Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
Mercer Island, Seattle
Rolf had done his best, but he couldn’t stop what was coming. As he and Sylvara stepped through a portal from Asgard into Seattle, he decided it was safe enough to let him out.
They had arrived in the backyard of the Night Bloode’s home with little time to play, but By the Bloode, he needed the fix.
“Syl, I need to show you something.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That sounds ominous.”
“Not really. It’s just… Well, he’s not everyone’s cup of tea.”
“Oh, now I have to see whatever it is you’re hiding.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her suspicion clear. But she hadn’t yet gone for her ax.
“Don’t worry. He’s mostly tamed.” Not even a little bit tamed, but he didn’t want to worry her. To his favorite wolf in the world, he said, I need you to impress a really sexy chick, okay? Don’t bite her or try to eat her. And do not shove your muzzle into her crotch, he growled.
In the pocket dimension, where he kept his favorite little buddy, a whine sounded.
That’s not an agreement.
The whine turned into a snippy growl of assent.
“Good. Syl? This is my pup, Razer.”
Out of the pocket dimension Rolf kept on hand, a small shadow of a wolf emerged. He slid onto the grass and dug in his claws. And then the little bastard grew.
Syl’s eyes widened, and her arms dropped to her sides. “He’s getting bigger.”
“He’s showing off,” Rolf muttered but couldn’t contain a smile. “I’ve had him penned up for longer than usual. He needs some exercise.”
Raseri, which meant “fury,” nicknamed Razer, fluffed out his fur in shadow form, insubstantial. Now the size of a small horse, Razer finished filling out. Mostly a black smudge in the form of a wolf with red eyes, he yipped and danced around Rolf, taking him to the ground with magic.
Rolf rolled with him, laughing, and rubbed his buddy’s belly, which had Razer in heaven.
Syl watched and didn’t speak.
Then Razer licked half of Rolf’s face—ew—and focused on Sylvara.
She smells good. The wolf cocked his head. Of crackle and wolf? Interesting.
Rolf nodded. Yes. I sensed that too. She’s wolfish in some way.
To Rolf’s astonishment, Razer borrowed some of Rolf’s power and turned corporeal.
The wolf didn’t often wish to be more than a shadow in the mundane world.
His fur became thick and shaggy black, his gaze burning with fire, no longer just a blazing red but with actual heat borrowed from Muspell.
He grinned at Sylvara, baring long, sharp teeth and a long pink tongue.
She took a step toward, not away, from the beast.
Once again, Rolf’s heart raced. Most people, when faced with the banked fury of Razer, ran away. It was instinctual. But not Rolf’s valkyrie.
“Aren’t you a handsome monster.” She smiled, and her eyes crinkled. “May I pet you?”
May I pet you, not can I pet you. I like this one. Razer, a snot when it came to grammar, grinned and lowered his head toward her.
Sylvara held out a hand, allowing Razer to smell her. His affectionate lick dampened her entire palm.
“Gross, but I’ll allow it. Man, are you gorgeous. How did you find a wolf this size, Rolf? He feels like…” She studied Razer and scratched behind his ears, her eyes widening. “Fuck me. Are you a piece of Fenrir?”
The wolf chuckled.
She groaned. “Rolf, do you have any idea what you’ve done? You can’t have Fenrir away from, well, himself. That’s like inviting the apocalypse early.”
“I’m hearing a lot of judgement in that tone,” he said waspishly. “Razer’s mine. We do everything together.”
“What are you, five?”
He shot her the finger, knowing she’d laugh him off, which she did. “Okay, maybe not the smartest move. But when I first met Fenrir, we bonded, because he’s a pretty great guy. One day he lost a tiny piece of his shadows.”
“How does one lose a piece of shadow?”
“It’s a long story. But I found it and kept it, meaning to return it to him. Except I got busy and a few magical accidents happened. Then a few centuries passed. Razer grew sentient and decided he wanted to stay with me.”
“Fenrir allowed this?” She was rubbing under Razer’s chin, and the wolf looked to be beyond content, his eyes half closed while he sighed with pleasure. “Because I heard he recently had wolf puppies. Hel took one, and he’s having a conniption to get the little guy back.”
“Ah, well, Fenrir isn’t aware he’s missing any part of himself.”
She paused to look at him, and the wolf nudged her to continue. “Hold on. No, not you, Razer.” She moved to the wolf’s chest, scratching with her strong fingers. “Rolf, you can’t keep him.”
“I’m not keeping anyone against their will. Though I can if I want.”
“No, you can’t.”
“You keep saying that word like you know what it means. I’m Rolf of the Night Bloode. The most powerful draugr in the world.” He spread his arms wide. At her look, he lowered said arms. “Okay, not in the world. But I’m definitely in the top three after my master and patriarch. No doubt.”
“Does anyone know he’s here with you? Obviously, not Fenrir, Loki, or gods forbid, that prick, Odin.”
