everything we’ve gone through, with remembering what each Alpha confessed. It shouldn’t bother me. They aren’t my problem, yet my stomach lurches when I think of their agony.
I swivel around and run in the opposite direction, having had enough. I no longer want to be part of this mission. Not after I’ve been foolish enough to let these Viking Alphas get under my skin and make me desire them. When the heck did that happen, anyway?
With a single breath, my magic awakens, the woods sharpening under my gaze, and lines of energy skip across the tips of my darkened fingers.
There are no spells around me, and up ahead lies bright light from where the woods thin. I hurry forward and burst into a meadow that sways with green grass and yellow flowers. I might even be forgiven for believing this place is beautiful, except it’s poisonous with everything it touches. I see that now.
I keep running, the long grass brushing against my knees.
When I look back, Ragnar suddenly bursts out from the woods, hot on my heels, and my heart jams in my throat at seeing the ferocity on his face, the fury in his eyes.
I barely have time to react when he’s on me, larger than life. Strong hands snatch me around the waist, and he wrenches me backward. He turns me to face him, and anger lunges through me.
I shove a hand to his chest, my words loud and shaky. “No, you don’t get to stop me from leaving.”
He draws me closer to him regardless and with pain in his eyes, a wincing pain rolling from his throat.
The stringent smell of burning has me looking down to where my hand rests on his chest. My touch is still fueled with magic, and it burns right through the fabric of his shirt and marks his flesh with my power.
Fear strikes me, and I shut down the magic instantly with a single thought, but before I can even remove my hand, his mouth is on mine.
His mouth is powerful and his kisses dominate me, his tongue plunging into my mouth. My lips hurt from his forcefulness, but I don’t draw away.
I groan with pleasure. My body melts against him, and the whole world dissolves around us. I really don’t want to acknowledge the influence Ragnar has over me, how his Alpha side suffocates me with his presence, or that I crave so much more.
My wolf rises in me, growling against him to back away, but she gains a throaty snarl in response from Ragnar’s wolf.
Perhaps my body knows more about what I want than my wolf who is threatening him. I don’t let go of Ragnar, and instead, I kiss him back just as passionately. I wrap my hands around his neck and push myself on my tippy toes to better reach him. As if sensing my eagerness, he grabs my waist and lifts me up against his body.
Instinct has me looping my legs around him, and that earlier hollow space in my chest begins to fill. Every inch of me aches for him, and I tell myself to not show him how much he affects me, but I’m failing miserably.
He breaks from our kiss, and our raspy breaths tangle.
“You never let me finish explaining,” he says. “You are not my enemy, Narah. I told you before, you are under my protection, so I will fight to the end to save you.”
“You don’t need to say that. After this mission, I will be gone from your life, so don’t pretend I mean anything.”
He sighs with frustration. “Open up your eyes about what’s going on between you and I… between us all.” His gaze sweeps over my face, searching for my response, for my reaction.
How dare he bring this back to the way they’ve all made me care, how much I’ve desired them. The thought has me clutching onto him stronger when I should be shoving him farther from me. But in truth I don’t know if I can… or if I want to.
My gaze falls to his chest to where my handprint is now a black brand marred into his flesh. “I hurt you.”
“Yeah, it fucking stings, but I’ll survive.” His hands squeeze my ass as he presses his groin against me, his large erection fitting so perfectly between my legs. My primal hunger has me rocking my hips to rub myself against him, a move that feels natural.
My cheeks blush that I react so easily and openly. A moan