Claimed by Her Viking Wolf Page 10

  “Are you in pain, kona of Asger?”

  Guta’s unexpected question shook Kim out of her turbulent emotions, and she shook her head.

  “No, why … well, I need to pee and have a wash, ‘cause … err…” She felt her cheeks heat under Guta’s warm gaze, and the other woman smiled.

  “I expect you will. There is a bucket for that purpose and another with water to wash in just outside the curtain. I shall make sure you have some privacy, though I would suggest you make haste. The womenfolk are most curious to meet the woman who has snared my brother.” She laughed when Kim frowned at that. “He is considered quite a catch, my brother, but he has never shown any more than passing interest to any maiden, much to our father’s dismay. He wants to see Asger wedded before he goes to dine at Valhöll.”

  Her smile deepened at Kim’s gasp of surprise.

  “Lord Liufr will want to see you in the great hall when you’re dressed. I have laid out some clothing for you, too. Come and find me when you are done.”

  “Right, yes, that is…” Kim’s words trailed off, when Guta struggled to her feet. Not caring about the fact that the furs slipped to expose her nakedness, Kim got to her knees on the bed, and helped the other woman. A grateful smile was her reward. Then she was on her own, apart from the goat, which decided to stick his head through the curtain again. She threw one of the smaller furs at him, and the blasted thing bleated his seeming thanks, while keeping hold of one edge disappeared with its prize.

  “Hey, you, get back here.” Kim froze when she left the relative security of the curtain behind, and hastily yanked a long piece of material left outside for her up to her chin. On closer inspection, this appeared to be a dress. As promised there was also a shallow bowl of some sort, and a bucket with water.

  However, the actual dwelling took up most of her attention. An oblong raised fire in the middle of the building was the focal point around which everything seemed to center. Kim spotted several more curtained off areas, presumably containing more bedspreads, and she idly wondered how many people slept in this room. Several, judging by the hive of activity around the fire. An older woman smiled up at Guta as Asger’s sister waddled toward her, and stopped stirring whatever she was cooking over the fire.

  Table and chairs were set against one side of the fire, a pen containing a motley assortment of livestock was to the far right of it, and as she watched a gaggle of children, followed by several young women carrying water and what looked like slaughtered pig entered directly opposite her.

  Kim wanted the ground to swallow her whole, when they all looked in her direction, before the old woman Guta was speaking to clapped her hands, and shooed them all back out again. Guta followed slowly behind, and Kim knew this was her cue.

  Lord knows, she’d done enough camping to be able to rough it, so, pushing her discomfort at being this exposed to the back of her mind, she hastily took care of her bodily needs.

  By the time she’d had a sponge bath in the freezing cold water provided in the bucket, pulled the dress over her head and tamed her hair into some semblance of order with the wooden comb she’d found, she felt almost human. Ready to take on the world, if she forgot the small fact that she was stark naked under this dress. The homespun material was surprisingly warm and soft against her skin and mercifully long enough so that she only showed the tips of her boots. These, too, were made from leather and worn in well. What’s more they fit like a glove, as did the dress, and Kim had to marvel at Guta’s ability to judge her size so well.

  Now what to do with the dirty water and such? Kim was still contemplating this question, when the old woman who had been speaking to Asger’s sister walked back in. Her lined face broke into a knowing smile when she saw what Kim was holding in her hands.

  “Come with me,” she said. When Kim hesitated the older woman tugged on her arm. “Come with Helga.”

  “Err, okay. I’m Kim.” Kimberly felt the need to say that, as she followed Helga out of the homestead and behind the dwelling.

  “I know who you are,” the other woman said and pointed to some bushes. Taking the hint, Kim poured the dirty contents behind the foliage that seemed to surround the village.

  A surprisingly busy village, as she discovered when she followed Helga. The writer in her catalogued all the fascinating sights in front of her for future stories, and a bubble of excitement burst inside her at the fact that she was truly here.

