"I'll try." The concession was the absolute best she could do. She hadn't told him about Arik or her unborn child. If he knew, he said nothing, and she was grateful. Their last minutes together wouldn't be spent on messy issues.
Daniel pulled away to look into her eyes. He hesitated. "Sweetheart—"
Victoria interrupted. "You want something from me."
Surprise crossed his handsome face. "How did you know?"
"Because you only call me sweetheart when you're about to ask for something. The rest of the time it's 'baby'."
He snickered. "I guess you know me, huh?"
"Yeah, I do." Her hand settled palm flat on his chest so she could feel the pulse of his heart, and she imagined her own beat in rhythm with his. "What do you need?"
Daniel's hands closed on her wrist. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. Tiny nuances in his body language communicated some sort of internal conflict. Was he at odds with his brother?
"Tell me." Dread filled her belly, and gooseflesh prickled her arms. What could be so awful Daniel would hesitate to even ask? Worried, she scanned his face, and her vision shifted between the two souls sharing Sawyer's body. She read a muddled double aura ripe with contention.
His nostrils flared, and he spat the words out with a suddenness that startled her. "Victoria, you have to forgive Sawyer."
She flinched as if he had struck her and then stared with open disbelief. She desperately tried to keep her feelings of hurt from turning into betrayal. She jerked her hand from his grasp. His request knocked her into a free fall. How dare he take advantage of her feelings to even ask such a thing?
Deep within her soul, a flare of unreasoning anger burned. She struggled to keep her tone even. "I can't. What he's done is unforgiveable."
Yet, Victoria couldn't dismiss or forget the terrible sorrow engulfing her just hours before when she believed Sawyer dead. When he was dead. Was she being uncharitable? So many people found it in their hearts to forgive her myriad of mistakes and failures.
"Please," Daniel pleaded. "This is me, and I'm begging. He's my brother. If you can't forgive him, then he'll pursue redemption at any cost. It'll lead him down a dangerous, self-destructive path. Do it for me."
A crushing weight squeezed her throat and chest. She fought tears, not wanting him to remember her crying. "For you, I'll try, Daniel. I love you. If I could have given my life so you could live, I would have in a heartbeat."
"I wouldn't let you make that sacrifice." He stepped closer, arms wide open, leaving the choice to her. "I won't be able to visit again. Kiss me goodbye?"
"Don't think you're getting away without it." Victoria cast aside everything else. Nothing mattered but him. Longing for a tender goodbye, she eased into his embrace and savored every precious second.
"Watch over my family for me." Daniel leaned, pausing just shy of her lips. Their breaths mingled, and he cradled her in his arms.
Her body tingled with the sweet ache of longing. Her hands caressed the firm wall of muscle underneath his soft cotton shirt. "I will. I promise."
Feather soft, their lips brushed and then clung with gentle pressure. His arms slipped around her, and his hands slid down her back. Fingers splayed, he gripped her buttocks and pulled her closer so their bodies rubbed together with delicious friction.
Wanting to feel everything, Victoria held back to savor the smallest sensations and commit them to memory for the years to come. He tasted of warmth and light, her sun god, and she adored him with every ounce of her being. She leaned into him as the kiss grew more demanding. Her hands rose, stroked his hair, her fingers threading the silky strands. Energy sparked between them, dancing arcs which hinted at the storm. Intoxicating. She wanted more, so much more, to become one with him in body and soul.
Goodbye, my love. Daniel's parting words whispered through her mind as his soul departed.
Goodbye, Daniel. Beneath closed lids, her tears fell, streaming down her cheeks. She sensed the exact moment his soul transitioned from his body. A brilliant flash of light signaled her lover's departure with Hildr and the closing of Bifröst.
Sawyer's lips covered hers with primal hunger, and he lifted her off the ground. Their bodies ground together, his solid chest agitating her nipples and crushing her small breasts. Her groin pressed against his crotch, and her knees clung to his hips. Her wolf urged her to tear through his pants and claim him in the most fundamental way. She ached to feel him inside her.
