Broods Of Fenrir

chapter 13


Brand gripped the wheel to avoid climbing into the seat behind him and throttling Erik. He pulled onto the mile-long dirt driveway leading to his hunting lodge. The Escalade was cramped, and they were all on edge with the moon peaking in the next hour. Still, Erik had crossed the line by demanding Gunni"s immediate return. Brand couldn"t break the link so close to the full moon. The possessive nature of the wolf made it impossible, and Erik knew that.

As soon as he parked, Brand stormed away from the vehicle. He headed for the tree line to get as much distance between them as possible. Footsteps approached behind him, the heavy tread giving their owner away.

He spun around with a snarl. “Back off.” Erik kept closing in, his fists shaking at his sides.

“Never did it occur to me that you"d been waiting all this time to steal my brood out from under me one member at a time.” Bera came up behind Erik and touched his arm. He snapped his teeth at her. She paled, but didn"t back off. Eyes wide and expression desperate, she turned her gaze to Brand.

“I"m not stealing anyone.” Brand started to walk away 117

again.

He made it three strides before Erik responded.

“Running from a fight, as usual.”

Brand stopped short and pivoted to face him. “I"m leaving because I don"t want to kill you.”

“You"re a coward,” Erik spat, his voice brittle with rage.

Bera grabbed at Erik, but he shook her off with an irritated growl. When she tried to reach for him again, he shoved her away. Off-balance, she reeled, and then fell backward.

Brand kept his voice low so that it wouldn"t carry back to the group still at the lodge. “I"m not your enemy. I understand your pride is hurt, and the moon is impairing your judgment, but my patience has limits.”

“Maybe you"ll finally shut up and get to it then.” Mouth open and teeth bared, Erik panted.

Brand inclined his head to where Bera sat on the ground. “Do you really want me to kill you in front of your pregnant mate? What do you think will happen to her after?” The reminder of how precarious her situation would be without him seemed to penetrate Erik"s anger where nothing else had. He turned to look at Bera, whose eyes shone with unshed tears as she stared at him. He started toward her, a few inches at first, and then with increasing speed. With a murmured apology, he sank to the ground next to her.

Brand took a deep, cleansing breath after they were well away. “You can stop hiding now. I can smell you.” Dagny came out from behind a nearby tree. He admired her stalking skills. She"d approached quite close while he"d been distracted by Erik. He turned back the way he"d been heading, and she fell into step next to him.

After a while, she said, “Where are we going?” She glanced at him when he hesitated.

“There"s a cabin a bit further along. I was going to ride out the peak there alone.”

“You"re not alone anymore.” She reached to take his 118

hand, interlacing her fingers with his. The surge of emotion from her was simple contentment.

He smiled. “You"re right.”

The cabin was little more than a collection of boards with a roof. He found a stash of blankets that seemed to have survived without an insect infestation and spread them out over the threadbare rug.

Dagny eyed the small fireplace. “What do you think the odds are that we"d burn the place down if we lit that?”

“Near a hundred percent. There"re probably bird nests in the chimney. Are you cold?”

“Yeah, a little bit.”

Ignoring her halfhearted protests, he shrugged out of his jacket and put it around her shoulders. He kissed her on the forehead. “Get under those blankets. I"ll see if I can light a fire without cooking us.”

After a few minutes of examination, he decided that lighting the fireplace was a terrible idea. Cobwebs and debris cluttered even the lowest part of the chimney.

She lifted the blanket when he sat down next to her and settled it over his shoulders before snuggling against his side.

“No good?”

He wrapped an arm around her. “Nope, it should warm up, though. It"s a small area, and I generate a lot of heat.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I feel warmer already.”

“Good.” He buried his face in her hair and inhaled. The first snow of winter in an alpine forest tickled his nose.

“Brand?”

He murmured an affirmative noise into her hair.

She turned her head to look into his face. “Would you sing with me?”

“Of course I will.” He smiled, pushing back a few strands of chestnut hair that had fallen into her face. “I assume you"re asking because you want to lead?” She nodded, her tongue coming out to moisten her 119

lower lip. “You"ll follow?”

He threaded his fingers with hers. “I"ll follow you anywhere.”

Beaming a smile at him, she sat straighter and filled her lungs. She raised her face and howled. The grace of her features, reverent and peaceful in song, captivated him. He had never witnessed anything so beautiful.

Then, he remembered he was supposed to be singing with her. Inhaling, he lifted his voice to join her. They finished the solemn song together, his lower howl chasing hers in the ancient melody.

