Broods Of Fenrir

chapter 20


As soon as Brand awoke, before he"d even opened his eyes, he knew Alice was gone. Where she"d been, a gaping, terrible hole remained, as if someone had torn her away, out of the fabric of his brood. He supposed that wasn"t far from the truth.

He relished the pain that lanced through his chest and hoped it would banish the urge to give in to the grief. The exhalation that followed was more a sob than a breath. His ribs ached as he shook with sorrow. How long had it been since he"d cried? He thought it might have been his mother"s death, now five hundred years gone.

The weight of Gunni in wolf form compressed the bed next to him. The furry muzzle burrowed under the hand that rested on his chest. With tears streaming from his eyes, Brand patted the warm head.

When he could finally speak, he said, “I"m sorry, my friend.” It hurt to talk, and his voice came out as a rasp.

Gunni moved his head to lick Brand"s hand. He knew how much the loss of Alice hurt the younger male. The wrenching pain of it broke Brand"s heart. Still, Gunni sought to 195

help him through his grief. Brand understood now why Alice had fallen for him so easily.

Gunni lifted his muzzle to cover Brand"s hand with a short whine. The door creaked open, and Brand looked toward the sound, though he knew who it was. Dagny"s face peered into the dark room, light from behind her illuminating the walls and floor. He hadn"t realized until then that he was in one of the guest rooms at his lodge. The sight of her filled him with so much joy that he tried to get up, heedless of his injuries. The pain that burned through his belly froze him in place.

“Gods, Brand, don"t move,” Dagny said in a strained voice. She hurried over to him and pressed him back onto the bed with a hand on his shoulder. With her other hand, she turned on the bedside lamp and examined him.

Her worried expression hurt him, and he cursed himself for causing it. Though he wanted nothing more than to jump up and embrace her, he relaxed against the bed.

Her breath hitched. With a delicate touch, she wiped his tears away. “I"m so sorry about Alice.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. The taste of her skin was intoxicating, and he suddenly needed her closer so he could smell her. “If you don"t come down here right now, I"m going to move again.” With a glare warning him that he shouldn"t budge if he knew what was good for him, she leaned forward and nuzzled her face against his neck. He inhaled the snowy pine forest smell of her until his lungs ached. The scent of her soothed him as nothing else could.

She sat up a bit, careful of his wounds. “What"s the last thing you remember?”

He leaned back against the bed and smiled. “You, moving like some kind of jungle cat and schooling a huge male in the art of knife fighting. Fenrir save me, I"ve never seen anything like it.”

A gorgeous pink blush crept up her neck to color her cheeks. If he could move, he"d be all over her. He shifted, and 196

his ribs reminded him of why that was a bad idea.

“I took him down eventually, but not quickly enough.” Her forehead creased, and she swallowed before she continued.

“Alice showed up out of nowhere. She jumped on Björn.”

“She what?” He hadn"t meant to shout, but afterward he realized that he had. Although he knew she"d died in the fight somehow, he hadn"t expected to hear that she"d attacked the single largest male to be born in the last thousand years.

“What in Helheim did she do that for?”

“He"d just knifed you and was about to finish you off.” She reached a hand for Gunni"s head. His eyes rolled toward her, and his ears dropped.

When Dagny found her voice again, she spoke swiftly, as if trying to get the whole story out before her emotions overwhelmed her. “She didn"t stand a chance against him. He was choking the life out of her, and I couldn"t do anything about it. Gunni hadn"t arrived yet, and you were dying of blood loss. I Called every wolf around me. Most of the males were strong enough to resist it, but I got two of them.” Brand stared at her. “How many did you transform then? Three, including Alice? All at once?” She nodded. “Another one went down trying to fight the change. The rest were too strong.”

“That"s amazing. I don"t think anyone has tried a Calling like that, at least not in my lifetime.”

“I really didn"t know what I was doing,” she said with an embarrassed smile.

He chuckled, making his ribs hurt anew, and waited for her to continue.

She placed her hand over his and squeezed. “Alice shifted, and that got her out of his grip. I"d been hoping she would run away from him and possibly draw his attention away from you, but she didn"t. She pounced on Björn and bit him in the face. He flung her around with all his strength, and she never let go. Next time I looked, she had him on his back, and he was dying.”

Gunni whined. Brand stroked the wolf"s head, feeling the ache of Gunni"s loss with every touch. His own pain grew until he thought it would choke him.

“Björn managed to get to one of his knives.” Dagny swallowed. “He gutted her before Gunni could get to her.

