Mischief's Mate (The Immortal Mates Book 1) (24 page)

Chantelle’s hands began to tremble as she wiped at her eyes. She had loved him from the first dream they shared. So why was it so hard for her to open up to him? To show him that he wasn’t alone, that there was someone that loved him and that someone was her.

It wasn’t love she feared. No, she had longed for it from a young age. It was his strength and command that frightened her. Loki was a strong man; his spirit made of fire. Chantelle worried that his strength would make her appear weak. Force her to lean on him when times were tough, instead of standing on her own.

She shook her head that was preposterous. Frigga had explained the bond of mates to her further as they sat vigil over Emma. He could only ever think of her as his equal, even if he had a hard time showing it right now. In time he would learn that they were a team.

The Norse Queen had told her that she should never doubt his love for her. Loki loved her. Only her. No one before and no one after. She was his rightful Fatum Anima. From now until the end of time their souls were joined.

So why was giving in to him so hard? He wasn’t asking her to give up who she was. Only to allow him to love and keep her. It was something no one else ever wanted to do for her.

Somehow Chantelle had to find the strength to give Loki a chance. She realized that she couldn’t fight her feelings any longer. The more she pushed him away, the more her soul called out to him.

Chantelle hadn’t realized that as she was thinking her feet carried her through the woods. When her musing ceased she noticed that she was out of the woods and in a small clearing. Her eyes took in the sight of Loki kneeling over a tiny rabbit. At first glance Chantelle thought he was petting the animal. But as she moved closer to him, she noticed the blood on the animal’s light brown fur.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. Loki sat before the fallen animal, his eyes closed. He had gone into a healing trance; the most vulnerable position an immortal could be in.

Tomas had explained to her that when an immortal healed, he needed a second. Someone to watch over him as he sought inside himself to heal. Yet here Loki was alone healing a tiny animal and not caring that their enemy could be near.

In a flash, the little creature stirred and sat up. Chantelle’s eyes darted toward Loki’s and she was captivated. He was no longer looking at the little animal, now he was watching her; pleading for her to understand him with his deep green eyes.

He held his hand out to her, “Come here, Chantelle.”

This was a test and she knew it. He could force her compliance but Loki wanted her to come to him on her own. To accept him for all he was. His dark and his light. Chantelle moved forward taking his hand. She allowed him to guide her down next to him. A contented sigh left her when he tucked her into his side.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” His long fingers continued to caress the soft fur.

She couldn’t trust her voice so Chantelle just nodded. He took her hand in his and brought it to the little creature. Chantelle expected it to bolt at her touch, yet it stayed quiet beneath their hands. The moment she ran her fingers through its fur a feeling of peace filled her.

“I know someone who is by far more beautiful.” He leaned forward, his breath tickling her ear.  “I have something I wish to share with you.”

All she could do was nod her head; he was too close to for Chantelle to think straight. “I have this recurring nightmare. In it I am loved for who I am and I miss the opportunity to be a better man. Chantelle, all I am asking for is a reason to change. So that nightmare does not become a reality for me.”

A reason? She had come here with the intentions of giving him just that. Chantelle had already admitted her love for him, at least to herself. She felt as if there was some invisible string that connected their hearts. Every time she denied him she ached a little more.

Chantelle knew he was trying to prove she could trust him. In three days he hadn’t overstepped any bounds she had set. Anything that had happened between them she had wanted. She had gladly welcomed his touch and his few kisses.

Loki sat next to her a humble and gentle man, not a centuries old immortal. As a matter of fact, from all the stories she had heard, he should have been ruthless and manipulative. Trying to bend her to his will and yet he was asking for her love.

When Chantelle looked at him her heart screamed for her to say yes. To give him more than her friendship, to give him her love. Her soul ached to ease his loneliness; to ease her own. But she needed to know what his motives were. She needed to know that what she was agreeing to was on the up and up. Chantelle refused to be his concubine. Did they even have concubines any longer?