  Before she could think about it too much, she was surrounded by several young women and carried away in the chattering throng.

  Resistance was utterly futile, so Kim simply went with the flow. It was only when they entered another, much wider building in the middle of the village that she dug her heels in.

  Laid out in almost identical fashion as the one she’d woken up in, this was far grander. The long fireplace still dominated the middle of the open space, but partitions had been put up separating the areas, and right in front of her stood several fur covered chairs. The excited crowd pushed her forward, and fell silent when the silver haired Viking sitting in the tallest chair held up his hand.

  Kim’s heart beat faster when she looked into Asger’s eyes. This man was older, his face lined with age, but she would recognize those deep amber orbs anywhere. This had to be her Viking wolf’s father, and Kim straightened her shoulders, and raised her head higher under his silent scrutiny.

  “Step closer, child,” Lord Liufr said. He smiled his approval when Kim complied. She didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed when his gaze fell on Asger’s mark on her neck, and she barely resisted the urge to bring her hand up to cover it. His nostrils flared, seemingly sniffing the air, and Kim lifted her chin higher. A glimmer of amusement showed in this man’s eyes, and he nodded once.

  A commotion outside shifted his attention away from her, and Kim breathed a sigh of relief, only for her heart to turn into a jackhammer when she saw the pack of wolves sprint into their middle. Led by an enormous grey/brown wolf they spread out into a semicircle, as the villagers gave them room, and Kim couldn’t suppress a gasp when the lead wolf padded up to her.

  Asger’s scent invaded her nostrils ten times stronger in his wolf form, as he came up right next to her and nudged her legs. The action was enough to ensure that her wobbly knees would not support her, and Kim simply slid to the floor in an undignified heap.

  ****

  Asger’s wolf whined sensing the distress in his mate, and getting to his haunches to make himself seem less threatening, he waited for her next move. His kona would have no idea how important this moment was. If she showed fear, or Odin forbid, rejected him in front of his father and the entire pack, Lord Liufr would not only not give his permission for their wedding, but she would also lose the respect of the pack.

  While Asger would never give up on her, unless she didn’t want him, life would be far easier if this went smoothly. Inwardly he cursed the timing of the rival clan’s raid. They had beaten them back in the attack which had seen Asger injured and catapulted forward in time to meet Kimberly, but his presence had been required in the hunting party. He hadn’t wanted to leave a slumbering Kimberly, especially when she’d been asleep for well over a day. Guta had promised to look after her, however, and he had a duty to perform. As his father’s son and acting Lord in battle, he had to ensure the safety of the hunting party.

  Until either a truce or their utter defeat had been established the neighboring clan was a danger to them all. Newly mated or not, he had to protect his village. His breath huffed out of his chest in relief, when Kim ran her hands over his fur. Hesitantly at first and then with firmer strokes that made his wolf want to expose his soft underbelly.

  “Asger, is that you?” she whispered, and her eyes widened when he nodded and pulled away. Concentrating on his human form he shifted with ease, bowed to his father, and then held his hand out to Kim. Still sitting on the floor she was eyelevel with his cock, and close enough for her rapid exhalations to whisper across his shaft with predictable c
onsequences. Heat rose in her cheeks when she noticed. Relief coursed through Asger when she slid her fingers into his outstretched hand. Helping her to her feet, he pulled her in front of him, to hide his obvious arousal.

  A snigger went up behind him, and he knew he would be in for a ribbing from his men, for not being able to control his urges like some sveinbarn. To soothe his wolf, he nuzzled into his mate’s neck. A shiver went through her as she sagged against him. Ignoring their surroundings, he licked his mark on her shoulder and growled into her ear. His animal didn’t like the bubbling anger he sensed in his mate.

  “I am sorry I had to leave you. I will get you out of here as soon as I can.”

  Kim nodded, as Asger brought his attention back to his father when Liufr cleared his throat.

