Sun's Tear (The Valkyrie's Passion Book 2): A Valkyrie/Shifter Romance (10 page)

I swung with a mighty, overhand sweep. The flames on my blade crackled. My sword crashed into the first were-eagle, shearing through the tattooed biker's wing. The thing screeched in pain and crashed at my feet.

“Valkyrie,” I shouted. I couldn't think of anything else to scream, but I had to let out the excitement inside of me.

I leaped over the dying were-eagle as the other dived at me, talons extending. I thrust my blade out, punching through the transformed biker's chest. His body slid down my sword and crashed into me. Feathers swirled around us as I sailed down the slope.

I dismissed my sword and heaved the corpse from in front of me. The ground rushed beneath me. I had jumped mid-slope and I wouldn't hit the ground until the bottom. I could take it. I bent my legs and re-summoned my sword.

Flames hissed as I crashed to the ground before the Sun's Tear. Griff faced me, his arms folded as he stood over it. “Back up,” I hissed. “You transform, I'll cut you down before you can move.”

“I see why Magnus fought so hard for you,” Griff smiled as I pulled out the felt bag with my free hand. “Magnificent woman. You would have clawed Talon up if he tried to take you.”

“I would have.” My eyes hardened. “And I'll do the same to you.”

He laughed, his body shaking. He had a scar running across his belly. This man wasn't a stranger to pain.

I moved forward, using the footwork Magnus taught me. I held the bag in my teeth as I bent down, my sword pointed at Griff. Always keep your weapon trained at the enemy. I snatched up the Sun's Tear. It was the size of my fist.

Heat seared me. I grit my teeth against the pain. I straightened and retreated. I fumbled to drop the Tear into the bag and keep my blade aimed at Griff. The biker never made a move. The stone fell into the pouch. I pulled the red strings closed and tucked it beneath my breastplate. The bag was a warm lump pressed against my stomach.

“Just stay there and you'll get to live, Griff,” I said as I backed up.

“If you hand over the bag, I won't have to rip you to pieces, Valkyrie,” Griff countered.

I arched an eyebrow. “I didn't have a problem killing your two men. What makes you think—”

He let out a screeching cry, an eagle diving at its prey. It resounded through the trees. His body swelled, his cut and blue jeans bursting into shreds. Coarse, red feathers sprouted. His arms grew longer, ending at thick fists. He leaned forward on them like a gorilla as his body grew higher and higher, looming twenty feet over me.

He looked like the frost troll that killed Magnus, except he had feathers and a cruel beak instead of fur and a wolf's snout. His eyes were red and glowing. “I was given far more than my men, Valkyrie.” He took a step towards me, walking on his knuckles like a giant ape-eagle, the ground shaking with every step. “The stone. Now.”

Magnus

I scrambled to my feet as the Thief seized Poncho and rammed his tusks into the biker's torso. Poncho spasmed and gurgled. The Thief threw him away, and he fell on the ground twitching.

“Fucker!” I snarled. I seized the ax lurking in the depths of my soul.

In a sheet of light, rippling like an aurora, the ax appeared in my left hand. In the same motion, I swung the blade hard at the Thief. Sprays of aurora trailed in the ax's arc. The Thief twisted his bulk and danced away from the blade.

“You picked up Heimdall's weapon,” the Thief growled. “I should have removed it from the field.”

“Your mistake,” I snarled as I leaped at him.

Fighting as a werewolf gave me advantages a human could never enjoy. I was quick. I could jump high. I made the battlefield three-dimensional as I sailed up and swung the ax at the Thief's head as I soared over him.

The Thief twisted. The blade cracked into his tusk. Rainbow light exploded, washing over us. The trees rustled. I landed and turned, parrying the Thief's goring attack. I swung the blade in hard, fast attacks, throwing auroras with every blow.

Anger propelled me. It seized me. I had to feast on his blood. Defending myself didn't matter. Only the kill. My attacks grew more reckless. I howled and snarled as the Thief moved with nimble grace despite his heavy bulk.

“You play with toys you couldn't possibly understand, pup,” laughed the Thief as he spun away from my attack and dodged past me, racing towards Rick.

A gun fired. Rick, backing up the road, unloaded his UMP at the Thief. Bullets bounced off the monster's rubbery hide and crashed on the ground.

