When he opened his eyes again Viking could see that the other men watching him.
"I take it you just called Gwen?" Raider asked.
Viking didn't respond, only waited. He knew the answer would be self-explanatory when Gwen walked into the lounge.
Sure enough in less than a minute Gwen was sliding through the lounge door before shutting it behind her. She calmly moved to the high backed chair next to the side of the couch Viking occupied. When she settled in she folded her hands in her lap and looked at him expectantly.
Viking sighed again. This was not his idea of courtship. A good part of him did not feel he needed to run the play-by-play of his trying to woo Mia by two Warriors and the Lady of the Dead. It seemed ridiculous. But Viking also knew if he didn't oblige them now it would only come back and cause problems later.
"So believe it or not there's not much to tell. I was early. I waited until one-thirty. Then we walked down to a sandwich shop that was in the same strip as her store. We ate with awkward conversation for a while. Before we got on the topic of what her advanced degree is in. And then we discussed ancient world religions for a while. Which thankfully I have some knowledge of. That was it. There wasn't anything else. She ended up running ten minutes late for her next appointment.
"When we got to the shop there were two women near the entrance that seemed to be waiting for her. One of them gave me a rather funny look. Interestingly enough this was an MP. I don't know what an MP has to do with Mia but the way the woman was looking at Mia and then me makes me think this MP might be close to her. Which seems against most of the rules MPs live by. Seeing as how Mia is a sensitive and the other woman with the MP appeared to be as sensitive as well. I'm guessing from the similarities in their looks and their energies the two Sensitives might be related. It all seemed a little strange.
"But it was still a typical first date in and of itself. I would be lying if I said I knew the best plan to bed her and be done with the Maddening."
The silence only lasted maybe a minute before Gwen chimed in. "Okay, well you seem to be off to a good start. Unfortunately you're a Warrior in Maddening so you need more than a good start. What I'm hearing is you're going to be coming with me to the seminar tonight. And you’re going to use that as an excuse to get closer to Mia. We can't afford to have you as incapacitated as August got."
She hadn't given any room for argument. Viking knew Gwen was expecting him to accompany her. Not that he would argue, he was planning to go himself.
"What is this about a seminar? Are we all allowed to come?" Poet did not even try to hide the curiosity and humor in his tone.
Gwen rolled her eyes. "The seminar is at her shop and no one could stop you from coming if you wanted to Poet. We all know you would just come along anyway. So you might as well come along in our car. That way I can at least watch you and make sure you don't wander off and wreak havoc."
Poet's grin grew big enough that Viking could see the sharpened eyeteeth. "Oh goody, a field trip"
Before Viking could say anything Raider stepped in and beat him to it. "I'm coming too."
"Well this will be nice and cozy."
Viking almost snapped at Poet but Gwen interrupted him with her usual calm demeanor. "Well on that note and seeing as how Viking seems not terribly affected by the Maddening yet I suggest we go about our work and regroup in a few hours for the seminar. And no picking at Viking unnecessarily." She was clearly looking directly at Poet when she said the last part.
Viking heaved himself off the couch. He looked down at the still sitting Gwen. "I am going to do inventory in the stock room. Let me know when we have to leave." He didn't wait for her response or anyone's response. He simply walked out of the room and headed towards the relative solitude of the stock room.
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Viking was nervous. He couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. It was ridiculous. He felt so foolish. But at the same time he knew his interactions with this woman held the outcome to the rest of his life. Whether the rest of his life was the next two days or centuries to come. It did not help any that the ride to Renton was spent with Poet making comments and Raider repeatedly telling him to shut up. That alone would've gotten on Viking's nerves even if the Maddening was not a factor.
He was lucky. Mia was a beautiful woman. He loved the way her light brown hair glowed as she moved around the shop getting everything she could ready. They arrived at five-forty-five. When Gwen guided him towards the seating area, he assumed she had been to a speaker here before. Though he couldn't remember when it could've been.
He wished he'd paid more attention to the times Gwen mentioned the other bookstore owners in the area. Maybe then he would have some kind of heads up with this woman whom he was supposed to spend his existence with.
"You need to relax. If you seem too nervous or uptight you're going to scare her away."
"That's easy for you to say Little One. You knew what your mate was when you met. Mia does not even know of our world let alone my place in it. That is a lot for one person to handle, especially under the particular time crunch we are facing."
He could almost hear Gwen sighing in his head. "Nevertheless you seem too agitated. She's not going to come over and talk to you period. So at least pretend like you're a normal person."
He could feel Gwen smiling up at him. When he turned she was looking at him from where she sat in the seat to his left.
He noticed Mia scoot by again, several books in her arms as she moved towards the front where there was a table set up full of what he assumed was merchandise the author was selling. It was then he realized she was avoiding looking at them. Not just him but Gwen too. He racked his brain trying to figure out what might have changed in such a short period of time.
