9. Callie

We waited on the quiet road for Erik to arrive. My hands kept trembling as I thought of reuniting with my sister and I had to keep reminding myself that there was nothing to be afraid of. She was my Monty. No change could ever alter that. It didn’t matter what she looked like now or what her body was capable of. Inside, she was still my Monty.

I glanced down at the ruined dress for the hundredth time, wishing we’d managed to find some new clothes. I was still filthy with Fabian’s blood and accepting the bloodsucker’s hospitality while we were clearly in such desperate need of it felt like a form of defeat.

I heard the van approaching in the distance long before it turned onto the dusty street. We were on the farthest outskirts of the city and I was as sure as I could be that no vampires were nearby.

“This feels all kinds of wrong,” Julius murmured as the black van drew closer to us and I spotted Erik behind the wheel.

He pulled over and my gaze swept across the empty passenger seat hopefully, but she wasn’t there.

“Are you coming?” he called as the three of us hesitated.

I squared my shoulders and marched towards him, trying to look dignified despite my ragged appearance. His window was down and he watched our approach with as much mistrust as I was sure we were showing him.

“Where’s-” I began.

“We agreed that she won’t see you yet,” Erik reminded me firmly. “She’ll meet Julius back at the house and test out her resistance like we said. If she can control herself, then we’ll figure out the rest after that.”

I sighed as I nodded in acceptance. If Montana was even half the person she always had been then I didn’t think for one second that she would hurt me, but it seemed I was alone in that belief.

A few feet separated us from the truck and I could feel Magnar and Julius standing right behind me as I eyed the seats beside Erik warily.

“You’re going to have to ride in the back,” he said before any of us made a move closer. “No offence, but you don’t look like us and I can’t risk anyone seeing mortals in the city at the moment.”

“That’s not offensive,” Julius replied. “It would be offensive if you thought we did look like you.”

Erik pursed his lips but didn’t bite back. “As Fabian’s wife, you can have more freedom,” he said to me instead. “After you’re cleaned up that is.”

“Don’t call me that,” I snarled. “And don’t presume to tell us how much freedom we have.”

“You’re a princess of the New Empire,” he reminded me. “I’m sure there are a lot worse things that you could be.”

“You’re right,” I replied scathingly. “I could be pregnant with a demon too.”

Magnar and Julius chuckled and I walked away from Erik before he could reply, climbing into the back of the van. The space inside was cold and empty but at least it was dry. I took a seat, leaning against one of the walls and Magnar dropped down beside me. He pulled Venom from his back and rested the point on the floor between his legs as he kept hold of the hilt.

Julius took a seat opposite us and laid Menace over his lap before pulling the door shut and covering us in darkness.

“I must be fucking insane,” Erik muttered from the cab before starting up the engine. “This is like letting the Trojan horse in.”

The truck started moving and I felt Magnar tense beside me. It wasn’t like I had a whole lot of experience with these kinds of vehicles either but it was easy to forget that everything like this was completely alien to him. I placed a hand on his thigh and he relaxed slightly as I leaned against him. I didn’t say anything about it though, knowing Erik could hear us.

We stayed silent throughout our journey but I could feel Fury growing hotter and hotter at my hip as we were surrounded by the vampires once more.

I grew tense, wondering if we’d just done something insanely stupid. We were trusting a Belvedere with our lives; he could just as easily deliver us to our execution as he could to my sister. But Montana trusted him. And I trusted her, so I had to stick to this plan no matter how uncomfortable it made me.

After a while, Fury began to cool a little and the sounds of the city were left behind. Erik drove quickly, taking hairpin turns left and right which almost sent me flying more than once. I was pretty sure it was intentional so I refused to make any sound in protest.

We finally rolled to a stop and we got to our feet as we heard Erik exiting the cab.

“There’s no handle on the inside,” Julius muttered and a prickle of uncertainty ran through me again.

Magnar stepped forward and kicked the doors so hard that they flew open and the one his boot had hit was left with a huge dent in it.

Erik’s mouth fell open in surprise as we stepped out. “I was about to open that for you,” he said incredulously.

