Chapter 34
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
The look on Syl’s face as Rolf got on all fours on the bed and waited for Jormy to settle over him was worth his weight in gold.
Rolf snickered. As if he’d ever let anyone mount him but the angry woman staring at him. Ha.
The bastard settled over him, a literal monster when it came to wrestling, yet Rolf often gave him a decent enough challenge when he called on his wolf.
Syl hadn’t said a word, staring at them.
“Go!” Rolf ordered.
Jormy tried to get him in a headlock. They scrapped, wrestled, and tried to outmuscle each other. But when Jormy called on his serpentine strength, Rolf cheated by turning into a wolf.
They bit and scratched, punched and kicked. Until the room looked as if a tornado had gone through it while Sylvara stood out of the way and watched with predatory interest, her eyes glowing silver.
Finally, Jormy pinned him. Knowing he needed to let the guy win one if they hoped to get the location of the Bloode Stone out of him, Rolf conceded.
“Say it,” Jormy insisted.
“Fuck.”
“What’s that, loser?”
Rolf gave an exasperated sigh. “Jormungandr is amazing. His cock is bigger than mine, and I only wish I could be half as good as he is one day. At everything.”
Jormy pushed off him. “Ha! Sucker.” He glanced at Syl. “And to think, you could have had a piece of my monster…snake.” He held his cock in hand and laughed at her.
Before she could ruin things by attacking Jormy again, Rolf stepped back between them. “Yeah, yeah. Good fight.”
“Not bad.” Jormy grinned. Not the guy’s fault no one wanted to tangle with him, afraid of dying, which wasn’t idle worry.
Jormy had broken his bones a few times during their match, and only Razer’s added strength and a few protection runes discreetly activated had kept him whole.
Rolf had naturally accelerated healing, but Jormy was incredibly powerful.
But then, in his own defense, Rolf hadn’t been trying to kill Jormy either.
“The Blood Stone?” Syl reminded them, her eyes no longer so bright.
Jormy scowled. “Everyone wants that stupid thing. And for what? To control some blood suckers?” He paused.
“No offense, Rolf. But if you guys decide to end the world, it’ll be a boring, bloody takeover.
Not that I’d mind. I say go for it. But you let me get in there to start the End, I’ll get some of my brothers and sisters involved.
Then we’re talking about a seriously good time.
” He glanced at Rolf’s chest and smiled.
Curling his fingers in invitation, he chuckled when Razer left Rolf’s skin.
“Traitor,” Rolf muttered while Razer launched himself at Jormy and indulged in some head scratches. “And before you ask, he’s mine.” A pause. “Don’t tell your brother.”
Jormy huffed. “I’m not a narc, you know.” He glared at Syl. “Or a rapist. All you had to say was no.”
“I did.”
“But you have to mean it. One of your friends told me that’s how you roll, playing hard to get.”
“Which friend?”
“Um, a big one with red hair, legs like tree trunks.”
She fumed.
“Hold on,” Rolf intervened before Syl could go on a rant about Hagatha again. “What do you mean ‘everyone’ wants the Bloode Stone? Who else is after it?”
“Dude, everyone. Vampires, gods, prophets, demons. I can’t remember who gave it to me in the first place, but since I was playing dead after that tiny skirmish—I like to think of it as Ragnarok-lite—they figured it was safe enough with me.
But I got bored hiding away for five hundred fucking years.
So, yeah, I’ve been having a little fun. ”
“Where’s the Bloode Stone?” Syl asked again.
Jormy shrugged. “Not here. I lost it.”
“What?” Rolf and Syl said as one.
“Cute.” Jormy chuckled. “In a card game. I lost it and fifty bucks. Just the other day, as a matter of fact.”
“To who?” Syl asked.
“Whom,” Rolf said absently.
“I’m not supposed to tell you.” Jormy shot Syl a sly look. “But I’m willing to trade for the information.”
Rolf thought about attacking his old friend, who’d turned into a prick, the way he kept flirting with Syl.
“You know what? I’ll do you one better,” she said.
Rolf froze. What?
Jormy winked. “I’m all ears.”
“I’ll get you a date with a gorgeous forest spirit everyone wants. She rejects everybody. Even Thor couldn’t get a date.”
Jormy sat straighter. “Who’s that?”
“Danica of the Green.”
“Danica?” The lechery of his grin grew. “I know of her.”
“She’s sweet and sexy, can change shape, is the most beautiful shade of brown you’ve ever seen, and has stamina as a fertility spirit.”
