Perfekt Order (The Ære Saga Book 1) (31 page)

But when I saw him leaning against the open
refrigerator door, shoulders drawn with tension as he moved milk,
butter and cheese to the island countertop, my rebuttal ebbed. He
was in the middle of a living hell, and I was upset over a
temporary living situation.

I shook my head.
Pick your battles,
Ahlström. His day’s going
way
worse than yours
.

“Here.” I crossed to the cabinet and pulled
out the grater, knowing full well Tyr was making his special brand
of comfort food. “Let me help. I’ll grate the cheese.”

Tyr’s shoulders sagged with relief as he
handed me the block of cheddar. “Thank you, Mia.” He kissed the
back of my head as I began shredding. “I’m sorry about all of this.
I swear I’m doing everything in my power to set it right.”

“I know you are.” I moved the cheese along
the blades. “But you don’t have to do everything by yourself all
the time.”

Tyr’s laugh was dry. “How about I let you
help me dissect the nerves after I bag the bear. Sound fair?”

“Hardly. But I’m assuming you’re done
negotiating for the day?”

“You assume correctly.” Tyr pulled some bacon
out of the fridge and tossed it onto the counter. “I’ll leave as
soon as the stars come out. It’s easier to smuggle a bear around
the woods in the middle of the night than it is during the day. You
never know who’s watching.”

I shivered. “You think someone besides the
wolf is watching you?”

“Who knows? Luck favors the prepared, right?”
Tyr dropped a stick of butter into the pan, then whisked in some
flour. A whole stick of butter? No wonder his mac and cheese was so
good.

I set the grater in the sink and handed Tyr
the cheese as he filled a pan with water and brought it to a
boil.

“That’s why I’ve got everything I need for
the dissection set up in the garage.”

“Serious?” I blinked.

“Serious.” He added milk, cheese, salt and
pepper to the flour mixture, then poured the noodles into the pan
of water.

“It’s like the bloody Batcave around
here.”

“You wish,” Tyr teased. “After we eat, I want
you to take a shower and get comfortable. Brynn should have left a
change of clothes for you.”

“When did she do that?”

“Henrik messaged her while we drove home.”
Tyr shrugged. “He should be here soon with the rest of your stuff.
After dark, I’ll go sedate the bear. We’ll extract the nerves,
double check all the ingredients are in the safe, and we can both
be in bed by ten-thirty.”

“Easy as that, huh?” My stomach flopped. So
many things could go wrong between now and then.

“Easy as that.” Tyr came over and sat on the
stool next to me. He took my hands in his and kissed each palm in
turn. A pulse shot up my arm and went straight to my lower abdomen.
Bear hunter. Immortal warrior. Superhuman kisser. God. This man was
unreal.

When the timer eventually beeped, Tyr stood
to remove the dish from the oven. He doled out generous portions
and returned to the island with two heaping bowls.

“Now eat up,
prinsessa
. We’ve got a
long evening ahead.”

****

Henrik didn’t come home that night. He didn’t
answer his phone, either. Tyr filled his voicemail with messages,
each more frantic than the last. While he buzzed around the room,
doing that still-unbelievable flying thing in his panic, I pulled
out my phone and texted Brynn.

Where is Henrik?

A moment later, I got a response.

With me. There’s a bit of a situation. We
have it under control.

I typed quietly.

Tyr’s freaking out.

Brynn’s response made me giggle.

Must be a day ending in “y.” Tell him we’ve
got this. Do whatever you have to do to get the rest of the
ingredients, NOW. Tell Tyr I said ingredients are Code Orange. I’ll
send Henrik as soon as I can. Bye!!

Tyr stopped moving at the sound of my
laughter. His eyes fell to my phone. “What is it?”

“Henrik’s with Brynn. Apparently there’s a
situation, but they have it under control. She thinks you should do
the bear thing right away, though.”

“I’ll get Freya to stay with you. Let me call
her.” Tyr brought his phone to his ear and began a heated
conversation. “What do you mean you’re still securing the northwest
compound? I thought the reinforcements were almost finished?”

There was a long pause.

“I see. And Forse? He hasn’t left Elsa’s has
he?” Tyr’s eyes closed. “All right. I’ll figure something out. Take
care of things there.”

He shoved his phone in his back pocket and
squared his shoulders.

“Freya’s busy?” I kept my tone light to
offset the heaviness in my gut.

