by S. T. Bende
“Stop it right there.” Freya held up a hand before Tyr could respond. “I said you two are meant for each other, and it’s true. I’m not a Norn—I don’t see the future, and I don’t know how things are going to work out. But I watched as you chose each other. And I know things are going to work out. That’s all you need to know.”
“It’s enough for me.” Tyr’s lips brushed my hair. “What about you, prinsessa?”
“Prinsessa?” Elsa raised an eyebrow, and the back of my neck grew hot.
“Fine. It’s enough. For now. But you know I’ve got a million questions.”
Tyr tilted his head toward the door. “Want to take a walk?”
I pushed myself to my feet, glancing at the enormous blood stain on the far side of the bed. “Are you up to walking right now?”
“I think I can manage it.” Tyr stood with care, gingerly testing his weight before taking a step. He took my hand in his good one and leaned to kiss Elsa’s cheek. “Glad you’re okay, sis.”
“Always am,” she said lightly. “Now, is anybody going to do something about that or does my brother have to walk around looking like he’s part robot?” She pointed to Fred.
“How does it feel?” Henrik inspected the prosthetic as Brynn handed Freya a small pouch.
“Better Fred than dead.” Tyr pointed one robotic finger at Henrik, who groaned. “Nice work, man.”
“Ahem,” Brynn chimed in.
“Sorry. You too, ladies. Thanks for this. I mean it.” Tyr grinned.
Freya held some dust from the pouch, and sprinkled it on Fred. “It’s the last of the älva dust,” she explained, looking at me. Tyr waved his hand over the metal, and a flesh-colored sleeve grew over the robotic replacement. It slid down the forearm, and each of the fingers, until the entire thing was covered in a peach coating. Tyr tapped it twice, and the sleeve shimmered, then disappeared. In its place was a highly realistic arm. I reached out to touch it with a finger—it even felt warm. Except for the stiffness in Tyr’s movements, I’d never have known it was a prosthetic.
“Much better. And I’ll clean up the blood.” Elsa raised her palm at Tyr, and the remnants of the red liquid disappeared. By all physical appearances, the past few hours had never even happened.
“Takk, Else.” Tyr nodded his appreciation.
“Any time.” Elsa turned to Forse, who lingered behind her, shifting his weight from side to side. “So what have you been up to while I’ve been sleeping?”
Underneath his stubble, Forse turned a blazing crimson.
“Let’s go.” Tyr pulled me out the door. He called over his shoulder. “Don’t bother us.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, kille.” Henrik laughed. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
****
“You’re wondering what happens now.” The tide was just starting to come in on the cove. Tyr held my hand as we walked barefoot in the wet sand.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Elsa’s healed, and you probably have a laundry list of crises you put on hold to stay here and take care of her. You’re going to have to leave Earth, aren’t you?”
“I’m sure I will fairly soon.” Tyr stopped moving abruptly. Since his fingers were laced through mine, I lurched backward. “But I’m just as sure that I’ll come back as soon as I’m able to.”
“You’re a god. You belong in Asgard.”
The words killed me.
He took my hands and dropped to one knee.
Oh my god. What was he doing? I was only seventeen.
“I’m not proposing,” Tyr clarified.
“You promised you wouldn’t snoop in my head!”
“Didn’t have to. You have absolutely no poker face, remember?”
“Oh. Right.” My cheeks warmed.
“Listen to me, Mia Ahlström. I belong with you. Nobody else. I’ve never told a girl I loved her, because it’s never been true. But I love everything about you. Your eyes. Your laugh. I love the crooked half-smile you give me when I’m being a complete and total ryck. I love the way you bite your lip when you’re concentrating, and I love that you refuse to leave the house without checking three times for your keys and phone.” Tyr smiled. “I love that you refuse to say ‘butt.’ I love the seven hundred pairs of shoes you have to choose between when we go out. I love that you didn’t run screaming from my house the night I told you what I was. I love the way the south comes out in your voice when you’re tired. Or nervous. And I love the way I feel when I’m in the same room as you. Like my heart is warm, and I’m finally in the right place. Like I’m not all alone anymore.” Tyr lifted my hands to his mouth, and brushed his lips over my fingertips. “You’re the last thing I was expecting to find when I came to Midgard. I just wanted to get Elsa away from Fenrir. You definitely weren’t what I thought I wanted, but you’re exactly what I needed. And I don’t want to be with anyone else.”
