by S. T. Bende
My gods. My team was a mess.
When the last of the Alphas had given Kayla their flower, Mike offered Kayla his. He stared at her with complete adoration as one of his brothers moved to the front of the group and gave a humorous—and touching—speech. Apparently, Mike had been quite the partier until he’d met Kayla . . . and had now fallen head over heels in love.
“Kayla, I can promise you,” the guy concluded, “that Mike is completely and totally devoted to giving you the best life he possibly can. You’ve made my boy a better man. And I am honored to present him for your consideration. Mike, go for it.”
Mike dropped to one knee.
Every girl on the porch gasped.
Mike took Kayla’s left hand. “It’s no secret that I love you. You’ve owned my heart since the moment you skated into our Winter Wonderland exchange, twirled a circle around me, and picked my sorry butt up off the ice. You’re the Leia to my Han, the marshmallow to my cocoa, the only person in this world who could not only put up with my bad jokes, but laugh at them.”
“That’s true!” Mike’s friend called out.
Mike didn’t take his eyes off our president. “And it would be my absolute honor if you would wear my pin.”
Kayla nodded, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She leaned forward to cup Mike’s cheek with one hand while he removed his pin from his jacket and stood.
“May I?” he asked.
Kayla smiled shyly. She swept her hair over her right shoulder and placed her white-tipped fingernails atop her chest. “I’ll wear it proudly over my heart.”
Mike fastened the pin, then swept Kayla in his arms. My eyes sought out Axel’s, and I couldn’t help but grin at the slow burn emitting from his eyes. The assassin was clearly into this whole over-the-top spectacle.
It was kind of cute, really.
I tore my eyes away from Axel and took in the scene on the porch. Most of the girls were crying. Some dabbed delicately at their eyes with handkerchiefs they’d concealed gods only knew where. Others flat out sobbed, throwing their arms around one another in unabashed displays of emotion. On the lawn, the guys fared better—only Mike’s best friend betrayed a hint of sentiment, while several of the Alphas hollered at the happy couple to get a room already. Janna nudged me with her elbow, and I followed her gaze to find Brigga at the front of the crying girl group. Our friend stared adamantly at Raynor, jutting her chin at Kayla and Mike, then back down to her own chest.
“I think she’s telling him she wants to be pinned,” Janna whispered.
“Pinning’s not a thing in Valkyris,” I whispered back.
“I have a feeling it’s about to be.”
Oh, please. No.
“I wonder how much we’ll actually bring back with us,” I said as the party flowed onto the lawn.
“I’m not sure.” Janna followed the Alphas across our grass and onto theirs. The processional wound through a wooden gate, and when we stepped into the backyard the space was illuminated with fairy lights. Strings of white bulbs stretched from the house to the fence, and chest-high tables rested at intervals around the lawn. Desserts covered a big table, and a server stood behind a bottle-lined table on the patio.
“Drinks, ladies?” Axel appeared at my side. He carried two liquid-filled flutes in one hand.
“Thank you.” Janna took one of glasses.
“Oh, Axel! How thoughtful of you!” Lexi appeared from out of nowhere. She snatched up the second flute, and tossed it back. Her back arched as she lifted her arm, making it impossible to notice the absurdly low neckline of her dress. Or the unnatural way she pushed out her chest. Obviously, she was doing this to steal attention. Thank gods Axel wasn’t dumb enough to fall for—
Oh, come on!
I stared at Axel’s glazed expression, and gave a none-too-subtle, “Ahem.”
Axel’s eyes didn’t leave Lexi’s chest.
Seriously?
“Mmm. That tastes so good.” Lexi’s tongue snaked out to catch an errant drop of her drink. She swept it slowly around her pouty, pink lips, then shot Axel a coy smile. One corner of his mouth tugged up in his typical, easy grin.
My boyfriend was clearly not in his right mind.
Lexi placed her red-painted fingernails on Axel’s arm. “You look amazing in that coat. What is it? Armani?”
“Uh . . .” Axel didn’t pull away.
A slow rage sparked in my gut.
“You know,” Lexi said sweetly, “I still haven’t chosen my date to the formal. I’ve had so many offers, but I’m still hoping . . .”