“If you like your doors in one piece, then I’d suggest not locking us in again,” Julius replied with a taunting grin.

Erik shook his head and pointed towards a stone cottage which stood a little way back from the driveway. In the distance up on the grassy hill, was the wooden structure of the main house on Erik’s fancy ass estate.

“After you,” he said stiffly.

“Afraid to turn your back on us, parasite?” Magnar asked with a dark laugh as he placed an arm around my shoulders and started guiding me towards the cottage. He kept Venom in his other hand and I was pretty sure he didn’t want to present his back to Erik either but he didn’t look around as he set a quick pace towards the stone building.

We stepped into the cottage and I stared about at the open space in wonder. Everything was so clean; there was a long white couch which curved before a huge window that gave a view over the rolling hills. To the right, the space opened up into a sleek kitchen with cream cabinets and a heavy oak dining table divided the two areas.

“I stocked the fridge. There are clean clothes and hot water that way,” Erik said, pointing to a wide corridor which led out of the living area before turning his eyes to Julius. “We can get going as soon as you’re changed.”

“Already trying to get me out of my pants, huh?” Julius joked as he strolled away from us to wash up, removing his belt as he walked. “You know I’m really not that kind of girl.”

“Could have fooled me,” Erik muttered, and Julius’s brows rose in surprise at the comeback, his lips quirking like he was about to laugh before he caught himself and scowled instead.

My stomach growled as I eyed the refrigerator, but I felt uncomfortable approaching it with Erik standing there watching us.

“You shouldn’t leave the cottage while I’m gone. It’d be better for all of us if you’re not seen,” he said.

“Fine,” I agreed. We didn’t have anywhere else to go anyway. “Anything else we should know?”

Erik hesitated for a moment before answering. “Fabian’s still keen to see you; he knows you’re here but he promised to stay away for now. I don’t know how long he’ll be able to resist the urge to come looking for you though.”

“Just remind him why I ripped his head off then,” I replied darkly. “And that I’ll happily do it again if he ever so much as looks at the man I love with a squinty eye, let alone tries to hurt him again.”

Erik’s eyes slid from me to Magnar whose arm was firmly around my shoulders. He was about three times my size and still held Venom in his grasp. I was sure that my promise to protect him seemed foolish on face value, but I didn’t care. If Fabian came for me again I’d plunge Fury through his heart without a second thought. My mother’s ring protected me from my bond to him so there would be nothing to stop me now.

Tension coiled around us as Magnar and Erik stared at each other. I wondered if they’d ever really seen each other like this, standing so close while neither of them made a move to attack the other.

They couldn’t have looked more different; Erik was dressed in a crisp shirt and jeans, his hair styled and skin so clean it practically shone. Magnar stood shirtless, sword in hand and the filth of their battle still coating his skin. He looked wild, like some untameable beast, his humanity undeniable in contrast to the polished lifelessness of the vampire.

I cleared my throat as the silence thickened and moved between them, breaking their death stares.

“We should eat,” I said, forcing Magnar to look at me.

He nodded but didn’t move, so I caught his hand and towed him after me to the kitchen.

“Montana told me you couldn’t be together because of the novice bond. Is the ring blocking that too?” Erik asked.

It was a pretty odd subject to use for small talk but I grabbed onto it in an effort to end this awful silence.

“It did but I broke my bond to Magnar so that I could stop the two of you from destroying each other. So that’s gone now, ring or not.” I opened the refrigerator and my mouth fell open as I spotted all of the food inside. It was more than we would have been given in a month in the Realm.

“Callie is a full slayer now,” Magnar added darkly. “More than capable of destroying your kind.”

I grabbed an apple and passed it to him, hoping to shut him up with food. None of us needed reminding of what we were; the air was alive with it already. Magnar eyed the fruit but didn’t take a bite.

“I assure you, if I wanted you dead I wouldn’t go to this much effort just to poison you,” Erik said, noticing his hesitation. “That would seem to be more your style.”

