting for you when you die. Just like before.”
My gaze jerked from Baldr to the others who gave me solemn nods, agreeing with what the God of Light said. “Please, no,” I gasped out, my eyes burning with tears. “I...can’t...go.” I barely wheezed out the words before Thor reached out and touched my shoulder, giving me a little push.
Thor gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, lass. It’s time.”
Then I was falling. The last thing I heard was Loki screaming out, “No,” before everything went dark.
Chapter 10
When I got back from Valhalla, I was in the hospital with a massive headache. I blinked my eyes against the bright, hospital room lights to find Chris sleeping on the chair next to me, his hand wrapped around mine.
I clenched my hand in his and Chris shifted. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. When those eyes finally moved around to me, they widened, and he sat up straight in his seat, clapping his other hand on mine.
“Ashleigh, you’re awake.” He grinned, and then seemed conflicted. Chris’s blue eyes flickered from me to the door and back. “I should call the doctor.”
I nodded not trusting my voice. The meds they had in my arm were making my body heavy, but was doing nothing for my pounding head.
Before Chris could stand up, the door to my room opened. Bev and Miranda stepped into the room. Bev’s eyes immediately went to my open ones and widened. “Ashleigh! You’re awake!” She rushed to my side, grabbing my other hand in hers tightly.
