Chapter Two

THE MOMENT MAGNUS arrived at the Yggdrasil in twenty-first-century Maine, he began catching Zoey's thoughts. Better still, he caught that she intended to try to reason with his enemy, Zane. Now, there was only one thing that could be done.

He had to stop her.

As far as he was concerned, the best way to do that was to steal her away until she saw reason, which he imagined would be no easy task. Not when she seemed so foolishly stubborn. So said her annoying voice in his head for days now. Do this, do that, because apparently, she had everything figured out despite knowing nothing of his era, never mind the ways of Viking dragons.

So he headed for the chalet's deck, only for her to walk right into him when he threw open the door. Where he'd almost expected her to be a sour-face beast of a woman with a stubborn jaw and spitfire eyes, she was anything but. Instead, she was small and fine-boned.

Not to say there wasn't a certain stubborn set to her jaw that meant trouble.

A jaw on such an exotically beautiful face, it was impossible to look away from as she stilled with her hand on his chest, and her gaze slowly rose to his face. He had never seen a female dragon that looked like her and almost wished he hadn't now. Not when her stark beauty made it hard to think. When her mesmerizing, thickly lashed tilted eyes brimming with a unique shade of shimmering turquoise locked with his.

It took almost more strength than he had to remember what he was about to do until her eyes narrowed in just enough challenge to remind him. If that didn't motivate him, the extreme fire he felt building in the tall female dragon heading their way did. A woman who must be Savannah because she was the only other one here besides Rune—meddlesome seer that she was—who merely leaned against the wall and winked at him.

In no mood to square off with whatever swelled inside Savannah because it was mighty and determined to protect Zoey, he threw the little woman over his shoulder, chanted them to the tree, placed his hand against its trunk, and got them out of there quickly. In the meantime, Zoey didn't struggle but remained perfectly still. So still, he was careful setting her down in the woodland beyond his village because he sensed she might be biding her time to lash out when her feet hit the ground.

Instead, she did the opposite.

Rather, seemingly unaffected by the sharp change in her surroundings, she stood up a tad straighter and frowned at him, her words clipped. "You did not have my permission to do that."

"Nor did you have my permission to give me and my second-in-command, Arne, so much unwanted advice." Until his women saw to Zoey"s clothing, he wrapped his fur cloak around her shoulders to protect her from the biting wind and tried to ignore her sweet, wonderfully fertile scent. "Just like you do not have permission to go to my enemy and seek peace I don"t want."

"So what is this then?" She inhaled a little as if trying not to breathe in the scent of his cloak before she shrugged it from her shoulders, and it pooled at her feet in the snow. "A kidnapping? A hostage situation of some sort?"

He had to give her credit for appearing and sounding so calm and level-minded despite her heart rate increasing. Despite her surroundings changing so sharply and being faced with a Viking dragon from another time. One who not only dwarfed her but possessed enough weapons, most in her situation would be showing far more unease if not outright fear.

"I'm undecided what this is," he replied, even though, at this point, it was neither. Not really. At least not until he understood more about her intentions regarding Zane and why she had infiltrated his and Arne's thoughts so often with unwanted advice. Could it be she was in Zane's corner in some way they had yet to understand? Because it certainly seemed that way despite having not caught it in her thoughts yet. Then again, they seemed to be coming through sporadically, so who knows what she might be hiding.

"As am I undecided," she said softly, a touch of venom to her voice despite appearing perfectly calm. A tinge of irritation in her tone despite not sharing exactly what she was undecided about. "Where is Quinn? Rune claims an alliance has been made between you and her mate, Rafe, so I need to talk to her and understand what's happening here from her perspective. Then, hopefully, speak with Keira and Athena as well."

"A lot of demands for a hostage," he replied dryly, having decided that was precisely what she was for now. Perhaps bargaining power if she was, in fact, in league with Zane somehow. A potential traitor who looked particularly stunning amid the wilds of his homeland. Her hair's shoulder-length silky blue-black color contrasted with the snowy backdrop, making her stand out all the more.

"Then you intend to get something from your enemy for my safe return?" she replied steadily enough without batting a lash. "Which could only mean you assume I'm in alliance with Zane, and he'll give you what you request."

While he could assume she'd caught his thoughts, he suspected that wasn"t the case. Not given what Quinn said she did for work. Rather, he sensed that although Zoey had never been one herself, she'd likely dealt with hostages before.

"Are you in alliance with Zane?" he asked bluntly.

"I don't know yet," she replied just as bluntly, still admirably level, given she'd all but admitted she was in league with his enemy. "Perhaps if he's willing to listen where you clearly are not."

"Ah, yes," he said softly, trusting her less and less by the moment. He issued a small smile. "Because who else would listen to good reason better than Zane?"

"Your sarcasm isn't lost on me."

"Good." He rested his hand on the dagger sheathed at his waist and gestured that she walk. "Lead the way, or I'll carry you again."