Sawyer hesitated and broke the kiss. "Victoria."
Confusion penetrated her lustful haze, and she stared into his brown eyes. Seeing his desire and his doubt, Victoria's common sense slammed her back to reality. She pushed away from him and dropped to her feet. Her departure shoved him off balance, so he took a step backward. Heart pounding, she retreated from him.
His breathing was an audible rasp. For a full minute, they stared at each other, gazes locked in astonishment. Finally, unable to handle anymore, Victoria turned and walked away.
Hours later, Victoria hesitated with her hand on the knob of the compound's door. She cast a quick glance at Sawyer who sat on the sofa cleaning a shotgun. The hunter's head bent, causing long blond hair to fall into his face. He appeared intent at his task, but she sensed his awareness. He tracked her every movement.
Gathering her nerve, she cleared her throat. "I'm going to do my best to forgive you because Daniel asked. The rest of my pack may take longer to accept you, but I'll talk to them."
Sawyer's head swiveled toward her. His face was blank with surprise, his mouth open in question. He didn't speak, but hope flared in his eyes.
She held up a staying hand. "Give me a good reason."
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded. "I will. I swear it."
Without another word, Victoria fled the tense room. She left the compound and approached the parking lot. The sun hung in the position of early morning in the sky. She leaned against the Chevelle's fender. Arms crossed and legs extended, she stared into the horizon. The scent of soil and desert plants flooded her nostrils, creating a perpetual itch.
Waiting was torture. Anxiety played whack-a-mole with her confidence. Jake had requested that she wait outside for him because he had something they needed to discuss before she left. She wondered why he wanted to see her alone. What more was left to say? Fortunately, the hunter wasn't long.
Boots crunching on dry dirt, footsteps approached from behind. Based on the man's weight and manner of moving, she identified Jake Barrett without bothering to look. A second later, the pack bond crackled to life, and the seasoned hunter rounded the car. He stopped a short distance from her and mirrored her pose, resting against the fender, arms crossed and boots stretched out alongside hers. His legs extended much farther.
She inhaled, drinking in the dusty air. She chased words through her mind, and her lips parted, but she preferred to employ the patience of a predator. The man had something on his mind, so she decided to wait for him to speak.
He huffed. "Helluva a thing."
Her mouth tried to push into a smile which she struggled to repress by biting down. "Yep."
Jake grunted. "How is this pack thing supposed to work?"
Victoria gulped and choked on laughter that sounded like a cough. She shook her head and rolled her shoulders. "We've broken all of the rules, so I figure we're going to have to make up new ones as we go."
"Fair enough." He raked a hand through his hair, a sign that his thoughts remained troubled.
Victoria allowed her gaze to drop to his boots and then lifted her eyes, appraising him. She arched her brow and flashed a feral grin. "Do you intend to challenge me for Alpha?"
With a startled sound, Jake threw back his head, and then a guffaw of laughter erupted from him. "I'm not a wolf, and I've already got my hands full with my own people. I suppose you can remain the official figurehead."
"Gee, thanks." She kept her tone sour, but her grin was genuine. "This is absolutely impossible, you know. It can't work."
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He nodded, acknowledging the absurdity of the arrangement, and yet the unspoken agreement resonated between them. Damn convention, screw tradition. Come hell or high water, they were going to try.
A companionable mood prevailed. She got the impression he still hadn't broached what troubled him, so she waited. An alternative topic popped into her head, something she had wondered about often. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"What became of Michael, the little boy we rescued in Albuquerque?"
Jake smiled. "I adopted him and that mangy Rottweiler too. Damn dog follows him everywhere."
She blinked, and surprise delayed her reaction. Unexpected pleasure warmed her heart, and her lips curved into a smile. "So he's being raised by hunters after all."
"Better than wolves."
They shared a laugh, and she decided he wanted her to ask. "What's really on your mind?"
"My organization is being overwhelmed," Jake said. "Hunters are being slaughtered en masse. The other packs have stopped cooperating with us because of what happened in Phoenix. A restoration of the alliance is necessary if we're to have a snowball's chance in hell of coming out of this war intact."