“I’m not going. I won’t leave you here by
yourself.”

“I’ll be fine. Put an extra spell on the
house or give me one of your fancy space weapons or something.” I
shot my brightest smile at Tyr, and he flinched.

“Maybe I can get Brynn to—”

“You want me to trust you? That works both
ways. I can take care of myself,” I said gently.

Tyr’s eyes softened. “I know you think that.
But this monster…”

“Isn’t going to get within a hundred feet of
me. I’ve shot plenty of guns.” I pointed at the secret space-gun
closet. “Just give me one of those.”

Tyr glanced at the closet, then back at me.
He crossed to the door and opened it. He reached in and handed me a
rifle. “Fine. But the fancy space weapons are too risky. Do you
need a refresher on how to use this one?”

“You’ve seen me shoot. I’m better than you.”
I winked.

“In your dreams.” Tyr kissed the top of my
head. “I don’t like leaving you, Mia. The bear can wait until Brynn
and Henrik get back.”

“Maybe. But if it matters, Brynn said to tell
you the ingredients were Code Orange.”

Tyr froze. “Let me see.”

I handed him my phone. His face turned white
as he read the text. “
Förbaskat
.”

“Go.” I nudged him through the front door. He
stood on the porch, casting enchantments in a wide circle. A thick
lavender bubble formed around the property line, anchored to the
ground by a swirling black mist.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He typed on
his phone and squinted at the screen. “There’s a black bear fishing
a hundred yards south of here. This shouldn’t take long.”

“There’s an Asgardian app for bear
tracking?”

“There’s an app for everything.”

“Well, I’ll be here.” I kissed his cheek and
pushed him off the porch. “Go.”

Tyr stared at me. “Are you sure you’re okay
with this?”

I picked up the rifle and held it at eye
level. I took aim at a rock just inside the left edge of the
property, and fired off a shot. The rock exploded in a spray of
tiny shrapnel.

“I’m good,” I assured Tyr.

“Great Odin, you’re so beautiful right now.
If I didn’t have to…” He tore his eyes away from me and jogged into
the forest. He yelled over his shoulder as he ran. “I’ve got plans
for you when I get back.”

“Hurry home,” I called after him. Then I went
back into the house and locked the door.

And I waited.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I
stood in
Tyr’s garage, huddled over the sleeping body of a live bear. The
animal exhaled softly as Tyr made an incision in its upper deltoid.
Tyr’s tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he worked. If
the situation weren’t so dire, I would have teased Tyr about his
tic.

“Pass me the smaller scalpel.” Tyr held out
his hand. He hadn’t been kidding—there was a full laboratory setup
in his garage. Next to the motorcycle he’d arranged a sturdy
operating table, complete with complicated lighting apparatus and
medical machines I’d never seen in a human hospital.

In the middle of it all lay eight feet of
sleeping bear. His thick black fur popped against the matte metal
table, and his paws were so massive I was sure he’d take us both
out with one swipe if he knew he was being operated on.

“You’re sure he won’t wake up, right?” I kept
my voice low while I searched through the tray of surgical
equipment. When I found the small scalpel, I handed it to Tyr.

“Pretty sure.” He grinned. He bent to kiss my
cheek before returning to the bear’s shoulder. “You can go inside
if you’re scared.”

“No way.” I shook my head. “I want to help
you.”

“I love that about you.” Tyr looked up.
“You’re something else, Mia. I’m sorry for all of this. I never
meant to put you in danger. I swear if anything happens to
you…”

Tyr turned his attention to his work. He
didn’t look up again.

I moved closer and put my hand on his back.
His muscles were knotted under my touch, and my gut tugged as I
thought about everything he’d experienced. From losing his parents
to the childhood pet he’d asked to keep alive, to bearing
responsibility for the security of
the entire universe
, Tyr
had shouldered more in his lifetime than I could possibly fathom.
It was heartbreaking.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“For what?” Tyr kept working.

“For everything you’ve been through. Losing
your parents. Fighting for Elsa. Being betrayed by Fenrir.
Protecting your realm. All of it. I can’t imagine how hard it’s
been. I’m sorry.”

“I chose this life.” Tyr shrugged. “I knew
what was involved.”

“But you were born into your title.
Right?”

