Hunting season

Chapter Twelve

“Those Ravens are becoming a problem.”

Waldgrave sighed as he stared off into his backyard, his big arms folded over his even bigger chest. “How long did it take them?”

“To take out the decoy and get to the Crows? Less than an hour.”

Taking a deep breath to dispel the overwhelming desire to start killing things, he looked at the disciple standing next to him. “I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, should we?”

“You didn’t think She’d make it easy on us, did you, sir?”

He finally chuckled. “You’re right.” Still, the Ravens were a serious problem.

And, unlike the Crows, their god still cloaked them. They were impossible to track, so he had no idea where the hell any of them lived. Plus, they could be right on top of him and Waldgrave wouldn’t know it until they had their hands around his throat.

Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted to face off against Odin himself if he fucked with his pets.

“Sir?”

“Forget them for now. Our prey is the Gathering. Focus on them. We need to get rid of that female and soon. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

Waldgrave dismissed his disciple with a quick jerk of his head, leaving him to his thoughts and plans.

He wouldn’t fail Her. He would never fail Her.

Neecy opened Arri’s door but found her bed empty and made. The girl even made hospital corners. Obsessive compulsives were so odd.

Charging down the stairs, Neecy desperately searched for her friend. She got up later than she meant to and she had to get into the city, but she wanted to talk to Arri and help her ease into this. She’d be freaked out. Scared. Neecy wanted to help her through that as much as she could.

She pulled her backpack on and checked the living room, the study, the library, and quickly headed toward the kitchen. Neecy pushed open the swinging door and froze in the doorway.

“Okay, okay. Tell ‘em. Tell ‘em.” Katie handed Arri a cup of coffee.

Arri, sitting on the kitchen counter, took it and shook her head. “Well…you’re a dark, dark red. Passionate.”

The room full of Crows laughed and Katie struck a little pose. “That’s right. I’m passionate! Now pay up! I told ya bitches I was red!”

Giggling, Arri looked past the women and saw Neecy. She gave her a wide grin.

Neecy didn’t need to read auras to know her little friend would be fine.

Neecy mouthed, “I gotta go. Talk later.”

Arri nodded as Connie re-‐hashed the story from the previous night’s hunt. “Like one second we were just standing there, kicking ass, and the next we were being blown away…literally!”

Neecy left the kitchen and headed toward the front door. Now she was really late. Luckily it still hadn’t snowed, so she could ride her bike into the city.

Rushing out the door, Didi who’d abruptly come out of her office called after her, “And don’t forget tonight!”

“Yeah. Sure.” Neecy didn’t know what Didi meant, but she was in too big a rush to actually give a shit.

Neecy stared at the five women standing in her doorway. They all wore gorgeous black cocktail dresses and had their hair and nails done.

Her hair still wet from a recent shower, Neecy mustered up a calm she didn’t feel. “I am not going to a Valkyrie party.”

When Neecy arrived in the city that morning, she immediately went to the university to meet with the doctorate and masters students she advised and deal with her classes. After a full day of that, she did a little food shopping and then headed home for a night of Law & Order reruns and pasta. As far as she was concerned, that plan had not changed.

“Oh, yes. You are going.” Didi took a step toward her and Neecy crossed her arms in front of her chest, her feet braced apart.

“Forget it. This is above and beyond the call of Skuld duty. Besides, I thought Delia and her team goes to these things.”

“I have her handling the Hunter situation.”

“So I heard,” Neecy couldn’t help but sneer. She should be handling the current Hunter situation. Not that Delia wouldn’t do a good job, but Neecy was second in command. Not Delia. Hunting down these idiots and using their heads as golf balls should belong to Neecy.

Didi snapped her fingers. “Show her.”

Janelle reached into a Macy’s bag and pulled out a sleeveless black cocktail dress.

“What is that for?”

“It’s for you to wear.”

Neecy shook her head. “Forget it. You ain’t gettin’ me in that dress. And you ain’t gettin’ me to that party. So you bitches might as well just keep steppin’.”

Ducking her head, Arri stepped back as the other women stepped forward. It was when Janelle cracked her knuckles, though, that Neecy became seriously concerned.

Elder-‐Raven Skellan watched quietly as a small group of women dragged a bound and gagged woman out of a limo.

He’d only come out to take a cigarette break before they served dinner. He never expected a floorshow.

Together, five women hauled the woman out onto the curb and stood her up.

She immediately began to struggle, but a really large blonde put her in a headlock while a tiny redhead handled untying the ropes.

He’d been a Boy Scout in his youth…those were good knots.

They kept the gag on and kept her in the headlock as they headed toward the hotel entrance.

A pretty black woman looked at him and waved. “Hi, Skellan!”

Suddenly recognizing her, “Hey, Didi. Everything…uh…okay?”

“Oh, sure!”

“How’s Harry?”

“Oh, he’s great. I’ll see ya inside, hon.”

“Sure. See ya inside.”

Nope. You just never knew what would happen at a Valkyrie party when Crows were invited. Dropping his unfinished cigarette, Skellan headed toward the entrance. No way would he miss any of this.

“Stop frowning, Neecy.”

The crazy bitches finally released her and Neecy yanked off her gag. “You mother…”

“Don’t you dare, Neecy Lawrence!” Didi barked. “Just get over it. You’re here for the night.”

“I don’t want to be here.”

“I don’t care.”

The women all handed over their coats. Neecy refused to take off hers, so Janelle snatched it off her back.

“I’m so gonna get you for this,” she snarled at Janelle.

“Blah. Blah. Blah,” Janelle said with a smile. Since she was pretty much following a Crow leader’s orders, there was really nothing to nail her for. But Neecy would find something. If it took her the rest of her second-‐life…she’d find something!

“All right, Ladies. Listen up.”

Neecy crossed her eyes while the other five Crows turned to face Didi.

“Remember what I said, ladies. No spitting. No punching. No kicking. No telling anyone you’ll cut their throat when they’re asleep.”

“Hey!” Neecy snapped. “That was one time!”

Didi didn’t even glance at her. “We are here, ladies, to represent The Gathering and our Goddess.” She drew herself up to her mighty five-‐five height, which Neecy at her cool six-‐one, pretty much laughed at. “So…don’t piss me the fuck off tonight. Understood?”

