Shoving off the cabinet top, Victoria dropped and landed squarely on her feet. At the sudden movement, Hildr stopped talking and walking. She stared with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
"Sorry, I've got to take this." Joyous for the out, Victoria offered no further explanation. She darted past the redhead and headed toward the communal dining area. Hildr's footsteps thudded behind her.
Pushing open one of the swinging doors, Victoria hesitated before entering the other room. She studied the two hunters waiting there. Jake stood closer to the kitchen entrance, but her gaze slid past, barely registering the dangerous man. Her attention riveted on his son. Sawyer leaned against a metal frame chair just beyond his father. She blinked, peeking into the Shadowlands. Daniel's soul still occupied his brother's body, auras blended as two spirits in one shared vessel.
A deep sigh of relief escaped her. Daniel hadn't departed for the afterlife yet. She sensed Sawyer through the pack bond because the connection tied one soul to another. His ability to summon her shocked her. He had no training or experience, and yet he acted with the competence of a dominant wolf.
Maybe the challenge to her status as Alpha would come from Sawyer instead of Jake Barrett.
"It is time for you to come with me," Hildr proclaimed, advancing past the swinging door toward Daniel. "We have been too long already."
"Hold up." Daniel's hands rose in a staying gesture. "I'm not ready yet."
Hildr released an imperious huff. "That is not for you to determine."
Fierce anger blazed through Victoria. A low growl rumbled in her throat, and she released her hold on the door. Reaching overhead for the hilt of Vanadium, she lunged toward Hildr, determined to protect her lover.
A yelp escaped the redhead, and she spun to face the onslaught. She wore patent disbelief plain on her face as if she were unable to accept that her sister Valkyrie would shed blood over a man's soul.
"All right, ladies, all's good. Let's not fight like dogs over a bone." A second before Victoria's hand locked on the hilt of her mystic dagger, Jake's arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her right off her feet. An undignified squawk escaped Victoria and forced the air from her lungs. He spun her around and released her straight into Daniel's arms.
"That's characterization I take issue with." She landed against the solid, muscular expanse of Daniel's chest. The bittersweet knowledge that they only had stolen moments together ruined the perfection, but for the moment, she was safe in his embrace. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his hips with her knees. She clung to his shoulders, wanting more, so much more.
Daniel snickered. His hands cupped her backside, and his fingers flexed. "He's baiting you."
"I know." Beaming, she tilted her head back and gazed into his face. For a second, her vision flickered out of focus, and Sawyer's likeness appeared before her. The transition startled her, and she rocked back. Disgruntled, she blinked and brought her lover's soul firmly into focus. Unfortunately, the restoration of her perception came too late for comfort. Her emotional disquietude lingered along with unaccountable guilt.
"This is weird." She placed a loving kiss on his cheek and loosened her hold so she slid along his body.
"Yeah, it is." Still cupping her bottom, he lowered her until she landed on her feet.
Jake's stern voice came from behind Victoria. "Hildr," he said. "I'd like to have a word with you about how a prince of Asgard should be treated."
An audible gulp came from the Valkyrie, and her voice quavered. "Yes, my lord."
Victoria sneered, punching his bicep lightly. "Prince."
"That's 'Your Highness' to you, missy." A huge, shit-eating grin lit his entire face.
"In your dreams," she snapped, thrilled with his audacity beneath her deliberately grumpy exterior.
Daniel's voice dropped to a whisper, and he tugged her hand. "C'mon, let's go for a walk. We need to talk."
Breathing quickened, heart racing, Victoria cast a guilty glance over her shoulder. Jake and Hildr sat across from one another and appeared to be deep in conversation. Excitement pulsed through her, the feeling of being led astray into an adventure, deliciously dangerous and sexy and wrong.
She relished the way Daniel seduced her into temptation. Always.
No matter what, this time she must not succumb. Nothing lay on the other side of desire but heartbreak. The trauma and stress of the months since Daniel's death had changed her. Exacting duties and obligations crushed her spirit, leaving her sober and serious, a shadow of the carefree young woman she'd been a year before.
