Chapter 7
JOSIE
Dozens of blood-red eyes lock on me from all angles as I push to my feet and stand in the center of the stage. Thankfully, no more vampires approach once Rune rescinds his offer.
The adrenaline that had fueled me through sparring with five vampires has ebbed, leaving behind a weariness that settles deep into my bones.
As my chest heaves, a wave of exhaustion washes over me, both physical and magical.
Despite the fatigue, there’s an undeniable satisfaction coursing through me. I stood my ground against five vampires. It took everything I had, but I did it. A surge of accomplishment mingles with the lingering thrill of the battle.
Wait. Thrill of the battle?
What is wrong with me?
I brush it off as something akin to mob mentality. It’s not all that far off. Even as I step down from the stage on wobbly legs, the club’s devil-may-care atmosphere buzzes around me.
Then again, that could be the residual magic hanging in the air after the sun exploded from every pore of my body.
“All right, everyone, you’ve seen enough—go back to your sucking and fucking or whatever you were doing before my witch made me realize how useless all of you are.”
The gathered vampires disperse at Rune’s command, retreating to the tables and couches they were at before. The vamp I seared bares his fangs at me as he comes off the stage, his skin still one big angry blister, but I don’t pay him any attention.
My attention is solidly locked on my Viking.
He rests against the edge of the closest table, thick arms crossed over his chest, muscles bulging against the rolled-up sleeves of his cotton shirt. He’s watching me with an intensity that makes the rhythm of my heart falter.
His stunning hazel eyes draw me in. With the mix of greens and browns, it’s like standing at the edge of a lush, untouched wilderness—one filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
There are more than a few things about Rune I’d like to uncover.
I catch my gaze slipping lower, first to his impressive abs, his broad hips, and then—nope. Enough of that. Bad Josie. Stop fantasizing about the man who just organized an impromptu witch/vampire cage match.
It’s not fair how easily I get pulled in by his burly frame and rugged looks. Seriously, Rune could tell me he’s the Norse God of Thunder and I would believe him.
When I bring my attention back to a more appropriate level, something like adoration glints in that vast wilderness of Rune’s eyes. And when our gazes lock, a hue of vampire-red dances to the surface. His lips curve into a proud smile, a mixture of genuine pride and something else—something that stirs an unfamiliar sensation within me.
I push it away and hold on to my annoyance—not a hard task to accomplish. If I had any energy left, my fingertips would be sparking with volatile magic. “Take me back to the hotel.”
He frowns as he scrubs a hand through his braided beard. “Are you pissed at me?”
“Am I pissed?” I jab an accusing finger back towards the empty stage. “You offered me up like a bloody steak to a pack of rabid guard dogs!”
“And from where I was standing—ready to jump in at any moment—you handled those dogs just fine.”
I give him an incredulous look. “Is that supposed to get you off the hook?”
“The only way you’re going to learn is from first-hand experience, not by being coddled. Ours is a dangerous world, and you asked to be trained.”
I asked to be trained, but not like this.
“And what if I didn’t have the strength to fight them off?” I demand, anger still simmering in my veins. My hands shake at my sides, balled into fists. “Things could have gone wrong. Really wrong.”
Doesn’t he understand how terrifying it was being on the stage, fighting for my life? Okay, maybe it’s not just anger that has me trembling. “What if even one of those vamps had snapped my neck…What if they overpowered me and pinned me down?”
My voice wavers as terror hits me full force. “What if they overpowered me or fed from me? Would you simply have let them have their fill?”
“Fuck. Of course not. I would never let anything happen to you. But you had to believe there was real danger to take the battle seriously.” Rune sobers and reaches out, but I move out of his grasp before he can lay a hand on me.
I’m hot, sweaty, and emotional, and I don’t want to be touched right now. Especially because I know as soon as I let Rune in, I won’t be able to hold on to my anger.
And I want to be angry, dammit.
“Oh, I took it seriously, all right.” I cross my arms over my chest and wish I could fold into myself to get away from here. Rune may have told everyone to buzz off, but that doesn’t stop them from watching—and no doubt listening to us. It’s like their stares are burrowing into my skin.
He rakes his fingers through his long, blond hair, and sighs. “Why do you constantly make me out to be the bad guy?”
“When you present yourself as the bad guy, that’s how I see you. That’s how it works.”
I flinch when Rune takes my elbow suddenly, but his grip isn’t rough as he pulls me away from the stage, guiding us further into the club and away from the endless prying eyes. He brings us to a cluster of couches closer to the back of the room, all of them thankfully empty.
The colored glass sconces along the wall tint his dirty blond hair and beard different shades of blue and red as he settles himself on the leather loveseat tucked away behind a carved pillar.
He’d look good as a ginger. Scratch that. Finn looks good as a ginger.