Her crimson talons crept over to Axel’s chest. She rested her palm across his heart and sighed dreamily.
So help me gods, I was going to kill them both.
“Really, Lexi? You know he’s with Ingrid.” Janna crossed her arms.
“Oh, Inga. I didn’t see you there.” Lexi’s eyes widened in mock-surprise.
“It’s still In-grid,” I growled.
“Po-tay-toe, poh-tah-toe.” Lexi shrugged. She turned her attention back to Axel. “So? What do you say?”
“Uh . . .” My idiot boyfriend watched as Lexi adjusted the narrow strap on her shoulder. By accident or design—I was betting the latter—the movement plunged her neckline a half of an inch lower.
“What do you say, Axel?” Janna prompted.
Axel’s head snapped up. Awareness swept through his grass-green eyes as he took in Janna’s furrowed brow and my death glare. If looks could kill, he’d have been dead, wrapped, and set to sea in a Viking funeral of absolutely blazing glory.
The jerk.
I turned on one heel and stormed across the lawn.
“Ingrid. Wait.” Axel was right behind me. Apparently, he’d snapped himself out of his Lexi trance.
Whatever. They can have each other.
“Ingrid!” His hand wrapped around my bicep. I whirled around and crossed my arms.
“What?”
“Hey.” Confusion colored his perfect, traitorous face. Jerk. “I’m sorry?”
“For what, exactly?” I spat.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But you’re obviously mad at me.”
The rage in my gut surged in an inferno. “Seriously?”
He reached out for my arm. I stepped quickly backward. “If you’re so into Lexi, why don’t you just go be with her?”
Axel’s brow formed a deep V. “Why would I want to be with Lexi?”
“I have no idea. But you obviously have a thing for her.”
“And you obviously hate her.” Axel shrugged. “I don’t get it. Lexi’s not that bad.”
My hands balled into fists. I had to remind myself we weren’t alone, and publicly screaming at one’s idiot boyfriend was not something that was done in any era—no matter how much said boyfriend deserved it.
“Fine,” I gritted out. “If she’s not that bad, I’m sure the two of you can be very happy together.”
Axel shook his head. “Jealousy’s not a good look on you, Shieldmaiden.”
What the actual Helheim? Did he seriously call me out? When he was just ogling another girl?
Axel reached over again. I took another step back. He exhaled in frustration. “Come on, Ingrid. You know you’re the only one for me.”
“Do I?” I crossed my arms. “Honestly, Axel. Sometimes I’m not sure where I stand with you.”
Axel’s jaw twitched beneath his beard. “How can you say that?”
“Everyone told me you weren’t a relationship kind of guy.” I forced my voice to hold steady. “I thought maybe you just hadn’t found the right girl yet—that maybe things would be different with me. Which, I guess, is what every dumb girl thinks always.”
“Ingrid.” Axel’s eyes turned down at the corners.
“Look, I get it. We’re stuck on the same mission, so I was the obvious choice—a few weeks ago.”
“What are you even—”
“But now that it looks like we’re going to be here a while,” I co
ntinued, “you want to keep your options open. It’s certainly not what I wanted, but it is what it is. So, good luck to you—Lexi’s a real backstabber, by the way. But you’ll figure that out eventually. You and I can return to being work associates and pretend that none of this ever—oh!”
Axel stopped my speech with his lips. His fingers wove through my hair, holding me in place as he pressed his mouth hard against mine. I didn’t push away. But I didn’t relax into the kiss, either. For the first time in a while, I honestly didn’t know where we stood.
Would Axel have actually chosen me if we weren’t forced to be together on this crazy mission?
When Axel pulled away, his eyes blazed—with passion or anger, I couldn’t quite tell. He placed his hands on my shoulders, held me at arm’s length, and looked me straight in the eye. When he spoke, his voice came out in a soft growl. “You listen to me, Ingrid Tirsdatter. I do not now, nor have I ever, wanted to be with Lexi.”
“Then why don’t you tell her to back off?” And why do you keep looking at her like that?
Axel shrugged. “Because she’s no threat to us. I know where you and I stand.”