"Og jeg ser for meg at du ville like det like mye som du gjorde f?rste gang," she said, telling him he would probably enjoy carrying her as much as he had the first time in Norse—or at least the modern-day version of it. Yet again, not surprising she would know his language, given what he'd learned about her. According to Quinn, she was not just intelligent and very good at what she did, but she spoke multiple languages to assist in her profession as what they called a diplomat in her era.

"I would enjoy carrying you again and more," he replied, not about to deny his dragon craved hers. Again, equally blunt, he made things clear. "You are fertile and belong to me now, so why wouldn't I?"

Rather than seem frightened or, at the very least, shaken, she remained perfectly calm and surprised him. "I imagine you would, given our past life together and the connection we shared." She arched a brow at him when he frowned in confusion. "Oh, you didn't know, Magnus? You don't remember that you've made my life difficult more than once, and I suspect will continue to do so before this is all said and done?"

What was she talking about? Despite her unruffled expression, he didn't miss the surge of frustration her inner beast felt. A lovely little dragon that snagged his attention so strongly his breath caught at its sheer intensity. Its outstanding beauty as it blinked back at him in the darkness of his mind before fading.

"I suspect you would say anything to make me trust you," he said gruffly. This time, lest she keep his mind going in circles and his inner beast beguiled, he withdrew his dagger and told her to move because it was best he not carry her, after all. "Walk, woman. The woodlands in this era are far more dangerous than you might think, and I've a mind to leave you to it. Mayhap you can convince Zane's dragons when they come because they will come and quickly to bring you to him before they sample you themselves."

"It seems I was wrong," she said, surprising him again with a flash of disappointment in her glorious eyes. "You're beyond hope this time."

"No doubt I am." And for now, that's all he intended to tell her because it had become obvious not only were they connected based on his dragon's response to her, but she couldn't be trusted. He scooped up his fur cloak and gestured with the blade again. "Go. Walk."

So she did, finally, without another word, and he was never more thankful for it. Grateful for a quiet that had been lacking for days now. Blissful silence free of endless viewpoints he didn't agree with. Yet still, he remained aggravated because she seemed to remember a life he didn't.

Had she been his Valkyrie or possibly Zane's?

Worse still, had Magnus found love with her as Quinn had implied? While he wasn't opposed to mating with a female dragon from the future, and Zoey was certainly lovely enough, her body was too small, and her mouth and all the ideas that came out of it were too big. She knew nothing of his era. Nothing of their ways.

"My King," Arne said as they approached him. He bowed his head to Magnus before his gaze skirted over Zoey, and he masked the same frustration with her Magnus felt. He opened a trap door in the ground. "Tyr and ?se remain imprisoned, and King Rafe and Queen Quinn should arrive soon."

"You must be Arne." Zoey stopped and looked at his second-in-command with a fondness neither expected. Especially given Arne was more daunting than most with his towering build and scarred visage. "So nice to meet you." She glanced from Magnus back to him. "Might you, at last, aid me in talking some sense into him."

Not a question but a statement.

Brave given her circumstances.

But then, had Zoey not proven she was more courageous than most already, showing no sign of fear when Magnus had so recently been an enemy? No fear when he could overpower her if he were so inclined? More than that, he could acknowledge it took no small amount of courage to consider going to Zane first.

Assuming, of course, she understood what Zane was all about.

Understood he was a monster above monsters.

"I will aid my king in whatever way he sees fit," Arne said dutifully, urging Zoey to precede him downstairs into an underground tunnel, which she did, yet again, calmly and without a fight.

"She is not what I expected," Arne grunted into his mind. "Where are the horns I thought would shoot from her human head? Why is she not keeping up with her obnoxious viewpoints and relentless badgering?"

He bit back a grin, more relieved than he"d admit when he closed the trapdoor behind them and knew she was safely on his land. In his kingdom. "Oh, her opinions are very much there, my friend. Just give it a moment."

"She seems so...docile."

"As I said, give it a moment."

"Why?"Zoey replied within their minds, coming through painfully, arousingly clear now. Gods above, she sounded well worth rutting with. Lying with until she was so spent with pleasure she finally ceased her chatter.

She didn't look back at them in fear but kept walking as if she'd comfortably walked paths like this before. Comfortably been around lethal enemies who could cut her down at any moment if she said the wrong thing.

"Why give it a moment when I suspect you wouldn"t listen to my opinions, anyway?" she said aloud, tossing Arne a look over her shoulder before continuing. "Never mind my obnoxious viewpoints and relentless badgering, whatever that means."

When Arne glanced back at him in confusion, Magnus frowned, shook his head, and gestured that his friend keep moving. She wasn't going to be listened to now any more than she'd been when nagging them from over a thousand years in the future.

