Of Gods and Wolves (20 page)

“So what are you gonna do?” Samantha peered in morbid fascination at Finn's ridiculously large floral arrangement, sitting on the table between us.

“
I have no idea,” I let my chin fall into my cupped palm.

“
What did he say when you told him you didn't think you'd make a good match?”

“
He said it was the heartache talking,” I sighed, “and that I'd change my mind after I had time to heal.”

“
Crap,” she frowned.

“
Exactly,” I shrugged. “What can I say to that? Or rather, what can I say that won't crush him like a bug?”

“
Why worry about it?” She narrowed her eyes on the blooms. “Men never give us that kind of consideration.”

“
Baby girl,” I snapped my fingers in front of her distracted gaze. “You've been around the wrong kind of man. There's a whole world of good guys out there, you just have to wade through the bastards to reach them. They're like little islands of goodness amidst a sea of stupidity.”

It occurred to me that her opinion had been very close to my recent views on men. I guess it was standard operating procedure for us women to go through the
I hate men
phase after a break-up. Must be part of the healing process but I think seeing her so bitter was helping me heal even more than being bitter myself. It showed me how silly I was being and forced me to be rational once more. I could feel my cynicism easing back a bit.

“
Maybe you're right,” she sighed. “So why am I drowning in the sea?”

“
Because he's really good in bed?” I shrugged. “It's called oxytocin. A hormone that's released during orgasm. It makes you bond with your partner, think about them, obsess about them. Basically, it makes us insane.”

“
Oxytocin? Are you telling me this is all chemical?”

“
Partly, not all,” I winked. “Don't worry, it'll fade in about a week. That's why they say nothing gets you over the last like getting under the next. The jerk just knows how to make you feel good and unfortunately women forgive a lot for that.”

“
Yeah,” she laughed. “That's probably it. Though Kurt was pretty damn good.”

“
Kurt, eh?” I waggled my brows. “Is that the blonde you left with the other night?”

“
That's him,” she confirmed. “He's a jeweler.”

“
Oh I like him already,” I grinned. “You're practically guaranteed good presents.”

“
Who cares about diamonds, when he can kiss like that.” She grinned back.

“
So what's the problem?”

“
The problem is,” the grin disappeared. “I keep seeing UnnúlfR's face when he stops the kissing.”

“
Ah.”

“
Yeah.” She sank back into the sofa. “What do I do, Rouva?”

“
Well first you stop calling me Rouva,” I took a sip of my soda. “We could always rearrange UnnúlfR's face.” She grimaced. “No? Fine,” I huffed as if extremely disappointed. “Then there's only one thing you need,” I smiled. “Revenge.”

“
Revenge?”

“
He broke your heart, right?”

“
Right.”

“
So let's see what we can break,” I smiled. “Starting with that precious ego of his. Do you think Kurt can come out tonight?”

“
Oh yeah,” she was beginning to understand.

Samantha was right on time, walking in looking gorgeous, with her long, dark hair in a pin straight curtain down her back. Kurt had ditched his cowboy duds for slacks and a dress shirt, open at the collar. The white shirt showed off his tan and his shoulder-length, blonde locks made him look more professional surfer than professional jeweler. He was eye candy, top of the line... we're talking Godiva.

I smiled gleefully as I watched UnnúlfR glance over and then do a double take. He looked like a cartoon, his jaw practically scraping the floor, when Sam walked by without even glancing in his direction. Her eyes were all for her date and then for me when she located me up in the VIP section. I smiled and waved her up, the Froekn bouncer at the bottom of the stairs gave her wide-eyes as they passed.

“You're stunning,” I said as they approached and stood to give her a hug. I whispered quickly, “He's dying, you're absolutely killing him.”

“
Thanks,” her smile went up ten notches. “You remember Kurt?”

“
Of course, how are you, Kurt?”

“
Great,” he looked over at Sam, like his state of well-being should have been obvious to me, given the gorgeousness of his date. “This place is amazing, thanks for the invite.”

“
Anytime,” I sat back down on my little “hill”. “Want something to drink? To eat?”

“
I'd love a Jack and Coke,” he smiled and took a seat on the hill across the flat-topped boulder table from mine. I waved at one of the waitresses hovering around the VIP level.

“
Hey, Jess,” I  smiled at her shocked expression when she took in Sam's human date. “Could you bring us a Jack and Coke, a Long Island, and...” I waved to Sam.

“
Oh, uh, could I get a Long Island too please, Jess.”

“
No prob,” her face started to clear and then brighten. She looked the way I imagine I had, the first time I walked into Sephora; as if a whole new world of possibilities had just opened up. I think dating humans was about to catch on.

