by Lea Bronsen
They hadn’t spoken since the episode on the ladder, where Alv had stopped him from jumping into a certain death. After they’d descended to the ship, the warriors had put a slave collar around Roeland’s neck and chained him to the mast.
Alv found him intriguing. If one saw past Roeland’s crime—and disregarded his good looks, which was difficult—he was the opportunity to meet a European. As a medicine man, Alv would never go on conquests like the warriors. He would stay in the Norse community all his life and not have the chance to broaden his cultural horizon. He had a feeling Roeland and he had a wealth of subjects to discuss. Religion, among many things. Norway had recently been Christianized, and although the idea of worshipping only one god was interesting, Alv had yet to be persuaded it was the right thing for him. And when it came to his profession, he was curious to learn what progress had been made on the medicinal front in Europe.
He’d had to keep a distance during the travel so as not to arise suspicion. The warriors already thought it peculiar that he’d spared the murderer’s life. It was crucial they didn’t suspect he wanted to get more acquainted…
* * *
While the warriors fixed the ship to the quay, Alv climbed out and swayed a little as his body adjusted to firm land. He went through the crowd, found Mother, and gave her a peck on the cheek. She returned it without a word, her expression stern.
They’d never been affectionate. Or at least, she hadn’t. He’d grown up missing motherly hugs, and, with time, gotten used to not giving her warmth either.
Maybe it had to do with her rough life. Though married into nobility, she’d had her share of sorrows during her forty-five years, and it showed in the lines in her face and the gray streaking her hair. Joar and Alv were the sole survivors of seven children; the others had died of infantile diseases. That was what had prompted Alv, the youngest one, to learn about plants and medicine. Why then had his parents preferred Joar’s fighting spirit? A ruthlessness that had ended with rape, and his terrible demise.
Chest tight, he sought Hedin at his mother’s side, the boy he’d shared his nights with in the past year. They exchanged a look that said, “Hi, lover,” and Alv smiled inwardly, not daring to show more attachment in public.
Hedin respectfully lowered his blue-green gaze. He knew how to behave in front of his master. Again, in public. In bed, however…
Mother asked, looking past Alv’s shoulder, “Who’s this beauty? If Joar had been alive, she would’ve been a perfect spouse for him.”
He turned. Torsten helped the young, pale Elke climb out of the ship. She’d been sea-sick during the whole trip.
A perfect spouse for Joar? Mother didn’t know how close she was to the truth…yet.
The baby in Elke’s arms wailed. She’d given it water to drink, but they would need to ask one of the nursing women in the village to feed it milk.
“She’s…uh…a young woman from Bjorgvin.” Alv didn’t want to declare in front of everybody that she was the sister of Joar’s killer. They were soon to find out, but he didn’t want to be the one downrating her.
Mother raised a brow. “She’s a foreigner?”
“Yes, but she’s very young, and she’s survived a traumatic experience. I couldn’t leave her there with the responsibility of a newborn. I promised to take care of her. But,” he said, and bent to whisper to Mother’s ear, “it wouldn’t be suitable for her to stay in the house of an unmarried man.”
“Of course not.”
“So, I was hoping you could welcome her into your household.” He turned to introduce Elke as she approached with Torsten, the big, seasoned warrior towering at her side.
People stared open-mouthed at her exotic beauty. Some had never seen hair this black and a skin this golden. Her silk dress, though ruffled and dirty, indicated she belonged to high society.
Mother studied her over the length of her nose. “She can work for me.”
Alv hid a grimace; he didn’t want Elke to end up a slave. But they could find an arrangement later. They were all tired, Elke in particular. “The baby needs milk. Is anyone in the village nursing?”
“Why can’t she nurse it herself?”
He hesitated, didn’t like having to tell her the baby was Roeland’s. “Because…uh…”
“Who’s that?” She peeked past him again.
Thankful for the interruption, he spun.
Roeland arrived on the quay, surrounded by warriors holding his chain. He looked even more beat than before, but kept his head high and challenged the crowd with an arrogant glare. The nerve!
