away from it now that I had it was folly.
Before I could change my mind, I leaned forward and planted my lips against Grim’s.
The alpha started at my sudden assault, but when he raised his hand, it wasn’t to push me away. He wove his strong fingers into my messy hair, cupping the back of my head as he parted his lips and kissed me back.
His cool breath mingled with mine, shivers shooting down my spine as our bond hummed. Grim rumbled an appreciative note and snaked his other hand around my back to pull me in closer.
So easy. This was… so easy. Like two streams of liquid metal pouring into the same mold, forming into one.
I don’t know if I pulled or he pushed, but when Grim’s tongue flicked over mine, I was on my back on the sleeping skin, my mate settling his hips between my spread thighs. Warmth fluttered in my core, the absence of my heat doing nothing to quell my desire for him. Judging from the cool, hard column of flesh pressing against my navel, it did nothing to quell his either.
“Much as I hate to interrupt two lovebirds, I do feel it prudent to remind you that we have places to be—and an ever-narrowing window of time to get there,” Mimir said, shattering the cocoon of quiet wonder wrapped around me and my mate.
I froze, my fingers tightening on Grim’s black locks enough to make him grimace. I’d forgotten we weren’t alone. Again.
Grim lifted his head and gave the prophet a glare. “I find the concept of your use as a troll’s ball increasingly fascinating.”
“Mimir’s right,” I said, releasing my grip on his hair to pat at his shoulders. “We’ve already spent so much time. We don’t know when it’ll be too late to stop Ragnarök, nor how long it’ll take to get back.”
Grim shifted his gaze to mine. A flicker of darkness passed over his mismatched eyes, but it was gone before I could fully register it. “You should rest for a few days. I sense your… fatigue.”
I shot him a wry smile. “I don’t think being worn out from a sex marathon is enough reason to leave the end of the world to do its thing. I do need a quick rinse, though. Do you think we can find a safe stream? I’m… sticky.”
His eyes darted to the apex of my thighs where proof of our coupling clung to my skin. “I find my essence on you… appealing.”
I snorted at his somewhat bemused tone. He seemed to not be entirely sure why he found his spent seed caked on my skin appealing.
“That’s great, but I am not walking around like a bukkake fantasy to placate your instincts. C’mon, let’s find somewhere troll-free to get washed up before we get moving.”
Grim watched over me as I bathed in a shallow creek by the cave we’d spent the past few days in. I felt his eyes on my skin as a physical caress. It warmed my body like rays of sun, and I hummed with pleasure. Who knew? Who could have ever known that mating Grim would bring me such… pure joy?
I shot a grateful thought down the bond between us, but instead of a warm response, I was met with dark nothingness.
Frowning, I pulled my consciousness back. Okay, so it was probably too much to expect that the cool, complex man who’d only ever loved his brothers would open up completely so soon. My other bonds had taken some time to fall into sync too.
Sighing, I finished up in the creek and waded to shore, shooting my silent, brooding mate a gentle smile as I got dressed. He had scars. Bad enough he’d killed me rather than willingly surrender to our shared fate. But he was mine now, and that was all I needed. I could be patient with him.
Once I was dressed, I turned to Mimir—who’d also had a quick dip in the creek to get rid of the leftover mud from his tumble a few days ago. I’d washed him before I bathed myself, mostly because it’d seemed the right thing to do for a prophet. “Where are we going?”
“Farther inland,” he said. “If we make good pace, we should be there in a day or two.”
“How long until we’re out of troll territory?” I asked, directed at Grim this time.
He shrugged. “I am not familiar with the area, but if the landscape turns less rocky, we should at least be