Rune can make any color look good. Red, purple, neon green—he possesses a type of handsome that can’t be canceled out by a bad hairstyle choice. He’d still be panty-droppingly hot.
Although, I prefer his wavy length of dirty blond and the scruffy, braided beard.
“Sit.” Rune pats the cushion next to him, but I opt to stay where I am.
“I’m not in the mood to cuddle with you at the moment.” And it pisses me off even more that despite how annoyed I am with him, I still want to strip my ancient Viking vampire down and put my mouth on every part of his body.
“Fine, then stand there looking uncomfortable. Your choice.” His flippant attitude isn’t winning him any points.
He sighs and seems to switch gears. “Listen, Josie, if I didn’t know you could defend yourself one-on-one against a vampire, I wouldn’t have brought you here. This was the most controlled setting where you could practice and I was ready at any point to step in.”
I pause, studying him for any hint that he’s just covering his ass. “Why do I believe you?”
“Because it’s true. I want to protect you?—”
I snort, interrupting him. “Sure, by throwing me to a group of blood-thirsty vampires who could tear my carotid artery out before I lift a hand against them.”
Rune pegs me with an annoyed scowl. “If you would let me finish—I was saying that I want to protect you, but I won’t always be around, so you need to be able to protect yourself.”
The sentiment erases some of the hurt of Rune’s betrayal. And knowing Fintan is going to pound the snot out of him for this warms the cockles of my heart a little more.
Rune and Finn are an odd pairing. Even the two of them standing next to each other is a sight—the bulky, boisterous Viking hulking over the lithe, introverted scholar.
Their relationship reminds me of the bickering of a younger and older brother. While they may be constantly on each other’s nerves, it’s clear they love each other deeply.
I wonder how much of that is the deep connection between a vampire and his sire.
“Why won’t you believe me?”
It’s a rare occasion for Serious Rune to make an appearance, and right now, not even a hint of a smile plays at his lips.
“Josie, seriously. When the Moon Witches poofed you away, I didn’t know where you were or even if you were still alive. My every thought, every action, every breath, was focused on getting you back. When we found you unharmed, it was like Odin took his knee off my chest and I could breathe again.”
Rune’s gaze oozes nothing but a sincerity so strong it leaves me a little woozy. Or maybe that’s fatigue from expending too much magic fighting a half dozen vampires.
“I’m still mad at you,” I grumble, though we both know there’s no conviction in it.
“Don’t be mad, cher. You kicked ass and now the vampires here know not to mess with you.”
“I doubt that.”
“I overheard a few of them talking while they watched. A couple decided it wasn’t worth the risk to get up on that stage with you.”
Huh. If word got around to the vampires of the Elysian that I’m not easy prey, I could walk freely around the halls of the hotel without fearing for my life. Maybe I could even venture out on my own around the Quarter.
“Believe in your capabilities, Josie. See yourself the way I do.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I’ll try.”
“There is no try. Come on, Josie. Believe it. You are a Sun Witch—a Unity Witch—a force of nature, and a beacon of power that cannot—will not—be subdued!” His tightly wound braids bounce against his scalp with the intensity of his words.
He’s too much.
No, this is just Rune.
Rune’s gaze holds mine, and his voice turns soft, so different from his usual gruff tone. “You have incredible potential, Josie. You’ve barely tapped into it. Together, with our full unity bond explored, we could reach heights of power that would benefit both of us.”
Of course. All this comes back to the unity bond and the fact that he wants to tighten the tether that bound us together the night of the New Moon.
Still, he’s not totally wrong.
No matter how annoying he is, I can’t deny I’m falling for Rune. Compounding the power of key players in the supernatural world is the entire point of Mother Gaia creating the bonds.
It’s her will.
I chew on my lower lip, my mind racing with a million possibilities and uncertainties. I could fall for Rune, but if he doesn’t feel the same way, I refuse to be bound to him as a power booster.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, “So, is this just an exchange of power to you then? Are we a strategy for you to become more?”
Rune leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You are meant to be mine, Josephine. The Fates may have thrown a few speed bumps in our path, but I am surer of our bond with every passing day. You will be mine, and I will be yours.”
I want to refute his claim, but I can’t. It would be a lie to say I don’t feel it too. It’s getting harder to ignore. Instead of fading away, it’s as if the unity bond is slowly tightening its pull, sealing our destiny.
“What about Finn?” I ask, my voice quiet.
“What about him?”
“I’m already bound to him.” As much as Rune and I are growing closer, I don’t want to betray Finn.
“So? You don’t have to choose one or the other. Supernatural society doesn’t live within the same constraints as the human world. The ribbons of the unity bond connected you to three. Monogamy was invented by the Christians.”
“I don’t think that’s entirely accurate.”