  “Bring my son some clothes to wear. I can see he would rather drag his woman off somewhere…” He paused for the inevitable round of laughter. Kim stiffened in his arms and pushed away from him. “We have things to discuss, my son.”

  Asger tightened his hold on her. A fresh wave of her anger hit him straight in the gut. Oh, yes, his kona was pissed off with either him, or this whole situation. He couldn’t be sure, which, and when a slave girl approached with his clothes he reluctantly let go of Kim. She wrapped her arms around herself and glared at him. It made him supremely grateful for the leggings and tunic he now wore, as he hardened to the point of pain. His fingers itched to put her over his knee for that open defiance, even as she forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  To avoid the temptation of doing just that, he bowed his head toward his father.

  “We, do my lord, but let me get my kona settled first. Our way of life is new to her, so—”

  “I can see that, my son.” His father interrupted him and frowned at Asger’s wolf’s threatening growl in answer. “Believe me, I am making allowances for that. Guta will continue to look after her, if you wish.”

  At the mention of his sister, Kim’s tense frame relaxed, while Asger’s chest tightened with affection when he saw Kim rush toward his sister to help her walk. That barn of hers really needed to be born soon. He could read the same worry in his father’s expression when he looked over to him, and with a sigh stepped up to sit in the chair next to him.

  Sure enough his father’s next words said loud enough only for him to hear confirmed it.

  “She should have had that child by now.”

  “I know, Father. I wish there is something we could do. Ralloph should have never got her with child again.”

  The chair protested under his father’s hands as his knuckles turned white in response.

  “I never should have agreed to the union in the first place. That clan cannot be trusted. Ralloph least of all, it seems. Tell me what you found out.”

  Asger narrowed his eyes and searched the crowd, while he filled his father in on the strengths and weaknesses of Ralloph’s clan. His brother–in-law was right now in their midst, supposedly on a mission to return peace to the land. For a brief interlude that peace had existed. Marrying Guta off to the neighboring Alpha’s son was supposed to have been the solution. However, when Ralloph’s father had died, and his older brother had become the Alpha, they had once again protested against the leadership of Lord Liufr.

  “What are you not telling me about Ralloph?” he finally asked after he filled his father in on the intelligence he had gleamed.

  A deep sigh escaped Lord Liufr, and Asger followed his gaze to where Guta and Kim seemed to be deep in conversation. Some of his worry lifted when Kim laughed at something Guta had said. The smile lit up her face, and his father cleared his throat.

  “Just a feeling. A foreboding if you will.”

  A chill ran up Asger’s spine. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the two women in his life who meant the world to him. The truth hit him square in the chest and made breathing difficult. What he felt for Kim went deeper than the mere lust brought on by the mating bond. He’d known that on some level deep down since he’d first caught her scent, but here in his world, he couldn’t deny the truth.

  “It’s a strange feeling, is it not?”

  Asger frowned and briefly glanced at his father, before staring back at Kim. She was either oblivious or purposely ignoring him. He suspected the latter, because Guta smiled at him, and nudged Kim. His kona’s spine stiffened, but she didn’t turn around and Guta laughed.

  His wolf grumbled and paced under his skin. Asger would have shot out of his chair, had it not been for his father’s steadying hand on his arm.

  “Leave her to cool off. For what it is worth, you have my blessing.” Those words made Asger swing his head toward his father. Lord Liufr smiled at him and nodded.

  “She will not be an easy mate, but then neither was your mother. Your chosen woman has a strong spirit, just like the ancient one predicted. Which makes me more concerned for your sister.”

  Asger glanced across the crowded room again. Guta leaned back in her chair, a pained expression on her face as she rubbed her belly. Kim’s hands joined in the soothing circles over his sister’s abdomen. The hand on his arm tightened, and his father’s claws ran out.

  “You’ve consulted the ancient one over Guta?” Asger asked, and his father’s scent grew acid with worry.