I buried my hands in his hair, overwhelmed with joy. The words ran on loop in my brain as I drilled them into my memory—I didn’t want to forget a single thing about this moment.
But as much as I loved the sentiment, there was still an enormous problem. “You’re a god. And I’m me. Can that even work?”
“I want to try,” Tyr vowed. He stared into the ocean. “Being God of War is a twenty-four-hour deal. Asgard’s almost constantly under attack, and I’ve had to run defense pretty much daily for the last millennia. It’s not like I can move to Midgard and play house full-time—I have to go where the hostilities are.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“But it doesn’t mean I can’t return when the battle’s over.” Tyr paused. The corner of his mouth was turned up in his typical arrogant expression, but I could see just a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. “This is a whole new game for me. I’ve never had anyone I wanted to make time for. But I promise I’ll always come back for you.”
He held my hands gently in his and looked into my eyes. “You’re it for me, baby. Will you do me the honor of being my girl?”
In this moment, he wasn’t the all-powerful God of War, he was just… my Tyr. The one who dried my tears, and proofread my papers, and covered my eyes at the scary parts of movies, and who ate the black olives off the pizza because he knew I hated them. The one who made sure his freezer had my favorite kind of ice cream, and never made me feel like he wanted me to be anything other than exactly who I was. The one who loved me just for being me, imperfections and all.
The one I couldn’t imagine living without.
“Of course.” My voice cracked. “I will absolutely be your girl.”
Tyr stood and lifted me off the sand. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him hard.
“Is life with you always going to be this crazy? Flying horses and feral wolves and killer dragons? Resuscitators and healers and near-death experiences?”
“Quite possibly. You in?”
Tyr brushed his tongue against his bottom lip, then covered my mouth in a fervent kiss. When he pulled back, he eyed me levelly.
“I am so in.” I laid a trail of kisses along his jawline until I reached his ear. I took the lobe in my mouth and sucked gently.
Tyr gave a sharp intake of breath and hiked my legs higher around his waist.
“Hold that thought.”
“Yes, sir.” I kissed him again.
Tyr ran the short distance to his porch, never taking his lips off mine. My hands fisted in his hair as he ripped the French doors open, then slammed them closed behind us. I peppered his jaw with kisses while he took the steps two at a time. When he reached the landing, he tore down the hall. His hands cupped my bottom as he opened his bedroom door with his shoulder, bent his knees and flew twenty feet, cradling me protectively as he landed on his back on the enormous bed. He rolled onto his forearms, and my heart pounded as I stared at the planes of his bare chest. They were firm and smooth and tanned and absolutely perfect.
Oh yum.
Tyr hovered over me. His hips pressed lightly against mine, and he met my
eyes with a look that made me shiver.
“You okay, baby?”
“That depends.” I raked his bare back with my fingernails. “I can handle the feral wolves, and homicidal dragons, and whatever else you play with for fun. But I’m going to need a whole lot of kisses to make up for all the crazy. Whenever you’re around, I need to know there will be heaps of this.”
I wrapped my fingers in his hair and brought his head down to mine. I poured everything I had into that kiss, letting go of the pain, the fear, and the absolute agony I’d felt when I thought I’d lost him. We melted together for a delicious moment, and when Tyr pulled back, all that was left was the feeling that I was exactly where I was meant to be.
“What do you think?” I murmured.
Tyr rubbed his nose along my jaw. He flexed his hips gently as he moved, sending the slow throb in my belly into overdrive. I wrapped my leg around him and pulled him closer. When our eyes met, his were crinkled at the edges in his signature half-smile.