“Um…” Alv sucked in a breath. “The man we were searching for. We found him.”
“My son’s murderer?” Mother raised her voice.
Alv cringed from her judgmental words. Now that Roeland and he had shared something on a spiritual level, and Alv knew the reason behind the man’s act, he didn’t want him to be treated as a criminal. “I’ll tell you about him later. For now, is there any place we can hold h—?”
“He’s the man who caused my dear husband’s death? Why haven’t you killed him? Do you have any idea how much grief he’s brought upon our family?”
“Of course, I do.” The image of Father clutching his chest with terror-filled eyes reappeared, as did the familiar sting of pain. “I will explain.”
The group of men passed them. When Roeland saw Elke and the baby, his dark gaze burned like it contained molten lava. On the boat, he’d begged again and again to see them, but his captors had refused.
Elke gasped.
“Let me see my daughter!” Growling, he tore on his chain until the collar strangled him.
Mother rushed forward and slapped him, shouting intelligible words with a high-pitched voice.
Roeland refocused on her and took the beating without a wince. Perhaps he respected her grief, knowing well how violently it gnawed into one’s heart.
Alv grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. “Mother, please calm. There’s something you have to know.”
“What?” she hissed, face red and distorted, looking like she wanted to slap him, too.
“Joar raped his sister.”
“Nonsense,” she spat. “My son would never hurt a woman.”
“Well, he did. And she is the one.” He pointed to Elke who stood by them, tears welling in her big, black eyes.
“It’s not possible. Not my son.”
“Ask her. She’ll tell you.”
Torsten interfered. “I’ll take him to the animal barn where we keep prisoners of war.”
Alv nodded. “Yes.” Though he hated the idea of Roeland living in the bad hygienic conditions destined for them. Too many succumbed to disease. The ideal would be to take him for a personal slave, but he couldn’t make such an outrageous suggestion now. “I’ll decide of his fate later.”
Mother sneered, bringing his attention back to her. “You vowed to kill him.”
“But I’m telling you—”
“Are you completely crazy? How are you going to be elected jarl if you’re incapable of killing your brother’s murderer? You have to prove you’re a deserving leader.”
Torsten leaned toward Alv and whispered to his ear, keeping an eye on Elke as if not wanting her to hear. “It would be my pleasure to kill him for you. Your father, the great jarl Gunnulf, was my brother-in-arms, and his courageous son was like a nephew to me. This man deserves the worst kind of death for hacking his head off.”
Something in Alv broke. Angry, he stepped back and sharpened his tone. “Don’t question my decisions. I made a vow, yes, so now he’s my responsibility. Nobody else’s.”
Mother pursed her lips, but Torsten shrugged. “I’ll take him to the other prisoners.”
“Alv!” Roeland stared at him.
Alv sucked in a breath. By Thor, looking into that handsome man’s molten gaze and reading the pain it held felt like a punch to the gut. Whatever Roeland was going to say, it would hurt. Alv waited, reeling.
“What’s going to
happen to them?” Roeland nodded to Elke and the sleeping baby, whose tiny nose peeked out of the cloth it was wrapped in.
That, Alv could handle. Eager to demonstrate authority in public, he declared, voice forceful, “They can stay with my family.”
Mother snapped, “I need to have a talk with her first.”
“Considering what Joar did, we owe her to provide for her. We’re not savages,” Alv added pointedly, referring to Roeland’s allegations on the hill.
A small smile of appreciation curled Roeland’s lips. “Thank you.”
It was the first time Alv saw him smile. It brought so much beauty to Roeland’s worn features, Alv’s heart jumped.
Then, once again, like up on the hill, the two held each other’s looks. A baffling current passed between them. Alv didn’t know what it meant, but it confirmed he’d been right to spare Roeland, for he was the kind of person who deserved to live.
Someone cleared his throat. Alv spun and caught his slave’s strange glower. It contained something hard and suspicious, like an accusation. Why? What was going on in Hedin’s head?
