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  “Very funny. I’m trying to be stealthy, but this is all I’ve got. These stairs are beyond old. How come you’re not making them creak?” I took another step, and a board made a loud groan.

  “Because I know how to move with grace.” He chuckled.

  “Grace, my ass,” I whispered as we turned down a short hallway and went up another flight. “You’re a demigod. You have tricks up your sleeve I wouldn’t begin to understand.”

  “Indeed, I do. But that’s for another day, Valkyrie.”

  We reached the fifth floor, and Fen stopped a few treads from the top. “All seems clear, though I wouldn’t advise we linger here too long.”

  “My studio is down on the right. Ingrid’s is on the left. Let’s go to Ingrid’s and see if she left us any clues to where she went. Then, if the coast is still clear, we can go to mine.” I was curious to see if my apartment looked the same or if it had been trashed in my absence.

  Fen veered around the banister and went left toward Ingrid’s door. He paused in front of it, bringing his hands up to the wood. He waited a few seconds. “No one is here.” He tried the knob. It turned.

  We both slipped inside.

  I knew Ingrid’s apartment like my own. Other than Sam, she was my closest friend in New York. We’d alternated movie and popcorn nights in our apartments every Friday. Her studio was set up much the same as mine, but reversed. Her kitchen was on the left, and her sleeping area and small bathroom were on the right. She had a single bed, which gave her more space. Her studio was sparsely decorated, even more so than mine. There was no furniture other than the single bed. Not even a lamp. Her TV sat perched on the windowsill, propped up by a cardboard box.

  “The shieldmaiden wasn’t intending to stay long,” Fen concluded as he opened her closet. There were a few shirts hanging and not much else.

  I checked the tabletops and went into the kitchen. No note on the counter tops. I opened the cupboards. They were fairly empty. A few dishes and cups, enough to serve popcorn and soda and no more. I opened the fridge. It was bare, save for a few cans of Coke.

  I’d had no idea she had so few things. I’d never opened her closets or cupboards before. She always handled the food and drink when I’d been there.

  I walked back into her living area and found Fen tugging on one of her flannel shirts. It barely stretched over his arms, and there was no way he would be able to button it, but it would cover him enough until we could find something better.

  “I need clothes, too, and a shower,” I told him. “If you think it’s safe, let’s go over to my place. Then we can figure out what to do next.”

  Fen nodded. “The Valkyrie has left no weapons here. After we gather suitable clothing, we must find a means to defend ourselves.”

  “Gram!” I breathed. “Please tell me you have it.” I hadn’t thought about the trusty dagger since we’d arrived. I’d been too relieved to be home.

  He grinned as he pulled it from beneath his waistband. “It was lying right beside us when we landed, even though none of my other weapons came through, which is not unusual. The tree decides what it likes and what it does not.” He held Gram in front of me. “After your shower, you’re going to tell me how you acquired a possession of this magnitude.”

  I headed toward the door. “I can tell you right now,” I shot over my shoulder. “Ingrid gave it to me, and before you ask, I have no idea where she got it.” Out in the hallway, I waited for Fen, and we both made our way across the hallway, him stealthy and me hitting every creaky floorboard.

  “There is no one here,” he said, his ear to my door. “But I must break the lock.”

  “That’s fine,” I said. I didn’t lock it, so that meant someone had been here. He popped the lock easily, and cautiously we went in. I flipped on a light. My apartment seemed just as I’d left it, the closet door open from when Ingrid had packed my duffel, the bed rumpled where the bag had lain. I walked into the kitchen. The only thing different was that the window was now shut, but maybe Huggie had shut it on his way out? He was magical after all.

  I came back to the sleeping area to find Fen gazing out into the street from my only other window. “I sense danger,” he said, glancing at me. “It’s coming, but I don’t know when.” He turned around and gestured toward my tiny bathroom. “Take your shower and get dressed. We have much to talk about.”

  Hastily, I hurried over to my small bureau and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater.

  I had to admit I was looking forward to this shower like nothing I’d had in a very, very long time.