He shook his head.
“Do you plan on ever giving him back?”
“He’s mine.” He glared at her, disappointed.
“How can you not see our bond?” He let his magic out, and the runes marking them as kin shone on his face and the wolf’s.
“He’s a perpetual puppy, the innocence and youth of Fenrir tucked away in shadow that he’s forgotten.
” At Razer’s snort of amusement, he amended, “Well, more like an obnoxious teenager with an awesome sense of humor but no common sense. Razer needs me.”
She stared, intrigued. “Okay, the kin bond is apparent. And the runes are pretty cool.”
He huffed. “Thanks. I told you.”
“But maybe don’t tell anyone he’s a piece of the wolf who eventually helps bring about Ragnarok, okay? Bad enough we have to fight this Darkness.” She looked into Razer’s eyes. “But you’re not Dark, are you? Who’s the cutest wolf ever? You are.”
Razer sat and planted his head on her shoulder, nearly knocking her over. He closed his eyes, at peace, and Rolf totally knew the feeling.
“You can’t keep him locked up all the time like that,” she said with disapproval.
“It’s not like I want him locked up. Normally, I keep him with me.”
“Where?”
“Oh my chest.” He opened his shirt and rubbed the spot over his heart. “He sits here, in the image of a wolf tattoo that fades until I activate him. You can’t even tell he’s there. We wolf out together.”
“Wait.” She hugged Razer by the neck. “Was he there when we…?” Her rosy cheeks told him what she hadn’t said.
Horrified, he hurried to clap his hands over the wolf’s ears. “Sylvara! I might be a draugr, but I’m not a sicko. He goes away when I have private happy time. He’s just a kid!”
“Rolf, if he’s a piece of Fenrir, he’s eternal.”
“He’s young,” he insisted.
“Well, what are you going to do with him while we hunt for Jormy? Do we know where he is yet?”
“I’ve got some feelers out, and I’ll check in with a few.
But don’t worry. As soon as night falls again, we’ll find Jormy.
” He could feel the sunrise soon coming.
“In the meantime, I’m going to let my guy romp around and get his yips out.
” So saying, he turned to Razer. Hey, I need you to get normal wolf-sized so I can take you inside without anyone freaking out. Feel free to stay furry.
Good. I want to play. Can I kill something?
Rolf smiled. Let’s go see if Onvyr’s back. If he is, you can eat him.
Razer shrank to the size of a large gray wolf and trotted next to Rolf as he and Syl moved to the house.
“We tell no one of this,” Rolf cautioned.
“Exactly. I have enough problems with my gods. I don’t need them blaming me for the end of the world too. I mean, the next one. Not this one coming.”
“I take full responsibility.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” she grumbled.
Back inside, Rolf tried his best to hurry toward his room to avoid anyone who might be waiting around for him.
Unfortunately, he bumped into Varu, Hecate, and Mormo. “Fuck.”
Mormo’s eyes widened as he stared at Razer, who had yet to dim his fiery eyes. Uh-oh. “What is that?”
To his delight, Syl stepped forward and glared at the magician. “My wolf. Got a problem with that?” She put a hand behind her on the hilt of her ax.
Razer, good boy that he was, planted himself on his butt by Syl’s feet and leaned against her leg, subtly dimming his eyes back to their normal red. Maybe if the others stopped looking so closely, they’d think Razer part hellhound.
Mormo’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond.
“Rolf, good that you’re back. We need to talk.” Hecate nodded to the kitchen.
When Syl and Razer started to follow, Hecate held up a hand. “No need, Sylvara. The spell between you will allow you space in this house, under my watch. I need to speak to Rolf alone.”
“Cool. I’m going to shower and get some rest. We need to grab Jormy after daybreak, tonight.”
“Yes, you do.” Hecate seemed pleased about that.
“Ah, I’ll show her to my room,” Rolf offered and stepped away before the witch goddess could object. “I’ll be right back.”
“Hurry, Rolf,” Varu said. “I’ve got plans of my own.”
“Vampires,” Mormo muttered. “So annoying.”
Rolf reached Syl and pulled her with him down the hallway to his room. Though the vampires all shared the same hallway, magic allowed them privacy and plenty of space.
He tucked her and Razer inside. “I have to get back, but mi casa es su casa.” He waved at the magical area, lighting up some neat things she might like to check out, including his subscription to an anime channel on television.
Then, before she could object, he grabbed her hard and kissed her, leaving her panting and staring wide-eyed at him. Razer chuckled. Nice one, bro.
Yes, Fenrir’s shadow was young, but not that young.
“Be back soon. Try not to miss me too much.” He slammed the door on her cursing and hurried back to the group in the kitchen, pleased he’d won that round and excited to see how she’d pay him back when he returned.
Not even Varu’s blathering about the growing Darkness could ruin his mood.
Until Hecate brought up Loki again.