  “I consulted with him over your sudden disappearance.” Asger hung his head, and his father patted his arm and let go of him. “I knew you had been to see him before the battle, so when you didn’t make it home, and there was no sign of your body, I had to find out what he knew.”

  “I am sorry, Father. I should have warned you, but I did not want to believe the ancient one’s prophecy. It has not happened in such a long time…” He let his words trail off, and his wolf whined when he saw Guta struggle to her feet with his kona’s assistance. His sister looked worn out, and his chest grew warm with the affection he could read in Kim’s scent right now. The fact that she already cared about his sister’s wellbeing so much meant a great deal to him right now.

  As though he had read his thoughts, his father cleared his throat.

  “Like I said you chose well, or rather the gods chose well for you. I must admit I was worried when the ancient one said you had been hurled through time to claim your válað.”

  Asger tore his gaze away from the departing duo, to glance at his father.

  “It was not an easy task. My kona’s time is strange and full of modern inventions that are bewildering at best.” Asger ran a hand over his beard, and suppressed a grin as he recalled running his sword through the intruder in her house, which had turned out to be something called a television. He was still not entirely sure how those worked, but he knew they weren’t a threat.

  “You will have to tell me about them sometime,” his father said, and Asger nodded.

  “Ja, but we were talking about the ancient one and his prophecy for Guta. I am assuming he had one. Father?”

  Lord Liufr pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

  “Yes and no. You know how vague he can be, but when I asked him about you, he said a time of great change and danger was upon us. Loyalties would be tested, and family relationships changed forever.”

  Asger dew in a sharp breath, and beat down the immediate guilt assaulting him. He had been disloyal, had held out on returning to his time, because he hadn’t wanted to force the issue with Kimberly. Much had occurred in his absence it seemed. Before he could voice those thoughts, however, his father spoke again.

  “At first I thought he meant you. That you weren’t coming back, and the more time passed by the more that thought took hold. But then Ralloph decided to leave us and go and see his clan. I believed him at first when he said he was going to talk to his brother and try and mediate on my behalf. I send him with my blessing, but he hasn’t returned and there has been no word. Instead they have stepped up their attacks on us. So…” Liufr led his words trail off, and the unspoken hung heavy between them.

  “I will seek him out and kill him with my bare hand
s if he has betrayed us,” Asger said, and Liufr nodded.

  “I have no doubt that you will, my son. However tonight, go seek your woman and make your peace.”

  Liufr smile at him, and Asger shot to his feet. Nose in the air to follow her scent, he set about finding her. Time to settle this once and for all.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Guta?” Kim asked for the umpteenth time, and received the same tired smile in return.

  “I will be fine, my dear sister. Please do not worry over me. Go back to the feast and make peace with my brother.”

  Kim snorted her derision at that, and Guta laughed.

  “We haven’t exactly had a fight, so how can I make peace?” Kim said, which was true. The last time she had properly spoken to him, they had been engaged in—her cheeks heated recalling that night, and she clenched her thighs together. This whole thing was insane. She couldn’t think about him without getting turned on. Guta said it was part of the mating bond, when Kim had steadfastly refused to follow the unspoken demand in her brain to turn around and look at Asger back in the meeting hall. It was one of the reasons why she was so damn angry with him. He had bitten her, claimed her, as Guta had called it, without explaining the consequences to her. That niggling ache in her belly, when she defied him, the very real need to seek him out and touch him, this overwhelming connection to him, and yes, dammit, love.

  Kim couldn’t allow herself to fall in love, yet that was exactly what she had done. It made her want to stay here and never go back to her own time. She couldn’t do that. She had a life back there, dammit. People who loved her and wanted her back. A bloody story to finish. Kim angrily swiped the unexpected tears away. Guta clucked her tongue and pulled Kim down for a hug.

  “It will be okay, you’ll see. This mating bond is overwhelming, but it is also one of the best and most treasured things that can happen to you.”