"Let's go." Clasping his hand, she walked, rather than ran as her heart longed to, beside him. Somberness resonated between them, an echoing boom in an empty canyon.
Together, they crossed the room, following a long corridor lined with opposing doors. Daniel's long, fast stride verged on a flat out run, and she scurried to keep up with him. Without warning, he swerved right and led her around a corner. They passed through sterile hallways, a complex labyrinth that included frequent stairwells marked with Emergency Bunker Entrance which were barred by reinforced steel doors.
The size of the facility astonished her, and the vast emptiness disturbed her, especially since the spiritual plane echoed with the memory of numerous absent voices. "How many people is this place designed to accommodate?"
"Upward of a thousand. It's our southwestern stronghold. Our fallback location if everything should go to hell."
"Who paid for it?"
"The government funded it. They don't know how to deal with dad, so they throw money at him and call him an 'independent contractor'." His deep baritone was rife with amusement.
"Where is everyone?" Aside from the Barrett men and Hildr, she hadn't encountered another living soul, except for the pinball ghost. Of course, she had her suspicions regarding the reason for the vacancy.
"Dad sent everyone home." He chose an entrance, twisted the knob, and used his shoulder to shove it open.
"Because of me?" When he turned sideways, holding the door for her, Victoria walked through into the dark room. A golden glimmer radiated from her eyes, permitting her to make out a cavernous roomful of vehicles. A garage.
"He didn't want another altercation." Daniel flipped a switch, activating recessed lights that revealed row after row of cavernous mechanical bays. The enormous lifts were large enough to service the military vehicles. Sound carried within the confines and bounced off concrete and steel, making their voices boom.
As she surveyed their surroundings, Victoria grumbled. "I don't exactly go around picking fights—" Her vision landed on a behemoth tucked away in the far corner of the garage, and her jaw dropped. "Fuck me, is that a tank?"
Chuckling, Daniel took her hand. "It's an M4 Sherman from World War II. Dad picked it up on auction. He can't resist an old war machine. I think he feels a sense of kinship."
Refusing to be led, Victoria dug in her heels. She couldn't go any further without discussing his death and imprisonment. Guilt weighed on her, and pressure throbbed within.
When their arms grew snug, he looked back with mixed curiosity and caution on his face. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry." The apology burst from her.
"Hey." He frowned and turned fully back to her. His hand tightened about hers. "For what?"
She sucked air between her teeth, creating a slurry sound. "I failed you, failed my duty."
"Victoria, no."
Determined to speak her piece, she released his hand. "Your father said it. If I'd had your back, I'd have stopped the vampire before he got to you. If I'd done my job as a Valkyrie, I'd have taken you to Valhalla instead of allowing that abomination to abduct you..."
His jaw jutted in stubborn disagreement, and he adopted a fighter's stance as he prepared to tackle opposition head on. "You don't have anything to apologize for."
"Daniel, I do."
"My dying wasn't your fault."
"You forgive me?" Shivers coursed through her body.
Her heart hurt and threatened to crack in half. Blinking, she gulped air, overcome not with sorrow but blinding relief, a sweet rush of release. Following his death, she had blamed herself, as had his family. Daniel's absolution freed her to forgive herself. She could finally grieve.
"Of course I forgive you. There's nothing to forgive. I lied." Two fingers thumped his breastbone to add emphasis. "Me, not you. We both know you did everything in your power to save me. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me."
Her eyes narrowed, and her hands fisted. Anger crackling, a surge of adrenaline quickened her entire body. She tilted her head back to stare up at him and settled her fists on her hips. "So apologize."
He looked at her, hesitated, and then chuckled. "I'm sorry."
She grinned. "I'm sorry too."
"C'mere, spitfire." He reached for her.
She stepped backward but failed to evade his reach. He grasped her hips and pulled her into his embrace. His strong arms enveloped her. His head dipped, and his marauding lips covered her mouth. He tasted earthy, strong, and a little bitter.