With about ten minutes until the speaker the MP he noticed earlier came and sat in the plastic chair to his right. At first he didn't look at her. But it didn't take long for him to realize she was boring a hole in the side of his head with her gaze. He knew Raider, Poet, and Gwen were all watching the MP. Slowly and authoritatively he moved his head so he could look her in the eyes. He recognized her in a vague sort of way. He had probably been introduced to her at some point by someone. But he couldn't for the life of him remember her name or a particular circumstance where he would've been introduced.
"Can I help you?" He said quietly enough that only the MP and his companions could hear him.
The woman nodded to Gwen in acknowledgement before looking back at Viking. "What is it that you want with her?"
That caught Viking off guard. It was blunt which he found refreshing however it wasn't expected. Before he could answer Gwen did it for him.
"Excuse me but may I ask how we know you? And what specifically your question pertains to? Because as a general rule people do not inquisition the head Warrior of the Lady of the Dead's detail."
Viking stole a glance at Gwen. She was smiling politely at the other woman. But he knew the look in her eyes was not exactly friendly. He could feel the protectiveness coming off of her in waves and tried not to smile. Poet and Raider looked on behind her giving the MP blank yet intimidating expressions.
The MP leaned back before she realized what she was doing. Then she looked between Viking and Gwen. "Look, I'm not one to beat around the bush. But it seems a bit odd when a Warrior, a well-known Warrior, is suddenly sniffing around a girl who’s basically my niece. It is not like she's part of the Night World or anything like that. She's just a relatively strong human sensitive.
"This is made even stranger by the fact that her shielding goes a little wonky when she meets him. If you ask me that all doesn't add up. So I ask again, what exactly is it that you want with her?"
Viking had to hand it to the woman, though his mind wanted him to jump down her throat, for daring to question his judgment or to question him at all, he knew that was the Maddening, mostly the Maddening in any case.
Taking a deep breath he pushed the aggressive anger aside before ans
wering. "My interest in Mia is that I find her an interesting, beautiful, and intelligent woman. I am expressing that interest by spending time with her. As for the holes in her shielding I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. You have to explain it to me."
She watched him for several moments. He wasn't entirely sure she was going to give him any sort of response but in the end she answered.
"Something attacked her in a dream last night." The woman sounded almost hesitant like even though she was already speaking she still wasn't sure whether she wanted to continue. "Though it appeared to be rather benign she said she felt frightened by it. That if it touched her she knew something bad would happen. The girl has good instincts when it comes to that kind of thing. If she says she was in any kind of danger then she was."
That made Viking's blood run cold and hot at the same time. He was frightened for her. Curious as to what these abilities entailed more specifically. What this being would want with her abilities. He was angry anything would dare try and attack his mate. He wanted to rip it to shreds. Whatever it may be. Then it dawned on him whatever it may be it was probably a being of the Spirit World, that made it Gwen's territory. She would be the one, the only one, who might be able to help his mate.
Apparently Gwen was thinking the same thing. "Could you perhaps describe what it was to me?"
The woman looked at Gwen for the first time since they started speaking. The look on her face said that she was frustrated at being derailed from her initial line of questioning but also said she wasn't going to dismiss Gwen's question because it was still important.
"She said it appeared as Pac-Man to begin with. She was one of those little ghosts. When he caught her instead of eating her he turned into this black almost shapeless thing. She said she could see red eyes and there weren't any other distinct lines or markings. She did not mention anything about recognizing the voice or anything like that. But later on she did mention that for several nights she had the feeling of being watched in her dreams. Do you know such a thing?" The last was said with quite a bit of interest.
Gwen seem to be genuinely thinking about it. She cocked her head to the side and she was staring off into space. Viking had no doubt she was going through her mental catalog to see if she knew of such a creature. After a moment she looked back at the MP shaking her head.
"No, that doesn't ring a bell. But then a lot of the beings I've seen could quite possibly have the ability to turn into some sort of black mist. And I by no means know the entire catalog of the Spirit World. But if you would like I can make some inquiries. You can come by the shop tomorrow and I can let you know what I find out. Although really it would be best if you and Mia came to the shop. If this thing, whatever it is, is chasing her down she should probably know about it to. Speaking of which, does she know what you do? Does she know anything about any of this?"
For the first time the MP looked nervous. "Yes and no. She knows bits and pieces here and there. I tried to only tell her the things that are pertinent. I know better than to go around telling people about our world." The last sounded a little bit hostile.
"So when you both come tomorrow should I tell her what I actually find or skirt around the Night World?"
Gwen was fishing. Viking knew it. She was doing it on his behalf. She was seeing what it was his mate knew of him. That was one of the reasons he loved Gwen. She was always looking out for the people she cared about.
He saw a little bit of hope in the fact that his mate had abilities of her own and might, just might, have a little bit of knowledge of the Night World. For the first time since the Maddening started he felt himself getting little bit of hope. He tried not to let it get out of hand. After all, he still only had two days left. But still he couldn't quash all of it.
Some already made comments about how Viking was getting a little bit snippy but he was still better off than Cesar had been when Cesar had been Maddening weeks earlier.