They all nodded except Neecy who glared instead.

Moving like the pack of killers they truly were, the women headed to the grand ballroom. Janelle stayed behind Neecy, prodding her all the way.

The Valkyries had rented out the entire hotel for the night. Must have cost them a pretty penny, she was sure. And the Crows would be seriously outnumbered.

Her little group the only ones willing to make the effort to attend.

They reached the doorway and Didi stopped.

She threw back her shoulders and Neecy knew what was coming. It was the middle of winter, but they all had on strapless cocktail dresses, perfect for what they were.

Chicks with wings.

“Ladies,” Didi smiled. “Unfurl.”

Mike’s head snapped back and he grabbed his nose. “What did I say?”

Yager didn’t answer him. Just picked up his scotch and took another sip. He’d broken the boy’s nose long ago. Now he took pleasure in messing with the little bit of cartilage left any time the pissant got out of hand. Like now.

“It’s not like I asked if she swallowed.”

Yager jerked, just a little, and Mike jumped back away from him. He took another sip of his drink to hide his smile.

“Yager. I’m so glad you came.”

Yager looked down at Cassie Bennet, once called Cassie Blue—her stage name.

He had to admit, the woman had some talent, but only where stripping was concerned. When it came to being a Valkyrie…well, he knew better.

Glancing down at her, he noted Cassie’s sinfully short silver dress. It barely covered her prominent ass. And he knew she probably only wore a thong and not much else under it. Add in the silver “fuck me” pumps and Cassie was quite the recipe for hot, dirty fucking. He knew he could take her to the bathroom right now and nail her up against one of the stalls. And when he was fifteen, he would have been all over that like a bad rash.

But at thirty-‐three, only one woman dominated his thoughts. And it sure as hell wasn’t Cassie Bennet.

It sounded like a gunshot and it stopped all the activity in the room. But being a Raven, Yager knew exactly what that sound was…wings unfurling. Crows wings.

He turned away from the bar slowly and faced the doorway. Didi strutted in first. Like always, classy in her unpretentious way. But he’d known Didi for years. Classy she may be. But when she ripped off that one guy’s head a few years back and “free-‐throwed” it into a basketball hoop…not so classy.

Scary…but not classy.

A small group of Crows followed her. Arri, looking much better than she had the night before. As well as Janelle, Katie, and Connie.

Following right behind them all, looking seriously annoyed…

“Goddamn she’s beautiful.”

It took him a good ten seconds to realize he’d muttered that out loud. Cassie looked at him in surprise, whereas Mike just snorted a laugh. Probably all he could manage since he still held his nose.

No need bullshitting now. Yager shrugged. “Well…she is.”

Neecy stopped in the middle of the room and looked to her left. There he was.

Lounging against the bar and staring at her.

Looking at her the way she specifically told him not to look at her anymore. And, of course, Cassie “my pussy is so well used it’s the size of Penn Station” Bennet stood right next to him. Surprising the bitch didn’t have a leash around his neck.

“This,” she bit out between brutally clenched teeth, “is why you bitches brought me here?”

Didi shrugged. “We don’t know what you mean.”

Feeling her control slip, Neecy walked off. One more second looking at Didi’s smug face, and she would bitch slap the woman all over the room. Still, it took a moment to realize Arri walked right beside her.

“They weren’t being mean, ya know.”

“Arri, I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“I’m just saying.”

Neecy stopped walking and turned to her friend. “I know. I know. It’s just…this is getting complicated. I hate complicated.”

Arri opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped and turned away, her eyes closing like she stared into the sun. Then a shadow covered them and Neecy thought for a moment that maybe it was Yager because of its size. Somehow, though, she knew it wasn’t—the shadow kept growing.

Could this night suck anymore?

Sighing, “Hello, Odin.”

Neecy turned and watched the god’s one eye glance at her chest and immediately lose interest. “Denise.”

It always surprised her he knew her name. Simply because her tits weren’t big enough for him to take any interest. But suddenly…he seemed interested. Not in a good way, though.

“Can I help you with something?” Neecy knew she shouldn’t get what Didi affectionately referred to as “that tone,” but she couldn’t help herself. He pissed her off.

“Just wondering if you’re enjoying your time uptown?”

Actually they where in midtown at the moment. “What does that mean?”

“You and Yager. You must admit this is quite the step up for a one-‐time drug dealer.”

Neecy sucked in air to spit in Odin’s face. But before she got the chance, Arri grabbed the back of her dress and dragged her away.

“Well that was exciting,” Arri muttered as she pulled Neecy into a safe corner behind an enormous potted plant. “I know I like to get into one-‐on-‐one confrontations with gods.”

“Oh, stop whining. It’s not like he would have wiped you from the face of the earth or anything.”

With a sound of pure disgust, Cassie stormed off. Mike watched her go. “I fucked her, ya know.”

Of course he did. “Was she any good?”

Mike shrugged. “Stripper sex.”

“Stripper sex isn’t bad.” Especially when you were only twenty-‐seven.

“Nope. It was fun. I like stripper sex.”

“Well this is a fascinating conversation.”

Yager looked down at Didi. “Hey, beautiful.” He leaned down and gave her a hug.

“If it isn’t my favorite vicious Viking.” She reached up and gripped both of his cheeks. “And what a cutie little vicious Viking you are!”

Yager laughed as she patted his shoulder and turned her brown eyes to his friend. “How’s it going, Michael?”

“Great, now that you’re here.”

Didi rolled her eyes. “You have absolutely no shame.”

“None.”

She turned and leaned back against the bar next to Yager. “So, Yager.

What is going on between you and my second in command?”

“At this very moment? Nothing. But,” he smiled, “give me time.”

“There’s that Viking glint I love. And to think some of the Ravens thought you might be too nice for this job?”

“Nice? I’m not nice. Am I nice?”

Didi shrugged, but before she could answer, Yager cut her off. “Does she think I’m nice?” He felt uncomfortably panicked at the thought. Women never seemed to want a nice guy. They wanted a biker who couldn’t commit. Or the criminal with the heart of gold. Yager never took anything after that bubble gum incident when he was six, he never rode motorcycles because he liked his skull in one piece, and he would fly Neecy Lawrence to Vegas in a heartbeat if she suddenly walked over and said “Let’s do it!”