Magnar smirked and took a huge bite from the apple. “I’d hazard a guess that the one Idun gave us for your wedding didn’t taste so sweet.”

“How about we just don’t mention the many ways we’ve all tried to kill each other?” I suggested.

“I think you made a mistake with these clothes,” Julius said loudly as he re-entered the room. His hair was wet and his skin was clean. He was wearing a pair of jeans but the shirt he’d pulled on with it was stretched to breaking point across his huge chest and rode up several inches to reveal his stomach. “I think you got us your puny size by accident.” He grinned at Erik tauntingly and the vampire rolled his eyes in response.

He shot out of the room in a rush of motion and returned just as quickly with another shirt in hand.

“You’re wearing a woman’s shirt,” he said, tossing the new one to Julius. “But feel free to keep it on if you like it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Julius ripped the old shirt off of him and switched it out for the one Erik had retrieved.

“Well women didn’t wear such garments in our day,” Julius replied with a shrug. “Neither did men for that matter. Everything is a lot more confusing now.”

Erik almost looked like he was going to smile, and my heart squeezed with hope. We were all standing in the same place and no one had tried to kill each other yet. Perhaps we would be able to find a way to work on solving the prophecy together after all.

“Shall we go then?” Erik asked impatiently and the moment dissolved as if it had never existed.

“One second.” Julius crossed the space between us and started rummaging in the refrigerator. He filled his arms with a loaf of bread, a block of cheese and a mound of fruit before taking a carton of milk too. He kicked open several cupboards and smiled triumphantly as he found a bag which he filled with his meal. He tossed several packets of chips on top for good measure until the bag looked like it might burst, then started eating as he headed for the exit. I could tell Erik was more than a little disgusted by his lack of manners, but he said nothing.

“What are we waiting for?” Julius asked around a mouthful of food and Erik moved to open the door for him.

“I want to give her plenty of time to make sure she can control herself,” Erik said, looking back at me one last time, his eyes filled with concern. “If it all goes well, we’ll come back in a few hours.”

I sighed, wishing he wasn’t forcing us to go through this nonsense, but if that was what it took, then I’d simply have to bite my tongue. A few hours I could cope with. I just wanted to see my sister again.

“Fine. Two hours,” I reiterated, glancing at a large clock on the far wall. That would be midday.

Erik nodded and Julius stepped past him before he shut the door, leaving us alone.

My gut churned with worry but I forced it aside. Whatever differences there were to my sister now, I knew deep down she’d still be the same. Nothing else mattered.

I grabbed a hunk of bread and some butter and quickly started filling my stomach. Magnar followed my lead, placing his swords down on the table and we silently devoured as much of the food as we wanted until the ache in my belly was fully satisfied.

I glanced around at the opulent living space uncomfortably. It was at least five times the size of our entire apartment back in the Realm and it didn’t even seem like anyone lived here.

“We should get cleaned up,” I suggested as Magnar finished eating too.

“I’d sooner find a river than use whatever infernal devices reside in this house,” he replied.

“Well I didn’t see a river anywhere and we can’t go wandering about outside,” I replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Then I can just-”

“Come on.” I snatched his hand and tugged him after me through the house. He resisted a little but I kept pulling so he had no choice but to follow me.

The corridor opened up and several doors led off of it. I opened the closest one and found a huge bedroom decorated in grey tones. On the other side of the room, another door stood open and I spotted a bathroom beyond it.

I dragged Magnar after me as he frowned at the lavish surroundings and didn’t release him until we were in the bathroom. White tiles lined the walls and a huge shower stood at the back of the room, promising to free me from the lingering filth which coated my flesh. I approached it and spun the dial to start the water running.

Magnar scowled at it suspiciously and I reached out to let the flow run over my fingers. It was deliciously warm and I grinned at the prospect of washing the dirt and blood from my skin at last.

“I don’t like it,” Magnar grumbled behind me, and I turned to look at him with a frown.

“I know you’re not a fan of modern technology, but you’re going to have to suck it up.”

He folded his arms and I could tell he was going to refuse.

“Fine,” I said before he could. “I guess I’ll just have to shower alone if you won’t join me.”

