He never realized his mother knew but shouldn’t be surprised. There was very little that got by her. “She is kin, and it was a good day.”
“Yes,” she agreed, her voice growing even softer. “But now we must speak of other things.”
“Yes,” he murmured. While he wanted to look anywhere but at her, his mother deserved more so his eyes finally met hers. “We must speak of your illness.”
She nodded, her gaze moist but strong. “I am undergoing the treatment, but it will be some time before I can return home.”
Bjorn clenched his jaw, unwilling to show her sadness. “Will it cure you?”
His mother eyed him for a long moment before she said, “Maybe but it’s unlikely. What it will do is buy me time.”
“Does Svala know?”
“What do you think?”
Bjorn frowned. “She will not see the truth.”
“No.” Megan sighed, her hand still resting on his shoulder, her need to reconnect with him great. “But you will…you do, right, Son? See the truth? Accept it?”
He felt her words like a vice grip on his heart. Samantha was right. He had been avoiding too much for too long and that needed to change. He couldn’t change the past, any more than he could change what was happening to his mother. Could he forgive himself for failing his father? No. But right now, it was about his mother and what she needed to hear. “I will see your truth, Mother. I will not hide from it anymore.”
“Good.” Though her expression softened and a tear slipped down her cheek, the look in her eyes was stronger than ever. “You might think it’s the other way around, but you give me strength, Son. I can fight anything if I know you’re near. Not necessarily physically.” She touched the area over her heart. “But here.” She touched his shoulder again. “I need to know you’re going to stop running, Bjorn…from me, your father…” her eyes grew even damper as she looked out the tall windows behind them. “From your son.” Then her voice dropped to a whisper. “From my grandson.”
This was the first time his mother had mentioned Sven since he left.
“Taken,” Samantha murmured in her sleep. She curled closer to him as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. “Sven never left you, Bjorn. He was taken.”
She wasn’t awake in the least but still connected to him.
His mother rested her elbow on the couch and pressed a hand over her mouth as she blinked away tears and nodded. Not used to seeing so much emotion from her let alone feeling it himself, he decided it might be best to lay Samantha down elsewhere. Yet when he went to move, his mother’s hand fell on his shoulder again, and she shook her head.
“You are her dragon, Son,” she said softly, her voice unwavering and her eyes level as they met his. “That means even if you’re tempted, you don’t get to run away this time. She is yours to protect.” She looked at him with a knowing glint in her eyes. “Just like you are hers to protect.”
“She does not wish for me to claim her.” He settled back and held Samantha closer. “She does not wish to be my mate.”
His mother’s brows perked, and a curious smile came to her lips. “So you asked her then?”
Bjorn reflected on his conversation with Samantha. How feisty she had become. How confused her reaction had made him.
His mother’s eyes narrowed slightly as she studied his face. “You didn’t ask but told her, I take it.”
“I made my feelings clear,” he stated.
His mother sighed and stroked Samantha’s curls. “Poor girl. She’s got her hands full with you.”
Bjorn frowned. “I told her she could lay with other men if she wished but that she would belong to me.”
His mother shook her head as her brows knit together in question. “Son, you are not new to twenty-first century women. Hell, you were raised around Viking women who, in my opinion, are even more independently minded. So how could you tell or order any woman to be your mate?” She searched his eyes. “You weren’t raised that way…”
She must have seen something in his eyes, something he thought well hidden, because her voice became tender. “You were afraid if you gave her a choice as you did Katla, Samantha would leave you too.”
“I said what I thought made sense at the time,” he said gruffly, refusing to admit that his mother might be right. “She is half dragon. So am I. She will need a mate who understands her.”
His mother’s eyes narrowed as she continued to study him. “Then start being a mate who understands her, Bjorn. And with a woman like Sam, that means not giving her orders but choices.” She squeezed his shoulder until he met her eyes. “Like you, Samantha has been down some rough roads. Respect that. Learn about it. Never assume you know what’s best for her when my guess is you still need to get to know who she is. What she needs. Keep ordering her around, and no matter how much she might care for you, this dragon will fly away.” She shook her head. “Keep it up, and Sam will not stay with you, Son.”