Jess rushed off with a new bounce in her step. I felt like jumping up on the railing and shouting
Fortune favors the brave!
Or
Failure is impossible!
Or some other suffragette slogan. I settled for winking at Sam.

“
Vervain,” Ull approached our group warily. That uncertainty hurt my heart a little. He was my friend and there was so much I wanted to erase between us. So much I wanted to say.

“
Ull,” I got up and tried to sum up my feelings in case he was here to say goodbye. “It's so good to see you. I've missed you.” Sam and her date were staring but I didn't care. Pride was a non-issue for me when it came to friendships. He meant more to me than that. I held an arm out to him and miracle of miracles, he took my hand and pulled me into a warm hug.

“
I've missed you too, V.”

I settled into his arms, burying my face in his chest as I fought back tears. I didn't realize how much I might have lost when Thor had told me we were through. To have Thor's step-son holding me, forgiving me for my part in his mother's death, was more than I'd thought I'd get. Was more than I thought I deserved, on some level.

“It's going to be alright, V,” Ull whispered into my hair. “You're doing just fine.”

“
I know,” I pulled back and smiled at him. “I just didn't consider that I might lose all of you when I lost him.”

“
You didn't,” he squeezed my hand. “We're all still your friends. Nothing's changed there. We just thought we'd give you a little time to work things through.”

“
Thank you,” I took a deep breath. “So how about having a drink with your old friend?”

“
Love to,” he grinned and looked over at the couple. “Hey Samantha, who's this?”

“
This is Kurt,” she waved at her man. “Kurt, this is Ull.”

I could tell she was pleased Ull had remembered her name and inwardly I praised Ull for being the gentleman he was. They really didn't make 'em like that anymore. He shook Kurt's hand as he took the seat next to mine. Poor Jess returned just then and we had to send her back down for Ull's drink but I think Ull's appreciative smile made it all worthwhile to the newly liberated wolf.

“I'll be right back with that,” she purred and Ull grinned wider.

“
I
really
like your club, V,” he stared after the departing waitress.

“
Easy, Tiger,” I pushed at his arm and it was at that exact moment that UnnúlfR decided to join us.

Kurt had his arm around Sam, his eyes filled with adoration as he stared at her. Sam was staring back with sparkling confidence, her hand on his leg. I was so happy about Ull's presence, I didn't even notice Trevor's younger brother until he was right up on us, practically snarling.

“Rouva,” he gritted out the greeting.

“
UnnúlfR,” I nodded. “How are you?”

“
Well, thank you,” his tense stance made a mockery of his words. “Samantha, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Sam looked at me with wide eyes and I tried to subtly reassure her with a tightening of my own and a slight nod. She firmed her lips and looked over at her date. Kurt was eying the newcomer carefully, while feigning a nonchalance I wanted to applaud. It was obvious there was something going on between Sam and UnnúlfR but Kurt decided to play it cool. Smart man.

“I'm sorry, honey,” Sam imitated Jess' earlier purr to a T. “This is probably just business. I'll be right back.”

“
No problem,” he smiled and settled further back into his chair.

I could practically hear UnnúlfR's teeth grinding. He gestured stiffly to a more private nook behind a tree. Sam swung her hair over her shoulder and preceded him to the spot. Once they were there, I wasn't able to pick up their conversation but judging from Ull's expression, he could hear just fine with his super god senses.

“What?” I leaned over and whispered to him, giving the impression we were together, so Kurt wouldn't feel like we were talking about Sam.

“
He's pissed,” Ull smiled at me, working with my ruse. We'd shared a light flirtation from the day we'd met but it had never been serious and I was certain it never would. Ull just loved women. All women, and he made no bones about it. Then his face went hard and he glanced back at the now, openly arguing couple. “You better get over there, Rouva.” He gave me a little push for good measure.

“
Okay, okay,” I smiled at Kurt. “He's probably trying to get her to work extra shifts again. I better go regulate.”

Kurt nodded politely but I could tell he wasn't buying it. I hurried over to the escalating argument.

UnnúlfR raised a hand back and up, “Whoa,” I held out a hand and stepped between them smoothly. “I know you weren't just about to hit her, right?” I glared at him till he backed down.

“
No, I wouldn't,” he swallowed hard and looked away. “She's acting like a human whore,” he gestured angrily at her as he turned a fierce look on me.

“
Excuse me?” I pointed a finger into his face. “You wanna re-word that statement?”

“
She's Froekn,” he growled. “She belongs with another Froekn.”

“
You sound like a white supremacist,” I looked him up and down with distaste. “Do you forget that your Rouva is human?”

“
No, I don't forget,” he lowered his face to mine. “I
never
forget.”