His gaze brightened as he caught on to what I was implying but he didn’t move. I held his eye as I hooked my fingers around the straps of my ruined dress and slowly slid it from my shoulders.

His gaze slipped to the material as I pushed it lower and I bit my lip as I noted his desire. The moment hung between us as I held the dress in place and heat raced through my body.

We had two hours after all and we were all alone in this huge house.

I released my hold on the dress and it fell to my feet, leaving me naked before him. Magnar’s face lit with a wicked smile and knots formed in my stomach as I backed up, forcing him to follow me.

He stalked closer as the water cascaded over my body and he released a groan filled with lust.

“You don’t play fair,” he muttered as he paused just outside the shower.

I tilted my head back so that the water raced across my skin, his eyes tracking the movement.

“Come and get me if you want me,” I teased, smiling at him as I watched his resolve shatter, my hands running over my body, teasing my nipples and brushing between my thighs.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I looked at the beast of a man who I had claimed for my own and remembered all the ways he had destroyed me the last time I’d been naked in his presence.

“You’re going to regret taunting me,” Magnar promised darkly and my heart leapt with excitement.

“I doubt it,” I breathed.

He unbuckled his belt and I held my breath in anticipation as he started to undress, my eyes roaming over his body and heat building between my thighs.

With a force of effort, I turned my back on him as I rubbed shampoo through my hair and scrubbed the blood from my skin, needing to remove all evidence of that place and the battle so I could be entirely myself again.

My heart pounded as I heard him kicking his boots off, the sound of clothes hitting the floor quickly following and I could sense him moving closer. Anticipation clawed at me and I chewed on my lip to stop myself from turning back to him, waiting for the promised feeling of his flesh against mine.

Magnar’s hands landed on my waist and I sighed in pleasure as he moved beneath the shower too, letting the water cascade over him. I arched my back as he pressed himself against me and the hard plane of his muscles pushed into my spine, the thick ridge of his cock driving against my ass and making me release a low moan.

He slid his hands lower and I sucked in a breath as he moved his knee between my legs, nudging them apart, taking control as always, making my body bend to his demands.

Magnar dipped his mouth to my neck as his hands roamed over my breasts, tugging at my nipples and making me moan again.

“The sight of you like this is enough to bring a man to his knees, drakaina hjarta,” he growled, his words rough against the shell of my ear. “I want to worship and devour you in equal measure.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” I panted, rocking my hips so that my ass ground against his cock.

He chuckled darkly at the provocation, one hand sliding from my breast and over my stomach before trailing between my thighs. He didn’t linger at my clit, instead rolling his fingers straight over it before sinking two of them inside me. The heel of his hand pressed down on my clit as he began to pump his fingers in and out of me, murmuring praises in my ear about how wet I was, how tight, how hard he was going to fuck me just as soon as I came for him.

I whimpered at the torture, and I reached over my shoulder, holding him in place as I gripped his hair in my fist.

His cock drove against my ass with more force and I rocked my hips, loving the feel of every solid inch, wanting it inside me with a desperation which had my head swimming.

I released a moan of longing as he continued to toy with me, building a pressure in my body which ached to be set free. I was always at his mercy in this, his creature, bound to his bidding and it was the one place where I was willing to relinquish all control to his desires.

My breathing started to escalate as my skin tingled beneath his touch. I was a slave to the motion of his hands, every inch of my flesh longing for a moment of his attention.

His mouth moved along my neck, his teeth grazing my skin in the most delicious way.

I turned my head towards him, catching his mouth so I could feel the heat of his lips as his tongue danced against mine. My heart pounded life through my veins, waking every desperate part of my soul and binding it to his. The hand toying with my nipple released it and travelled up my body, caressing my skin before wrapping around my throat as he drew me closer to the edge.

“Come for me,” he demanded, driving his fingers in and tightening his grip on my throat.

I moaned as my body buzzed with energy, locking my muscles as I fought his command, wanting this to go on and on, but as he growled that word again, his fingers pushing deeper and hand grinding against my clit for a final time, I gave in, shattering for him and calling his name.

