Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
And this one desperately wants to see me.
"Ing," I whisper, spinning around to hurry into the woods, not really caring if Stephan follows me or not. He can stay here with his cryptic answers and confusing looks and frustrating silence.
Liar, a little voice whispers. You want him to follow you.
It's not entirely wrong, dammit.
I do want him to follow me. More and more lately, I always want him to follow me. I just wish he felt the same way.
Chapter Two
Stephan
Valkyrie are curious, frustrating women. And none is more curious or frustrating than the gorgeous little princess charging through the woods like a hellhound nips at her heels, ignoring every command I shout at her.
In fact, she ignores me entirely.
The desire to bend her over my knee and spank her luscious ass burns through me in a gale. It's a tempting thought…one I've had a little too often since she appeared in Eitr.
It's almost laughable that she's decided I don't like her when the problem is the exact opposite. I like her far too much. The ache in my cock never abates, no matter how many times I take myself in hand, determined to work out my frustration.
All I ever manage to do is find yet another reason to obsess over her.
She's a beautiful little mystery that occupies every spare inch of my mind. When I should be working, I'm thinking about her. When I should be training, I think about her. When I'm asleep, I dream about her. No matter how much I try to exhaust my mind into silence, it's a fruitless attempt.
My obsession with her only seems to grow more all-consuming and unrestrained every day. This little Valkyrie is going to be the death of me, and she doesn't even realize it.
I've always been a man who prided myself on control. Before stumbling into Eitr after a bear attack, I spent years in the Navy, learning to shut off every emotion and focus on the mission. The mission before us now is one bigger than any that's come before. If we fail, the entire goddamn universe falls with us. But all I seem to be concerned about is the amber-eyed Valkyrie who walks between worlds.
She's the one I want to save. She's the one I worry about.
But she's Valkyrie, infinitely more powerful than I'll ever be. And I'm…just a man. One staring at a goddess made flesh.
Fuck. The Fae will lose their minds if they ever find out why I volunteered to follow her. Which is precisely why I try to keep a respectable distance. She isn't meant for me, as much as I wish she were. Humans can't bond a Valkyrie—not like the Fae can. And they were the ones sent to earth to guard the Valkyrie, not me.
Her mate is out there, and it'll never be me. It can't.
At least, that's what I've been telling myself since she arrived. But when I grabbed her, I felt something I've never felt before. It was as if I felt her Light in my soul. For a brief moment, I even thought I heard her thoughts.
But that isn't possible. The bond can't exist between two unequal halves. I've been with the Fae long enough to know that much. I'm human. I may have a little Valkyrie blood running through my veins, but not nearly enough to make a quantifiable difference. She's one of the most powerful Valkyrie to ever exist. I'm not her equal.
But I am responsible for her safety.
"Kara, wait," I growl, trying to slow her down as she charges deeper into the forest of Valhalla, weaving around tree trunks and the toppled remains of ancient Fae buildings. Once upon a time, according to the Fae, this was all valley, too. But with no one here to tend to it, the wild reclaimed it long ago. Gnarled tree roots grow right through the heart of buildings that once housed entire legions of warriors.
She ignores me again, veering toward a burned-out white brick building covered in moss and ivy.
I put on a burst of speed, racing after her.
After following her for the last two weeks, I know exactly what kind of trouble she's liable to find out here. And she may trust the little forest animals she greets like long-lost friends, but I'm not so easily convinced. They're wild, having been without human contact for centuries. Even the most docile could turn on her, hurt her without her even recognizing the danger.
I'm a living, breathing reminder of the damage an animal can do. I never even saw the goddamn bear that nearly claimed my life. Not until it was too late, anyway. Had the Fae not found me, I would have bled out and died on the side of their mountain.
I won't allow her to come to the same grim end.