“Fuck,” Rick snarled as he ejected the magazine and reached for another. “I'll fucking kill you.”

“Fight me!” I howled as I charged up the road after the Thief. He would not kill any more of my brothers. I loped and leaped, crashing into the Thief's back. My ax blade bit into the Thief's shoulder, drawing hot blood.

The Thief elbowed me in the face, throwing me to the ground. Blood filled my mouth. I spat it out as I gained my feet. “Run, Rick.”

“Fuck that,” Rick snarled. The UMP spat bullets.

I leaped again, ax swinging. The Thief turned with lightning speed and punched. Ribs cracked. My lungs burned as I crashed into the asphalt. I rolled down the road and stopped my slide. My breath wheezed as I struggled to rise.

That didn't matter. My anger devoured the pain as I rose.

Motorcycle engines roared, racing down the hill. Fire burned. Big Hoss had fired the brothel and was racing down to help in the fight. He would be killed. I would not let any more blood be spilled. I would protect my pack.

Big Hoss skidded his motorcycle to a stop. “What the fuck is going on.”

“Monsters are real,” Rick shouted and unloaded another useless burst of fire. “And Magnus is a werewolf.”

“Get out of here!” I howled as I raced up the hill. I had to stop the Thief.

The gray arm of the Thief lashed out and seized Rick's neck. “No.”

“Fuck!” Big Hoss shouted and pulled out his revolver. The S&W .50 boomed with every shot, the bullets landing deformed at the feet of the Thief.

“Get out of here,” I howled.

The Thief pivoted and threw Rick at me. My brother slammed into my chest. Bones snapped as we crashed to the ground. Rick rolled off of me, lying limp on the ground as I gained my feet. The rage consumed me.

I raced at the Thief. My vision narrowed to focus only on him. The Thief turned to face me, thrusting his sharp tusks at me. I twisted and ducked, the tusks skimming over my head. I crashed into his stomach, my teeth biting at his rubbery flesh.

“What the fuck, Magnus?” Big Hoss shouted. “What is going on?”

I tore a chunk of foul flesh from the Thief and spat the rotten meat to the ground. “Run!”

My eyes met Big Hoss's. I had never seen my friend afraid. He had rescued me from my stupidity. We had founded the Black Wolves. And now there were only a few of us left. Our brothers lay torn apart on the road. I failed to protect them.

“Run!”

Big Hoss twisted the throttle and roared past us, followed by Thunder and Skids.

The Thief grabbed my shoulders. His hands squeezed hard. Then he threw me away into the trees. “Why are you even here, Einherjer?”

“To kill you,” I howled as I scrambled to my feet.

“While your Valkyrie dies?”

I froze.

Every hair on my body stood up. Fear tugged at me. Not fear for my safety. A name screamed on the wind. My Valkyrie was in danger. I wasn't with her. I wasn't there to protect her.

“Your stupid slut went after the Sun's Tear alone.” A smile crossed his face. The Thief didn't feel the pain of his injuries. Blackish blood leaked down his body. “Griff is tearing her to pieces right now.”

Raven needed me. I wanted to rip the Thief apart. The blood of my brothers demanded the Thief's death.

Raven needed me.

I ran from the Thief, racing to my bike parked down the hill. My anger died as fear took over. My body ached. It hurt to breathe. To run. I had broken ribs. The rage had cloaked the pain. But no longer. The wolf left me.

I became human.

“Run, Einherjer,” laughed the Thief. “You might reach her in time.”

I forced myself to keep going. I ignored the dead. I couldn't help them. I failed them. I wouldn't fail Raven.

I reached my bike. The keys were in the ignition. I kick-started the bike. The engine roared. The Thief's laugh chased me. The screams of my dying brothers whipped at my soul.

I would kill the Thief. He would die by my hands.

But not tonight.

~   ~   ~

Raven

The monster's fist slammed into me.

Pain exploded through me. I sailed up the slope and landed hard on the ground. Dents marred my breastplate. My chest ached. My heart labored. Fear shot through me. “Magnus,” I cried out as I shook my head. “Magnus, help.”

No. He wasn't here.

“Your lapdog won't save you, Valkyrie.” Griff crashed through the trees. He was a wrecking ball plowing through forest. Wood snapped and trees toppled before him. “My brothers have already ripped him to pieces.”