Magnar groaned his approval, shifting his hand from my throat to grasp my chin and drag my mouth around to meet with his.

I turned sharply, my tongue sinking into his mouth as I dislodged his hold on me and I wound my arms around his neck, wanting to see this monster of mine when he lost control in my arms. I lost myself in the heat which burned in his eyes, dragging him closer so that I could kiss him deeper, my nails digging into his flesh and devouring the taste of him on my tongue.

He took hold of me, making to push me backwards but I slapped his hands aside, taking control for once and pushing onto my tiptoes so I could deepen our kiss further. Magnar released a deep laugh which resounded all the way through my body, right down to my bones and I smiled against the wicked curve of his lips.

The water cascaded over us endlessly as I dragged my hands down his chest, feeling the rigid curves of his muscles beneath my palms. I wanted every piece of him to be mine. Every wound, each tattoo, the scars which stood out across his perfect body, all of it.

I skimmed my fingernail along a tattoo which crossed his collarbone, biting my lip as I felt him shudder beneath my touch. I moved my mouth to it next, running my lips along the ink on his skin as his hands travelled down my spine while he explored me in turn.

I shifted my attention to his arm, raising his hand in mine as I kissed four scars which marked his bicep like the marks of some beast’s claws.

I held his gaze as the warm water ran through my lashes and my mouth claimed a star which was tattooed on his forearm.

Magnar groaned, twisting his arm in my grip and catching the back of my neck so he could drag me into a world-altering kiss.

I pressed my body against his, the water making our skin slide against each other in a way which made my heart race, and I took his cock in my grasp, delighting in the size of it, still surprised by the way he filled my hand, my fingers unable to close around his girth.

His other arm tangled around me, increasing the pressure of my flesh against his and I knew he was about to give in to his desire and take me, the rapid pace of our breaths merging and his cock jerking in my fist.

Magnar gripped my leg and tugged, angling his hips toward mine and I almost gave in, but I wanted to take him to his knees for once instead of forever bowing to his commands.

I bit his lip hard enough to make him jerk back and his eyes lit with a fire which I so wanted to burn up in as he looked down at me in surprise.

I used my gifted muscles to shove him back against the tiles before he could have me, letting my eyes roam over every breath-taking inch of his body as he leaned back against the wall and surveyed me in turn.

“Not yet,” I breathed with a smile, and he groaned in protest but gave in, remaining in place before me.

I inched back, enjoying having this power over him and taking my time as I decided what I would do with it.

I wasn’t done exploring his body and I was going to make him wait while I did it. And if that drove him crazy with desire, so be it. I’d gladly let him release that energy on me in time.

I caught his chin in my hand, pushing it up so I could kiss the bruised skin on his neck where Erik had bitten him. He sucked in a breath at the mixture of pain and pleasure, and I trailed my hand down his chest as I moved my mouth to his side next.

I kissed the ribs that Fabian had broken, awe filling me at the perfection I found where the wound should have been. Idun had healed his injuries as if they’d never existed at all. I could almost forgive her cruel ways in light of that one miracle which had saved this man who I loved so terrifyingly.

Magnar’s hand moved to grip my hair as I shifted my attention ever lower, seeking out every mark on his skin.

I trailed kisses over each of them, branding them as my own.

His muscles tensed beneath my attention and I smiled as I turned the table on him, playing with him as he so enjoyed to do to me. The more I could feel his desire rising, the closer I came to breaking. My body yearned for him in a way that made me feel like I would never be able to get enough.

“Callie,” he breathed and I knew he was begging me to give in to him and keep going in the same breath.

“Magnar,” I murmured in response but I didn’t give in. He would have to break first.

As my lips made it to a sweeping scar which curved over his hip, he cursed, his fist rolling down the length of his cock like he was desperate for the relief.

My knees pressed to the tiles and I looked up at him as I peeled his fingers away from his cock then slowly leaned in and wrapped my lips around it in their place.