My toe nudged the grass. “I don’t,” I muttered.
Axel lifted my chin with two fingers. “Seriously? After everything we’ve been through?”
I averted my gaze. “I . . .”
“I’m not into Lexi,” Axel said gently. “The only girl I’m into is you.”
My anger softened. “I’m into you too.”
“I sure as Helheim hope so.” Axel stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Now, are you done being mad at me? Or do I have to go eat those brownies all by myself?” He jerked his head toward the dessert table.
My mouth watered. “They have brownies?”
Axel slid his arm around my shoulders and guided me to the desserts. He heaped two brownies on a plate, and handed me a fork. “Chocolate’s still your weakness, right? I mean, besides me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Andersson. I like chocolate way more than I like you.”
“And still, I’m not threatened.” He shot me an easy grin. I dug into my dessert.
My gods. This brownie.
“Mmm. This.” I moaned through a mouthful of sugar. “This brownie, this one right here. I have to figure out how to bring this back with us. Valkyris is great, but it is sorely lacking in brownies.”
“I’m sure you’ll explain it in great detail to the chefs.” Axel nudged his own utensil into the dough. “They’re pretty good at replicating things, so you should be able to—hey!”
“Back off.” I swatted my fork against his. “This one’s all mine.”
“But I got two,” he objected.
I mashed them together and shielded them with my fork. “Leave it, Andersson.”
Axel’s eyes shifted over my shoulder. “What do you suppose is going on there?”
I followed his gaze to a table near the pool where Brigga waved her hands enthusiastically. Poor Raynor stood in front of her, looking for all the world like a cornered animal. His eyes were wide, his palms flipped upward, and he opened and closed his mouth as if he were unable get a word in edgewise.
“Any idea what that’s about?” Axel moved on to the pie. He plated a slice, took a big bite, and mumbled, “S’good.”
“I think Brigga wants some kind of commitment. Which is wild, because I swear it was just last week she was flirting with Torstein. So . . . my gods, this brownie is incredible.”
Axel laughed. “That’s Brigga for you. But Raynor’s crazy about her. I’m sure he’ll do whatever she asks him to.”
I licked a crumb from the corner of my lips. No brownie left behind.
“What about you?” I teased. “Would you sing silly songs and declare your fealty to me in front of the entire Airborne Assassin team?”
“I would if you wanted me to.” Axel lowered his fork.
Heat flooded my neck. “I was kidding.”
“Well, I’m not.” Axel studied me seriously. “I told you, you mean a great deal to me. More than all the dragons under my care.”
My lips tugged up. That was high praise—Axel’s dragons meant everything to him. “Even little Rufus? How’s he doing, anyway?”
“He’s fine. Don’t change the subject. I know you’re not into big declarations, so I won’t force you to hear one. But there’s very little I wouldn’t do for you. Including singing in front of my squadron.”
“Ja, well, I’m never asking you to sing. Or do . . .” I waved my hand around the yard. “. . . any and all of this.”
Axel nudged me with his elbow. “Aw, come on, Shieldmaiden. Isn’t there some part of you that finds it just a little bit romantic?”
“I mean . . . I guess.” I forked another mouthful of brownie. “But public scenes aren’t really my thing. I’d much rather a man save me from a fire monster. Or, I don’t know, row the boat home himself after claiming to rescue me from a vitriolic Viking clan . . .”
“You’re never going to let that go, are you? I was injured. We’ve been over this.”
I set my utensil across the plate. “I’m just saying. You owe me a boat ride. That’s all.”
“Mmm.” Axel stepped closer. “Maybe I do.”
I tilted my chin back, and ran my fingers along his jaw. “You have pie in your beard.”
“You have chocolate on your lips.”
I slipped my arms around his waist. “What are you going to do about it?”
Axel placed his hand against the small of my back. He pressed my torso into his and lowered his head until his mouth met mine. His tongue swept lightly across my lower lip, and a surge of heat coursed straight through me. I reached up and wrapped my fingers through the silky strands of his hair. I loved it when he wore it down. The brown waves fell around his shoulders, framing his beard and making his eyes—
“Oh!” I gasped as Axel hiked me against his hip. The heat drove lower, sending shockwaves through my entire body. My chest melted against his, so my weight was supported almost entirely by Axel’s strong arms. He deepened the kiss, and I tightened my grip on his hair. The entire world faded away until the only thing I knew was Axel kissing me beneath the fairy lights. I could have stayed lost in that moment forever.