“I came into it through my parents when they
adopted me, yes. But I could have walked away. It’s happened
before. Vanaheim is filled with birthright titleds who passed on
their posts. I knew what being God of War would entail once I came
of age and the job was explained to me, and I stayed on to take it.
I own that choice, so don’t feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for the
gods who died looking out for me.”

Tyr reached for a long pair of tweezers and
continued his operation. I stood just behind him, my view slightly
obstructed. Since he was doing fine without me, I rubbed his back
softly. “Are you talking about your parents?”

“My parents,” he confirmed. “And my
bodyguards.”

“Henrik’s not dead.”

“No. But the four guards I had before him
are.” Tyr didn’t look up.

“Oh. Oh, Tyr.” I rested my cheek on his
shoulder blade. “I’m so sorry.”

“The only thing they did wrong was choose to
work for me. It’s why I turned Henrik down for so long when he
applied for the job. But he’s the best at what he does, and Odin
finally overruled my objection. I’ve had more hits on my life than
any other god. Being involved with me is suicide.”

“Are we still talking about your
bodyguards?”

Tyr put his tools down and turned to face me.
His normally stoic eyes looked moist. Too moist.

Was he going to cry?

“Immortal beings have died because of their
association with me. I’m terrified… terrified that they’ll kill
you, too.”

“Fenrir’s not going to get me.” I lifted his
chin with my finger. “You’re going to get that rope and trap him,
remember?”

“Fenrir’s just the beginning. I have enemies
you can’t even imagine. Serpents, and dragons, and an eight-legged
horse with a manic crazy streak—a legion of demons that would do
anything
to hurt me. Once they get wind of you, you’ll be a
sitting duck. And the fact that you’re human…” Tyr rubbed his eyes
and the moisture disappeared. “You’re so easily dispensable.”

“You really think I’m that helpless?”

“Against the monsters of the underworlds,
yes. You want to know why I didn’t ask you out the night we met?
Because regardless of what I wanted, you deserved to be protected.
Walking away was the best way to make sure you were safe.”

“So what happened? Why did you change your
mind?” My voice broke. Some part of me was afraid that if I asked,
he’d change his mind right back.

“My birth father slaughtered a village of
light elves, and I decided if I couldn’t protect the realms’ most
innocent creatures from a monster that dark, then I could at least
protect you. But the more time I spent with you, the guiltier I
felt for bringing you into the
skit
that is my normal. So I
backed off again. I couldn’t decide what was better for you—being
without my protection, or being without my baggage.”

I blinked. “What did you say?”

“I wanted to protect you. I wasn’t there when
the elves were attacked, and look what happened. Seemed like
keeping you close was the only way to make sure you were safe.”

“No.” I paused. “The other thing.”

“Oh. My birth father slaughtered an entire
village of light elves.”

“Oh my God, Tyr. So he’s the ‘crooked’ part
of your family tree you alluded to?” I ventured.

“Yes. My parents are dead. Fenrir killed
them. But they adopted me when I was a baby. My birth father is
still alive.” Tyr paused. When he spoke again, his gaze didn’t
quite meet mine. “Remember when I told you I wasn’t pure Asgardian?
I’m a halfling. My birth father is a giant. And he’s not a great
guy.”

“Oh.”
Oh
.

“My parents, the ones who raised me as Elsa’s
brother, they were some of the kindest beings I’ve ever had the
privilege of knowing. But from a genetic standpoint, I’m half
monster. I’ve spent the better part of my existence fighting
against my instincts so I can live up to my parents’ hopes for me.
But if you had any idea what I was born to be—” Tyr broke off. He
turned to face the table and went to work on the bear.

I touched Tyr’s back. His muscles felt like
smooth stones, but his anger was so palpable the tremors radiated
against my fingertips. I kept my voice soft as I spoke.

“My pastor gave a beautiful sermon right
before I left for college and it stuck with me; not only because it
focused on one of my favorite verses, but because it felt like I
was meant to hear that specific message on that particular day. Now
I understand why.” I squeezed Tyr’s shoulder lightly. “We have
agency, Tyr. We’re not destined to be what we observe; we can
become what we
believe
. I know you were born to be exactly
who you are right now—protector of your realm; defender of
creatures who are weaker than you; the guy who loves his friends
and sister with a loyalty very few people possess. No matter what
you think about yourself, you have a kindness that I find sexy as
all get-out. Your parents—your
real
parents—raised one heck
of a man. And I’m proud to know him.”