Panic gripped me. I fought it down as I forced myself to stand. I gripped my sword in both hands. Griff was so big. He would beat me to a pulp. He loomed over me, his hooked beak wide open as he screeched. His mighty fist swung at me.

I sprang to the side, my feet scrambling on the slope. The ground shook when the fist landed. I turned and swung my blade. I scored a wound on his wrist. He didn't feel it. He swung his fist in a backhand at me.

I ducked. The fist clipped my helmet, throwing me onto my back. My helmet tumbled away, bouncing down the side of the mountain. He punched again. I rolled to the side and scrambled to my feet.

His beak pecked down and crashed into my armor. Pain flared. The sharp tip of his beak punctured the silvery armor and pierced my side. A wave of cold washed through me. I stumbled back and took a wild swing with my sword, driving him back.

I couldn't fight him. Not without help. Not without Magnus.

I had to flee.

I scrambled back up the slope. Trees snapped and crashed behind me as he lumbered through the woods. The ground shook, propelling me to run faster. Panic nibbled at my thoughts. Thinking was hard. There was only fleeing.

I had to get away. I had to escape.

Griff couldn't get the Sun's Tear.

I reached the top and leaped. The ground rushed beneath me. My black hair streamed behind me. Trees rushed by me. I raised my arms as I crashed through branches. I hit the ground near the middle of the slope. The impact jarred me.

“No,” I shouted as I pitched face first.

I tumbled down the hill. My armor groaned as I bounced off trees. My body ached when I rolled to a stop at the bottom. Between my armor and being a Valkyrie, I managed to keep from breaking any bones.

Griff shrieked as he barreled down the slope, an avalanche of broken trees crashing before him.

I gained my feet and ran, racing through the bog. I didn't care about getting my boots wet. I ignored all the aches in my body and the wound in my side. I barely felt the pain. My shirt and jeans were wet with my blood.

That didn't matter. I had to escape.

“You can't run forever, Valkyrie. Just give up.”

I would not let Magnus die. The warmth of the Sun's Tear bled through the pouch into my skin. It was soothing, like soaking in a bathtub to ease weary muscles. The heat washed away pain and fatigue. I ran faster.

The thuds and crashes grew softer. I ran faster than Griff. I wove through the pines and firs. Headlights flashed through the trees. The road was ahead. Magnus's truck waited. I could reach it. I could get away.

“Keep running, Raven,” I hissed at myself.

Hope drove me to run faster. I ignored the growing stitch in my side. My breath exploded out of me. I had to keep running. Griff screeched behind me. Trees broke and splintered beneath his crashing bulk.

I broke through the trees, my eyes scanning. Magnus's truck was to my left. “Yes.”

I raced to it, dismissing my armor. I caught the pouch with my left hand as my right shoved in my jeans pocket for the keys. I ripped open the cab and fumbled with them. Griff screeched. Before me, trees crashed down onto the road. His crimson bulk burst out of the forest.

I jammed the keys in and twisted. The truck roared to life. I put it in reverse and slammed on the accelerator. Gravel sprayed before the truck as I whipped it around and away from Griff. I shifted into drive, my heart screaming.

The tires squealed on the asphalt before the traction bit and I tore off down the road. I was doing it. I was getting—

Metal crunched. The truck spun. Without a seat belt on, I was thrown against the door. The world spun, and I tumbled through the cab. Up and down became the same thing. Then the truck stopped rolling, and I crashed onto the roof of the cab.

My vision fuzzed. Metal ripped and the truck shook.

“Where are you hiding, Valkyrie?” cawed Griff.

The truck suddenly flipped over, throwing me down onto the bench-like seat. With a shearing groan, the cab's roof ripped off. Griff peered down at me. His feathered fist reached down into the cab. I summoned my sword. He snatched up the white bag containing the Sun's Tear off the dashboard.

“What does your flesh taste like, Valkyrie?” Griff asked. He clucked his beak, then pecked down at me.

I thrust my sword up. The blade pierced Griff's eye. He screeched in pain and stumbled back. The ground shook. The world spun about me. I tried to move. My body hurt. Blood pooled on the seat, leaking out of my side.

I failed Magnus. I needed to get out of the ruins of the truck and get back the Sun's Tear.

I grasped the steering wheel with a blood-stained hand. I tried to pull myself up. The world swam and grew black.

“Magnus,” I croaked.