“Her name is Samantha, not Sam,” he murmured, unsure why he said such a thing, why it mattered.
“Yes, that’s her name.” His mother considered him for a long moment, apparently seeing something he couldn’t. “And maybe that’s the beginning of you getting to know her in a way nobody else can.”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“Not yet,” she replied. “But Samantha urges people to call her by her nickname.” She shrugged. “Either it’s to make them feel comfortable or herself. Maybe you should find out which.”
He frowned. “She never once asked me to call her by her nickname.”
“Ah, see, maybe there’s something to that.” His mother watched him closely and allowed him to dwell on it just long enough before she winked. “Or maybe she just didn’t want to get chummy with her kidnapper.”
Joking or a sense of humor, in general, wasn’t his strong point so he offered a slight nod. “Perhaps you’re right.”
Clearly exhausted, his mother nodded, tucked her feet beneath her and rested her head on his shoulder. Something he used to do to her when he was far younger. Unable to wrap an arm around her because of Samantha, he rested his chin on top of her head.
Though he knew they had more to discuss, that they’d gone far too long without truly talking and connecting, this felt like a beginning. He was letting her in where for far too long, he had closed himself off.
To everyone.
Now his mother was sick…dying…and time was running out.
He sat there for a long time as she and Samantha slept. Though tired, he was in a place and time he didn’t understand and refused to rest. More than that? His mind kept spinning as he tried to truly understand everything that was happening.
What did the seers mean when they said he and Samantha had to go so he could find Sam? Did that mean coming here? And how could he say goodbye if he found her in some new way, one that would surely push them closer together? He could not imagine that.
Would not imagine it.
If she were a conduit to the enemy, then nothing here would change that.
Would it?
No sooner did he think it when a rattle came from the door at the end of the hallway. Seconds later it swung open, and a petite blond woman entered followed by a man.
The woman’s eyes widened on the couch. “Samantha?”
Samantha stirred in his arms.
“Sam?” The man said, his eyes wide on Samantha. “Honey?”
“Rick?” she mumbled seconds before she shot upright, her eyes on him. “Oh my God…Rick?”
Though tempted to hold on, Bjorn let her go when she pushed away and stumbled into Rick’s arms.
Now he realized exactly what the seers meant.
Here was the real Samantha.
And here was the reason he would let her go.
Chapter Twelve
THOUGH CAUGHT SOMEWHERE between exhaustion and being alert, Samantha knew she made a terrible mistake the minute she ran into Rick’s arms.
Rick.
Her douche of an ex.
What was she thinking? But she knew. He had suddenly been there, and for a split second, she fell back into his safety net. One that ended up having gaping holes. A porous net unable to hold the woman he claimed to have loved.
“Oh, Sam, I was so worried about you.” He held her tight. “We all were.”
She untangled herself from his arms, staggered back and shook her head. Unable to say all the negative things she wanted to, she relied on Bjorn’s handy one word. “No.”
“Of course no,” Rick agreed, eying her over with confusion. “No to being away. It’s time for you to come home.”
Totally caught off guard by all of this, she looked at Lauren who was frozen, her eyes wide not only on Bjorn but Tait as he entered. Sam didn’t have to wonder why his cousin decided to come back in right now.
Another female dragon-shifter had arrived.
Completely oblivious to everything going on, including the men who stood several inches taller and far outweighed him, Rick only had eyes for Sam. Or so it seemed. But she knew her ex well. He could play a room better than most. Be oblivious when he needed to be. Sweet. Caring. Empty. Cruel. One thing was for sure. He was damn well aware of the other men.