The tip of her tongue flickered against his palette as she struggled to place the flavor. Her grip on his arms tightened as he bent, pressing closer so their bodies ground together.
Ah… Beer.
He and Jake must have shared a drink during their talk. For some odd reason the trivial detail delighted her. The knowledge that father and son were reunited, thanks in part to her efforts, brought her a sense of joy.
Smiling, Victoria turned her face slightly, breaking the kiss. Panting, she clung to him and struggled to regain control of her wolf before she succumbed to instinctual desires and dragged him to the ground. Her she-wolf urged her to claim him in the most primal act.
"I wanted to tell you. So much it hurt." Daniel gasped, sides heaving. He held her tight as if afraid to let go. "So damn much. But I had to keep dad's secret."
Her spirits lifted, carried aloft on an overwhelming sense of peace. Any residual anger she harbored over his deception dissolved along with her desire to make him squirm. Their final moments together were too precious to waste. Pressing her palm to his, she interlaced their fingers. "What was it you wanted to show me?"
Daniel flashed a cocky grin. "Are you through dragging your stubborn heels?"
"For the moment, yeah."
"You're more like a weremule than a wolf." He tugged her toward him and urged her forward into his arms.
She snorted, following him around a parked Humvee. The shining red Chevelle occupied the next bay. Her breath caught, and she came to a sudden halt. A smile touched her lips, and her gaze flitted to Daniel.
"Are we gonna make a run for it?" Victoria kept her tone lilting, but her heart leapt in anticipation. A part of her was ready to say, "Screw everything," and follow him to the ends of the earth. She loved him that damn much.
"I'd love to run away with you, baby. More than anything." Gripping her hand, he flashed a boyish smirk, but tightness about the corners of his eyes alluded to sorrow. Stress sharpened his underlying scent, echoing the aggression thrumming through his body.
Hands held fast, they gazed into one another's eyes, but perception went further—soul deep. Her heart twisted in her chest, hurting like a creature caught in a snare. For every precious second they stole, she faced a lifetime without him.
Between one heartbeat and the next, she realized a simple and irrevocable truth. They'd never say, "damn the consequences," and take off together. For one, Daniel wouldn't ever abscond with his brother's body. As for her, she had responsibilities. People counted on her, and she refused to fail them.
"I'm sorry." His grimace made it clear he shared her conclusion and her disappointment.
A sad smile twisted her lips. "Yeah, me too."
Raising her face, his warm hands cupped the sides of her head, and he swooped to capture her mouth. His lips feathered across hers in a touch that tasted of bittersweet regret. He suckled her upper lip and then caressed her with a tender kiss.
Shivers coursed through her body, a scorching desire burned in her core. She clung to his waist, standing on her toes to close the gap between them. When he lifted his face and placed his lips against her forehead, she blinked back tears.
"I love you," she whispered, stroking his sides through the soft cotton of the T-shirt. Her fingers hooked on the waistband of his jeans and wedged between the skintight denim and his smooth skin.
His lips moved, the beginning of the reply she expected, but he froze and pulled away from her. Shoulders dipping, he turned and staggered toward the car with his arms outstretched. His palms landed on the Chevelle's gleaming red fender as if seeking to draw strength from the classic muscle car. His intimate connection to the vehicle extended to the spiritual plane.
A jealous twinge pinched her ego.
Stung by his rejection, Victoria forced her lips into a sardonic smirk. She sunk her hurt into the vast well of pain she already carried inside. After a while, individual injuries would lessen and become part of her substantial overall trauma. Like some girl in a song, she had issues, but she didn't want him to pay.
Daniel didn't want to break her heart, so he chose to close her out. Despite his rambunctious energy and cavalier attitude, he embodied the honor and courage of a true protector. When it came down to his deepest emotions, he became taciturn. The Barrett men shared several defining characteristics, including the determination to never show weakness.
Still, she clung to the stubborn hope that they could find some way to defy death and be together. Without thinking, words spilled from her lips. "We could send Hildr away. I can escort you to Valhalla. Here you're only a ghost, but there you'll have a physical body."
"Victoria."
