Broods Of Fenrir - By Coral Moore Page 0,45

with a grunt.

He pushed her hair away from her face. “We"ll continue this later.”

She nodded and showed him a dazzling smile.

“This had better be good,” he said as he pulled open the door. He regretted the harsh tone as soon as he saw Alice.

She had felt anxious, but she looked worse. Her eyes wide, she worried at her lower lip with her teeth. Gunni, still in wolf form, dashed in front of Alice, meaning to protect her from Brand.

Brand nudged him out of the way with a knee. “I"m not going to hurt her, you dolt.”

With a half-hearted grumble, Gunni moved aside and took up position inside the door.

Dagny stepped toward them. “Come in, Alice. You must be freezing.” She led a reluctant Alice into the cabin, then shut the door behind her.

Alice looked up at Brand. “I didn"t want to interrupt you two, but Ingrid insisted.” She swallowed before adding,

“She"s back at the lodge.”

He had no idea how Ingrid even knew where his lodge was. “What does that crazed bitch want?”

“Ansvarr called for a Conclave.”

Dagny spoke up before he could respond. “For me?” Desperation plain on her face, Alice turned to Dagny.

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“He"s claiming you as a stolen mate.” A dark blush colored Dagny"s face. “That"s ridiculous.

He discarded me twenty years ago.”

Dagny"s outrage welled inside of him until he thought he"d choke on it. “He"s not doing it because of you.” He paced, feeling their eyes follow him. “I meant to tell you earlier, and I"m sorry I didn"t.”

She interrupted him before he could confess his omission. “You think I don"t know that he"s your half-brother?”

He stared at her, unblinking, for several seconds. “I still should have told you.”

“You should have.” Her face was set, but not angry.

“Why do you think this has to do with you?”

“He wants to be king. As long as I live, no one but me can claim the title.”

“If they decide against you, he can have you removed?” Brand shook his head. “For this, he could have me killed.”

She closed the distance between them, her anger filling the room with the urge for violence. “What?” He smiled; he couldn"t help himself.

She glared, eyes passing from gray to shining silver in a flash. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“I can get out of whatever he has planned, and you"re enchanting when you"re angry.”

* * *

Brand walked the path back to his lodge, his thoughts a violent swirl of potential actions. He"d expected trouble from Ansvarr, but it bothered him that the call had come so soon.

Dagny kept up easily, her swift steps silent alongside his.

He reached for her hand, but stopped himself before he touched her. Giving away how attached he"d become would add nothing but trouble to the problems ahead.

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Ingrid sat on her heels on the bare ground outside the lodge. Her hair, a mess of golden tangles, ruined the peaceful effect of her position. She rose with graceful ease. At least she was clothed, a marvel in itself. A wrap of red-dyed leather covered her from shoulders to ankles, though her feet were bare. Erik emerged from the lodge, but Bera and Sigga were nowhere to be seen. “I asked her to leave, but she reminded me this is not my property.”

Brand made a swift nod at Erik, glad that his friend had calmed from the rage he"d been in earlier. He came to a stop in front of Ingrid and put on his best imperious glare. “You"re not welcome here.” He paused for a beat. “What do you want of me?” Ingrid"s gaze swept over Dagny and then back to Brand.

Her steel-gray eyes narrowed when she saw the mark on his neck. She seemed more sane than usual, though with her, it was difficult to say for sure. “My daughter"s return to where she belongs.”

“She belongs right where she is. Anything else?”

“You overstep. Return her to Ansvarr, and this will go no further.”

He clenched his jaw so he wouldn"t shout. “Out of the question.”

“If you don"t return her, I have no choice but to call a Conclave.”

Anger tumbled inside him. “He discarded her decades ago. He has no claim.”

Ingrid stared back at him in silence for several seconds.

When she finally spoke, her face softened. “Loki knows I have no affection for your brother, but his mating to her is part of the Canadian Treaty. It"s as good as signed in blood.” Dagny moved forward. “Ansvarr never claimed me.” Ingrid settled her hands on her hips and turned toward her daughter. “I know that,