“Who…who are…” Lauren stuttered. Ever the prude, she made sure the top button of her designer blouse was buttoned up as she took several steps back. Her eyes were no longer on Bjorn but locked firmly on Tait. “Who are these men, Samantha? What have you gotten yourself into now?”
If anyone could snap her out of a stupor, it was Lauren. Mainly because not focusing on her might mean she was going to miss one hell of a show. And in all this mess, she needed a good laugh.
“Is this your first time back here since I vanished? Since a few female Vikings arrived?” Sam asked, perking a brow at Lauren. “Or have you been gone the whole time trying to get your nasty ex back but somehow ended up with mine?”
“Sam,” Rick said, seemingly confused. “That’s harsh.”
Sam ignored him and focused on Lauren. “Well?”
Tearing her gaze from Tait, Lauren met Sam’s eyes with indignation. “I have been back often,” she said crisply. “Over the two months you have been missing.”
“Two months?” Sam whispered, incredulous as her eyes whipped to the windows. It was dark out so she couldn’t see much. She looked at Megan. “Is that true? I’ve been gone for two months?”
Yet she knew as she asked the question that it was true. Megan’s hair was threadbare. Evidence that she’d been undergoing chemo for a while. Sam bit back emotion and shook her head before she sank down onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island. Sean said nothing as he entered and took in the situation. Bless the man, he was by her side in no time. He didn’t coddle or hold her hand but stood nearby as the tension in the room grew thicker.
Bjorn’s expression remained a strange mix between stony and stoic as he eyed Rick.
Tait watched Rick closely in case he was a threat while simultaneously eying Lauren.
Rick never stopped gazing at Sam.
Lauren smoothed her woolen skirt religiously, her eyes glued to Sam so she didn’t have to look elsewhere.
Megan simply watched everything with an amused eye.
Sam shook her head and frowned at Rick. “You need to go. Right now.”
“I don’t know,” Svala murmured from the doorway, a sly look on her face as her eyes went between Sam and Bjorn. “I think your ex-husband should stay.” Her attention narrowed on Samantha. “Perhaps you should try to fix the relationship you left behind.”
Svala had just stepped over the line. “Get out,” Sam warned her. “I mean it. Go outside and stay out of my business.”
Svala rubbed her chin, her expression thoughtful then devious. “I don’t know, Sam. I think your business became mine when you decided you liked the feel of my brother’s beard between your…”
“Svala,” Sean bit out, at the same time Sam roared, “Enough!” and lurched to her feet. Done with fighting a pointless battle with the little Viking twit, she refocused her rage on Rick. “Get out of this house or so help me…”
“No more, Samantha,” Rick cut her off, using the same tone he’d always used when she was losing her cool and not thinking clearly. A condescending tone that set her on edge.
Bjorn never moved, but she sensed him in a whole new way. She felt his energy, his tightly repressed rage…what he was getting very close to doing to Rick. Though he might seem completely unaffected, he was a stone’s throw away from causing more trouble for her ex than Rick could handle.
“Go,” she ground out, in Rick’s face. She nodded at the door. “Right now.”
“A second ago you were in my arms, happy to see me,” Rick reminded. There was a light in his eyes that had nothing to do with hope that she’d take him back but something else altogether. “Now you play whore to a bunch of dirty bikers you ran off with just to get back at me.”
Bikers?
Sam almost laughed. If he only knew how far off he was.
“He makes a good point—” Lauren started before Sam said, “Zip it, Sis. You’re way the hell outside your playground right now.”
Lauren’s eyes widened, but she had no chance to respond before Sam pointed at the door and met Rick’s eyes. “Go. Now.”
“I will not.”
“You will.”
“Do you think I’m intimidated by these ruffians?” Rick’s voice was sickly sweet as he grabbed her wrist. “Come on. Let’s get things worked out then try to…”
“Stop,” she tried to say. “Don’t.” But nothing came out as Rick didn’t pull but yanked her after him. Then everything seemed to slow down, and she knew what was going to happen before it did.
She felt him.
Bjorn.