"You'll feel like you're alive again once you're within Odin's halls," Victoria continued, unable to cease babbling. Fear, nervousness, terrible grief, the gamut of emotions overwhelmed her.
"Victoria."
"We can be together." She stopped talking and stared at him, all the while wondering if her offer was a lie. She couldn't give up her mortal obligations, so any effort to continue their relationship would involve great distances and time spent apart. Her commitments were many. How much time away from Midgard could she spare?
"No." The vehement denial burst from him.
Shocked and hurt, Victoria rocked on her heels. Her mouth opened, and then her teeth sank hard into her lower lip. She tasted the salt and heat of fresh blood in her mouth.
Face contorted in agony, Daniel grabbed her hands. He rushed his words, speaking too fast and without his prior harshness. "Victoria, there's nothing I want more than to be with you, but this is something that can't happen. You're alive, and I'm..." His throat worked convulsively. "...dead."
She blinked. "Daniel..." she whispered in denial. He was right. As much as she loved him, she had to let him go.
Steel threaded his voice. "You have to live your life."
Eyes stinging, Victoria stared into his face, perceiving the terrible tension he carried within his body and soul. She opened her mouth to argue, but understanding dawned on her with the suddenness of a shooting star. His stubborn, unreasoning insistence was as much for his own sake as hers.
She pressed her face against his breastbone, trapping their locked hands between their bodies. His heart throbbed rhythmically against her cheek. "This is the last time we'll be together."
He swallowed audibly so his Adam's apple bobbed. He grunted, a rough, "Yeah."
For his sake, she had to be strong enough to endure without him. Easing away, she squared her shoulders. Her gaze fastened on the Chevelle's red hood, and she latched onto inspiration.
"Don't worry," Victoria said, affecting a teasing tone. "I'll take good care of her. I'll check the oil every fifty-thousand miles and rotate the tires every couple years."
His head jerked around. Open-mouthed, outrage shone on his face as he barked out a sharp reply, "You'll burn out the engine!"
Victoria flashed
a wolf's smile to let him know he'd been had. Her sorrow easily mimicked mirth, so she laughed because it was easier than crying.
Chagrined, Daniel bit off whatever else he'd been about to say. He smiled in acknowledgement, tipping his chin. His voice emerged as a husky growl. "Come here, you, and I'll show you how to check the oil."
Her father taught her how to check a vehicle's oil when she was a girl. As he damn well knew. Swallowing an instinctive protest, she sashayed alongside him. Her fingers hooked in the crook of his elbow, and she suggestively stroked the hard bulge of his bicep. For his sake, she would put on a brave front and hide her pain.
Tilting up her chin, she fluttered her lashes and said in a sultry murmur, "I don't know much about classic cars. You'd better show me... Everything."
A wicked light lit his eyes. "That sounds like the smart thing to do. Let's start with the back seat."
"Oh, is that important?" With a teasing pout, Victoria allowed him to lead her.
His chuckle ignited her passion. "It's vital."
Dawn was born on the eastern horizon as a band of light which steadily brightened the desert sky. Overlooking the vast vista, they stood outside the hunter's complex on the edge of Red Butte. Tears and laughter threatening, Victoria stroked Daniel's chest with her palms, wishing gone the layer of cotton that separated them.
"I never imagined saying goodbye to you with an audience," she whispered, casting a glance to where Jake and Hildr stood together. The Valkyrie held open a shimmering portal to the rainbow bridge in preparation for their departure.
Daniel chuckled. "I think they're afraid we'll make a break for it."
He caught a strand of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. His firm lips pressed against her forehead, and his strong fingers stroked her jawline. He trailed kisses across her face, lips encountering the salty tears in his path. He whispered against her skin. "Don't give up on love because of what happened to me. Promise me."
"Maybe," Victoria said, evasive because she was unwilling, incapable even, of making such a promise, and she refused to lie to him.
Daniel's arms tightened. No doubt, he understood her well enough to interpret the single, stubborn word. "Consider it. Please."
Battle Cry (Loki's Wolves Book 2) Page 29