More than half a dozen wounds. She lost too much blood.” She paused to wipe tears from her face. Brand waited, his hand resting on her leg, rubbing until she calmed. Gunni sat up to put his head on her shoulder. She hugged the wolf and sighed. She took Brand"s hand and tried to put on a smile. “She was so brave. She never let go, not even when he"d cut her.

When Björn finally died, Gunni managed to pull her off of him, but he couldn"t do anything. He held her as she ran to the moon. I think she knew she"d saved you as she went. She howled the whole way, the happiest song I"ve ever heard.” Tears stung the back of Brand"s throat, and he didn"t try to restrain them. His sweet Alice was gone, and she"d died to save him. Somehow, he"d known from the first day he saw her that he would lose her.

Gunni crept up beside him on the bed and rested his muzzle next to Brand"s face. The warm presence comforted him. Though it was painful, he shifted so he could put one arm around the wolf and hug the furry body.

When the last of the tears had fallen, he released his tight hold on the wolf and patted him a few times. “I know she wouldn"t have wanted it any other way. Doesn"t stop it from hurting though, does it?”

Gunni grunted and settled his head in the crook of Brand"s shoulder.

Brand had felt the moon as soon as he"d regained consciousness; today marked the half. “I"ve been out four days?”

Dagny nodded. She bit at the inside of her cheek when she did it, so he knew there was something she didn"t want to tell him.

He reached for her hand. “You might as well tell me. I know you"re hiding something.”

“Hildibjörn is here. He flew in from Toronto the day after Björn"s death.”

“Hildi is his oldest son. He"d have control of the brood now. What does he want?”

She shrugged. “He won"t talk to me. I don"t think he"s here to start trouble. I wouldn"t let him inside, though.”

“Smart girl.” He smiled and let his thumb rub absently over the side of her hand. “He"s the most levelheaded of Björn"s offspring, next to Bera.”

“She vouched for him, that"s the only reason I didn"t make him leave altogether.”

“You can trust her when it comes to her family. Why don"t you let him in?”

She frowned and her eyes scanned every inch of him.

“You"re still not well.”

“I have complete confidence that you and Gunni can take care of him.” He ruffled the wolf"s neck and grinned at her.

The wolf jumped out of bed and stretched.

She shook her head. “He shouldn"t see you so weak.”

“And he won"t, if you"ll help me into the chair out in the living room.”

“You shouldn"t move,” she said in a shrill tone, when he started to get up.

He gritted his teeth through the pain and pushed himself up to sitting. “I need to find out what he wants. If you aren"t going to help, get out of the way.” She glared at him for a few seconds before she bent to help him stand. He was grateful for her assistance because spikes of pain tore through his chest as he tried to straighten to an upright position.

If the moon had been waxing instead of waning, he might have healed most of the wounds already. As it was, he wondered if perhaps Dagny was right after all. His injuries were 199

severe. Inviting another male whose father had died because of him, if not by his hand, seemed a bad idea.

Gunni came up next to him and brushed against his leg.

The wolf looked up at him with intense blue eyes. Though he couldn"t say how he was aware of it, he knew Gunni would protect both of them to his last breath. He nodded to the wolf in acknowledgement and leaned on Dagny, letting her help him into the living room.

When he was settled in, after what seemed entirely too much effort, he told Dagny to get their guest. Gunni sat next to his chair, eyes on the door.

Hildibjörn entered a few minutes later behind Dagny. If Björn had accomplished anything in his long life, he"d stamped his offspring with authority. Hildi, red-haired and ruddy-skinned, looked like a slightly less brawny version of his father.

He glanced around the room, taking in Brand and the wolf beside him with a quirk of his mouth.

Hildi stepped toward Brand and sunk to one knee in front of him, head bent and fist pressed to the floor. “Hail, Black Sword, King of the Broods of Fenrir.” He spoke in flawless Norse with not a hint of condescension in his tone.

Brand stared at the top of Hildi"s head with no idea what to do. His mind whirled with possible responses. Wary of hesitating too long, he chose one that seemed the least likely to cause trouble. “What has brought the Earl of the Toronto Brood here? I"m sure you are aware your sire died attempting to kill me.”

Hildi didn"t look up from the floor. “Yes, my king. I would apologize on his behalf, if you would allow me.” That was a bold offer on Hildi"s part. A crueler male might decide he should apologize with his life. Brand discarded that option out of hand. “I don"t hold you responsible for your sire"s actions.”

“For that, I am grateful.” Hildi cleared his throat. “I"ve come to offer you the Toronto Brood. By rights, it belongs to you, as you defeated my sire.”