"Progress can't be made without communication,"Zoey muttered into their minds, as she'd said before on more than one occasion. "And you'll need to figure that out sooner rather than later, Dragon Prince."

When Arne frowned back at him again because he didn't like her internal tone, Magnus scowled and shook his head as he had too many times to count when it came to her and her opinions. Then he said what he always said, making a point of blocking her from their telepathic conversation this time. "Do not respond to her. Don't let her take control of a situation she knows nothing about. Allow her no voice in how we handle long-standing rivalries that are none of her business."

After they reached the end of the underground earthen tunnel, they headed upstairs into a small, thatch-covered building where his medicine woman, Astrid, waited. He nodded at her once in passing that she saw Zoey. Meanwhile, the obstinate twenty-first-century woman didn't try to rush out the door and escape but lowered her head to Astrid in what almost appeared to be respect and remained still as if waiting for Astrid to acknowledge her.

"Zoey is a strange woman," Arne said after they left and made their way through the village. "Again, not what I expected."

"Yet exactly what I expected," he lied, frustrated, making sure to list all the reasons, too, lest she found a way to listen telepathically again. "Obstinate, controlling, all-knowing of something she knows nothing about. Righteous, indignant, and annoying." And just for good measure. "And held hostage by us until I know her true intentions. Better still, if I might somehow defeat Zane through her and reveal him for the usurper, traitor he is."

He was careful to phrase it that way, so it was clear he was willing to sacrifice her if that's what it took. Yet deep down, frustratingly enough, he already knew he wouldn't allow her to end up with his traitorous cousin, whichever way things went.

"Where are you?"he said into Rafe's mind, hoping his cousin would get there soon. "I have spoken to my people about our renewed alliance, but it is time to show them such. Make clear how far we have come."

"We will arrive within minutes via ship as requested,"Rafe replied, a much-welcome voice in his mind. One that had been gone for far too long. He was not just kin but a good friend who had once been close, if not closer than Arne.

"Was it so necessary to steal Zoey away like that?"Rafe went on. "Quinn's not happy."

"No, I'm not,"Quinn agreed telepathically, the frown in her internal voice obvious. "Why did you do it that way? Zoey's the most reasonable person I know. Why not just—"

"Because she was getting ready to go to Zane," he intercepted. "To try and fix this war via that traitor."

He felt their stunned confusion. With good reason, too, considering how close the three of them were now. Quinn might have been his pre-arranged platonic wife in their last life, but she was, like Rafe, a long-lost dear friend. His, in every way that mattered most outside of fated mates.

As instructed, his warriors, all in human form, lined up on either side of one of his longest docks with sheathed weapons to greet Rafe's ship. As planned, his cousin traveled with some of his top warriors so everyone would see not just kings reuniting but the men who served them.

After an eve of celebration, they would decide their next move. Either way, word of this reunion and Rafe's defection from Ulrik and Tyr, however false it was, would purposefully be carried back to Zane. Let his enemy make of that what he would. Magnus guaranteed he would somehow use the division to his advantage.

Fortunately, as was expected, all welcomed Rafe and Quinn, along with Rafe's apprentice and Magnus's cousin, Mea, as they got off their ship and embraced Magnus for all to see. Also, as hoped, the families of the dragons Tyr had killed were pacified by this treaty. How could they not be when they now had not one Valkyrie but three on their side with rumors of a fourth coming that might be meant for their king? For was he not a Sigdir, too, they claimed? Did that not mean he was destined for a goddess who would also protect them?

While many were still notably wary of Rafe, several of Magnus's warriors who had known him since childhood clasped hands, putting them more and more at ease. In turn, Magnus made a point of greeting Rafe's warriors, grateful to reconnect with childhood friends as well. As anticipated, Quinn created the biggest stir when her skin flickered golden with her inner goddess as she greeted them.

"She is very good at being a Valkyrie queen," Magnus noted as Quinn, with her short light blonde hair and stunning features, made her way through an ever-adoring crowd, stopping here and there to talk to children and the elderly with a warm, caring smile. "We are lucky to have her back in our lives."

"Agreed." Rafe's loving gaze rarely left her. "My people adore her as much as yours do. She was much revered at our wedding and has been sought out often in the short time since then."

"I imagine she has been." Sensing the mild frustration his cousin would never admit to, Magnus clasped Rafe's shoulder and smiled. "No worries, cousin. Once she has seen to every soul she can with her healing nature, I imagine she will be back in your bed often."

"I can only hope." Rafe offered a crooked grin and shrugged. "But then, that would mean I'd never let her leave it." He eyed Magnus curiously. "What of Zoey? While kidnapping her was bold, I sense there was more to it than just Zane." He arched his eyebrows. "Mayhap a connection betwixt your inner dragons?"

Magnus was about to answer when something stirred the crowd further into his village. Or should he say someone, proving Zoey wasn't nearly as easily tamed as she'd led him to believe.