He definitely looked interested, though Rolf wasn’t sure Syl should be pledging her friend to the guy. Then again, Danica had sent lindworms after them not too long ago.
“How do I know she’ll drain my snake?” Jormy asked.
“I’m not promising her body, just a shot to make your move. I mean, you are the guy with all the charm and the swagger, and yeah, the big dick. Are you saying you can’t close the deal on your own? And did I mention she’s big on fertility?”
Jormy grinned. “Well, I am hung like an eight-legged horse.”
Rolf cringed. Loki had once given birth to said horse…
Sylvara put a hand over her heart. “I swear on it by my wings.”
“Ah, now you’re talking. Fine. You want the Bloode Stone? Go see Mr. Sunshine.”
“Who?”
Oh shit. Let me be wrong about this.
Jormy turned to Rolf. “You know who. He of the ever-present glaring ego that shines ever so brightly. All the time. You think I’m conceited? That’s one god who thinks the world belongs to him.”
Rolf groaned. “Seriously? He knows we’re after it. What the hell?”
“Yeah. I think that was the point.” Jormy shrugged. “Maybe that’s what his message meant.”
“Message? What message?” Syl asked.
“When he left, he grinned and told me to tell the wolf he’ll be waiting with open arms. And to bring the hot chick that’s not so smart.”
“Wait. What?” Syl glared at Rolf. “Exactly who are we talking about? Please tell this this isn’t Loki playing more tricks. And I’d better not be the ‘chick that’s not so smart.’”
“Hot chick, he said, so you’ve got that going for you,” Jormy corrected. His friends from the other room returned with an empty bottle.
“Can we get more?” one of them asked Rolf.
Before Syl lost her shit, he foraged for a few more bottles out of his secret stash and tossed them to Jormy. “Thanks, man. Enjoy before the world ends.”
“I always do.”
After whistling for Razer to follow, Rolf hustled Sylvara from the room and out of the house.
“Are you going to tell me who we’re going to meet?”
“Not here.” Razer had started to gather attention from the partygoers, so they hurried from the home.
“You know where we’re going.” She paused before their vehicle and glanced back at the house. “We’re not waiting for Sebastian?”
“No. He’s busy, I’m sure. Do you think you should warn Danica to expect a visit from Jormungandr?”
“Hell no. She deserves a few fun surprises for trying to burn us in the forest.”
“Good point.” After a pause, he added, “Yes, I know where we’re going. To see a god. But we need Hecate’s help for that.”
Once in the vehicle, Razer shoved his head out the back window while they sped back to Mercer Island. Syl fiddled with the radio, settling on some alt rock band singing about the end of the world, which he found ironic.
“I just don’t understand why he didn’t tell me he had it.”
“Who, Rolf?”
He sighed. “Apollo. That bastard grabbed the Bloode Stone, and instead of letting me know he has it, he’s playing games.”
“Sounds more like Loki.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” He wondered about that. “We’re back to dealing with annoying gods while the Darkness presses closer. Hecate should be handling this, you know. Not us.”
On the way, they spotted an accident up ahead, the trouble unfolding as they watched.
A small bus had stopped suddenly, and people poured out.
Well, not people. One person and a pack of zombies, who chased after the survivor.
The guy screamed, as if that would help him while sprinting down the road, doing his best not to get hit by other vehicles.
Before Rolf could even think of culling the small zombie horde, the lone survivor went down under hungry mouths while two mages appeared out of nowhere and set a spell to contain the threat and erase memories.
Razer barked happily while they passed.
Syl shook her head. “Humanity is not doing well.”
“No.” After a moment, he turned to her, wondering if he should confess the truth about his parentage. Would Sylvara care? She already knew, didn’t she? But maybe not since Loki kept acting like they were related.
And why did it matter what she thought? She wasn’t even a vampire, yet he treated her as if she was a Better, not better.
He scowled.
She scowled back then winked. “Don’t worry, Rolf. I’ll protect you from your daddy if he gets too scary for you.”
Unfortunately, she was vague enough that he couldn’t tell if she referred to Apollo or Loki. By the smug expression on her face, she was intentionally fucking with him.
By the Bloode, he knew perfectly well why he cared about her reactions.
Because the blasted woman had made him fall for her. Rolf of the Night Bloode, the most magnificent creature in the universe, now just another vampire in love with his mate.
“Ugh. You have ruined me, valkyrie,” he growled.
Syl just laughed.
Razer barked. Yep. She’s yours, all right. I wonder how long it will take her to figure that out.
You and me both.