Brand tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. He should take credit for the death of Björn and use it to his advantage. It was the smart thing to do. Much as he realized that, he knew he couldn"t. “Your sire did not die by my hand.” Hildi"s head dropped an inch. Clearly, he hadn"t expected that response. “Which great warrior bested him? I will offer the brood to him.”

A smile came to Brand"s face. He reached for Gunni"s head, patting him a few times. “Perhaps you remember the female I stole from Arn a century ago? Alice was the one who killed your sire.” He said it as casually as he could manage, though the pain in his chest was swiftly becoming unmanageable.

That brought Hildi"s head up with a snap. “My king, you can"t expect me to pass the brood to a female?” His face twisted with shock and disbelief.

“She"s dead. Your father slew her, even as she killed him.” He allowed his anger over her death touch his voice.

Gunni growled.

Hildi"s mouth worked a few times, and then he swallowed. “What is it my king wishes me to do?”

“I wish you to return to Toronto and be a better leader than your sire was. You shouldn"t find that too difficult.” When Hildi opened his mouth to protest, Brand cut him off. “I already have one brood I don"t want, courtesy of my brother. I have no interest in stripping you of your rights because your sire was a bastard.”

Hildi"s eyes widened. “Thank you, my king.”

“I want every slave freed, and females are to have rights equal to males, starting today. I am going to send your sister to Toronto in a few months. I expect to hear from her that the brood has flourished in your care.”

He bowed his head. “As my king commands.”

“You"re dismissed.”

When the door closed behind Hildi, Brand sagged in his chair. The effort required to appear as though he weren"t 201

injured made him ache all over. Each breath was agony. He took a few seconds to recover, but he felt Dagny"s eyes on him.

He met her gaze with a tired smile. “Yes, my queen?” Her expression flickered through a handful of emotions before she settled on amused. “What exactly was all that about?

You don"t want to be king.”

“Two of the strongest and most aggressive earls are dead. That might be enough to keep the rest in line. I have to try after what happened to Alice. I owe her that much.” Gunni rested his muzzle on Brand"s knee and let out a satisfied sigh.

“And you, my young scamp. How long are you planning to stay in wolf form?” Staying in wolf form eased the constant heartache of Gunni"s loss but, in the long run, evading his feelings wasn"t the best course. That road led to the madness of the wolf overtaking him. Gunni tilted his muzzle and flattened his ears. Brand scratched the wolf"s head and let the subject drop. He looked up at Dagny. “We need to head to Vancouver before too long.”

The fear showed on her face for a brief instant before she mastered it.

He stretched his neck, letting his head fall onto the back of the chair. “The brood"s mine now, Dagny. I can feel them all. They"re in chaos. I"ve got to go fix it. I can go alone, but I don"t know how long I"ll be.”

“I"m not afraid of them anymore.” The lie hung in the air like the smell of something spoiled.

He lifted his head back up to regard her. “You are, but you shouldn"t be. They"ll grovel at your feet now.” She"d been wavering between fear and irritation, but her eyes soon narrowed with anger. “Now, they will grovel for fear of you where they spat for fear of Ansvarr. How is that better?”

“I thought that"s what you wanted, for me to force them to treat you with respect.”

“I want them to realize this isn"t prehistoric Scandinavia and that violence might not be the only answer.” 202

“We are what we are, Dagny. Would you remove everything that makes us unique?”

“Is every female living in fear necessary for what we are? Maybe we should have let the humans overrun us, if that"s the case.”

“I intend to try, but there may be no way to fix our culture and maintain who we are.” He paused, taking a breath deep enough to ignite the ache in his ribs. “I want you to be prepared.”

She walked to the window and looked out, her hands braced against the sill. “Do you want me to tell you I want you to run away with me and to Helheim with them all?” He stared at her profile, wishing she would say just that, but knowing she wouldn"t. “Only if it would be true.” Gunni"s ears flickered back and forth several times where he sat at Brand"s knee. Seconds later, Brand heard the crunch of tires on gravel.

Dagny"s face drew tight. Her frown deepened before she turned back to Brand. “It"s Erik.”

“I suppose I have to talk to him sooner or later.” He sighed, wincing at the pain his inhalation caused. “Was he hurt at all?” She swiveled her gaze back outside the window. “Very little. I forced one of the ones fighting him to transform. He took care of the other one himself.” She paused, folding her arms across her chest. “When he was helping me to move you, he kept going on about how, if he"d known Alice was in trouble, he could have saved her.”

Wondering if Erik was right, Brand looked down at the floor. Gods knew, Brand had been little enough help in the fight, and Alice had died saving him. If he"d left well enough alone, would she still be alive?

Gunni put his chin on Brand"s knee and stared up into his face with sad blue eyes. He absently scratched the wolf behind the left ear.