“Let’s go.” Torsten gathered his men, and Roeland disappeared in the group of warriors, like a boat at sea taken by a strong, swiveling wave.
A longing grew in the pit of Alv’s stomach. He would’ve wanted the interaction with Roeland to last. But it was a forbidden feeling, and he would have to learn to ignore it.
The crowd dispersed, leaving the port eerily empty. The only sounds disrupting the silence were the eeek, eeeks from excited sea gulls fishing crabs on a beach nearby. Alv gazed up. Pushed by the ocean wind, the mass of dark rain clouds headed east, toward the mountains. Maybe tomorrow would bring better weather.
“Now.” Mother went to Elke and moved the cloth aside so she could see the baby. “But…it’s a newborn, just a few days old!” She studied the young woman. “Were you pregnant when—?”
“Oh, it's not mine,” Elke said. “It’s my brother's.”
“What?” Frowning, Mother glanced at the group of men going toward the animal barn.
“His wife died after giving birth.” New tears gathered in Elke’s eyes.
Mother shook her head. “This is getting more and more complicated. You mean this,” she asked Alv, pointing to the baby, “is the child of Joar’s killer?”
“Yes.”
Elke exclaimed, “He only killed him because—”
“Shut up,” Mother snapped, then asked Alv, “And you intend to care for them both?”
“Yes. We owe them that much. Joar did something terrible.”
“My son, you are crazy. I will not allow the murderer's family to live under my roof.”
“Mother! A member of our family destroyed their family!”
Elke made a gulping sound. Eyes wide, she handed the baby to Mother, spun aside, and bent over to vomit into the grass.
“Oh!” Mother glanced from the baby in her arms to the retching woman.
“She was sick during the whole travel,” Alv explained. “If I’d had herbs, I would’ve given her a brew, but…”
After a moment, Elke turned back, face livid, and wiped her mouth. “I’m sorry.” She took the baby.
Mother asked her, “How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Has a man slept with you?”
Elke looked down, a red hue creeping up her neck.
“I need to know.”
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
Elke’s lip quivered. “The one my brother saved me from.”
Mother gasped and closed her eyes. After a moment, she reopened them and asked, voice lower, “How long ago was that?”
“Um…two, three weeks? I don’t remember, it’s been so—”
“He slept with you three weeks ago? And you’ve been sick since?”
“Yes.”
“Oooh…” Mother turned to Hedin, who had brooded behind them during the interrogation. “Take her to Siv,” she ordered, as if in a sudden hurry. “She’s nursing a young child, so she can give milk to this little one.”
The slave nodded, and Elke didn’t hesitate to follow him.
When they’d disappeared, Mother covered her mouth and stared at Alv. A particular glow lit her gaze, and her shoulders seemed to tremble a little. What an unusual reaction.
“What is it, Mother?”
She lowered her hand and expelled a breath. “She’s carrying my grandchild. It’s a miracle!”
Oh, he was so dumb. How had he not understood earlier? Joar had left his seed inside Elke, and now a piece of him lived on in her womb.
The revelation was mountainous. Alv swallowed a lump. “Joar has survived,” he whispered, incredulous, excited.
“Exactly.” Mother’s face shone with rare warmth. “And so you have to marry her.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that would be the smart thing to do.”
Alv blinked. Marry her?
CHAPTER SIX
Later in the afternoon, Alv tossed and turned in bed, exhausted but restless. Low daylight seeped in through the windows of his one-room log house, indicating it was too early to sleep, but the past weeks’ intense traveling and emotional turmoil had worn him out.
He needed to plan the future carefully. A lot was at stake, and the wealth of problems made his head turn. The community expected him to deal with his brother’s murderer in an adequate manner—so far, he had failed. Mother expected him to be elected jarl, like Father—nothing indicated he would succeed. He wasn’t even sure he wanted such a high social position. Then there was the pregnant Elke—how could Mother suggest he marry her? He’d never considered marriage. Although his interest in men was tolerated to a certain extent, it was a non-subject, like dirt one swept under the rug. But to marry a woman? Never, even if she was the most beautiful of all in Norway.
