Hunting season

Chapter Nineteen

Neecy woke up and found herself sprawled over Yager like a well-‐fed puma. The man had an enormous bed and yet she couldn’t seem to stay on one side of it.

What was wrong with her?

Who was she kidding? She knew what was wrong. She was comfortable. Way too comfortable. She’d only been here a few days but Yager treated her like she belonged there.

She stared up at his sleeping face, his arm tight around her. At some point, she’d put his tank top back on. He told her he liked seeing her wearing his clothes.

And she liked smelling him on her. She liked it a lot.

Somehow sensing her rapt attention, Yager’s eyes snapped open and he stared down into her face.

“What is it?”

It was only four in the morning, but she figured she might as well get the difficult part over with before he confronted her over breakfast and in front of a roomful of hung-‐over Crows and Ravens.

“Now that I’m better…I should leave.”

“Yeah. Back to work, huh?”

Well, he took that better than she thought he would. “Yup. No rest for the followers of gods.”

He stretched and his warm body felt so amazing rubbing against hers. “After everybody wakes up tomorrow, we’ll head back into the city.”

“Good.”

Wow. That was really easy. Which, she had to admit, kind of hurt her feelings.

Could he really let her go that easy? After they’d peeled themselves away from the wall, they’d started up again moments later on his bed. This time slower, but still an amazing fuck. She saw it on his face. The way he looked at her when he was inside of her, the way he choked out her name when he came. He did care about her. She knew he did.

No, no. She was thinking about this the wrong way. He would let her go easy, and…and that was good. That was what she wanted.

“We can move your stuff into my apartment right away.”

Dammit! She should have known better.

“Yager, I can’t move in with you.”

His expression didn’t change. “Why?”

“Cause…we just…can’t.”

He stared at her and she waited for some explosion of anger. Some kind of argument. Instead, his hands began caressing her body. She frowned in confusion as he gently rolled her onto her back.

His hands kept moving across her flesh, making it tingle and demand satisfaction. He kissed her neck, her chin, her cheek. But it wasn’t until he kissed her mouth—long, slow, and deep—that she knew what he was up to.

She tried to say no. Tried to push him off. But she was weak and he felt so good.

But this was wrong. They shouldn’t be doing this. They should never be doing this.

She let him continue, though. Let him kiss her and touch her. At some point, and without her even realizing he’d done it, he slipped on a condom. Then he was inside her and she almost cried. Cried from relief because her body ached to have him inside her all the time now. And cried from anger. Anger at herself for letting this go on.

Neecy pulled away from his kiss, even as her body thrilled to the slow, steady pace of his thrusts. “Yager…”

“You know how I feel about you, Neecy,” he cut her off, panting hard.

“No. Don’t.” She wanted to beg him to stop. She wanted to demand he keep going.

“You mean everything to me.”

“No.”

“I love you, Neecy. I’ll always love you.”

“No!” Now she was crying as she wrapped her arms around him. “God, Yager.

Please just…”

“If you tell me you don’t love me, I’ll stop. I’ll stop making love to you and fuck you twenty ways to Sunday. But ya gotta tell me you don’t love me.”

But she couldn’t. Neecy didn’t lie. She may bullshit and fool around, but she didn’t lie.

It was definite now. The not lying thing…by far her most annoying trait.

If she were a good liar, she could get laid and then head home tomorrow…and spend the rest of her life suffering for something she paid for twenty years ago.

But she wasn’t a liar. She never had been.

She’d paid for her past. Yeah. She was a drug dealer once. A good one. But she’d paid for all that as soon as her boyfriend pulled the trigger.

Now? Now she deserved to be happy. Or to at least try.

“I can’t,” she sobbed into his neck. “I can’t tell you that.”

Yager’s arms tightened around her body, as he continued to slowly thrust into her. He turned his head, forcing her to look at him. He smiled into her tear-‐ soaked face and kissed her eyes, her nose, her mouth.

“I love you, Neecy. You might as well get used to it. Cause I’m not going anywhere, baby. Not without you right by my side.”

Neecy thought a fresh wave of tears might suddenly explode out of her, but the orgasm got to her first. She gripped Yager tight and let him take her exactly where he wanted her to go.

Yager held her so tight, he was afraid he’d break her. Especially when he came and he temporarily lost the ability to speak or think straight.

He knew he might scare her off, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He had to do something. The look in those eyes said it all. Come morning, she would leave him…again. He couldn’t face that. He couldn’t face waking up another morning without Neecy next to him. Not when he’d had her right by his side for days.