Rune waves that away, unconcerned. “You’re missing the point.”
“Which is?”
“We are destined to be—one way or another. It’s why the gods have left me waiting without a Unity Witch these last twenty-five years. They knew you would come home. They know you are my perfect mate—a woman of merit who can also stand on her own, someone as powerful as me.”
“Powerful and humble, too,” I tease.
Rune chuckles, and I swear I feel the flutter of his heart in my own chest.
I want to close the distance between us and slide into his strong embrace. I want to give myself a rest and let him take care of me.
I want Rune. All of him.
And that scares me more than staring down a snarling werewolf.
How can I be sure these emotions are my own? I know Rune isn’t manipulating me with his thrall to put thoughts in my head, but how do I know these feelings aren’t caused by the unity bond?
Magic changes those bound by the moon. If it can grant me powers to raise the dead, then why couldn’t it influence how I feel about Rune?
“What if it’s not real?” I ask. “Doesn’t it bother you to know this might all be the bond and not your free will?”
Rune chuckles. “Mating bonds are common in the supernatural world. They can be annoying and disruptive, but can also be the foundation of incredible pairings. Is our unity bond playing on our emotions? Probably. Does it bother me? Not a bit.”
“How can it not?”
He shrugs. “You embrace your powers because they are a gift from your goddess, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then why is this any different? Your goddess has matched you to the three most powerful vampires in New Orleans. And has given us a beautiful, feisty, powerful witch who can make our eternal lives better. Why would I think that is anything but a fucking windfall?”
Well, when he says it like that…
“It’s pointless fighting it. Bonds like these don’t fizzle out. They are forever. You are mine. I am yours. And the sooner we accept what that means, the sooner we can start building our future.”
I chuckle. “I never pictured you as a guy who contemplates his future.”
He holds his hand out to me from where he’s lounging on the couch. This time, I accept his offer and take a seat on the cushion next to him. When he turns to face me, I feel the power of him through our bond. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, cher, but I know you’re curious.”
Despite my reservations, the ember of intrigue has been smoldering within me for too long to deny it. Spending time with him will bring that attraction to a head.
My gaze falls on his full lips, and I swallow. It would be easier to resist the temptation of the bond if he wasn’t so damned attractive.
He possesses an inescapable level of panty-ruining hotness.
His lips curve into a sultry smile and he dips his chin, staring out at me from beneath hooded eyes. “When you are mine—truly mine—I will cherish you like you deserve to be cherished. I will bathe you in so much pleasure it will melt your brain.”
It’s too late for that. His voice. His scruffy, braided beard. His contagious, full-bellied laugh. That damned lopsided smirk of his, paired with his easy, carefree attitude.
Everything about the Viking sets me off.
I’m one growled word away from giving in and granting Rune whatever he wants—my blood, my body, my firstborn child—deal or no deal.
But thankfully, at least two of my brain cells are still functioning and focused on self-preservation and our agreement.
“So, you promise to train me?” My words come out breathy and desperate.
“It would be my pleasure, mon petit drengr.”
I frown at the word, my brain train derailed by his nearness. Grand-Mère taught me French and ‘drengr’ isn’t a word I recognize.
It doesn’t even sound French. Or Latin.
“And you will fulfill your end of our bargain?”
The thought of Rune sinking his fangs into me has me wet and aching. Still, my heart hurts for another. “What if us doing this severs my unity bond with Finn? I don’t want to lose him.”
I don’t know that I’m willing to lose Fintan to gain Rune. It’s selfish, but I want them both.
Rune said I don’t have to choose, but by the low growl rumbling out of his massive chest, the dynamic of sharing me is going to be tricky.
Faster than my vision can process, Rune leans forward, grabs me by the waist, and I’m suddenly in his lap with his lips at my ear. “I don’t know what will happen, but I won’t give you up simply because you were bound to other men. Is it fair? No. Do I want to share? No. But if that’s the way our bond works, I’ll adjust. As long as when you’re mine—you’re mine.”
I inhale sharply as a shiver tickles its way down my spine, heat pooling low in my belly. I feel his desire, strong and nagging…and it has nothing to do with gaining power.
It’s me. He wants me.
No. He needs me. He craves me.
I swallow and give myself over to the bond. I will accept Mother Gaia’s gift and have faith in her plans for me.
“Show me.” My voice comes out in a whisper.
“Show you what, cher?” His breath warms my neck as a gentle hand runs up the side of my ribs to cup my breast. “You’re gonna have to be more specific. I don’t want any miscommunications.”
Right.He knows damn well what I mean. He wants me to say it out loud.
Shifting in his lap so we’re face-to-face, my thighs straddling his, I peer into those deep hazel eyes and grind against the front of his pants. “Show me what a unity bond with Rune Leifson looks like.”