to keep two hired hands on for long. Maybe not even as long as they had been here already…
She looked to Odin for help, but he was bidding the brothers farewell.
9
Odin
Odin pulled a small sack of credits from his pocket and tossed it to Raspin.
The dark-haired brother caught it and slid it into his pocket where it landed with a satisfying clink.
“Thank you, friend,” he said, nodding to Odin. “I think our business is complete.”
Odin wasn’t sure why he’d felt compelled to pay for their services. He knew Liberty came from money, but his instinct to take care of mate and whelp had overcome his good sense.
He nodded farewell to the men and turned back to Liberty, ready to explore the property together. He was looking forward to seeing what she thought of the house and looking over the grounds and the flock. He thought she would be excited as well.
But Liberty was staring out over the mountains, an inscrutable expression on her face.
“Everything okay?” he asked, wondering if she was thinking of her husband.
“Bring luck on Lachesis,” Crispin called back to her.
She turned and waved to him sadly.
A wave of jealousy hit Odin’s chest like a sack of battle helms and he nearly staggered backward. He wasn’t even sure if he was jealous of the dead husband, jealous of the living farmhand, or both. And he knew on some level that it was not a reasonable reaction, but the pull of the mate bond didn’t care.
“I downloaded a book on frontier farming,” Liberty said in a soft, worried voice. “But I can’t even maintain a houseplant. And this place is so… different.”
“Delete the book,” Odin told her, relieved that she was only worried about the farm.
“What?” she asked, looking horrified.
“There’s going to be a learning curve here, that’s all,” he told her. “But you’re not going to solve it with your nose in a book. Delete it and focus on what’s in front of you.”
“So you’re a farming expert?” she asked.
He didn’t like her sarcasm. The Invicta were noble warriors. They did not rely on sarcasm to make their points.
Fury tried to rise in his blood.
Just as quickly, the dragon cooled it.
Mate, he whispered in Odin’s ear, sending a swirl of emotions through him so that for a moment he could not reply.
“I was quartered on a farmstead for some time,” he told her when he had collected himself. “And I’ve traveled a lot. We are both capable. I know we can figure it out, if we’re paying attention.”
She looked like she was planning to argue with him, but Colton made a plaintive, mewling sound that told Odin he was about to have a full out fit.
“Let’s table this conversation until we get Colton fed,” he suggested.
“Yes,” Liberty said, with an alarmed expression.
At least they agreed on something.
He smiled and they headed in the direction of the house together. A gentle breeze ruffled their clothing and seemed to distract Colton from his anxious crying.
It was pleasant here. The thought floated into his mind as softly as the breeze.
Odin allowed himself to pretend for a moment that they were a family - himself, his mate, and their child, walking to their new home on a beautiful afternoon.
The fantasy made him almost giddy with happiness.
Then he remembered Adyxx.
Adyxx would never have a mate and child. He would never have a home of his own.
The afternoon lost its luster and Odin focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
This place might have all the trappings of happiness. But Odin would never taste it.
10
Liberty
Liberty’s breath caught in her throat as she took in her new home.
In her mind, a farmhouse was a squared-off structure, covered in lumpy stucco - unadorned except for wood shutters.
This house was like nothing she had ever seen before. Rough carved stones formed the front wall, with its arched wooden door, glass windows, and four flower boxes overflowing with lush plantings.
A moss-covered roof overhung the entry to form a small front porch. The rest of the dwelling was the mountain itself, as if someone had carved it right out of the hillside.
“This is incredible,” she murmured.
“It’s a hillside home,” Odin explained. “It will be naturally cool in the summertime. And in the winter, we’ll use a wood stove, which vents out on the mountaintop.
He stepped in front of her to open the door.
She had expected a dark space with a low ceiling, something cave-like and cozy.
But the many windows in the front wall filled the large living