Shit. Nice was not good.

“If she thinks I’m nice, then she thinks I’m…”

“Boring?” Mike filled in helpfully.

“Shut up,” both Yager and Didi snapped.

Didi touched his arm. “She does think you’re nice, but that doesn’t matter to Neece. Or the fact that you come from money…”

“I don’t come from money.” Every cent Yager had, he’d earned on his own. And he was damn proud of that fact.

“You’re from Long Island.”

“From Levittown. Not exactly wealth capital of the world.”

“Well…compared to the part of Brooklyn or Harlem or wherever the hell she was raised…you guys live in the Hamptons.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”

Didi pushed off from the bar and stepped in front of him. “Do what Vikings do best.”

“Invade in our long boats and steal all your women?” Yager and Didi looked at Mike. “What? That’s what that means to me.”

Didi smiled at Yager as she backed away from him. “You know what I mean, Yager. Persistence is key with someone like Neecy Lawrence.”

She took another step back and slammed into a seven-‐foot, eight-‐inch hard body.

She glanced at it over her shoulder and smirked. “Odin.”

“Darling girl.”

She snorted and walked away.

Odin nodded at Yager and Molinski who nodded back, and then he followed two twenty-‐year-‐old Valkyries who giggled past him.

Mike shook his head. “You know, next to that man, I feel damn-‐near saintly.”

“Bro, next to that man, you’re the freakin’ Pope.”

“You know, you can’t hide here all night.” Arri handed Neecy the beer she’d asked for.

“Why not?”

“It’s a potted plant. You’re a mighty Daughter of Skuld…have some dignity.”

“You know, since we discovered your abilities, you’ve been awfully mouthy.”

Arri smiled in surprise. “Me? I’ve been mouthy? Cool! No one’s ever called me mouthy before.”

“Your perkiness is irritating me again.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Arri stared at her soda. “Ya know…I didn’t think they’d be nice when they found out the truth about me…I thought it’d be different.”

“Different how?”

“A burning at the stake kind of thing.”

Neecy laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself, bonehead.”

Arri grinned again as she sipped her diet coke, leaning against the wall to people watch. Neecy marveled at how clean Arri lived. No drugs. No drinking. And for a girl from Long Island, she didn’t curse much either, considering all the Crows cursed.

“Oh, my gosh! I don’t think that Valkyrie’s wearing underwear.”

Neecy began laughing and couldn’t stop.

“Heck, it’s a G-‐string. Oh, I gotta talk to her. She can’t be comfortable in that thing. I’ll be back.” Arri slipped off.

Neecy laughed harder. She was enjoying the “freer” Arri. She was a nut.

“I like you in that dress, baby.”

Forcing herself not to spin around or spontaneously come at the sound of the man’s voice, “How the hell did you get back there?” She looked over her shoulder at Yager, lowering her wing a bit so that she didn’t block that gorgeous face of his.

“Well?” she pushed. The hidden little corner she’d buried herself in had an enormous potted plant blocking her from everyone’s sight and kept anyone from creeping up behind her.

Anyone but Yager.

“Man, you’re still testy. Why are you so testy?”

Sighing, “I’m not testy.” She turned to face him. “I just don’t want to be here, but I wasn’t given much choice, now was I?”

“What are you looking at me for?”

“I don’t know what you and those bitches have going on, but leave me the hell alone.”

She turned to walk away, but Yager slid his arm around her waist and pulled her up against his body. “Why do you always run away from me, Lawrence?”

“Crows don’t run. From anything.”

“Except me. You run from me.”

“Oh, get over yourself, Yager.”

She should have moved faster. Normally she would have. But Yager always threw her off. So when he turned her, pushing her into the dark corner behind the giant plant, she didn’t even stab him with one of her talons.

“Yager!” She didn’t yell it. It was more like a desperate whisper.

Taking the beer out of her hand and dropping it into the potted plant, he whispered back, “I missed you.”

“I just talked to you last night.” She refused to mention the time in her office.

Not when she kept waking up all night thinking about it, her hands between her legs.

Feebly pushing against his shoulders, Neecy did her best to ignore the throbbing heat between her thighs.

“Not good enough, Lawrence.”

“Let me go!”

He didn’t. Instead he leaned against her and dropped his head into the curve of her neck. “Don’t be mad at me, Neecy. I wanted to see you so bad.”

Christ, how could she stay mad when he sounded so sincere? Especially when his warm breath against her neck sent pulsing shots of lust to her pussy.

“I’m not mad at you, Yager. My team, however…”

“Don’t be mad at them either.” His hand gently glided along the front of her dress. “I really like this dress on you, baby. I wasn’t kidding.”

“I’d like this dress more if I wasn’t forced into it.”

“Forced?”

“Yeah. Janelle held me down while the rest of ‘em put it on me.”

Yager stood up straight, his eyes looking off blindly. “My God, woman. The visual. Was there porn music in the background?”

Feeling her anger slide away, Neecy hit his shoulder. “No!”

“Any kind of inappropriate touching?”

“No!” She giggled as he leaned back down and kissed her neck and bare shoulder.

“That’s so disappointing.”

“You’re a pervert, Yager.”

“Nope. Just a typical male.”

“Clearly.”

“Does that really bother you?” He pressed Neecy against the wall with his body, his huge erection rubbing against her thigh. He felt so good against her. Man, she could really get used to this.

Neecy’s hands gripped Yager’s shoulders. She needed to get control of herself right now or she was going to be in big trouble.

“You look so good tonight, Neecy.” She looked up into those steel grey eyes and saw nothing but warmth and caring. What the hell? How could this stay completely unemotional if he kept looking at her like he cared?

See? You can never trust men to do what you need them to do.

His mouth lowered to hers and she panicked, blurting out the first thing that came to mind that didn’t involve sex. “What is the deal with your hair?”

Stopping abruptly, Yager stared at her. “What?”

“Your hair…do you ever comb it?”

There. Now all she needed was to see that knowing little smirk that would tell her it was all a plot to get the girls wet and ready for him. Then she could dismiss him as nothing more than a walking, talking vibrator.