But a delicate “ahem” forced Axel’s lips from mine. His cheeks were flushed as he pulled back with an exasperated look.
“Yes, Janna?” Axel spoke through gritted teeth.
“I don’t mean to interrupt. You do seem very busy.”
“We are busy.” Axel grunted. “So, if you don’t mind—”
“I don’t mind.” Janna picked an invisible piece of lint from the bodice of her dress. “But Torstein might. He’s right over there.”
I followed Janna’s pointed finger to the corner of the yard. Sure enough, the light mage stood with Raynor and Brigga. He raked his hands through his white-blond hair—an uncharacteristic nervous tic. Brigga’s animated gestures had given way to a fervent wringing of her hands. Even Raynor’s face appeared paler and more hollowed than usual. Something was definitely up.
Axel’s lips would have to wait.
I reluctantly extracted myself from his arms. “Raincheck?”
“Count on it.” He laced his fingers through mine, and led me across the sea of beverage-wielding revelers. When we reached our teammates, he leveled Torstein with a look. “Okay, light mage. Let’s have it.”
“I need you all to come with me,” Torstein said solemnly. “Now.”
“We’re hardly dressed for work,” Janna pointed out. “Should we change, or—”
“Do what you need. But do it fast.” Torstein turned on one heel. He marched through the party, passing mead-carrying Alphas and a sea of excited K-Mus. A dark cloud seemed to hover around him as he stormed across the lawn.
My teammates and I hurried after him.
I glanced worriedly at Axel as I moved. As always, Freia’s dagger was strapped to my body—tonight, I’d secured it against my upper thigh. But be
yond that, I was weaponless. “Should we get our swords, or—”
“Yes.” Torstein whirled around and lowered his voice. “Weapon up and meet me at the SUV. There’s no time to lose. The crystals are gone.”
Ice raced through my veins. “What did you say?”
“The crystals are gone,” Torstein repeated quietly. “And if we want any chance of getting them back, we need to go. Now.”
Axel’s grip tightened around my hand. Our eyes locked in silent communication. We had to recover the crystals. We had to do it fast.
And we absolutely, without a doubt, could not fail.
Chapter 7
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, WE arrived at the meditation center. Our drive had been mostly silent. Torstein had been absolutely fuming. He couldn’t believe someone had broken into his compound—again. And he couldn’t find the words to explain what had happened. He said it would be easier if he just showed us the surveillance footage.
Whatever was on it, it couldn’t be good.
When the SUV pulled into Torstein’s garage, I nudged Axel with my boot. His eyes met mine, and I leaned in to kiss his beard. The freshly trimmed fibers tickled my lips.
“What was that for?” he murmured.
“For luck,” I said quietly. “I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
Axel’s lips turned down. “I have a feeling you’re right.”
Torstein slammed his door. Axel released his hold on my hand, and we hurriedly stepped outside. The two of us unloaded weapons from the trunk while Janna, Brigga, and Raynor piled out of the SUV. In half a minute, we’d cleared the garage and were chasing after the white-blond blur of the light mage’s streaming hair.
“Torstein,” Janna called. “Wait.”
“There’s no time.” He didn’t break his stride.
Janna shot me a worried look as we wove our way through the bungalows. The moonlight cast a silent shadow on the cobblestone path. When we reached a building near Torstein’s house, the mage threw open the door and waved us inside.
“In here,” he said. “My assistant has us all set up.”
“He has an assistant?” Brigga whispered as she slipped past me.
I followed her inside with a shrug. I’d never thought about how Torstein handled his business, but it made sense that he’d have help. Torstein ran a meditation kingdom. According to Kenzi, his spiritual center spanned three campuses, and included a veritable video empire. He probably had some serene-looking, über-earthy girl that fetched his green tea and essential oils while simultaneously coordinating his absurdly busy—