When the last note trailed off, she darted in to kiss him, her lips warm and soft against his. Placing her hand in the center of his chest, she pushed him back. His pulse pounded in his ears, an echo of the beast"s struggle inside him. He fought the urge to take control of the kiss, combating it by bracing his hands behind him.

As if his retreat were an invitation, she continued forward. Her fingers opened the buttons of his shirt one at a time. She pulled his shirt open and broke away from the kiss to lower her mouth to his neck. Leaning his head back, he inhaled a shaking breath. Her lips and tongue caressed the skin of his bared throat.

It took every bit of his control to contain the beast. He couldn"t let it free and risk hurting her. She pushed him the rest of the way down, until he was flat on his back. His heart thumped as it did while on the hunt. She was out of her clothes in what seemed an instant and loomed above him, one hand on his chest to keep him on the ground.

She dove for his neck; the strength of her sudden bite made him jerk. When his blood hit her tongue, a shockwave reverberated through him. His power flowed into her like a current of electricity. She moaned into his neck.

A languid feeling settled into him. He curled an arm around her head, pressing her mouth tighter against him. She responded to his encouragement by biting down harder. The 120

pain raced through his body with each beat of his heart. His head fell back as a groan escaped him. She moved atop him without letting up on the pressure of her teeth, her breasts pushing into his chest.

The area around the wound began to tingle. She kept her teeth locked, snarling as she tugged on the skin to set the mark. A pulse of her power throbbed around the wound. She drew more of his blood into her mouth, and then released her hold on his neck.

She sat up, pushing her hands against his chest, triumph lighting her face. She was the most amazing creature he had ever seen. The wild tangle of her hair fell over her shoulders to almost, but not quite cover her breasts from view. The angle of her thighs, straddling his torso, accentuated the delicious curve of her hips. He ached from his struggle with the beast.

She slid her hips down along his torso. Her red-painted lips parted in a toothy grin as she unfastened his belt. With deliberate slowness, she unzipped his pants. The tension building within made him writhe under her. He reached for her, but she pressed him back down onto the floor with one hand while freeing him from the uncomfortable confines of his pants with the other.

She took him in a quick, decisive movement that tore the breath from his lungs. She gripped his throat as she took what she wanted with no remorse. Nothing but her desire mattered while her hunter"s gaze held him motionless. Allowing himself to be mastered by her bordered on profane, but he didn"t care.

Brand lost track of time in the carnal rhythm of her hips. Her body was all he knew, her thrall more potent than even the moon peaking to full. Heat bloomed in his chest, intensifying until his breath came in gasps. The decadent pain of her fingers digging into his throat sped him onward. An erotic growl from deep in her chest pushed him over the edge.

The beast surged forward, taking advantage of his distraction. The wolf reached up to grab her throat. Inside, his 121

conscious mind screamed, fighting to prevent what he feared most. Her eyes opened, silver and luminous. A slow smile spread over her face, and she pushed into his grip. Her hips pressed him into the ground once more, and her entire body shuddered. The wolf tightened his fingers, holding her still as she gasped, until her rigid muscles relaxed. His hand opened, and she collapsed against his chest.

His wolf retreated a bit at a time, gradually relinquishing control. Her tongue lapped in lazy strokes at the wound on his neck. He slid his hands around her backside and pulled her closer. She made a contented murmur as she snuggled against him.

His blood pumped through her; he felt her like an extension of himself. A sense of satisfaction filled him. Even with the moon minutes away from full, the beast relaxed.

Brand stroked his hand over her back. He inhaled, taking her scent deep into his lungs. The aroma of piney, snow-burdened boughs filled him.

The instant her wolf gave up control was obvious because every muscle in her body tensed. Dagny bolted upright, her hand braced against his chest. She stared at the wound on his neck, mouth open. “Merciful Sigyn, what have I done?” He chuckled. “I would think that"s obvious, considering where you are.”

“This really isn"t the time for jokes.” She started to move away, but he caught her arm in a tight grip.

He waited until her frantic eyes met his before he spoke. “You"d better think long and hard before you offend me with an apology for what might be the most amazing experience of my life.”

Shame drew her mouth tight, and her hand shook in his grasp. “What I"ve done is unspeakable.” She had given up her attempts to get away, so he released her wrist and put his hand on her knee. “I don"t care what others think is proper behavior for a female. I"m honored 122

to bear your mark.”

She looked from the wound on his neck to his face several times. “You really mean that?” Brand smiled. “I do.”