  23

  __________________________

  ____________

  The hot spray felt like the heavens had opened up and were raining down on me. I was finally completely clean and stink-free. I’d stayed in until the hot water ran out, feeling a little guilty I hadn’t saved any for Fen. But if he really wanted a hot shower, he could go over to Ingrid’s.

  I’d used a gallon of shampoo and conditioner, and as I toweled off, I inspected my leg wound. It looked a little grisly, but it was healing. I examined the rest of my skin and could see no remnants of Surtr’s torture. Thank goodness. Wearing those scars for an eternity would’ve been beyond difficult. It was truly miraculous they had all vanished. Even my chest, where I’d taken Surtr’s blade right before we left that realm, was totally healed, my skin pristine and smooth, like nothing had ever happened.

  I hung the towel up and glanced around the small space. My bathroom wasn’t much bigger than a broom closet. I picked up my clean clothes and shook them out. Dang, I’d forgotten to grab a bra and underwear! Since they were vital to the process of re-clothing myself, I grabbed the towel back off the rack and wrapped it around myself, poking my head out the door. “I forgot a few things,” I said.

  “Don’t be shy, shieldmaiden.” Fen smiled. “I won’t bite.”

  “I just need some underwear.”

  Fen lounged on my bed, his hands clasped behind his head, pillows propped. He grinned at me like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  I stopped at the foot of the bed, my freshly combed hair slicked back and dripping down around my shoulders.

  He sat up.

  Our gazes locked, and I exhaled a shallow breath.

  “Come,” he whispered.

  Without hesitation, I paced around the side as Fen moved to the edge. He opened his legs, and I stepped between them, my eyes fastened on his. I wanted this.

  More than anything.

  His fingers undid the towel above my breasts, and it dropped to the ground. I stood before him, naked. But this time I didn’t feel vulnerable or uneasy.

  I felt alive.

  His hands slid down my arms. He cleared his throat, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are beautiful, Valkyrie.”

  I reached up to caress his face. “Thank you for helping me escape. You gave me Gram, even though you didn’t know if I could bring you back.”

  He leaned forward, his full lips brushing mine. Sparks flew as his energy transferred to me. He drew back, his eyes hooded. “I helped you because there was no other option left to me. I could not stand to see you destroyed, even though the selfish part of me wanted to keep you by my side. Giving to another freely is a new experience for me. It is something I’m not familiar with.”

  I met him halfway, our mouths melding, the kiss deep and tender. My hands fisted in his hair as he urged me closer, enfolding me in his strong embrace.

  I broke the kiss, half panting, half accusing. “You took my heart without asking.” Without giving him time to respond, I leaned in, this time running my tongue along his wonderful lips. I could be with him for several lifetimes and would never get tired of those lips.

  He moaned as his energy leaped into my mouth at incredible speeds. “The very first time I set eyes on you, I knew you were mine.” His voice wasn’t above a whisper. He leaned back on the bed and took me with him, our lips fastened together. I crawled on top, enjoying his warmth and giving him my own. “
I need you, Phoebe,” he murmured into my lips, his arms locked around me. “You have my heart.”

  “I need you, too,” I replied. I’d never meant anything more in my life. I had wanted him before, but I was ready for him now. “Do you think, maybe, I was sent to your cave on purpose? I wouldn’t have survived in that realm without you.” I needed to feel his lips again and took his mouth softly at first, then more insistently.

  “Yes,” he said simply, rolling me over, removing his shorts and shirt. He gazed down at me, his arms braced on either side of my head. “Phoebe, once I have you, I’ll never have another.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a demigod thing?” I ran my hands along his bare chest, my fingers tracing the hard contours. His skin was silky soft, his muscles firm, yet quivering, beneath my touch.

  He flashed me a dazzling smile. “No, it’s a me thing. Never once in my many years has a woman ever come close to capturing my heart. I never expected to give it to anyone. This is something I do not take lightly, so you’re stuck with me, shieldmaiden.”

  “Trust me, I’m not giving you back.” My hands slid to his neck.