Erik entered and dropped to one knee in front of 203

Brand, fist pressed to the ground scant inches in front of Brand"s foot. “My king.”

Brand grunted and lifted his eyes to examine his friend.

Erik"s head was bent and his eyes downcast, the very picture of a dutiful subject; only something simmered under the poise. “I see you"ve been spending too much time with Ingrid while I was out.”

Erik"s eyes didn"t even flicker upward. “You claimed your throne when you accepted the challenge, my king. I haven"t spoken to Ingrid since I helped carry you here from her cabin.”

He gritted his teeth against the anger. “If you call me

„my king" one more time, I"m going to crawl out of this chair and beat you senseless.”

“I"d like to see that.” A tremor of laughter shook Erik"s shoulders, and his head slowly lifted. “I wasn"t sure if you were going to insist on formality. This is new territory for you and me both.”

“Consider yourself excused from any and all formality.” Even so, Erik remained kneeling as he spoke, staring Brand in the eyes. “Fine, I"ll get to the point. I want Gunni back.” Gunni growled, flashing his impressive teeth in his coal black muzzle.

Brand lifted a hand to pat the wolf"s head until he calmed. “I think you have your answer to that request.” Erik began to speak, but Brand lifted his hand to stop him. “If he wanted to go I"d hand him over, but he doesn"t want that.” Erik"s face flushed red, and his eyes faded to arctic white. He dropped his head, and muttered, “Of course, my king.”

“You know what? F*ck you.” Brand stood up as swiftly as his injuries would allow and started to pace. “Letting Gunni choose is part of what I want for all of us.” Erik looked up at him, clearly confused. “Not everyone can be given a choice. Sometimes they don"t know what"s best 204

for them.”

“Like who? The females only or the weak males, too?

Gunni is neither of those, and you"re willing to ignore what he wants in favor of what you think best for him.” He panted with the effort of speaking so forcefully and lifted a hand to his chest to massage away some of the soreness that had crept in behind his sternum.

Erik"s mouth worked as he contemplated. “I guess I never thought of it that way. It"s what I do as leader. I make decisions about what"s best for everyone. I thought they wanted it that way.”

“For big, brood-wide decisions that"s fine. You"re a great leader. That"s why I brought Alice to you.” He paused, reminded of the first smile he"d ever seen on her face. It had taken months, but when Erik had accepted her into his brood, she had beamed. He still had trouble with the fact that he"d never see her again. Gods, it hurt. “The personal choices, they need to have that, without any pressure or dominance bullshit.” Erik nodded slowly. “I"ll try.”

He bent, despite the pain it caused, and put a hand on his friend"s shoulder. “Thank you. Now, what are you going to do about Rivera?”

At the mention of the man who"d been responsible for Lucas"s death, Erik shook with anger. He regained control of himself soon enough, but his voice came out rough when he spoke. “I"ve had some of the brood following his movements for the past few days. He has a lot of security around him most of the time. He"ll be hard to get to.” Brand straightened, feeling his back tense from the constant struggle to bear the weight his stomach and chest muscles generally supported. “You"re going to question him about who else knows? We can"t afford to let anyone escape who could expose us.”

With a clenched jaw, Erik nodded. “I want to do it before the new moon.”

“I"ll come with you; just let me know when.” 205

Erik met his eyes again and swallowed once. “I"m sorry about Alice. I know how much you loved her.” Brand let himself fall back in the chair with a muffled grunt. “For what it"s worth, I think you"re right.”

“About what?”

“If I hadn"t taken her into my brood, she"d still be alive.” Gunni started to whine. “I know,” he said to the wolf, before he returned his attention to Erik. “It was one of those personal choices, and I let her make it. I regret what happened, but I don"t regret giving her the choice. I can"t.”

“I understand.”

“You don"t, not yet, but I think you will.” He settled back against the chair, trying to stretch his back. “I have to go to Vancouver soon and take care of Ansvarr"s mess. Can you ask Bera to check in on the Toronto brood for me every couple of weeks? I told Hildi he has to free the slaves, and I think there"s going to be trouble up there over that.” Erik shook his head slowly. “That"s going to be a tough situation for him. Some of the males in that brood are old enough to remember when our sires were born. I"m sure Bera will be eager to help. She"s had a mind to fix things up there for years.” He recalled his conversation with Bera; she"d told Brand he would be king one day. “You can tell her that she was right after all, and I"ll expect her compliance.” Erik squinted. “What"s that about?”

Brand chuckled, regretting his humor when the pain spread around his chest in a tight band. “She"ll know what I mean.”