“Loki, what exactly are you asking of me?”

She was so confused. Chantelle had never wanted someone more than she wanted him. Yet she was afraid to lose herself in a whirlwind romance. Especially if it would end up with her having a broken heart.

He cupped her cheek and caressed it with his fingers. With that one touch he stilled her chaotic thoughts. All of her fears vanished. Everything was replaced with thoughts of him loving her.

“I am not asking for anything you do not wish to give. But know this; I have already given you my everything.”

Hot damn, she was going to be in trouble. Because she was willing to give him a lot. As a matter of fact, Chantelle was sure that he could claim her on the forest floor and she wouldn’t try to stop him.

“Anything?” It was a whisper between them.

“Even if I must forever be only your friend.”

They had moved closer in their exchange. So close that Chantelle felt his breath ghosting over her lips. Her eyes darted from his eyes to his lips. Just looking at his mouth had her remembering the feel of him against her. In an instant Chantelle’s body raged to life.

She wanted him in ways she had never wanted anyone. Chantelle could just imagine what it would feel like to submit to his every desire. To lie beside him as they slept. To love him and be loved by him in return.

Did she really love him already? They were just getting to know each other. Loki had just stopped acting like lord of the manor with her. How could she love such a powerful immortal on nothing more than three days and a lifetime of dreams?

There was something about the way he looked at her. Chantelle couldn’t place the feeling it gave her, but she was sure it was something deeper than friendship. What other feeling could it be, but love? If she was being completely honest with herself she had always loved Loki. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him, Chantelle was caught. Her heart belonged to him from that first dream.

Loki noticed how still Chantelle had become. This was his chance and he was going to take it. He’d be damned if he didn’t go down without a fight. Slowly he pulled her to him, capturing her lips with his own. Loki coaxed Chantelle to return his kiss. Eagerly she rained kisses on him and his body stirred to life.

He pulled away to slow the pace. When Chantelle leaned forward eager for more he caught her bottom lip between his teeth. He felt his desire for her skyrocket when she moaned into his mouth. Loki had waited his whole life for her. To have her eager with one kiss eased his aching heart.

He fisted his hand in her chocolate curls, dragging her closer to him still. Bringing her against his body. Filling Chantelle’s every soft curve with a hard angle. A whimper escaped her lips when his hand slid from her hair down her back and over her hip. Cupping her curves, Loki’s hand began to caress her side.

When he pulled away from her lips he trailed open mouth kisses down her throat. Loki’s teeth gently scraped her delicate skin as his hand came up to cup her breast. He groaned against her throat when he felt her nipple pebble beneath his hand.

His erection was straining against the front of his pants. Loki would have given anything to be able to fill her body at that moment. But he knew that would have pushed her further away from him.

The way she responded to him was making it hard for Loki to think straight. Reluctantly he pulled away from her. Chantelle’s tiny hands grasped at his coat to keep her steady.

She looked up at him through her lashes, a blush painting her cheeks. Chantelle felt emboldened by what they had just shared and she moved forward to taste him again. Loki placed his finger against her kiss swollen lips. A frown now pulling at their corners. Rejection stole into her heart. After all of this he was pushing her away. She had been so stupid to think he could really want her the way she wanted him.

“Chantelle, I do not wish to claim you on the forest floor.”

She felt her heart pound harder at the thought of him claiming her. She had fought her body and soul for so long, she was tired. Chantelle needed to admit she loved Loki and now would be a good time.

“Loki, I…”

He shook his head to silence her. “Do not say something you will regret. Do not confuse desire for love.”

Chantelle’s face fell at his words. Here she was trying to say she loved him and Loki just had to be an ass. Would he ever just let her speak her mind before he assumed he knew her? In a huff she was on her feet. Well, if he wanted to act like an ass he could stay in the woods by himself and she wouldn’t even spare him a backward glance.

“You just had to go and ruin it with your stupid assumptions.” Loki began to rise but stopped at her raised hand. “Don’t bother. I have nothing more to say.”