  He bent his head, and I arched up. The kiss was searing. I felt it all the way to my toes. The energy transfer was building with each kiss, and I knew it would culminate in something mind-blowing.

  My body ached for it.

  He slipped a hand between us, reaching for my core, and I called out. “I have to feel you,” I said, not recognizing my own bold voice as I slid my hand down, finding the enormous length of him and stroking it lightly. His entire body pulsed with power. My hand vibrated with it as I discovered him for the first time. New senses came alive in my body, and they sought him like a drug.

  I craved every inch of him.

  Leaning up, I ran my tongue slowly across his broad chest, and where my wetness hit his skin, power exploded in my mouth in short sparks. It was like licking invisible Pop Rocks.

  I ran my hands over him faster.

  “Don’t,” Fen bit out. “Valkyrie, I cannot…hold on for long when you touch me there.”

  I let go of him reluctantly, prodding him to turn over. If I couldn’t touch him there, I would explore him elsewhere.

  Once he was on the bottom, I straddled him.

  My tongue slid over one of his nipples. I pressed it between my teeth and pulled gently as I sucked. Fen let out a guttural sound, which pleased me. I’d never had a chance to play the temptress before.

  I liked it.

  I lost myself in his beautiful body, toying with it, licking every inch, enjoying the texture, and drinking in his power.

  “Gods!” Fen roared. “I don’t know why the fates have blessed me after so long, but you are absolutely stunning.” He ran his hands up my sides, caressing me, tangling in my hair. He leaned up to capture my mouth. After a long, intense kiss, he said, “I give you my power willingly.”

  I smiled. “Thank you.”

  Fen scooped me up, settling me firmly on his lap, crushing me with a kiss so deep I couldn’t breathe. His hands jutted through my hair, his hardness pressed firmly between us.

  I squirmed against him, my legs locking around his waist. “Yes,” I moaned.

  “Valkyrie,” Fen groaned, “your wish is my command.” His powerful arms threaded under my thighs, lifting me off his lap. Then, very slowly, he slid me back down onto the length of him. As his tip broke through, I yelled his name, grabbing on to his shoulders, wiggling my hips down. “Easy,” Fen ground out hoarsely. I gave an impatient cry, my body flaming to be full of him. “Gods, you’re so tight.” He tossed his head back, his long hair falling behind his shoulders. He guided me with his hands at my hips, pumping his shaft slowly into me.

  “More,” I breathed as my body blossomed, opened, expanding for him. My hands gripped him fiercely with each rock of my hips. “Yes. Yes.” The feeling as I slid down on him was so intense, sparks of light fired behind my eyelids.

  Power swirled between us, gathering strength.

  There was no way to stop it, even if I wanted to. I was too greedy for him. Fen held me in his arms, our bodies slick with sweat, sparks jumping between us like live wires.

  If this is what heaven feels like, I want it all the time.

  My core was on fire, hot and tight around him. “Fen!” I gasped. “I can’t stop.” A small bolt of lightning shot out of me as I began to rock on him harder. With strong, quick motions, I rode him, the tingling reaching new heights with each thrust of my hips.

  “You’re…glowing…” Fen ground out, “…can’t wait…anymore.” He grabbed on to my hips, plunging deeply as I quivered around him, my body alight. I was one hairsbreadth away from release. “I need to be in control now, Valkyrie.” He turned quickly, spreading me on the bed, grabbing me tightly with both hands as he thrust into me again and again.

  “Oh!” I thrashed my head from side to side. My body was aflame for him, his power and energy entering me from all over.

  “I will…not finish…before you.” He lifted my thighs higher, hooking them over his forearms, arching his body over mine. He pumped harder and harder, and my mind was lost to him. He growled, “Come for me, Phoebe.”

  As the spasms hit me, I shouted his name. A boom of thunder filled the room as wave after wave of sensation washed over me, drowning me completely.

  So good.

  “Phoebe!” Fen yelled as he released. As he filled me, another orgasm crashed over me, right on the heels of the last. My body vibrated with this new, potent energy, consuming it greedily, sparks crackling above our heads.