Instead, he looked a little embarrassed. “I keep forgetting.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I keep forgetting. I get out of the shower and I always mean to comb it then I get sidetracked by something else. Like tonight…it hit me what was wrong with the code I’d been working on and I decided to try and fix it before coming here.” He grimaced. “Does it look really bad?”

No, no, no! This wasn’t fair! He wasn’t artfully cute and adorable. He was cluelessly cute and adorable. Damn him. Damn him to the very pits of Helheim!

Neecy dug her hands in his hair and pulled his head down until their mouths touched. They both moaned as their tongues connected and teased.

Yager pulled her impossibly closer, his hard cock practically burning a hole in her dress.

Pulling back a bit, Yager rasped against her lips, “Let’s get out of here, Neecy.

Now.”

“No.”

“Why? You know we’ll have more fun alone.”

“Forget it. Remember what I said, no relation…” Before she could finish, he kissed her again. Harder this time. More demanding. It suddenly got dark and she wondered why. She realized her wings had folded around them, shielding them away from everybody else.

Christ, even her wings were betraying her.

He leaned back from their kiss and she burst out in a desperate whisper, “Forget it!”

“Damn difficult female,” he muttered as he kissed her neck.

“I am not…and those better not be teeth I feel, Mister! Another hickey and I’m gonna kick your ass.”

So distracted by his teeth, Neecy didn’t know Yager’s hand had snaked up under her dress until she felt his fingers dip inside her panties.

“God, Yager. Stop!” she cried out in a desperate whisper.

And he did. Although he still didn’t move his hand away.

Breathing heavy, she looked up into his handsome face. “Yager…”

“Let me, Neecy.” He gave her the warmest smile she’d ever seen and her heart lurched. “I love watching you come.”

“We can’t. Not here.” His thumb grazed her clit and she jerked. “Yager!” She slugged his shoulder.

“I wanna see you tonight.”

She shook her head. “No. I can’t.” She wouldn’t. Trouble, trouble, trouble. It oozed out of every one of Yager’s goddamn beautiful pores.

His fingers teased her clit and she closed her eyes, working hard to stay in control—and failing miserably. She wanted him. Again.

Could she possibly be a weaker female?

“I wanna see you tonight, Neecy,” he persisted. “I wanna fuck you. I wanna slide inside you and feel your tight pussy take hold of me.”

Holy shit.

“I need to taste you again. On my fingers. On my tongue. I need to hear you whisper my name when I’m inside you. Then I want you screaming it as I make you come and come.

“I…I…” Desperately she tried to get out the words to tell him to stop. To back off. To go to hell. She couldn’t. Not with those big fingers of his stroking her just right.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. A sweet, innocent kiss. Heartless bastard!

Why was he doing this to her?

“Yager…”

“Come for me, baby,” he whispered against her ear as his fingers circled her clit.

“I wanna feel you come.”

He kissed her, his mouth hard against hers, which was good. Because she came all right. Came all over his vibrating hand.

In fact, his mouth on hers was the only thing that stopped her from betraying their little full-‐body corner clutch to the entire party.

Finally, after she sagged against him, he pulled his mouth away and slid his hands out from between her thighs.

“God, you’re amazing, Neecy.”

She didn’t know why, but she found that statement funny. She chuckled as she leaned into his big body, letting him hold her up. “Thanks, Yager.”

“What’s so funny?”

“I have no idea…and are you sucking your fingers?”

She looked up to find Yager with two of his fingers in his mouth. He shrugged.

“Can’t help myself.” He grinned. “You taste so good.”

Neecy laughed harder. Only I would get mixed up with a geeky alpha male.

He kissed her cheek. “Come home with me tonight.”

She finally pulled away from Yager. “I don’t know.”

“At least think about it.”

Think about it? The man gave her a rocking orgasm in the middle of some crappy Valkyrie party, what else exactly would she be thinking about?

“That I can do.”

His grin was huge and infectious. “Good.”

“Now, go away.”

“How easily I’m dismissed. I feel like a gigolo.”

“You wish.”

“Yeah, I do.” From behind, Yager grabbed her around the waist, giving her a hug and quick kiss on the neck. “Later, baby.”

“Yeah. Later.” Taking a deep, shaky breath, Neecy turned to face Yager and instead found him gone.

“How the fuck does he do that?”

“Ow, Neecy!” Spinning back around, Neecy found Arri behind her, shielding her eyes.

“What?”

“Could you be any pinker?”

Neecy didn’t get pink. Red, maybe. But she was too brown for pink anything.

Then she realized Arri was in no way talking about her skin color.

Damn aura reading, Underoo-‐wearing Crow! “Oh, shut the hell up!”

Delia crouched down in front of the man, his weapon in her hands. “Nice gun.”

He turned his face away, but she grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her.

They’d secured him to a chair in the back of an auto body shop, using one of Delia’s handcuffs from her collection.

“There’s a lot of ways this can go.” Her grip tightened on his face and he cringed in reaction. “But in the end, you’ll give me what I want.”

They’d used one of the smaller Crows as a lure. That always worked with men.

So gullible. So freakin’ stupid. If she didn’t like cock and a big muscular ass so much, she’d totally go gay. Or at least make the effort. But, like her mother and her mother’s mother, she was cursed to love dick.

“Is this going to take long? I’m so hungry.”

“Can you not wait five minutes, Sherri?”

“Not when I’m hungry.”

Delia rolled her eyes. “Anyone got a protein bar for Ms. Impatient here?”

“I do,” one of her teammates offered.

Delia turned back to her prey. “Where were we? Oh, yeah. You were going to tell me everything you know or…” Delia glanced down at the other Hunters at her feet. Her girls hadn’t left much of them, but what remained…damn impactful. And once she was done with this one, she’d open a mystical doorway and shove their remains through it.

Removing the blade from the sheath strapped to her calf, she pushed the point against his Adam’s apple.

“Talk now…or feel pain for hours.”

The Hunter stared at her for a long moment, closed his eyes, and dropped as far forward as his bonds allowed. It wasn’t far, but it was enough to impale himself on the blade.

Delia blinked, the Hunter’s blood dripping down across her hand. “Well this can’t be good.”

Sherri squatted down beside her, half the protein bar already gone. “Aw, man. I hate zealots.”

Yager stared up at the ceiling. This was it. He wasn’t coming to these stupid things anymore. He couldn’t be more bored if they trapped him alone in a room without a TV and no furniture.