Chantelle turned and disappeared into the tree line. She was going back to camp. She planned to hide in her tent for the rest of the night. Chantelle didn’t want to have to face Loki after he had basically told her that she didn’t love him.

Being pushed away like that just crushed her. She had wanted nothing more than to give herself to him out of love. By refusing her advances he had shown her exactly where she stood with him. And that was nowhere.

The room was bathed in soft shades of twilight; it seemed to cast an angelic glow over Emma’s resting form. Savannah sat beside the bed in an oversized chair, her hands steepled before her as she watched the healing take place. Her eyes darting between her young friend and Tomas. Savannah wondered how much longer he could keep this up.

His brows were creased in concentration as he tried to keep her alive. His dark hazel eyes growing darker as he redoubled his efforts. His whole body seemed to hum with a healing energy; the sight was amazing to witness. And if Savannah was honest with herself a bit of a turn on.

It wasn’t his brute strength that caught her. It was the fact that Tomas’ strength lay in his compassion. A great healer could only heal from his own soul. And to hold Emma away from death the way he was, only meant that his entire heart was wrapped up in this.

Tomas hadn’t left Emma’s side since he arrived three days ago. He had begun to remind Savannah of Chantelle. They were both single minded in their efforts to keep her alive. It didn’t matter how much strain it put on them, or if it cost them their life. To Tomas and Chantelle, Emma was worth whatever effort they put forth.

Their selflessness was shocking to her. Savannah had no siblings and her mother never was the type to coddle her. As a matter of fact, she was downright abusive but being friends with Chantelle had taught her what family was about. Nine years ago Savannah was alone in the world but not anymore, the Hale girls were now her family.

Studying Tomas once more, she realized that he didn’t know just how tired he was becoming. Maybe he didn’t notice it, but the longer she sat with him the more she noticed his fatigue. When she had first met the healer his clothes were pristine but now they were a wrinkled mess. His once neat curls were now in a state of disarray. His deep hazel eyes no longer seemed to shine. Yet he was headless of his state, much like Chantelle always was.

The parallels between the two were jarring. So much so that Savannah longed to ease the suffering he was going through; to ease the lines of strain around his eyes. Savannah wanted to convince him that everything was going to work out for the best.

Despite the whispers about the castle, Tomas seemed to be a good man. He risked his own life by coming forward and informing them of what had happened. He could have just told them there was nothing he could do for her. But instead he had not only stayed to heal her, he had told them how to stop the spell.

In Savannah’s eyes that made Tomas a hero. It didn’t matter what he had done before. She couldn’t care less that at one point he was a ruthless warlord. Or that he only had known of Signe’s plan because their enemy wished to align with him. None of that mattered to her, so long as he saved Emma. A person could change as long as they were given the chance. Perhaps this was what Tomas needed to become better, to be able to find his mate.

Savannah couldn’t stand to think because an immortal was thought to be consumed by darkness, he could never know love. To think that someone’s past could dictate their future; that they wouldn’t be given a chance to change, it bothered her.

But the thought of Tomas finding someone to make him happy also seemed to rub her the wrong way. It was the thought of him with some woman who didn’t understand him, when she knew she did so well. Tomas looked up from Emma and his eyes met her’s. He looked as if he had heard her thoughts.

Savannah hoped she was giving him a heart stopping smile, “Would you like something to eat?”

He rose from his chair and began to pace over the marble floor, his boots filling the air with a deep tapping. Tomas ran his hands threw his hair as if he was trying to straighten it.

“That would be…”

Before Tomas could finish what he was saying Bragi cut him off, “My woman is not your maid. If you wish to eat call a servant.”

Bragi had come upon them without warning and Savannah was staggered by the anger in his voice. How dare he act as if she was his? Hadn’t he been with some floosie only a short time ago? The reminder of what she had seen only set her temper aflame once again. There was no way she was going to stand here and take any crap from him.