Magnar released a low growl, his hands driving into my hair, urging me on as I took him into my mouth. He was so big that his cock was grazing the back of my throat long before I managed to take all of him and I wound my fist around the base of his shaft as I started moving.

“Fuck,” Magnar panted, his hips jerking as I took the length of him again, his cock driving to the back of my throat and making me moan at the tight fit. I pulled back, rolling my tongue over the head of his cock and tasting his arousal.

I met his simmering gaze as I took him in again and again, and he watched me with a wild desire in his gaze which made my heart pound furiously.

I moaned around his shaft, caressing his balls in my hand, and he threw his head back with a deep groan that was followed by the heat of his cum filling my mouth.

Magnar caught my chin and dragged me back up into his arms with a growl of longing as I swallowed the taste of him down and he kissed me roughly, praising my name while the water crashed over us, never once growing cold.

I relaxed into his arms, trailing my fingers along his jaw and looking up at him as he backed me up against the wall.

“You,” he growled, pinning me there with his grip on my jaw. “Are fucking everything, Callie Ford.”

I blinked at him through the torrent of water, sucking on my bottom lip and wondering at the fact that he wasn’t slowing down. His cock was still rigid, his eyes wild with want and I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t close to done with me yet.

“Then stop holding back,” I taunted.

Magnar’s eyes flashed at the challenge, and I gasped in surprise as he yanked me to him, his mouth colliding with mine in a brutal kiss which promised so much more. He was done waiting and the look in his eyes set my blood alight.

He hoisted me into his grip and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he bit down on my lip just as I’d done to him and slammed me back against the wall, joining our bodies as he silenced me with his mouth.

I cursed into his kiss as his cock drove into me and stole the breath from my lungs, my pussy throbbing as he pinned me at his mercy and began to fuck me like the heathen he was.

I groaned against his lips as he took my body hostage and I was lost to the intensity of this feeling, his cock pounding into me relentlessly, my heels driving into his spine and my nails ripping into his back. Somehow, impossibly, this man, this beast, was mine.

My nails tore into his flesh as he held me there and the feeling of his body taking mine hostage set a fire blazing in my veins. He was all I wanted. All I needed. And I knew I’d never, ever get enough of him.

There was an urgency to our kisses which yearned to be satisfied. It was a greedy, desperate ache which drove us together with the force of the wildest storm. He wasn’t careful with me and I didn’t want him to be. I just wanted more and more of everything he was offering. I was hungry for this, starving for it, for him. Each moment in his arms driving me towards the sweetest of conclusions.

His breathing grew harsher against my lips as he fucked me with a rabid fury, and I felt myself falling apart in his arms. He was the only thing keeping me in one piece. I was sure if he wasn’t holding me there, I’d break apart and dissolve into the endless spiral of pleasure that was waiting to devour me whole.

Magnar’s hands gripped my ass and he tilted my hips so his cock could drive in deeper, his pelvis grinding against mine and finding my clit while I cried out as he drove me to the edge of ecstasy and beyond.

I called his name as I came for him, my pussy tightening around his cock and forcing him to come with me. He cursed as he fucked me through it, making the pleasure echo on through every single piece of my flesh until even my soul was buzzing in the aftermath of him.

Magnar’s kisses grew less demanding and more worshipping and he finally lowered me to the floor where I forced my trembling legs to hold me up.

“I’m yours for however long you want me, Callie,” he breathed as he pushed my wet hair over my shoulder so he could look me right in the eyes. “Fuck the gods and their rules. Fuck Valentina and Fabian and every other thing that might want to get between us. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. You’re all I’ve ever wanted for myself and the moment I saw you I knew that you were precisely who I’d been waiting for, for a thousand years.”

I gazed up at him, running my fingertips along his jaw as I studied his achingly perfect face and the intense desire which simmered in his eyes.

“You’re mine,” I agreed because no matter how furious he made me, no matter how often we clashed and how ferociously we fought, there was something which always drew me back. This tie between us wasn’t the kind that could be undone. These words didn’t make it so because it already was. He belonged to me and I belonged to him. That was simply the way it was.

“And I’ll be yours,” I breathed. “Because I already am.”