“What do I think?” Tyr repeated. His wink sent all-too-familiar heat dancing along my spine. It raced from my neck to my tailbone, radiating across my torso until my entire midsection was warm. Tyr growled as I squirmed beneath him. His eyes darkened and he looked down at me, leaving no doubt as to how very much in control of his world he was.
Double yum.
My lashes fluttered against his nose as I blinked up at him. However crazy a life with the God of War might get, there was no place else I’d want to be.
Tyr raised an eyebrow. “I think… that you have no idea what you’re in for.”
“Is that so?”
“No. Idea.” Tyr stroked my cheek with one finger.
Then he hooked the hem of my sweater with his thumbs. With one swift movement, he tugged it over my head and threw it onto the floor, leaving me in my camisole. He rested his weight on one forearm, running his thumb lightly across my lips before tracing a path from my neck, over my chest, and down to my stomach. His hand pushed up the fabric of my shirt so it bunched just below my bra. He spread his fingers outward across my lower abdomen, leaving a thousand burning embers dancing along my skin. I wanted to be his so desperately, my soul ached. He couldn’t promise me forever; we didn’t even know where tomorrow would take him. But we had this moment. And hopefully, if we were lucky, we had more moments just like this—whenever and however we could piece them together. It would be enough.
It had to be.
I pulled him closer, and Tyr lifted his hand with agonizing slowness, setting his arm alongside my body. Now he had me locked between positively massive forearms. Tyr brought his mouth to where his hand had been, peppering a trail of kisses up my still-burning stomach. I gripped the sheets tightly in a pointless effort to stay still. These kisses were overwhelming—the sensations too intense. He shifted his attention to the neckline of my camisole, and ran his nose along the black lace.
“Mmm.” He exhaled as he spoke, his breath leaving a warm trail along my already overheated skin. He nipped lightly at the swollen flesh just above the fabric, then soothed the bite with his tongue. It felt warm, and wet, and when he pulled his mouth away, the cool air sent a shiver down my spine.
Tyr glanced up as I stilled. “You okay?” he asked.
I nodded.
Tyr dropped his head again, and I laced my fingers through his hair as I gave myself over to him. There was nobody else I’d ever trusted with this part of me, and I wanted Tyr to understand—to feel—just how wholly I loved every part of him. The good. The bad. The downright ugly. All the things Tyr loathed about himself were the very things that made him imperfectly perfect in my eyes, and I wanted him to know how completely he owned my heart.
Tyr’s mouth made a slow trajectory upward, licking a languid trail along my neck. He took his time, alternating sweet kisses with naughty bites. I squirmed underneath him and pulled at his hair so he had to look up. I met his eyes, and ran my tongue along my bottom lip. His gaze glazed over, and he stirred on top of me.
“Well then, Mr. War God, I’d better not keep you waiting any longer.” I gently pushed him off me and rolled so I could remove my cami. I felt incredibly vulnerable, but also incredibly safe. I knew that however overwhelming this moment seemed, Tyr the Protector would take care of me.
Tyr used one hand to wrap long fingers around my wrists and locked my arms in place, stopping me from undressing. “Hold on, prinsessa. Remember what I told you—we’ve got a lot of ground to cover between here”—he kissed my lips softly—“and there.” He ran a finger along the still-buttoned waistband of my jeans. “And I want you to enjoy every single second of the journey.”
“I’m fairly confident I’ll enjoy the trip.” I tried to reach for my shirt again, but Tyr’s grip was too tight. I looked at him in confusion. “Don’t you want to do this?”
“Oh, I want to.” Tyr leaned down and took my earlobe between his teeth, the raking sensation making me shiver. “And we will. In good time. But a certain human recently accused me of breaking protocol. And that’s a mistake I don’t intend to repeat.”
“I did what now?”
“I believe your exact words were, ‘You might do things that way in whatever boondocks part of Asgard you’re from, but around here there are traditions you have to observe. Steps you have to take.’ Or something like that. Sound familiar?”
I squirmed. My brain was not firing on all cylinders. “I said that?”
