Broods Of Fenrir

chapter 14


Brand wiped a thin coating of frost from the inside of the cabin window and peered out at the inch of new-fallen snow. Winter shrouded the early morning with darkness and silence. Gunni and Alice approached the cabin at a quick pace.

The anxiety coming from Alice troubled him.

His first thought was that Erik had taken off to confront Rivera in a fit of rage. If he managed to get himself arrested for attacking the well-respected businessman, his brood would be in peril. Locked away from the earth and sky, his wolf would succumb to madness. With their leader fallen to insanity, the entire brood wouldn"t be far behind.

Dagny came up beside him. She leaned her cheek against his bare shoulder. She looked enticing dressed in his shirt and jacket, and a bit disheveled. Worry creased her forehead.

He"d spent the first hours of the waning moon enjoying her, tasting and touching every inch of her skin. Still, he craved her. He almost gave in to the temptation to tumble her back onto the floor. To Helheim with whatever the problem was.

With a grumble, he moved to the pile of blankets and 125

picked up his sweater. Dagny had been wearing it when they arrived and, when he pulled it over his head, the delectable scent of her skin surrounded him. Pulse-pounding lust overtook him in a rush. When he looked up, she was watching him, a hint of a smile curling her lips. He stalked toward her, a growl at the back of his throat.

Her smile widened. “Down, boy. They"re almost here.” He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent again, directly from the source. She smelled amazing. She giggled while his mouth worked at the ticklish spot he"d discovered earlier where her neck curved out to her shoulder. A tentative knock brought his head up with a grunt.

He pushed her hair away from her face. “We"ll continue this later.”

She nodded and showed him a dazzling smile.

“This had better be good,” he said as he pulled open the door. He regretted the harsh tone as soon as he saw Alice.

She had felt anxious, but she looked worse. Her eyes wide, she worried at her lower lip with her teeth. Gunni, still in wolf form, dashed in front of Alice, meaning to protect her from Brand.

Brand nudged him out of the way with a knee. “I"m not going to hurt her, you dolt.”

With a half-hearted grumble, Gunni moved aside and took up position inside the door.

Dagny stepped toward them. “Come in, Alice. You must be freezing.” She led a reluctant Alice into the cabin, then shut the door behind her.

Alice looked up at Brand. “I didn"t want to interrupt you two, but Ingrid insisted.” She swallowed before adding,

“She"s back at the lodge.”

He had no idea how Ingrid even knew where his lodge was. “What does that crazed bitch want?”

“Ansvarr called for a Conclave.”

Dagny spoke up before he could respond. “For me?” Desperation plain on her face, Alice turned to Dagny.

“He"s claiming you as a stolen mate.” A dark blush colored Dagny"s face. “That"s ridiculous.

He discarded me twenty years ago.”

Dagny"s outrage welled inside of him until he thought he"d choke on it. “He"s not doing it because of you.” He paced, feeling their eyes follow him. “I meant to tell you earlier, and I"m sorry I didn"t.”

She interrupted him before he could confess his omission. “You think I don"t know that he"s your half-brother?”

He stared at her, unblinking, for several seconds. “I still should have told you.”

“You should have.” Her face was set, but not angry.

“Why do you think this has to do with you?”

“He wants to be king. As long as I live, no one but me can claim the title.”

“If they decide against you, he can have you removed?” Brand shook his head. “For this, he could have me killed.”

She closed the distance between them, her anger filling the room with the urge for violence. “What?” He smiled; he couldn"t help himself.

She glared, eyes passing from gray to shining silver in a flash. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“I can get out of whatever he has planned, and you"re enchanting when you"re angry.”

Brand walked the path back to his lodge, his thoughts a violent swirl of potential actions. He"d expected trouble from Ansvarr, but it bothered him that the call had come so soon.

Dagny kept up easily, her swift steps silent alongside his.

He reached for her hand, but stopped himself before he touched her. Giving away how attached he"d become would add nothing but trouble to the problems ahead.

Ingrid sat on her heels on the bare ground outside the lodge. Her hair, a mess of golden tangles, ruined the peaceful effect of her position. She rose with graceful ease. At least she was clothed, a marvel in itself. A wrap of red-dyed leather covered her from shoulders to ankles, though her feet were bare. Erik emerged from the lodge, but Bera and Sigga were nowhere to be seen. “I asked her to leave, but she reminded me this is not my property.”

Brand made a swift nod at Erik, glad that his friend had calmed from the rage he"d been in earlier. He came to a stop in front of Ingrid and put on his best imperious glare. “You"re not welcome here.” He paused for a beat. “What do you want of me?” Ingrid"s gaze swept over Dagny and then back to Brand.

Her steel-gray eyes narrowed when she saw the mark on his neck. She seemed more sane than usual, though with her, it was difficult to say for sure. “My daughter"s return to where she belongs.”

“She belongs right where she is. Anything else?”

“You overstep. Return her to Ansvarr, and this will go no further.”

He clenched his jaw so he wouldn"t shout. “Out of the question.”

“If you don"t return her, I have no choice but to call a Conclave.”

Anger tumbled inside him. “He discarded her decades ago. He has no claim.”

Ingrid stared back at him in silence for several seconds.