Victoria nodded. "I'll convene a gathering of the packs."
His brow jumped. "That hasn't been done in thirty years."
"No, not since you and my father negotiated the original alliance," Victoria agreed. "But that's what it'll take to put everyone back on the same page. You'll have to attend."
"I'll be there." He paused for a beat and then asked, "Will the other Alphas accept a female?"
Victoria's face set in an expression of pure determination. "They will if they know what's good for them."
If any Alpha male refused, she'd ram it down his stubborn throat.
Jake grinned and chuckled. He fell silent. Long moments ticked past.
Victoria sighed. "Is there more?"
He scowled. His eyes held too much dangerous emotion. "Victoria, there's something I need to say, but I'm not a man of words."
She gulped. "Just spit it out then."
Jake reached into the pocket of his coat and removed a handkerchief which fell open in his hand. Reaching out, he pressed a small metal object against her palm. "A week before he died, Daniel asked me for his mother's wedding ring. He told me there was a woman I had to meet. The woman he intended to marry."
Shocked, she looked down. A ring in an antique white gold setting lay in her palm. The diamond shone with the brilliance of the Arizona sun, breaking apart the white light and casting a spray of colors. Her mouth opened, and her lips worked, forming nonsensical words. Her heart stopped for an eternity before the beat resumed.
Her brow furrowed, and she looked up at Jake. Studying his grizzled face hard, she tried to discern his meaning. She licked her lips, strove to appear unaffected when his revelation had just rocked the foundation of her world. The knowledge compounded her sorrow and reminded her just how much she lost when Daniel died.
"My son loved you."
Tears filled her eyes. The shredded remnant of her heart ached in her chest. "I loved him more than anything. A part of me died with him."
Jake's throat constricted as he swallowed. "The way I see things, you were meant to be my daughter. The baby you're carrying should've been my grandchild. I figure, we're family now."
Tears overflowed her eyes. She sprang and wrapped both arms around his waist in a fierce hug. The momentum was enough to stagger Jake upon impact. The union burned intense between them, as strong as any other kinship bond Victoria had ever known.
The hunter remained ramrod stiff. He cleared his throat and rumbled with choked emotions. His arms rose around her, formed an awkward circle, and then at last, he returned her hug. She squeezed her eyelids shut, and the tears soaked into his shirt.
"Shit, don't start bawling." Jake whomped her on the back with his fist. "I hate weepy women."
"Yeah, me too." Grinning, she pulled away from him and scrubbed the tears from her cheeks. She took a step away from him and stared out into the desert while she got her emotions in check.
Composed, she faced him again and returned the ring to his hand. She had to put the past behind her and maintain momentum. For the good of her pack. "Save it for one of your sons, Jake. Someday, one of them will ask you for it."
He glanced at the glittering diamond, and his hand closed on the ring. With a brusque nod, he shoved it into his front pocket.
The profound silence endured for a full minute until Jake cleared his throat. "So, you'll be heading back to California?" He pronounced it CAL-a-FORN-ee-a and sneered.
"Yeah, it's my home now." With a grin, Victoria pushed away from the car and dug the keys from the front pocket of her jeans. "I guess this is it."
His gaze fell on the red Chevelle. Love and pride shone on the hunter's normally aloof face. "You'd better take good care of her or you can forget this alliance. I'll come after you myself."
She turned toward the convertible, running a loving hand over the gleaming fender. Blue eyes dancing, she grinned over her shoulder. "I hear ya, old man. I hear ya."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Do you remember, Odin, when in bygone days
We mixed our blood and swore oaths?
You promised you would never drink ale
Unless it was brought to both of us.
~Lokasenna or "Loki's Quarrel", Stanza 9
Midgard
Sharp talons dug into Jake's shoulder as the bird ducked its head to whisper in his ear. Raising his hand, he stroked his fingers over the jet black plumage upon the sleek breast. Warbling a sweet croon, the raven pecked playfully at the side of his hand, capturing a fold of skin in its keen beak.