There was only one redeeming value to this seriously sucking event…

His eyes slid over to look at Neecy. She sat at the table with all the other Crows.

Originally, their table was near the kitchen. A typical Cassie move. But she should have known better. Didi saw that shit exactly for what it was and took her Gathering over to a table filled with California Valkyries.

“Move…or we break out the talons.” And they did move, because few were stupid enough to fight with the Crows.

He was very glad they moved, too. He had a nice clear view of Neecy from the dais he grudgingly sat at.

Yager always knew he could fall in love with Neecy Lawrence. He just didn’t realize he’d already fallen in love with her. Head over heels, can’t imagine his life without her, no one else will ever do, in love with her.

Of course, she kept fighting him. That’s what Neecy did with anyone not a Crow who tried to get too close. Not surprising really. She’d been through a lot. All the Crows had in one way or another. That’s what he found so amazing about all of them. They all found such joy in the lives they had now and he admired that.

But Neecy…Neecy amazed him the most. She was everything he’d ever wanted.

Now he had to figure out how to get her. Not just sex either. He wanted to come home at night and find her there. He wanted to check in with her before he committed to any weekend offers because she may have already planned something for them. He wanted to get pissed because all her girly shit was overtaking his apartment.

That’s what he wanted, and it had been a long time since he hadn’t gotten what he wanted.

Staring at Neecy, he found himself thinking about her naked.

Naked and wet and all over him.

“If you stare at her any harder…”

Yager smiled and turned to the older woman next to him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Morgan laughed. An Old School Valkyrie, the fifty-‐four year old woman practically raised Yager and his generation of Ravens. She taught them everything important. How to throw a good punch, how to set things on fire discreetly, and how to pick up girls.

And Morgan had made him well aware of how much the current Valkyrie situation galled her.

The Valkyries Yager was raised with were mighty in their fierceness. Their sexiness came out of their outright viciousness and Viking-‐like philosophies.

Like the Original Seven, the Valkyries he knew and loved did not play games, try and act cute, or take anyone’s crap. Especially Odin’s.

“Gorgeous, isn’t she?”

“Has someone stolen my little Will’s heart?”

“Like a thief in the night.”

“Well, all I have to say is, thank the gods it’s a Crow. If it were one of these wanna-‐be Valkyrie bitches, I’d be beyond pissed.”

The beauty of Morgan…she never really said anything quietly. Typical Jersey Shore female, although she and her family now lived near his Long Island home. Yager didn’t have to look to know every young Valkyrie eye on the dais was glowering at Morgan. And Morgan knew it, too—she simply didn’t care.

“And you know I like the Crows. I did some work with Didi once. She’s fierce.”

Morgan looked over at the Crow table and Yager knew exactly what the woman would do before she did it.

“Hey, Didi! Didi! It’s me! Morgan!”

Yager looked down at his plate to hide his grin. Fancy dinner and Morgan yells across the room.

“Very nice, Morgan.”

Morgan slammed back her scotch and motioned to a waiter for another. “Was that not subtle?”

Yager laughed.

She tapped his hand. “Are you out on the Island this weekend?”

“Maybe. I’m really hoping to get in some Neecy time.”

“Aw, nothing quite like bird love.”

“You Valkyries are always so jealous. The only thing that flies around you is your horses.”

Morgan smiled as she took the scotch handed to her. “Smart ass. Wherever did you get that attitude from?”

“You.”

“Oh, yeah.” She chuckled. “So, is she coming?”

Yager smiled and Morgan rolled her eyes in response. “Is she coming to Long Island, you goober.”

“I hadn’t thought about it. I guess I could ask her.”

Morgan stared up at him. “You forgot to comb your hair again, didn’t you?”

Yager winced. “Yeah.”

She smiled at him in that maternal way she seemed to keep just for him. “You always forget to comb your hair.”

“Yeah. I think it bothers Neecy.”

Choking out a laugh, Morgan put her scotch down untouched. “Yeah. That’s it.

She hates it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” She glanced over again at the table of Crows. “What do you think they’re talking about over there? Men, clothes, or shoes?”

“The Crows? I’m sure it’s something…scary.”

“There is a definite, specific distinction between a psychopath and a sociopath, Connie.”

“Yes, Katie, but we’re talking about narcissists and I just don’t see that they’re any different than sociopaths.”

“You’re wrong. There are definite differences between the two.”

Neecy glanced over to see Arri rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. Such a cute little thing…although she should re-‐think dying her hair that color green. It did not suit her.

Neecy brought her Long Island Iced Tea to her lips as Janelle stared off across the room and quietly stated, “If I were any more bored, I’d set myself on fire.”

Spitting out her drink, Neecy burst into a laugh. The other Crows joining in as they helped her wipe up.

Janelle chuckled. “Sorry, hon. You okay?”

Neecy nodded as a waiter swooped in and took her empty glass and cleaned up what he could.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“He’s staring at you again.”

Neecy didn’t even turn around this time, knowing Katie meant Yager. Neecy knew the second Yager’s eyes were on her. She could feel it like a physical touch. Still, she wanted to check, to see those amazing eyes looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But she knew if she did that, she’d end up staring and he’d stare back and then it would get typically embarrassing.

Janelle shook her head. “Hon, he’s got it bad.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“I don’t see a problem.”

“Of course you don’t. Cause it’s not your problem.”

“Forget it, Janelle.” Katie, sitting sideways, leaned back in her chair, her arm casually hanging over it. “Until she gets over her past, she’s going to continue being this way.”

Neecy wasn’t sure what pissed her off more. The fact that Katie discussed her like she wasn’t in the room. Or the fact that she actually had the balls to bring up her past.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means that until you let your past and what you did as a kid to survive go, you’ll never think you deserve anything that’s not specifically Skuld related.”

“Are you done?”

“No.” Katie adjusted the latex bustier of her dress. A bit of her tattoo stuck out from under it. There were two cops working the City streets this night wearing that same tattoo. “Yager represents what you consider to be nice, clean, and wholesome.”

Neecy laughed suddenly. She couldn’t help herself. She’d fucked the man.

Wholesome was not a word she’d equate to Wilhelm Yager.