And telling her just wasn’t enough for Neecy. He had to show her. To be honest, though, he never thought she’d let him. He was terrified she’d pull away or tell him to stop. If she’d told him to stop, he would have, even though it probably would have killed him.

He kissed away her tears as he gently pulled out of her. He tossed the condom in the trashcan by the bed and turned back to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest.

Her warm breath tickled the skin of his neck as he used his hands to soothe her shaking.

“I’m never letting you go, Neecy Lawrence. No matter what. Understand?”

She nodded her head but didn’t speak.

“As long as we’re clear, baby.”

When he was sure she finally slept, he closed his eyes and joined her.

Neecy frowned at the sound of birds. Not her crows. These were birds that didn’t actually sound frightening. Yager was behind her, spooning her. His big arms wrapped around her waist like he was afraid she’d fly away.

Her naked skin itched and she realized it was because of the grass.

Neecy’s eyes snapped open. Grass?

She gave herself a moment to focus and quickly realized they were under an enormous tree. Its limbs twisted and turned leading up toward the stars while its roots led to the bowels of the earth. It took her a good thirty seconds to figure out exactly where she was—beneath the sheltering leaves of Yggdrasil or the World Tree. The way station between the different worlds of the Norse gods, including Asgaard, Helheim, Aesiras, as well as a few other worlds Neecy couldn’t remember the names of.

In the halls of Asgaard, Neecy would find Valhalla. Being that close to her final resting place until Ragnarok came gave her little comfort.

“Would you like some grapes?”

Neecy glanced up at the woman standing over her wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, black overalls, and a plain white T-‐shirt.

“What is it with you and fruit?”

Skuld smiled as she sat under the tree. “I find it a wonderful icebreaker.” She popped several grapes in her mouth.

“Do you know why you’re here, Denise?” she demanded while chewing.

Christ, it was like dealing with a nun. They were the only ones that called her Denise.

“No. And I definitely don’t know why he’s here.” She motioned to the still sleeping Yager who, even in sleep, gripped her like his life depended on it.

“Well, let’s start with him, cause he’s easy. He refused to let you go.”

“What?”

“I tried to pull you away from him to bring you here and the man would not release you. So I had to bring you both. As a leader of the Ravens, I wasn’t too concerned about having him here, but talk about some strength. No wonder he’s Odin’s favorite. I just thought that was because he was the one who actually had the balls to take the big idiot to a strip joint.”

Neecy remembered what he told her last night. “I’m never letting you go, Neecy Lawrence. No matter what.” Apparently, he wasn’t kidding.

“So this is the deal…Didi wants to retire.”

Throwing Yager’s arm off, Neecy sat up abruptly. “What? Well, you can’t let her.”

“I have very little choice.”

“Since when?”

“Since I’ve kept the Crows mortal. At some point, if you survive, all of you will need to retire.”

Neecy’s eyes narrowed. “So what does that have to do with me?”

“I do love the sound of trepidation in your voice…and you know exactly what this means.”

“You want me to lead the Jersey Gathering?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about it.”

“Well, no one could ever accuse you of being power hungry.”

“Power hungry? I’ve got too much shit to do.”

Skuld laughed and it was a surprisingly soothing sound. “I see why Didi likes you. You’re strange.”

“I’ll try and take that as a compliment.”

Neecy glanced over her shoulder as Yager sat up, his mouth open in a wide yawn.

He nodded his head at the goddess. “Skuld.”

“Wilhelm.”

“Why are we here exactly?”

“It’s time.”

Yager brushed his hand over Neecy’s bare arm. A calming move that worked extremely well. “Time for what?”

“For Denise to prove her worth to me.”

“I haven’t already?”

“As a soldier, you’re exemplary. But I need a war-‐time leader.”

“War time?”

“This assault from the Hunters, Denise, is just the beginning. They want you gone for the same reason I want you to lead.” Skuld ate a few more grapes, turned her head to the right, and yelled, “I told you two I’m in a meeting! So one of you bitches get out here and water this goddamn tree!”

One of the Fates and Skuld’s sister, Urd maybe—Neecy didn’t know and she wasn’t about to ask—stepped out from behind the enormous World Tree and tossed a watering can at her sister. “Water it your damn self!”

Skuld’s barely concealed face turned frightening. No wonder many considered her a less-‐than-‐approachable god.

“Bitches.”

