Chapter Fifteen
Soaring across the cosmos, Thor held onto the chariot with one arm and wrapped his other around Elle, who clung to him so tight he could barely breathe.
A joy unlike anything he'd ever known surged within him.
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr streaked through the heavens like twin comets, their coats glimmering under the nebula's glow.
The rush of cold wind whistled in his ears as they descended beneath the old constellations.
Clusters of distant planets blurred past them.
The brisk atmosphere carried a sharp scent reminiscent of clean frost mingling with electric ozone.
As they sped toward Helheim’s ethereal gateway shimmering on the horizon, Thor couldn’t believe the turn his life had taken in a short span of a week.
They headed for the portal, and before they entered, Val flew by, followed by Loki.
"Really?" Thor called. "You couldn't wait your turn."
Val looked back. "This is my turn."
Elle snickered, and they dove through the portal.
"That one is a pistol," said Thor.
Elle smiled. "You have no idea."
"I'm glad she is. Loki deserves a woman he can't handle after everything he's done."
"Yes," Elle replied. "But does Val deserve him after everything she's been through?"
Thor thought for a moment and wondered if Val had suffered the same abuse Elle had. As a prisoner of Surtr's, he assumed she had, but somehow he doubted she would take a beating from anyone without putting up a fight. Even at the cost of her life.
The chariot popped through the portal, and the Helborn guard on duty dove to the ground as they rushed by. He jumped back to his feet despite wearing full armor and swore at Thor.
Thor waved and continued on.
"I think we scared him," said Elle.
"More likely, we woke him from his nap."
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr clopped down the street, and as they neared the shop, they shrank to the size of bison, then to the size of horses, and finally to their more manageable sizes. They stopped outside the shop's back door.
"It's been a long time since we've been out for a race across the stars, hasn't it, boys?" Thor scratched their backs, and the goats bleated and pawed at the ground.
Thor helped Elle from the chariot and hoisted the heavy chest full of her belongings off as well. He carried the chest to the door and returned to unharness the goats.
"I quite enjoyed the ride," said Elle. "Perhaps we can make it a regular thing."
Thor stared at her. "You jest?"
She shook her head. "No. It was quite thrilling. And if Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr like it, why not? Mortals take their dogs for a walk; why can't we take the goats for a run?"
Thor’s heart swelled. He couldn't love her more. He'd never taken a woman on his chariot before, but with Elle, like everything else with her, it felt right.
"If you think that is thrilling, wait until you experience the rush of the wind on your face as we ride down the coast on my bike."
Elle nodded. "Sorry, but I'm sure nothing will compare to being pulled across the nine realms by two enormous thundering goats."
She was probably right.
Thor opened the door and hefted her out of the way. The goats butted in and ran straight for their water trough.
"Manners!" Thor called before taking Elle's hand. "You'd think they were raised by animals or something."
Elle laughed. "Teaching them some manners will be quite an adventure for the future."
The future. He hardly believed he was talking about it with someone.
Thor led her out to the shop floor and picked her up, carrying her up the winding metal staircase to his apartment above. He pushed the door inward, and Elle stared, wide-eyed as she took in his place.
"What the..."
Thor chuckled and walked through the entrance to the living room and set her on the plush white rug.
"Where did you find all this?"
Thor looked around the cream-and-green interior of his apartment.
He'd spent close to a hundred years procuring the items for every inch of his place.
Sculptures from Norway. Tables and artifacts from the Netherlands.
An authentic four-poster cherry wood sleigh bed, complete with posters carved as dragons, from Sweden.
Every single item in his apartment had been purchased from a private collector or a museum.
As far as Thor was concerned, he'd made his apartment as close to Asgard as possible.
He walked to the massive hutch on one wall and began taking off his armor, placing it back where it had sat before that day, untouched for centuries.
He unstrapped his breastplate and slung it over his head. "Mainly Europe. Though not from Asgard, it's all Norse, and I was able to rebuild or repair everything in poor condition. Everything except the kitchen, of course, that's state of the art."
Elle walked into the kitchen and ran her fingers over the granite countertop. "You do remember that I can't cook, right?"