  “Fen.” I held him with both hands, connecting us completely. My body ached for everything he could give me. My head spun.

  So much power.

  He grasped the back of my neck and took my mouth hungrily, feasting on me as he ground his hips against mine, spending himself dry.

  Once the last drop of his luscious energy was gone, Fen lay on the bed, gathering me in his arms. I was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. “That was…incredible,” I whispered as I beamed up at him.

  Fen ran a forearm over his mouth, his breath coming in short bursts. “That was more than incredible. It was indescribably good, and you’re still glowing.”

  I lifted my hands in front of my face to see.

  They’d taken on a definite sheen, though nothing like the full shimmer when I went through the tree the first time. But I felt rejuvenated for the first time in too long. “I think my leg is healed!” I exclaimed, lifting it up to inspect it. “I can’t feel any aching.” Happiness threatened to burst through me. “The scar is completely gone. That’s incredible. You are a potent demigod.” I turned to him, grinning.

  I hadn’t had much experience with relationships, but Fen was everything I could’ve hoped for. In this new world I would be forced to navigate, I needed a best friend and ally and couldn’t believe I’d gotten both in one man.

  One beautiful, incredible man. Life without him now seemed unimaginable.

  “Rest now, Phoebe,” he chuckled, gathering me in his arms.

  I went willingly, feeling content and sleepy. “I love it when you say my name,” I murmured into his warm chest.

  His chest rose and fell as he laughed. “Then I’ll have to use it more often. Sleep now. We will be on the move shortly.”

  “You said we needed to talk.” Sleep filled my voice. “About stuff you think I kept from you.”

  “In due time.” He kissed the top of my head. “Neither of us is going anywhere.”

  24

  __________________________

  ____________

  CAW-CAW. CAW-CAW.

  I bolted upright, the sheets falling around me. It was still dark. I felt like I’d been asleep for only a moment. I tugged the blankets, bracing them in place with my forearm.

  Fen was already up, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. He didn’t seem nearly as surprised as I was to see Huggie perched on my bedpost. “Odin’s agent, what brings you here so early?”
Fen’s tone was blunt.

  The raven cocked his head, like he was gathering pertinent information about the situation. I could only imagine what the bird was thinking. Phoebe and the wolf in bed together. Oy. Once he was done, he clacked his beak.

  “Um,” I stammered, pulling the covers up to my chin. “What are you doing here? Are we in trouble? Is Ingrid with you?” I realized now it had been stupid of us to stay in my apartment. We’d both been carried away, and I’d been so, so tired.

  The shieldmaiden is at the Valkyrie stronghold. I have sent word.

  I glanced over at Fen to see if he’d heard the bird. “Can you hear the raven?” I asked.

  He shook his head, his face stoic. “I can only hear him if he so chooses, and as of right now he has not deemed me worthy.”

  I didn’t really want to be the intermediary here, because Huggie would likely reveal important information that we both needed to hear. “Huggie, you’re going to have to include Fen in our conversation. If we’re in trouble, he has to know about it, even more so than I do.”

  The bird clacked his beak. If I talk to the wolf, the information will find its way back to Odin. It is safer this way. You are in danger. You must leave this location as soon as possible.

  “And go where?” I asked. I turned to Fen and said, “The raven said if he talks to you Odin will find out, so it’s better he doesn’t communicate directly.”

  Fen leaned forward. He was naked and beautiful, his hair tumbling forward, his gaze intense. “You would keep my location from Odin himself? I don’t believe you, raven. You have always been his agent, his eyes and ears to the world. Your purpose is to take information back to your master, not protect his wolf prisoner. You will betray me, it’s only a matter of time.”

  I placed my hand on Fen’s arm. In response, he opened his arms and gathered me close, tucking me firmly against his chest. It was a dominant gesture meant to let the raven know where we stood.

  I went along with it willingly. “Ingrid told me Huggie does his own thing,” I addressed Fen. “She said the raven is tied to Odin, but because he’s so old, he has gained his own power. Maybe he’s exercising that independence to help me?”