Skuld stood up. She was tall. Much taller than Neecy.

Neecy pushed herself to her feet as Skuld turned her back on her. Yager now stood behind her, naked as the day he was born. Unlike Neecy, who thankfully had on his MIT tank top that reached mid-‐thigh.

When Skuld turned back to face them she held an ax.

Great. More axes.

Neecy had never been a big ax fan when it came to her weapons, and now that she’d actually had one in her back, she’d like to avoid them. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem possible at the moment. She knew Skuld would only give it to her because she’d need it.

“This is a powerful weapon. One of the most powerful you’ll find.” Skuld ran her thumb along the edge. “You’ll need it for your Trial.”

She may not be an ax fan, but any weapon was better than no weapon. So when Skuld handed it to her, she took it gratefully.

“Any specific directions go along with this?”

“Now where would the fun be in that?”

Neecy sighed. “Of course.”

“But if you succeed at this Trial, you’ll become leader of the Jersey Gathering.”

Holding the weapon in her hand, Neecy felt the weight. It was heavy but filled with powerful Magick. She felt it running through her fingers. “And if I fail?”

“We’ll make sure to have a lovely funeral for you…with roses. I heard they were your favorite.”

Yager barely bit back his growl. “That’s not funny.”

Skuld chuckled. “Actually, it kind of is.”

Neecy took a few practice swings with her new ax. It was like she was born with it in her hand. “So what’s my Trial?”

“Destroy the Hunters. Especially their leader, Waldgrave. But I want them all, Denise. I want them weeping to Hella come dawn.”

Yager had no idea how he ended up here with Neecy, but he would be eternally grateful he did. He wouldn’t let her face this on her own. One or two Hunters…maybe. But all of them? With no wings and having just recovered from her last fight? No way would his woman be facing this alone.

Battle plans already filled his head. Ways of attack. Who should be on the team from both the Ravens and the Crows. Together, they’d make sure she’d pass this Trial.

Neecy swung the ax again, her muscles rippling under his tank top. Powerful runes covered the ax blade and its black handle.

“No Valhalla for them?” she asked.

“Sneaky bastards preying on my warriors? No. There’ll be no Valhalla for them.

No Valkyries to lead them home.”

Neecy nodded as her index finger slid across the runes on the ax. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything as long as it’s not about your death…which may very well be today,” she said with a huge grin.

Man, give him Odin any day. This goddess was a bitch!

Neecy, however, seemed unimpressed and continued on. “What exactly was Didi’s trial?”

Shrugging, Skuld picked up her water can and doused the roots of the World Tree.

“She was to get a feather from one of Odin’s ravens. You know, his actual birds Huginn and Muninn. But I wasn’t very specific…so she drove over to Mountain Creek, met with one of the Elders, and politely asked him for one of his feathers.

Considering he couldn’t see past the woman’s breasts, he gave it over happily and got a date out of the bargain.” Skuld smiled. “Tricky little wench.”

Yeah, that sounded like Didi.

“You are running out of time, Denise. Do you accept this challenge?”

Neecy shrugged as Yager wrapped his arm around her waist. “Yeah. Sure. Why not?”

Skuld no longer looked at them as she diligently watered the tree. “I need a direct and clear ‘yes’ on this, Denise. Just like when you took my hand the first time.”

“Okay…yes. I accept.”

Didi picked up her white knight and was about to move it—and demolish Tye in the process—when she glanced up to find a naked Yager standing in the middle of the living room.

“Yo, Yager man.” Mike stated from the couch. “Put on some clothes.”

Yager ignored him as he spun in circles. Didi didn’t know Yager as well as Neecy now did, but she could sense the panic coming off the man.

“Where is she?”

Didi stood up as the other Crows and Ravens came into the living room. They’d been dressed and ready for battle for hours. She got the feeling Yager didn’t realize he and Neecy had been gone since the day before. That’s how Didi knew they’d gone to Asgaard to prepare for Neecy’s Trial.

Suddenly serious, Mike pushed off the couch. “Where’s who?”

Cold rage spread across Yager’s face. Through gritted teeth, “Neecy. Where the fuck is Neecy?”

Neecy landed hard in a crouching position. One knee slamming down first, one palm flat against cold stone, the other still gripping the weapon Skuld gave her.

She looked like a runner at the starting line.

She gave herself a moment to breathe and then she looked up. The Hunters all surrounded a blood-‐covered altar. An altar she was on.

Aw, shit.