Katie paused for only a moment, before continuing. “Too nice for the girl who proudly sported gang tattoos. Too wholesome for the girl who used to deal drugs to college kids. Too clean for the girl who used to steal cars and had to sleep in an alley more than once.”

“Well, who hasn’t done that?” Janelle asked while staring at her margarita.

“Don’t even get me started on you, J. Your throat is just begging for a collar.”

Janelle nodded, then her head snapped up. “Huh?”

It galled Neecy how close Katie was to the truth. Closer than she wanted anyone to get to that side of her. Even her sisters.

“Back off, Katie.”

“What’s the matter, Neece? Hitting a little too close to home?”

“In a second that won’t be the only thing that’s hit.”

Katie held up her hands. “Fine. But remember, Yager’s not the kind of guy who’s going to sit around waiting for you to get over your bullshit.”

“Didi! Didi!” The Crows all turned and stared up at the dais as one of the older Valkyries, made her way over to Didi.

“A friend of yours, boss?”

“Don’t start, J. Morgan is very good people. Old School Valkyrie.”

“You mean the real Valkyries?”

“Pretty much.”

Arri leaned over, tapping Neecy’s arm. “How much longer?” she whispered.

Glad to be discussing anything besides her past or Yager, Neecy leaned down and whispered, “There’s still the speeches, I think.”

“Speeches?” Arri looked stricken. The glamour of coming to this little event had worn off for her and like the rest of them, she was ready to go.

“Yeah. I know. And they’re really boring.”

Appearing on the verge of tears but this time from boredom, Arri stood up. “I’ll be right back. Going to the ladies.” She headed out of the big room.

Who said “going to the bathroom” like that anymore, besides Arri?

“Where’s she going?” Didi asked as she sipped her martini.

“She’s going to the ladies.” When Didi simply stared at her, “She went to hit the head.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you just say that then?”

Neecy shook her head as Katie and Janelle followed after Arri to the bathroom.

When Didi stood up to talk to the Valkyrie who’d yelled at her across the room, Neecy glanced up at the dais hoping to catch a glimpse of Yager, but he was gone.

Damn…he must have gone to hit the head, too.

Katie quickly came back into the room and wound her way over to the table. She crouched down beside Neecy. “You better come quick,” she whispered, glancing up at Didi.

“What? What’s wrong?” she whispered back.

“I think Arri’s having a little bit of a panic attack.” Clearly Katie didn’t want Didi to hear. Everyone knew she still wasn’t ready to give Arri her blessing.

Something like this would make her crazy.

“Crap.” Neecy pushed her chair out. “Um…I’ll be back, Didi. Gotta take care of something.”

Didi gave a dismissive wave as she continued her conversation.

Neecy followed Katie out into the main reception area and that’s when Katie grabbed one arm and Janelle caught the other.

“Hey!”

The two women dragged her through the hotel reception and out the front doors. Then they tossed her into the back of a limo. She landed face first into Yager’s lap.

Arri leaned in and tossed her jacket at her. “Have fun!” Then they slammed the door closed and the limo pulled out into traffic.

Neecy pushed herself up and glared at Yager.

“You know,” he said with a huge grin, “you could have kept your head in my lap.”

She pushed herself into a sitting position. “Now you’re involving sweet, innocent Arri in your bullshit?”

“What can I say? She likes me.”

Neecy pushed her bangs out of her eyes. At some point she would really need a haircut. She glanced out the window. Unable to hide her frustration, she growled, “Why are we heading downtown?”

“I want to see your apartment.”

“Why?”

“Cause I wanna see your bed.”

Yager hadn’t even moved and she held her hand up anyway. “Stay right where you are, Yager.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Yeah. But you’re giving me that look again. And I don’t plan on doing anything in this freakin’ limo.”

Smiling, Yager settled back in the seat. “You’re no fun.”

They eyed each other from their respective corners. Finally, Yager asked, “You got condoms, right?”

“Here?”

He sighed. “In your apartment.”

“Oh…uh…hmmmm.”

He really shouldn’t enjoy the fact that she couldn’t remember if she had condoms or not, but he did. Knowing Neecy as well as he did, he had no doubt the only reason she may not have condoms in her apartment was because she hadn’t had a partner in a while. Good. Why should he be the only one suffering since he had that mind-‐blowing vision?

Yager hit the intercom. “Hey, Chuck. Do me a favor and stop at the drug store before we get to Dr. Lawrence’s apartment.”

“You got it.”

He looked over at Neecy and found her with her face in her hands. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you trying to embarrass the hell out of me?”

“Come on, Neecy. We’re all adults. Besides, would you prefer he thought I was going in bareback?”

“Who said you were…I…Oh!” She turned away and stared out the window. But she didn’t tell him to stop the limo. Thank God.

Yager loved that he could get Neecy all worked up and crazy. In almost every other aspect of her life, Neecy ruled with an iron fist. Always in complete and utter control. Yet for some reason, he made her positively unglued.

“You all wet for me, Lawrence?”

Neecy’s head snapped around and immediately her eyes strayed to the intercom.

“Don’t worry, baby. It’s not on.” He looked her in the eye. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Ever. You know that, right?”

She stared at him for so long, he thought for sure she was about to say “Are you fucking kidding?” But, instead, she simply nodded her head, turned back to the window, muttering low, “Yeah, Yager. I know.”

He watched as her finger came up and drew a small star in the condensation on the window. He decided to leave her alone until they got to her place, since he didn’t want her jumping out of a moving limo just to get away from him.

But the next thing she said to him got his cock so hard; he barely managed to stay over on his side. “And I am all wet for you.”

Keys hitting the floor never sounded so loud. As she quickly crouched down to retrieve them, Yager was already there, scooping them up.

“Which one?”

Pointing at her front door key, “That one.”

They both stood up at the same time and Yager reached around her to put the key in the lock. With his free hand, he encircled her waist and brushed his lips against the side of her neck.

She leaned back against him, enjoying the feel of his hard chest against her back.

Somehow, he managed to kiss her neck while unlocking her front door. He pushed the door open and, while keeping a tight hold on her waist, walked them both into the apartment.

Once inside, with the door closed and locked, Yager stopped and stared. “I was going to ask you where the bedroom is, but…”

She smiled and stepped into her loft apartment.

“Christ, woman. Is that a basketball court?”