When she finally spoke, her face softened. “Loki knows I have no affection for your brother, but his mating to her is part of the Canadian Treaty. It"s as good as signed in blood.” Dagny moved forward. “Ansvarr never claimed me.” Ingrid settled her hands on her hips and turned toward her daughter. “I know that, but he says otherwise.” She tilted her head. “To the males who will preside, your version of 128

events matters little.”

Brand understood where Ingrid was headed with her reasoning. “How many of them will back him for no other reason than to be rid of me?”

Her shrug was careless, but her gaze remained sharp.

“A third, perhaps more. You are not well-loved, but it will depend on which earls preside.”

“You believe I would lose.”

She rolled her eyes. “I believe it"s a risk you shouldn"t take. That you refuse your birthright is frustrating; that Ansvarr might take it from you is unacceptable. He is not fit to rule.”

“Surely the earls know that.”

“What they see is someone they can cow and manipulate.” She smiled a little. “When faced with you as the alternative, can you blame them for their choice?” Brand struggled to contain the rage that threatened to explode. “I won"t send her back to him. Do you have any idea what he did to her?”

“We all do what we must, Brandúlfr, my daughter included.”

His hands tightened into fists. “No.” Ingrid made a dismissive gesture with one hand. “Why must you be difficult? You were supposed to impregnate her and send her back to your brother. Instead, you fancy yourself her rescuer, like some gallant knight. She is no damsel.”

“You"re a callous bitch.”

“Perhaps, but my plan would have undermined his authority. Instead, you do everything you can to fortify his position. You have no idea the precarious edge you cling to.”

“Fenrir only f*cking knows why you do the insane things you do, but don"t pretend it"s for my benefit.”

“Believe what you will.” She folded her arms and nodded toward her daughter. “Ask her if she needs your help.” He knew the answer to that question without asking.

Dagny needed him as much as he needed her. He knew that down to the deepest part of him. He turned to her, a smile 129

pulling at the corner of his mouth until he saw her expression.

Dagny"s lips compressed while she searched his face.

The muscles of her jaw stood out. “I"ll go back to Ansvarr.” The wolf surged fast and took over without warning. A passenger in his own body, he heard the words roaring from his mouth. “You will not.”

Rather than cower under the force of the beast"s rage, she stood taller. “You don"t tell me what to do.” The monster grabbed her arm. He knew the grip was bone-crushing because he felt pain, distant though it was, in his fingers. “You are mine.”

She didn"t blink. The silver eyes bored into him. “No.” How she shamed him. He wanted to look away, but the wolf would not. “You misunderstand, puppy.” The words slipped from him in a rumbling growl. “I do not ask. I take.” She moved closer and lowered her voice. “Then, you"re no better than any of them, despite your sweet words.” The wolf hesitated, confused. After several seconds, the hold on Dagny"s arm loosened. “I would never harm you.” In the smoothest transition that had ever occurred between them, the wolf relinquished control. Brand swallowed, his throat tight.

“You can"t mean it.”

Her gray eyes didn"t waver at all. “I"m going back to Ansvarr.”

He shook his head, unable to understand why she was making the choice. “No, I won"t let you.” She stared into his face, her expression blank. “It"s not your decision.”

The icy resignation flowing from her made his stomach churn. Her strength made his weakness all the more terrible.

He wasn"t sure he could let her go. The drive to protect her went beyond need. Thoughts of what Ansvarr would do to her whirled in his mind and threatened to break him. She deserved so much better, yet what sort of beast would he be to hold her against her will?

Sighing, he closed his eyes. “I"ll unlink you.” 130

Removing the brood ties first, he unwound her from Alice and Gunni. After that was done, he touched their connection for the last time. The warmth made the back of his throat ache. He sighed again and began to break the bond between them. Pain tore through his chest with every tendril he peeled away.

When he was less than halfway done, Dagny collapsed, whimpering. Hearing the pain he caused her, he doubted he could keep going, but he pressed on.

When he finished, he was drenched in sweat and felt as though he"d been beaten. He looked down at Dagny huddled at his feet. She sobbed, mumbling incoherently into her hands every few seconds. She suffered more because she was alone, with no brood to soothe her or share their strength.

He lowered himself to one knee beside her and picked her up off the ground. The pain she felt hit him hard right below the ribs, nearly knocking him over. He staggered to his feet. Walking slowly, he memorized the fresh scent of her and the softness of her body held against his chest.

Ingrid opened the door of the car. He kissed Dagny"s forehead before leaning over to put her in the passenger seat.

Tears squeezed from her tightly closed eyes and careened down her cheeks.

Touching her face, he sent what energy he could through her skin. Her ragged panting eased.

He whispered into her hair, “There will never be another,” and closed the door.

Ingrid started the car and pulled away. He watched until they went around a corner in the winding driveway and disappeared from sight.

Alice approached him, her face grim. “Brand…”

“I don"t want comfort, and I don"t want company.” He turned away from her, walking toward where Erik stood. “Call Björn and tell him I killed Arn. I"ll be waiting here for him whenever he wants to show up.”

Erik nodded. “All right.”

Brand held out his hand. Erik examined the offering skeptically, but took it after a moment.

Brand pulled the ties with Alice and Gunni free with one swift yank. Alice cried out behind him, and Gunni yowled in pain. He pushed the links to Erik through their joined palms.

“Get out, all of you. Take my car and go.” He stalked into the woods without looking back, the loneliness an all too familiar dull ache in his chest.