Not just the dragon, but the man.
Still facing her ex, she raised her hand and caught the Gungnir blade by the hilt seconds before it drove through the center of Rick’s forehead. Lauren screamed. Rick stumbled back, his eyes wide on Bjorn who had whipped the blade.
In the midst of it, a motorcycle rumbled up outside. Seconds later, the door flew open, and Mema Angie strode in. She pulled off her helmet and smiled. “Have I missed a family gathering then?”
“Call the cops right now,” Rick said. “Sam’s let in a bunch of—”
“You don’t have to tell me, dear.” Mema Angie looked at everyone and shook her head woefully as she wiped what looked to be grease off her nose. “A bunch of dirty bikers.”
“Yes, exactly,” he started before Mema grabbed his ear and twisted so hard that Rick yelped, “Ow,” and had no choice but to stagger after her. She walked him out the door then slammed it shut in his face. Then she locked it, straightened her hair, turned, and issued a wide smile. “Welcome newcomers. Is anybody hungry?”
Jaws still dropped, everyone stared at her.
Everybody save Megan that is. She stood, stretched, yawned and grinned. “Actually, for the first time in a long time I am.”
“Good.” Mema Angie patted Sam’s shoulder in passing, a wide smile still on her face. “So good to have you home, darling. It’s never the same around here without you.”
Sam bit her lower lip, grateful. “Thanks, Mema…for everything.”
“Of course, dear. But you might not want to thank me quite yet.” She reached into the fridge then handed Sam a beer and wine cooler before she nodded at the open deck door. “After all, the bearded gentleman seems intent on making sure Rick won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Oh, crap.” She raced after him. If Bjorn caught up with Rick, her ex wasn’t going to live to see tomorrow. By the time she reached the deck, she realized there was nothing to worry about.
Bjorn wasn’t out front but standing on the dock with his son. Weak in the knees from what had just happened she set the drinks on a table and sank into a chair. It was dark out here, barely lit by moonlight as a storm bubbled in the distance.
Samantha wa
s somewhat shocked that Rick had actually left. Then again, he was smart enough to know when he was outnumbered. She didn’t doubt for a second, however, that he would return. Eventually. Especially if his bed remained cold which she figured was the real reason he’d been seeking her out.
Done thinking about her ex, she focused on Bjorn and Sven. Though a good distance away, she soon heard their words. At first, she was tempted to go inside and give them privacy, but something snagged her attention. The emotion not in the words Bjorn spoke to his son, but everything churning within his mind.
“I know what you did, Sven,” Bjorn said. “I know you pushed Samantha to embrace her dragon.”
Sven said nothing but kept his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out over the ocean. Lord, he acted a lot like his father.
“Why did you do it?” Bjorn said. “When you care nothing for me? Nothing for your own kin?”
Sam cringed and shook her head. The man really was uncouth.
“The reasons I did it do not matter.” Sven’s eyes stayed on the water. “My actions prompted her to act, and she did.”
It was strange to hear a teenage boy talk about her as if he knew her better than she knew herself.
“I think you did it because you like her,” Bjorn said. “Because you respect her.”
“No.” Sven shook his head. “How could I feel such a thing for someone who caused mother to leave you?”
“Because Samantha had no knowing part in it,” Bjorn said. “And like your mother, you would not fault her for something she had no control over.” Before Sven could respond, he continued. “You can feel and sense things about another dragon, can you not? You know when someone’s heart is true, and they mean no harm.”
Sam understood what Bjorn was doing, and it had nothing to do with her. It had to do with getting his son to admit he was half dragon. That he’d been coping with it alone for a long time. Yet she wondered as she sensed the truth. Why had Sven never shifted?
“I pushed Samantha to embrace her dragon for mother. So that she would not have to watch you slaughtered again,” Sven ground out, clearly trying to detour the conversation. “And for Uncle Tait. He did not deserve to watch you die.”
Vengeance of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 2) Page 17