“You were rather upset when I suggested you move in with me. Accused me of moving too fast. Remember?” Tyr positioned me beside him, holding my arms over my head and running his nose along my arm. Yum, yum, yum…
“Yeah, well. Um. I retract that statement.”
“Mmm.” Tyr licked a lazy circle along the inside of my elbow, and I turned my head to kiss his stubble-peppered jaw. “I’m afraid there are no retractions. The Norns showed me something today while I was, er…”
“Dead?” I whispered.
“I prefer regrouping.” Tyr licked my arm again, and my eyes rolled back. “Regardless. The future they showed me… it made me realize that this thing between us, it’s going to last for a very long time. At least, it will if I do things with you the right way. I promised I’d never hurt you, and I intend to keep my word.”
“But—”
“But nothing. This is a big deal, and there’s no need to rush into it. I’m not going anywhere. We have forever.”
“No, you have forever. I’m mortal, remember?” I’m also a ticking bomb of hormones. Just an FYI.
“Mmm.” Tyr flicked my earlobe with his tongue. Oh. My. Norse god. Was he trying to kill me? “Well, maybe we’ll have to do something about that.”
“Something about what?” The ear kissing was not helping me focus on Tyr’s words, and something in his tone made them seem like very important words.
“Don’t worry about it, my beautiful prinsessa. Just know that I will always take care of you.” Tyr finally released the manacles on my wrists and pulled my shirt over my head, leaving me in my lacy bra. He pulled me against him so he could cradle me in his arms. Our bodies fit together, his warm skin against mine, which was absolutely, wholly, without a doubt, where I was destined to be.
“I love you, Mia,” Tyr growled against my forehead. “I think I always have. And laws be damned, I always will.”
“Show me,” I whispered. He pulled back to meet my eyes with his signature smile.
“Gladly.” He pressed his lips against mine, closing what little distance was left between us. My heart swelled as I realized that finally, I could be Tyr’s.
In every way that mattered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“TAKE YOUR TIME. JASON’S not going to be here for another two hours.” I tucked my phone under my chin so I could transfer Meemaw’s red velvet cookies to a cooling rack. “And dinner’s not going to be ready for another… well, hopefully about the same.”
“You said you’re making pot roast?” On the other end of the line, T
yr sounded tired. He’d taken a call from Asgard very early that morning, then darted out of the house to help the dwarves handle a border skirmish with some dragons. I hadn’t expected him back before tomorrow morning, but he was pushing to get home in time to welcome my brother.
“Of course. It’s Jase’s favorite. It’ll be yours, too, once you taste it.” I set the baking tray in the sink and turned the oven down to three-hundred.
“Everything you make is delicious, but your lasagna will always be my favorite. It’s the first thing you ever cooked for me. I’m nothing if not sentimental.”
“True. Because when I think war god, I think sentimental lasagna lover. Oh, and remember, if Jason asks, I still live on Daffodil Drive. My folks would flip out if they knew I spent my weekends here.” I wasn’t totally lying to them. I still kept most of my clothes at my “official” collegiate residence. I just occasionally happened to enjoy the amenities at Tyr’s place, too.
Tyr chuckled. “I’m sure your brother knows how to keep a secret. Now come here so I can kiss you.”
“What?”
There was a knock at the front door.
“Oh my gosh, are you here already?” I threw my oven mitt on the counter and raced down the hallway. “I thought you said you were still in Dwarfheim?”
“Nidavellir, but close enough.” Tyr’s key sounded in the lock, and I skidded to a stop as he opened the front door. His cargo pants were torn, there was blood caked on his black T-shirt, and his hair was matted with a thick black substance that looked suspiciously like tar. But his eyes bore their telltale twinkle, and his mouth was curved up in a half smile. “Hei hei, love. Miss me?”
He tucked his phone in his pocket just as I launched myself at him. My arms clutched his neck as my legs wrapped around his waist. I buried my face in his chest and inhaled his sprucey scent, too excited to care that my cheek was probably touching singed dragon bits… or worse. “You’re home!”
“I’m home.” Tyr wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, his large hands pressing into the small of my back. “I promised I would be.”
