Wregen #3
Stepping forward, I wrap my hands around the bars that stand between us.
Wrath thrashes inside me, his cravings demanding satisfaction, but I call on the strength I’ve harnessed over the centuries to keep him bound.
“You’ll fight it,” I rumble. “You’ll curse the gods and the fates.
You’ll demand my death. But you will submit to me. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”
“You’re gods-damned delusional,” Finaan snarls.
She holds her ground, my warrior mate, and I thank the gods that she’ll soon be cursing.
She’s strong and wouldn’t have led the elves in Helheim if she weren’t.
But she’s so much fiercer than I ever realized.
The mate I saw only from a distance or as she slept was cold, satisfying my needs as I imagined a fire I never actually felt.
My skjaldmaer, though, burns with a flame more vibrant and intense than I ever could have anticipated.
“A horrific twist of fate might have made us mates,” she continues, “but I’ve never let some ridiculous idea of destiny drive my decisions. I sure as fuck won’t start now. I’ll never be yours. Go away. Don’t come back.”
With that, she spins and struts out—that perfect ass of hers swaying in her rage—and I sit down to wait.
Svend will return to me soon, and we need to leave tonight.
My mistress bid me to return with all of the elves, but I have no idea where that bastard and his dragon will drop me or how many days or weeks it will take to return to Finaan.
I can’t risk that. Hel’s patience only extends so far.
She’ll be grateful, though, when I return with the elves’ leader and explain what I have to offer in addition to the remaining elves.
She’ll grant me a boon, and I’ll claim Finaan.
I let the anticipation sit inside me as I bide my time.
Svend doesn’t disappoint. The moon is high in the sky, casting its light through the small window close to the ceiling, when I hear his steps.
They’re slower than they should be—rising my ire when he least wants to do something so foolish—but I’ll forgive him when he frees me.
And reluctant as he may be right now to do that, Svend’s an obedient elf.
“You summoned me, my liege?” he croaks when his feet hit the floor.
“You made me wait, Svend.”
His gaze darts toward the whip before returning to me. “They held me in my room,” he mumbles, his shoulders curling toward me as his ribs sink in. “It took strong magic to put them all to sleep. I came as soon as I could.”
“I don’t care about your excuses,” I bark. My voice is cold—the tone I use in Helheim when he’s angered me—and he responds as I’d hoped. His chin drops to his chest, which quivers as if pierced by an arrow. He sucks in a deep breath, and then another, before taking two steps toward the weapons.
“Not those,” I tell him. “Not yet. We leave this place tonight. I’ll punish you when we reach home.”
The smile he gives me when his head flings up tells me all I need to know. “We’re going to Helheim?” he stammers, stepping even closer. “Tonight?”
“If you help me.”
“What must I do?” he demands, his fingers twitching as his gaze bounces around the room. “Keys,” he says after a moment. “I saw keys in the room above us.”
“Then why are you still here?”
He nods once and spins, running up the steps. A few seconds later, he jingles down again, announcing our plans to anyone nearby. But thank Hel, nobody follows. Less than a minute later, the door’s open and I’m free to go.
“Lead me to Finaan,” I tell him as I wave my arm toward the stairs. I could follow my bond to her, but I need this elf’s cooperation, and this will test his loyalty.
“Finaan,” he stammers, his feet planted firmly in place. “Why would we go to her?” His nervousness has turned into fear now, eyes wide and a pulse beating in his neck.
“She’ll return with us,” I explain, as if to a child. But he still doesn’t move, so I clap my hands and gesture again to the steps we should be taking right now. I’ll be Hel-damned if I let him get us caught because he doesn’t want company on our journey.
“Finaan won’t want to go,” he objects, his voice cracking. “We must go alone.”
He’s concerned for her, I realize. My disobedient elf doesn’t want to take her away from her new friends. If I had a heart, it might beat more quickly at his regard. But I don’t, and it doesn’t.
“She’ll travel to Helheim with us,” I snarl, “or we don’t go. You’ll lead me to her, and then you’ll put her to sleep. If you refuse, I’ll trap you in this cage and find her myself. You’ll never see me again. If you take me to her and she wakes, I’ll bind you and leave you behind.”
He quivers again, his chin trembling as his gaze bounces between me and the stairs. Finally, his soft eyes turn toward me. “Will she be safe?” he whispers.
“I don’t answer to you,” I spit out, the fire in my gut turning into an inferno. “Walk up those stairs or into the cage. Those are your choices.”
“Please don’t hurt her,” he murmurs, his hands clenching even as his shoulders droop even further. Still, he does as I command, twisting and trudging up the stairs.
Leading me to my mate.