“
What you should never forget, is that this human kicked your ass,” I got up in his face as much as was possible with our height difference. At least I was wearing heels. “And I don't mind doing it again. I passed Fenrir's test and your Prince has no problem with me being human either.”

“
My
Prince
,” he spat the word, “is allowing you to ridicule my culture by flagrantly abusing the First-Born. Drinking and dancing with other men right in front of him. You're a disgrace to the title of Rouva, a humiliation to the Froekn, and you make a mockery of the mate bond. And you have the nerve to wonder
why
I have a problem with you?”

I felt my jaw fall open and UnnúlfR's face went smug when it became clear that his verbal barbs had hit their mark. I shook my head, completely baffled and at a loss for words. Was he right? Was I humiliating Trevor by doing what most women did after a break-up? All I did was have a few drinks, dance a bit. Where was the harm?

I looked off to the lower level, where I could see Trevor talking to a bartender. He looked up immediately, as if I'd called his name out loud, and my heart clenched at the misery I saw in his face. It didn't matter how harmless my intentions had been. I
had
abused him. I should never have brought my post break-up blues here, where Trevor was trying to build a new life for the Froekn... for me.

I was being cruel in my total disregard for his feelings. How would I feel if our places were reversed? If I had to put on a brave face to my family as the man I was married to paraded other women before me? One of the worst things about the whole mess, was admitting that UnnúlfR was right. Boy did that leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Trevor's expression changed as the full weight of what I'd done hit me. I don't know if he could feel it through our link or if he was just reading my face as well as I read his but he suddenly looked over at UnnúlfR and frowned. Then he was at a dead run across the club, taking the stairs two at a time in his rush to reach me. Before I knew it, he was there, gripping my upper arms and peering into my face.

UnnúlfR backed away, finally realizing that winning an argument doesn't always get you what you want.

“What is it?” Trevor followed my gaze to UnnúlfR. “What did you say to her?” He roared at his brother. “What have you done?”

“
The truth!” UnnúlfR yelled back. “I told her what we've all been thinking. What no one else had the balls to say.”

“
Curse you, UnnúlfR,” Trevor let go of me to face off with his brother. “This isn't your concern. She's my mate, not yours!”

“
Is she?” UnnúlfR sneered. “She's sitting there with the Thunderer's son, not you, and she's teaching
my
woman to behave like a whore too.”

Before either I or Sam could protest his harsh assessment, Trevor hit him. One minute UnnúlfR was standing, the next he was sliding down a wall with blood dripping from his mouth. He shook his head a little as his eyes began to glow, and then pushed himself to his feet to face off with Trevor.

“Enough!” I snarled, my wolf bitch raging to the surface and exploding from my throat on a wave of echoing sound. The fighting wolves cringed, whimpering a little as they looked at me with sudden respect. I blinked, having no idea what had just happened or where that powerful voice had come from. I took a calming breath and felt my wolf simmer down enough so I could think straight. “You deserved that. I will not tolerate disrespect to me or to any other Froekn. I am your Rouva. I won the title by claw and by blood, so you would do well to remember that,” I growled to UnnúlfR and then held up a hand to stop him from saying anything. “But you also have some valid points.”

I turned to Trevor and reached a hand out to his face. He went instantly into happy puppy mode and smiled brightly as he held a hand over mine. I pulled his face down and kissed him gently on the lips. I felt his wolf right beneath the surface, nuzzling back through Trevor's mouth. It was an odd sensation but one I could get used to, as my wolf returned the gesture with surprised joy. I pulled away, surprised myself, when I realized I had tears in my eyes.

“I've been cruel,” I whispered. “I may not know if I can be with you but you don't deserve to have your face rubbed in it. I'm sorry, honey-eyes.”

“
You have nothing to apologize for,” his hand was in my hair and his eyes were intensely earnest. “I built Moonshine for you. If what you need to get over Thor, is a few drinks and some dancing, I'm okay with that. Do whatever you need to do. I'd rather have you do it here, where I know you'll be safe. The Froekn can't judge you, this situation is new to all of us. I, at least, have the certainty of the bond to guide me. You've been stumbling through it blind and half-bound. UnnúlfR forgets that. He speaks as a Froekn, unused to the way a human woman thinks. The only reason I even understand, is because of what I feel through our bond, but I
do
understand. This hasn't been easy on you. You saved my life and I've made you pay for it. It was unfair to drag you into my world like I did but you walked in and faced down the Great Wolf himself for me. No matter what UnnúlfR may think, no matter what may or may not happen between us, I am
proud
to call you my mate. You're an amazing Rouva. Look at how you care for my people already. I can't ask for better.”

I didn't know what to say. I was crying full out by the time he finished and I was afraid I'd say something horrible to mess up the moment. So I just went into his arms and held him like he was the only solid thing in my world.