Finally, there was Roeland, an issue he would’ve preferred to avoid because it was complex and sensitive.
What was going to happen to him? The combination of heavy labor, bad food, and deplorable hygiene conditions could be fatal, but not a single soul would understand Alv’s qualms about letting a murderer rot. The thought of keeping him as a personal slave had struck, but Alv already had one and found no plausible excuse to take two. Besides, he couldn’t imagine giving Roeland orders. The man was far too equal to Alv to work for him. Too noble, too proud, too headstrong. Supremely valiant, with the courage of a warrior when he watched Alv raise the sword and cut his cheek in two! In any case, the community would never accept that Alv let him stay in his house…which again, if it were to happen, would be very trying, considering the physical, emotional, and spiritual attraction Alv felt every time they were together.
Two quick raps sounded on the door. The signal Hedin used to identify himself.
Not now…
Annoyed, Alv didn’t bother to answer.
The door opened ajar, and Hedin’s head peeked in. His blue-green gaze shone.
“What do you want?” Alv asked.
“Ssh.” With a sexy grin, Hedin entered, locked the door behind him—which they only did when sharing intimate moments—and went to the windows to pull their hides down.
Alv sighed and shifted on the mattress. “I’m not in the mood.”
“For what?” Hedin approached, slowly taking his tunic off and displaying a lanky, yet sculpted male torso.
Alv used to adore every part of that young man’s body, from the tight muscles to soft, firm skin beneath. He had ejaculated seed over Hedin’s handsome face countless times at night, clenching his teeth so as not to alert the villagers.
Today, all that occupied his mind were the tanned, chiseled features of a foreigner whose deep black gaze bored into Alv’s very soul—and he couldn’t look away.
At the thought of that man prolonging his stare, Alv’s heart beat an irregular rhythm and his breath caught. They’d touched briefly when Alv untied the sailor rope, but his fingers had been too cold to sense anything. The episode on the ladder, on
the other hand, had brought them together chest-to-chest, thigh-to-thigh, as Alv had held the grieving man tight, stopping his jump into the abyss below. In that moment of extreme tension, Alv had been too terrified to feel anything sexual, but now, conjuring up the memories, his body heated and his cock jerked alive.
Hedin dropped his tunic to the ground and made a small dance of his hips, his thick, purple erection bobbing from side to side. He was well endowed for such a young man—not yet seventeen—and there’d been times when all Alv could think about was sliding that mushroom-headed shaft into his ass and riding it fast until he exploded inside and out, spraying hot semen uncontrolledly.
They’d met last summer, when Hedin’s father, one of earl Gunnulf’s slaves, died during the construction of a stone wall, and Hedin’s mother had implored the earl to take her son into his care. She had too many other children to provide for. The son of a slave was always a slave, and Gunnulf had assigned the young boy to be Alv’s personal slave.
He’d quickly become a lot more.
But not now.
Not only was Alv drained, his mind buzzed with a series of problems and their possible outcomes, plus the sensual interference of another man. He couldn’t help it. Everything had been thrown at him in the course of a few days, and the magnitude of each issue weighed. It took a man—and he wasn’t really one—to handle it all in the best manner. The most important thing was to satisfy Mother, since she was Alv’s sole remaining relative, and what she’d suggested he do with Elke exasperated him.
At least, it didn’t include fucking Hedin. He turned to his side and closed his eyes.
“Hey.” Hedin climbed onto the mattress and straddled him. “Look.”
Shaking his head, Alv opened an eye and glanced up.
The fat tip of Hedin’s cock bumped into his cheek.
“Ugh, stop it.”
Hedin laughed and swept his cock across Alv’s face, the tip leaving a thin trace of fluid on his skin. “Don’t you want to play? You can be my master, or you can be my slave. Whichever you want.”