Chuckling, he shooed his pet. "Go."
Craa! The raven launched from its perch, strong wings beating the air. The bird's form remained visible for a while against the twilight sky, but darkness inevitably swallowed its swift silhouette.
In springtime, the desert teemed with life, much of it hidden from view. Low creatures crawled, scuttled, and scurried through the hard-packed soil and thick brush. Sensing an intruder, Jake cocked his ear toward the ground and listened to a serpent's scales sliding over cracked earth. His eyes narrowed when he confirmed he wasn't alone.
"Come out, Loki. I know you're here." He waited.
A rattlesnake slithered from beneath a rock, its long form altering as it emerged. While Jake watched, the creature's shape underwent a swift alteration, the solid mass turned to liquid to facilitate the change. Limbs sprouted from the snake's smooth sides, and the head rounded and enlarged. Skin replaced scales, and a young man sprang from the serpent. With a skip and a hop, he pulled ribbon strands of magic from the air and conjured clothing from nothing to cover his nudity.
Resting his chin on his chest, Loki's lips lifted to reveal thick fangs in lieu of his incisors. "It's been a long time, dear brother."
Jake scowled. The taunt stung as it was no doubt intended. However, he refused to succumb to anger. The Trickster's tactics were well known to him. "Why are you lurking about?"
Loki's tongue swiped his lips. "I'm always lurking about. It's what I do."
The Hunter King forced his face to a stoic mask and crossed his arms. "You're close enough to endanger your cowardly hide, so you must want something."
A bitter laugh strangled Loki. "Call me a coward? It is you who are paralyzed by paranoia, strangled by stagnation."
"My patience runs thin."
"Is that a threat?" Laughing, Loki sidled closer. "What are you going to do to me? We both know you're not going to kill me. Oh no, I'm fated to die by Heimdallr's hand as foretold by you, Prophecy Man."
Jake smiled grimly. "There are worse things than death. As you well know..."
"Your threats are empty. You have already taken everything from me. I have nothing left to lose." Loki rolled his eyes, boldly holding his ground.
"There's always something."
Loki's gaze da
rted skyward, and he stared at some far off point. Then those bright eyes focused to brilliant pinpoints. His dancing hand wove a rune in the air. "Shall we revisit yet again how you condemned my children to be imprisoned? Punished for crimes you claimed they might someday commit? Wrigley Jörmungandr, tossed into the depths of the great ocean. My darling daughter, Hel, condemned to the dreary underworld. Ah, and let's not forget poor Fenris, that happy, eager-to-please pup, chained in bindings so tight that festering wounds cover his body. He has suffered in agony for so long, madness and rage are all that's left of him. You made them into monsters."
"Let's not forget your punishment, Loptr." Jake leaned forward, locking gazes with his old rival. Once, he had called the Jötun his closest friend and most trusted ally. His affection for the shapechanger had been boundless. They had mingled their blood and sworn oaths.
Loki, his brother in blood.
Once, long, long ago.
"No, let's not forget that either." The serpent's tail rattled in his hiss. "I made mischief for centuries while you watched and smiled. My antics amused you even when all other Aesir despised me, but we stood united. All this, then you condemned me for the one crime I didn't commit."
"You know why you were punished, Loki." Despite Jake's determination to remain detached, a molten core of anger pushed to the surface. His dagger burned on his forearm, pulsating rhythmically. The runes swirled beneath his skin.
"Just not for the reason everyone thinks!" Perceiving his peril, Loki ducked away as a nimble cat. He retreated to a safer distance before he shifted to human. "You know damn well I had nothing to do with Baldur's murder! You allowed the others to assume. Even Thor turned against me. One word from you would have stopped them. Yet you said nothing."
"You were complicit in my son's death." His mask slipped. Jake's teeth ground together, crunching like boulders. Runes rose and turned his flesh darker than midnight.
"I overlooked a fucking twig!"
Battle Cry (Loki's Wolves Book 2) Page 30