He unstrapped his shin guards. "It still looks nice. And if you ever want to learn, you'll have the best money can buy."
She raised her eyebrows and smirked like there was a joke he wasn't in on.
She stepped into the dining room, and Thor removed his boots and followed her in.
She stared at the table shaped like a Viking long boat. The sixty-foot boat had taken a lot of finessing to fit into his apartment, but it had been worth it.
"It's called an Oseberg ship," said Thor. "It was discovered in a burial mound in Norway. I had to resurface the wood. I think I did a decent job."
Elle stared at the glass-covered boat. "This is... amazing," she said. "How many people does it fit?"
"Thirty, on each side, probably. I've never had anyone over to use it, so I'm not sure."
Elle walked along the table, running her fingers over the backs of the chairs. "A real Viking ship. With dragon's heads carved in the front and back. Incredible." Her gaze traveled over the intricate scrollwork, and Thor felt a sense of pride at her admiration.
She chuckled. "I think you underestimate how many people would fit at this table."
"When we host our first family dinner, we can find out."
Elle's gaze shot to his. "We?" She stopped moving. "You still want there to be a 'we'?"
In the rush of everything that had happened, Thor hadn't had time to think about what they had been through. The lying, but also the honesty. The tears, but also the laughter. The fear, but also the immense happiness.
"I do," he said. "I don't like that you didn't tell me about your past, but... I did tell you it didn't matter to me who you were, only who you are. And unless I lied to you, I have to be okay with you not telling me."
She nodded and continued down the table.
Thor's gut clenched. Had she changed her mind? Had her newfound independence caused her to see he wasn't worthy of her?
"What about you?" he asked. "You aren't obligated to me because my family came to your rescue."
She stopped, and her eyes narrowed. "You are aware I could've handled myself. I was doing fine before you showed up."
Thor wrinkled up his face. "Were you, though?"
Elle threw her hands in front of her, and a group of thick, fiery bands flew from her fingers and snaked around his body. The ropes warmed but did not burn his skin.
"I can heat them up for you if they aren't warm enough," she chided.
Arousal stirred inside Thor. He flexed against the bands, but they didn't budge. He flexed again, this time trying to break free. Elle raised her palm, and the bands tightened around him.
She smirked.
A thrill of excitement mixed with a trickle of fear inside him. He'd never been bound by something he couldn't break.
Elle sauntered around the table toward him.
"Have you been able to do this all along?"
"Among other things. I told you I literally made the jewelry with my hands."
"I see that now." He tested the bands again.
They didn't budge.
Elle stopped a foot from him and looked him up and down. For the first time, he took a long look at her in her curve-hugging dress. The sight made his arousal kick up. How had he not noticed before? Maybe it was because he'd been focused on making sure she wasn't married off to someone else.
Elle glided towards him, pulling a wooden chair from the table with an easy grace.
Smoothly placing it behind him, she gave a gentle push until he settled into its embrace.
Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she circled around, laying her fingers on the ethereal bands.
They shimmered and writhed like serpents, sliding off his chest to tightly coil around his arms, securing him to the chair.
With a playful smile, she perched herself on his lap.
Thor strained against the magical bindings; every fiber of his being screamed to hold her close. The intensity of his desire was a tempest, threatening to burst forth at any moment.
Elle’s features glowed. A mesmerizing mixture of light and darkness woven together under her skin like an enchanted tapestry.
Elle leaned closer, and warmth radiated from her body like basking in sunlight after days beneath stormy skies. His heart thundered, matching the wild chaos of emotions swirling between them.
An unspoken electricity flowed between them; a promise hanging heavy amidst whispered desires.
He flexed again, wanting to grab onto her. To hold her.
Elle gripped his chin. "Don't break the chair. I like it."
Thor fought to control himself as Elle's hands moved up his chest, her fingers threading through his hair. The sensation made him groan.
Elle leaned in with purpose, catching his bottom lip between her teeth before teasing him with a slow slip of her tongue. Thor responded, kissing her with an intensity that belied his restraint, only for her to pull back.
"I'm in charge now." Her voice came out confident, carrying the weight of newfound authority.
Thor couldn't suppress a grin. "Wow. So you've found your big girl voice."