Claimed by Her Viking Wolf (14 page)

“
I’ll
run you a bath, I promise, just as—”

“
A
bath?” Kim couldn’t keep the yearning out of her voice, or her surprise. “You
Vikings bathe? You do mean a tub, right, not a dunk in the river?”

Asger
laughed.

“
Of
course we do. True, most of us use the river, but we do have a tub we can fill
for that purpose. It takes time and effort, but I will gladly invest that in my
kona
,
just as soon as I’ve seen to
this.”

He spun round as he said that, and the “this” he
was referring to became apparent. Kim too, looked over to their right, where an
imposing black wolf had just appeared.
Asger
drew her
behind him, and Kim didn’t know where to look, when said wolf shifted into a
dirty and bloody dark haired, bearded man. Pain filled eyes connected with
hers, and
Asger
swore as the stranger collapsed at
their feet.

Asger
bend to sniff him,
and then flung the injured man over his shoulder.

“
Meet
Ralloph
,” he said, and took off at a jog toward the
village.

Chapter
Thirteen

Something was very wrong with
Asger’s
brother-in-law. That much was clear, as Kim tried her best to keep up with the
punishing pace
Asger
set. Her stomach churned seeing
his tunic turn red with the other man’s blood.
Asger’s
howl brought people running, and Kim threw a wary glance at
Guta’s
dwelling as they passed, but there was no sign of
Asger’s
sister. Presumably she was fast asleep and missing all this drama. Kim was
jostled to the right and almost lost her footing. By the time she got her
balance back the throng of people had moved on. She could just about see
Asger’s
tall form disappear into the meeting hall.

The thin trail of blood on the ground gave her
renewed palpitations. Something wasn’t right here.
Ralloph
was a wolf shifter, so he should be healing, not bleeding out, unless…

Breaking into a jog, and ignoring the unfamiliar
aches in her nether regions, Kim went after
Asger
. In
truth, she was surprised she didn’t hurt more.
Asger
was huge, and after their strenuous activity she ought to be hobbling. While
her ass felt sore, it was only a slight discomfort. Maybe it was the extra
adrenaline pumping through her system, or maybe it was their mating bond—
Asger
had said her body would adapt to accommodate his.
Whatever the reason, now was not the time to contemplate this, not with the
village in impending danger. There was no doubt in her mind that they were
under threat. The heavily armed warriors running from the meeting hall in
different directions confirmed her suspicions. When she entered it was to find
utter chaos.

Everyone was talking at once.
Asger
had placed
Ralloph
on top of one of the long tables.
He’d shrugged out of his long tunic. Using it as a makeshift bandage of sorts,
he pressed it into the wound on
Ralloph’s
side, his
expression grim. A wary looking Lord
Liufr
listened
to whatever
Ralloph
was saying.

Kim couldn’t make out the specifics, but ducking
around several people, she made her way to
Asger’s
side. When she placed her hands over the makeshift bandage he gave her a tight
nod, before he addressed his father.

“
We’re
going into war, it seems then.” Those few words hung in the air, and silence
fell upon the hall. Kim blinked back tears as the enormity of the situation she
was witnessing settled in her stomach like lead.

“
Ja,
so it would seem.”
Liufr
put his hand on
Ralloph’s
head. “You did well to warn us, my son. Rest now. You will be dining in
Valhöll
soon.”

Ralloph
shut his eyes. He groaned when Kim pressed harder
on the wound. The bleeding had slowed down at last. It meant Kim could risk a
peep at the wound. Just as she’d suspected it wasn’t that deep. Deeper than
Asger’s
had been, but not deep enough for him not to be
able to heal.

“
Asger
?” At her urgent shout,
Asger
looked up from the quiet discussion he was having
with her father. Lord
Liufr
frowned, but
Asger
must have picked up on her thoughts, because he
walked over.

“
Ja,
minn
kona
.
What is troubling you?” he
asked.

“
Why is he not healing,
Asger
?”
Kim removed the blood soaked tunic, exposing the jagged wound. “That’s not that
deep. He’s a shifter. He should heal, right?”

Asger
frowned and nodded. His father, too, stepped
closer to see.

“
Maybe they used some form of poison on him.”

“
No, that’s not it.” Kim shook her head, dimly
aware of the older man’s eyebrow rising to his hairline. A murmur went up in
the crowd, and
Asger
stepped closer to her in silent
support. She sensed his confusion, the little murmur in her head to tread
carefully. She knew enough of Viking history to know you didn’t openly defy a
Lord, but in this instance
Liufr
was wrong.

“
Look.” Kim raised the bandage again to reveal
a clean cut with no sign of infection. “I’m not an expert, by any means, but
this looks clean. Not unlike
Asger’s
was when I found
him. He didn’t heal either, until … well, I mean what if he’s not healing
because he needs
Guta
? What if this is that whole
válað
thing at play here.”

At the mention of
Guta
,
Ralloph
opened his eyes. He shook his head, and
Asger
, too, voiced his denial.

“
We
only get one
válað
.
Guta
already met and lost hers. Let
Ralloph
die without
giving him false hope.
 
Besides, she
needs her rest, not worry over something she cannot hope to change. We all have
our destiny to fulfil.”

“
And what about
Guta
?”
Kim asked, changing tactics.
Asger
stroked his beard
in that way he had when he was frustrated about something.

“
What about my daughter,
kona
of my son?” Lord
Liufr
asked. Kim swallowed hard
under the piercing glare of the older man. Right now
Asger’s
father looked every inch the hardened warrior he was rumored to be.
Asger
, too, straightened up and frowning, shook his head at
her, as though to warn her not to pursue this. Kim, however, couldn’t just let
this lie.