“Just a half one.”

She took his hand and led him into the enormous room. “Before you wonder if this is from drug money…one of the older Crows hooked me up. The building’s rent-‐controlled. I only pay three-‐fifty a month.”

Again Yager stopped and stared, but this time at her. “You got this place for how much? And I never thought it was from drug money.”

She chuckled. Neecy always loved her apartment. It was, to be blunt, freakin’ enormous. It used to be an old warehouse that a Crow, way before Neecy’s time, bought and renovated. Since then, only Crows lived in or owned this building.

The current owner was a cranky old Crow, so she and Neecy got along just fine.

“You know what I find amazing?”

Neecy pulled off her jacket, and threw it over the bed and into the chair filled with a week’s worth of dirty clothes. Then she jumped back onto her big bed and bounced there several times before she settled down. “No. What?”

“The fact that you have all this space with your motorcycle over there, a half court over there…” He gestured to bookshelves right behind him, “and you still have all your books piled into one corner.”

Neecy winced. “I keep meaning to get to that.”

“Sidetracked with all that saving the world stuff?”

Snorting a short laugh, “Give me a break. All we do is keep the balance. That’s it.

I leave saving the world to the Christians and Greenpeace.”

She lay back on her bed and proceeded to kick her shoes off.

“Need some help with the dress?”

For a split second, Neecy almost said, “What the hell for?” Then her dumb ass caught up with the moment and she took a deep breath. She’d given up the fight.

At least for tonight. She wanted to fuck Yager. She wanted to fuck him bad.

“Yeah. That’d be great.”

Yager pulled off his cashmere coat, laying it across a kitchen chair, then he slowly walked to the bed. He stood in front of her. “Stand up.”

Sliding off the bed, Neecy stood in front of Yager. Gently, he gripped her shoulders and turned her away from him.

His hands slid across her bare shoulders, caressing the skin. Neecy closed her eyes, enjoying the rough feel of Yager’s fingers against her flesh.

“I do really like you in this dress.”

Working really hard not to squirm, “Thanks. I felt a little ridiculous in it. It’s not my thing.”

Neecy felt Yager’s mouth on her neck at the same time the dress zipper slid down.

“You’re not wearing a bra.”

When you’re an average “A,” there was really not much reason. “No.”

“So the panties only, huh?”

“Except for the shoes and the thigh highs, yeah.”

Yager buried his face in her neck and groaned. “Don’t add anything, Lawrence.

You’re already killing me.”

“Really? So I shouldn’t tell you how hard it was not to squirm in my seat the whole night? Or how I kept thinking about you naked and between my thighs…”

Yager’s hand clamped around her mouth. “You really need to stop talking now.”

He pulled her back against his body. “At least until we get this first one out of the way.”

Neecy pried his fingers off her face while he stripped the dress off her body.

“The first what?”

Next thing she knew, she was face down over her kitchen table. Torn between laughing her ass off and moaning uncontrollably, Neecy realized she’d never been so comfortable with a man before in her entire life. Anyone slamming her down over a table should freak her out royally. Instead, she kept laughing while trying to twist around and find out what Yager was up to, but he laid his hand flat against her back to keep her in place.

Neecy heard his pants drop, the ripping of the condom box then the condom package. She squirmed a bit and Yager growled. “Don’t. Move. I’m barely holding on here, baby.”

She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she just couldn’t help herself.

Teasing him was so much fun. Spreading her legs, she looked over her shoulder, and said, “Then you better get off your ass and fuck me… Will.”

“You,” he ground out, “are such a vicious brat.”

Yager kicked her legs farther apart as he kept her rooted to the spot with one hand. His other hand slid over her ass and down between her legs. She moaned as two fingers pushed their way into her.

“What am I going to do with this body tonight, Lawrence? How many different ways am I going to make you scream my name?” She panted as his fingers went deeper. “Damn, Neecy. You’re drenched. Is all this just for me?”

“Not if you keep making me wait.”

Yager leaned over her, his tongue licking across her spine.

“We’ve got all night, baby.”

“You’ve got till dawn.”

He paused, his body suddenly tight. “What if I wanna fuck you in the morning?”

“That’s not part of the deal.”

“There’s a deal?”

“There is now.”

A long moment of silence followed that declaration and Neecy worried he might leave. Especially when he pulled his fingers from her body.

She didn’t want him to leave, but she didn’t want Nice-‐Guy Yager to have any false hopes either. Waking up in his arms would be a huge mistake and they both knew it.

Strong hands gripped her hips, yanking her body back. His latex-‐covered cock slammed into her, forcing its way past tight muscle. She winced as her body took a moment to adjust to his size. As always it was a snug but delightful fit.

“Then I guess I shouldn’t waste a second, huh, Lawrence?” Yager demanded as his hand slipped around to the front of her body and slid between her thighs.

“Nope,” she gasped as his fingers found her clit. “You better not.”

It was pretty much the last thing she said for the next few hours…

Waldgrave took apart his rifle. He loved the monotony of meticulously cleaning his weapons. It allowed his mind to focus on more interesting things. Like the Hunt. His congregation of Hunters knew they’d been preparing for something, but they had no idea what.

Not surprising. How often does a true test of one’s skill come? How often do you truly risk your life while on a hunt?

How often does a goddess put you on this path? He worshipped Her not merely because of her beauty or power, but because her cruel nature spoke to him. She understood him when no one else did. Not his ex-‐wives. Not his children.

And when she finally gave him a task, it was something as wonderful as this. A true Hunt for the best hunters.

“What do you want us to do with the body?”

Waldgrave didn’t bother looking at the carcass of one of his loyal disciples.

They’d caught him, but he’d done his duty. He knew the boy had revealed nothing before dying because no Crows attacked his house. They were not females who waited for anything. If the Crows knew where they were, they’d be breathing down his neck this very moment.

No. They still had time.

“Prepare him for the pyre. We’ll offer his body to the flames and his soul to Her.”

“No. Stop!”

Yager’s cock popped out of her mouth and she glared up at him. “What is it now?”

“You can’t keep going down on me every time I try to have a conversation with you.”

Wanna bet? Neecy licked her lips and again wrapped her mouth around his hard cock.

“Goddammit, Neecy.” She liked when he moaned that. Made her feel kind of powerful.