It seems a little ridiculous for the both of them to have gone through Maddening so close to one another after centuries of not. Viking shook his head to clear his train of thought. He needed to stay in the present.
"No, I think it's time she get all the information she needs. She needs to know exactly what she's up against if something's after her. I'd rather she be angry that I hid all this from her but well prepared than us tiptoe around the subject and her missing vital information she may need to protect herself."
Viking admired the older woman. She is going against convention by telling more about their world. He can actually see Gwen doing the same thing if roles were reversed.
Just then Mia stood up in front of the podium and all the people in the seating area went silent. The MP got up and moved to sit next to a blonde woman who seemed to be around the same age.
As Mia started talking Viking felt himself smile. She was beautiful, intelligent, everything he wanted in a woman. She was hot as hell. And she had a voice as calming as water lapping at a beach. There was no doubt part of him wanted to drag her off and claim her right then. The part of him raised by his mother and his sisters though wanted to cherish this woman. Forcing himself to pay attention Viking concentrated on her words. If he was going to get through the next two days he needed to focus and right now that meant trying to keep his attention on the speaker and not on his mate.
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"I'd like to try something, Storbor." Gwen said by way of breaking the silence in the car.
"And what would that be Little One."
He hoped it wasn't going to be about the talk they just attended. Despite the fact he told himself he was going to concentrate on the speaker he found himself drawn to watching Mia. Even if that meant he was just watching the back of her head. He couldn't seem to concentrate. He knew that was a sign of the Maddening but he couldn't help. All he kept thinking about was her.
"I've been working on something. And I think it would be a good idea to try tonight on you. More precisely on your bed. When you fall asleep instead of dreaming you go into Mia's dream and maybe if that thing happens to slip through again you can see it. You can let me know what exactly you see."
Viking shook his head and turned around to look at her in the back seat of the SUV. "I think she might be just as frightened if I appear her dream as if this thing appeared again. And knowing that she has an MP looking out for her my guess is her wards will be tight."
Gwen exhaled heavily. She started playing with one of the necklaces under her shirt. "I'm trying to help. As soon you can identify this thing the better. I don't like the idea of someone going after her. Especially after she meets you. Seems like too big of a coincidence to be a coincidence."
Viking agreed. The timing seemed a bit weird. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it but it set off little warning bells in his head. Not just because she was his mate.
They needed more information that he wasn't entirely sure how to get. After the speaker Mia had all but ignored them. Whenever he went to talk to her she would find something to do or somewhere else to be. The most frustrating part was his Warrior nature demanded he grab her and take her back to where he could claim her. But he was sane enough to know that it was ridiculous. He only had two days left and he wasn't sure exactly how he was going to stop the Maddening. How can he bed a woman who avoids him like the plague?
"I could do it."
He was not sure what surprised him more. Poet's volunteering to help or the serious tone he used.
"What would make you the best candidate?" Raider asked from the driver's seat.
A sigh came from the backseat. "Honestly Raider, after all the centuries you have known me one would think you would become less suspicious."
Raider snorted. "It is the centuries of experience that make me suspicious."
"Fair enough. I believe I am the best candidate for several reasons. One, I am the oldest and least fazed by the things that go bump in the night. Two, and more importantly Mia has seen me several times before but we have never interacte
d enough for us to have more than a vague recollection of each other. That means I am probably less likely to set off warning bells. Three, I am a better actor than the three of you combined. I will adapt better to whatever her dreamscape is. Also, even if this MP friend of hers is strong enough to ward Mia's dreams I am creative enough to find a way around them. That is why I am not just the best choice but the only one."
It always threw Viking off a step when Poet was serious or voluntarily helpful. It made him wonder if he was missing a hidden agenda.
"Those are good points." Gwen added thoughtfully.
Viking couldn't stop his cringe. The idea of Poet poking around anyone's head, let alone his mate's was totally unappealing. "Fine, do it."
"Yay! Did you hear that Gwen? We got permission from the grownups to screw with someone's mind! Isn't that exciting?"
He could hear Gwen struggling to repress her chuckle. Normally he would have found Poet's baiting to be a little amusing but with the Maddening flowing through his veins he had to put effort into not snapping at the older Warrior.
"So are you going to offer to take her to coffee tomorrow when Mia and that MP come by the shop? By the way did anyone get the MP's name? I feel like a horrible person for not asking."
No one answered. Viking wracked his brain but he couldn't remember anyone asking the MP's name.
"I have missed you Gwen. It would not have occurred to anyone else to feel bad about not getting her name." Raider answered.
"Now that is just sad! But I missed you guys too. Warriors at the capitol take things way too seriously. The only two that dare to have any sense of humor are Roman and Apollo. I cannot imagine living there. Anyway, I think I will to do some digging."
Before Viking could turn and ask what Gwen meant, he heard her hit her speaker phone so the whole car could hear her calling someone.
"Hey, you need a jail break? We were taking bets on if you could spend the whole eight weeks with his highness before going stir-crazy."
Viking Sensitivity (Night World Series Book 2) Page 6