“
Ralloph
is her husband. She has a
right to know he’s here. I would want to be here, if that was
Asger
lying there.” Her voice broke on the last few words,
and
Asger
pulled her into his frame with a muttered
curse.

Kim resisted, not wanting to loosen the pressure on
Ralloph’s
wound.
 
At
Liufr’s
quiet command one of the slave girls stepped up to take over.

“
It is not me,
sváss
.”

Kim sniffed into his broad chest at being called his beloved.

“
Even so, she needs to be here, please. Trust
me on this.” Kim pushed against
Asger’s
chest, and
after a moment’s hesitation he let her go. Tipping her chin up, he searched her
expression. Whatever he saw in her fa
ce
seemed to make up his mind
for him. He said something to his father that Kim couldn’t quite catch, but the
older man sighed.

“
Fine, have it your way. Who can understand
the working of a female mind?”

Kim should have been annoyed at that statement, but when she turned around
to look at him, she saw the grudging respect in his eyes. She dipped her head,
and Lord
Liufr
smiled.

It wasn’t long before the commotion at the entrance heralded
Guta’s
arrival. Her beautiful face pinched in worry, she
made her way to
Ralloph’s
side as fast as her heavy
gait allowed. Kim could tell every step hurt, but
Guta
made it. A shudder went through
Ralloph’s
frame when
she grasped his hand. Holding it up to her chest,
Asger’s
sister bent to kiss her husband. Some of his strength appeared to return to
Ralloph
, because he lifted his hand, and kissed her back.

Kim’s heart beat faster at what she was witnessing. There was no doubt
in her mind that
Ralloph
and
Guta
loved each other. It was plain to see.
Asger
murmured
something and drew her back into his frame. Kim took strength at the contact.
She didn’t even realize she was crying, until
Asger
swiped her tears away with one of his large hands.

“
How did you know?” The whispered question in
her ear made her cry harder. She turned in his arms, seeking his warmth. With
his strong heartbeat under her ear, peace settled over her.

“
I didn’t, not really. It was a hunch.
Something she said, that’s all. We should stitch his wound.”

Kim felt him nod.

“
I will do it. Get me a chair.”
Guta’s
voice rang out, and when her father shook his head,
she squared up to him.

“
Yes, I will. My side is by my husband.” She
smiled at
Ralloph
while she said that, and he gave
her a weak smile in return.
Guta
turned to address
Kim.

“
Thank you for making them get me.”
 

Kim stepped up and drew the other woman in for a hug.

“
It’s the least I could do.”

Guta
nodded. She sat down heavily on the chair, and
then proceeded to stitch up her husband.
Ralloph’s
eyes never left hers, and Kim grew a bit misty-eyed again.
Asger
stayed close by, hovering, especially when
Guta
refused to leave.

Eventually she was persuaded to move, only because
Ralloph
had stabilized, and they could move him to the homestead he shared with
Guta
. By the time everything had settled down, Kim was dead
on her feet. At
Asger’s
insistence she, too, climbed
into bed having managed to finally freshen up. Sadly not in the promised bath,
but with the aid of another cold bucket of water. Kim didn’t think she would
get any sleep. In the end, however, she fell into an exhausted slumber, almost
immediately as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning brought the news that
Ralloph
was healing, and
Guta
had gone into labor. Just as
everyone had feared it proved a difficult birth, but the dawn of the next day,
saw
Guta
hold a dark haired little boy, the image of
his father. Kim burst into tears again, witnessing the tender moment between
the newborn and his parents.
Asger
laughingly pulled
her to one side, when he noticed, but he, too, blinked away rather suspicious
looking moisture from his eyes.

It made Kim realize more than ever that she would have to make a
decision about her future, just as soon as she knew if there was a future here
for her.

Ralloph’s
return had thrown the village into a
combative mood. Everyone who could hold a weapon readied themselves for an
imminent attack from his clan.
Asger
had explained
how
Ralloph
had been held prisoner by his own
brother, had been tortured for information, until he could finally make his
escape.

It seemed
Ralloph’s
brother had delusions of
grandeur. Not content with being under Lord
Liufr’s
rule, he wanted the title and lands for himself.
 
The man was ruthless and unhinged.

Worry for
Asger
and the village she was fast
coming to love as home meant that Kim insisted on learning how to fight.
Asger
had laughed his ass off, when she first suggested he
teach her how to use a sword.

“
There is no need. You are no shield-maiden,
minn
kona
.
I do not want you put in danger.”

Kim had positively growled at him.

“
I’m in danger just by being here. If you
think that I’m going to just sit here, waiting to be rescued like some damsel
in distress, you’ve got another think coming. I know I won’t ever be a warrior,
but you can at least teach me to defend myself. If you’re not willing to do so,
I’ll just have to find myself another man who will.”

That little outburst had earned her a spanking with his belt, followed
by a round of hot sex that still made her toes curl under, remembering his
intensity.

However, she got her wish. It meant she was covered in bruises from
head to toe. Muscles she didn’t even know she had hurt, but Kim knew how to
handle a sword, dagger and shield with relative competenc
e
.

Even her stoic father-in-law had smiled and nodded, after witnessing a
training session.

“
You would have made a fine shield-maiden. I
am sure your daughters will be. You will give me fine strong grandsons.” He’d
smiled at her, winked at his son, and left. For
Asger’s
part, he hadn’t quite looked at her. Dread had settled in her heart.

She knew
Asger
didn’t totally understand her
form of contraception and what it did. All he’d taken from that discussion
they’d had while he’d still been buried deep inside her body after one of their
increasingly more desperate bouts of lovemaking was that she didn’t want his
childr
en.