She deep-‐throated him and sucked hard. His back arched and she thought for sure he would pop. And if he popped, he sure as hell wouldn’t feel like talking.

Instead, however, he grabbed her shoulders and hauled her off. Next thing she knew, he’d flipped her on her back and pinned her down with his body.

“I wanna talk.”

“Then find a priest…or a therapist.” That seemed like a pretty nasty thing to say, but he only smiled at her. Why couldn’t she have a normal stalker like everybody else?

“You can’t fight me forever, Neecy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

He sat up, bringing her with him. “Now, let’s get you comfortable.”

She was comfortable. With his cock in her mouth. But, no, that wasn’t good enough for Will “we have to talk” Yager.

Yager pulled her up until her back touched the headboard, then he grabbed hold of the sheet and covered her. Sitting down close beside her, Yager fixed the sheet so that it covered his hips and his gorgeous cock. Disappointing.

Once he put them the way he wanted, he turned to her. “So, tell me about yourself.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean no. This wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Actually, we don’t have a deal. All you said on the phone was that you wanted no dating and no relationship. At the moment, that’s what we have.”

Neecy turned her body so she could look Yager in the eye. “What do you mean

‘at the moment’?”

“Come on, Neecy. You know I’m not giving up that easy.” She really wished he didn’t look so cute when he said that.

“Is that right? And if you keep persisting, why should I keep this going? Why shouldn’t I throw you out on your ass right this second?”

He didn’t answer her. Not verbally anyway. Instead, he reached out and gently grasped her breast through the sheet. One squeeze and he had her. They both knew it. She couldn’t even breathe. He toyed with her nipple between thumb and forefinger.

“Tell me to go, and I’ll go.”

He had to be kidding. She could barely think with his hand playing her so effortlessly.

“Tell me to go, Neecy.”

Yager knew she wouldn’t, she could see it by the look on his face. Not now.

Leaning forward, she tried to kiss him, but he pulled back. He kept his hand on her breast, though.

“No you don’t. I wanna talk first.”

“About what?” Damn, she’d really have to do something about the whining.

What was it about this man that pulled emotions out of her she never allowed herself to have much less express in public?

“About you. I wanna know about you.”

Again? “I died when my boyfriend…”

“Not that. After that.”

“After that? You were there for ‘after that.’ Why do I have to go over it again?”

“I wasn’t there, Neecy. I was living my life with the Ravens and you were living yours. I didn’t even know you were a history professor or that you had your PhD. So I want details.”

She didn’t get this guy at all. Why did he care?

“I know. Let’s make this a reward system.”

Neecy’s eyes narrowed even as she writhed under his hand. “What does that mean?”

Finally releasing her breast, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his sheet-‐covered lap. Her legs straddled his hips, as she put her arms around his neck.

“Now, where did you go to college for undergrad?”

Neecy sighed in exasperation. “Why do you care where I…oh…oh…shit!” He’d latched on to her breast and happily sucked away at her nipple. Digging her fingers into his scalp, she pulled him tighter to her. But, suddenly, he stopped.

Gritting her teeth in pure rage, Neecy bit out, “I have to talk to get you to keep going, don’t I?”

“This is why I love the Crows,” he joked around her breast. “You guys are so smart.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, yeah. I think you guys are brilliant.”

“I don’t mean that!” Dammit! Emotion. Neecy Lawrence didn’t show emotion.

“Don’t over-‐think this, baby. Just tell me what I wanna know.”

Sighing, “Fine. I went to Stanford.” As soon as “I” was out of her mouth, he started sucking again, making sure to swirl his tongue around exactly the way she liked it.

“Keep going,” he ordered around her breast.

Biting her lip, Neecy forced herself to focus. “They have a really good history prog…” she choked on the word as his sucking became stronger. But as soon as she paused, so did he. She shut her eyes tight. With very little effort, Yager could make her come simply by sucking her breasts, but he was torturing her. The bastard.

“Program. I’d heard some really…uh…” One hand stayed on her ass, pulling her tight against his rock-‐hard erection. His free hand grabbed her other breast and began kneading it. “Uh…” Think, girl! “Some really great things about it. Plus, it allowed me to train with the…the…California Crows.” She squeaked out the very last part as his teeth gently nipped her nipple. The bastard knew that drove her insane.

Without releasing her, he asked, “What about grad school?”

Neecy blinked, trying desperately to focus on his questions and her answers. Not easy when her entire body was moments from bursting into a nuclear reaction that would destroy the entire Tri-‐state area. “I went to NYU for my masters.

And Columbia for my…my…um…”

“Don’t stop,” he warned again.

Would sobbing at this point, really be out of line? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t handle much more at this rate. And at this point, she gripped him so tight, she wasn’t sure she might not be killing him.

“For my…my… doctorate!” she screamed as she exploded all around him.

He held her tight as spasms racked through her. When she finally started breathing normally again, he lowered her to the bed.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Without opening her eyes, she growled at him. Which only made him chuckle.

Slowly he kissed his way down her chest and stomach. When he kissed the inside of her thigh, Neecy forced her eyes open.

With a strange but thoughtful expression on his face, he stared straight into her snatch. The man was getting stranger and stranger by the minute.

Glancing up at her, he grinned. “Now…” He gave her still-‐sensitive clit a little lick, forcing Neecy to grab hold of the sheets to stop her body from exploding off the bed. “Tell me what your masters was on, then your doctorate. And I want details. Lots and lots of very specific details.”

Really? Would sobbing really be that bad?

Yager stretched and enjoyed the smell of Neecy surrounding him.

Well, that had been amazing. One of the most amazing nights he’d had in a very long time. He knew he had her now. There was no way she could walk away from him this time. No way in hell.

Turning over onto his side, Yager reached for her and touched nothing but paper. He forced his eyes open and picked up the slip of paper lying on the pillow next to him.

He read it. Closed his eyes. Rubbed them. Then read it again. No. The words hadn’t changed.

“There’s orange juice and cereal. When you leave, make sure to pull the door closed so that it’ll lock. Thanks for last night. See you around. Neecy.”

Sitting up, Yager grunted and ignored his sore, well-‐used body’s protests. Right now he didn’t care about any aches or pains.

“See you around?” Is she fucking kidding?