6. Callie

The horses’ hooves clip-clopped loudly along the hard tarmac as we headed down an old highway into a small town. I could feel Magnar’s unease coiling through his rigid posture where he was pressed against me on the stallion’s back.

The tension between us was near a breaking point, the desire to murder him still wholly present in my mind though my body kept having other ideas while pressed against his. The tension between us was near breaking point, the desire to murder him still wholly present in my mind, though my body kept having other ideas while pressed against his. It was infuriating, sinful bastard that he was, but I wouldn’t allow him the knowledge that he had any effect on me whatsoever.

Night was drawing in quickly and we still hadn’t found a place to make camp. Though the horses had sped our journey south, we now had the added difficulty of finding a shelter big enough to house them as well as ourselves.

Although Magnar had wanted to avoid the town when we’d first spotted it, I’d convinced him otherwise. The area we’d been travelling through had held few houses, and the dilapidated town was the first real sign of anything from the old civilisation that we’d seen in a long time. I had the feeling that it was our only chance to find a building large enough to house us for miles around, and Magnar had begrudgingly agreed. Besides, we needed supplies; food and water most of all. My growling stomach was a constant reminder of that.

This settlement was the largest group of buildings we’d come across so far that hadn’t been destroyed by the bombs in the Final War. Dead leaves had gathered along the sidewalks, husks of rotting cars blocked the streets. The whole place screamed its unnatural silence at me. It should have been full of life but instead, it was abandoned and eerie.

A raven cawed from the top of a lamp post, and I flinched as I stared up at it with mistrust.

“Is that one of their creatures?” I asked in a whisper as the bird’s gaze followed our progress along the street.

“No. Its soul is clean,” Magnar replied, following my gaze, the rough scratch of his jaw brushing against my cheek with the movement. “When you’ve seen as many familiars as I have, you’ll be able to recognise them easily. They don’t move or react naturally, and their eyes shine silver in the light. You see how the vampires can make you mistrust everything though?”

I nodded. The more I learned about the vampires, the more reasons I found to fear them.

“They have used that kind of fear to control people for a long time, corralling or captivating them as they see fit. They are manipulative, devious things, born of death and seduction, with nothing but lies spilling from their lips,” he said roughly, and I almost found myself glad of his arms banded around me, the powerful creature at my back likely the only man in existence capable of attempting to stand in defiance of them.

As the cluster of concrete boxes grew around us, a feeling of unease started to settle on me too. In such an enclosed space with so many buildings to hide within and between, it was hard not to imagine eyes peering at us from every darkened corner.

I placed a hand on Fury, but the blade was quiet, as though it was sleeping. That was the best reassurance I could get that no vampires lurked nearby, but I still felt on edge.

“How were such places created?” Magnar murmured behind me, and I twisted in his arms to get a look at him. His brow was furrowed with either concern or confusion, and I wasn’t sure which worried me more.

“You mean the buildings?” I asked, following his gaze to an old sign which was shaped like a giant brown cowboy hat.

I tried to sound out the words splashed across it, but the swirling yellow text was illegible to me with my limited reading capabilities, and I couldn’t make out anything after the big capital R.

“They’re so…square.” Magnar continued to frown at them like the buildings themselves offended him with their uniform angles alone, and I smiled.

“I think they used machines to make the bricks and stuff.” I’d had little success in explaining much about anything mechanical to Magnar. My own understanding of electricity and machinery was limited as it was, and he’d had nothing like them in his own time to draw comparison to. It was easy to forget just how strange the world must have been to him. He’d found himself plucked from the reality he’d grown up in and dumped into the ruins of a civilisation beyond anything he ever could have imagined.

He didn’t ask anything else, but I could sense his continued unease.

“What about that?” I asked, pointing to a huge building with heavy metal shutters barring the windows. The sign above the door was written in clearer script, and I frowned at it as I forced the letters to become words. “Su-per mar...market; I think that’s a store where they sold food.”

“This is where they held the market?” Magnar asked, grasping onto the word that made sense to him.

“I think so. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find something they left behind before the Final War,” I added hopefully. We’d eaten the last of our supplies that morning and my stomach was pitifully empty. Hunger was a feeling I was well used to, but it was one thing that I hadn’t had to deal with since my escape from the Realm and I hadn’t missed it.

Magnar guided the horses into the concrete space before the supermarket and dismounted in front of the glass doors, his warmth abandoning me as I was left balancing precariously where I was. He led the stallion to a metal post and tied the reins before turning back to help me.

“I’ve got it,” I said firmly, though as I peered down at the ground, it seemed much further away than before.

“Alright then.” Magnar folded his arms and leaned against the wall, watching as I tried to figure out how I was supposed to get down.

I pursed my lips, refusing to admit to this being any kind of mistake as I assessed the fall. It wasn’t like I hadn’t jumped from higher ledges while exploring the Realm. And I certainly wasn’t going to be asking for help now that I’d refused it.

There was nothing for me to hold onto to help lower myself down aside from the stallion’s mane, but I felt like pulling on the animal’s hair might have been asking for more trouble than it was worth.

Shit.

I was just gonna have to rip the bandaid off and hope for the best.

I swung my leg over the horse’s neck somewhat awkwardly, almost slipping from his sleek back as I did so, my heart jerking with fright as my balance wavered before I somehow righted myself and ended up sitting sideways on him, looking down at the drop below.

I was pretty sure Magnar had been facing the horse as he dismounted, but it was far too late for that now, so I drew in a breath and pushed myself off.

I stumbled as I hit the ground, staggering forward a few steps, my arms wheeling to try and save myself, and I cursed as the concrete loomed before me.

Magnar caught me before my face could hit the ground, his hands shifting the material of my coat up and brushing against the skin of my lower back as he set me on my feet again, a snort of amusement breaking from him.

“Graceful,” he commented, a spark of energy dancing across my skin at the roughness of his touch, but he released me just as quickly.

“I had it,” I grumbled, righting myself while refusing to thank him.

“Clearly,” he agreed, the sarcasm in his voice thick.

I scowled at him and tucked a strand of my long, golden hair back behind my ear. I hadn’t braided it since I’d washed it in the river, and I was enjoying the feeling of leaving it loose. In the Realm, I’d always been afraid of it attracting attention, but now that I was free, I could do what I liked with it.

Magnar pulled Tempest from his back and cautiously approached the glass doors to the building. I followed his lead and released Fury, but the blade slept on, unaware of any threat nearby. I wanted to ask Magnar if I could rely on the blade’s assessment of the situation, but he was already pushing the door open.

I stayed several steps behind him as we entered the store and the massive space opened up around us. There were aisles and aisles of shelves lining what looked to be one huge, open area. Magnar moved away to check that the shop was clear, but my gaze fell on something which stopped me from following.

I moved forward with a smile pulling at my lips as I recognised the picture on the wrapper. Chocolate. A whole shelf was stacked full of it, just waiting to be devoured.

I grabbed a bar as long as my forearm and jogged after Magnar into the depths of the store.

I hurried down the aisle I thought he’d chosen and upped my pace in excitement to share my find with him, wanting him to know that I’d been the one to feed us and that I wasn’t just some dumb asshole who knew nothing about horses.

Halfway along the aisle, I paused as a rack of lightbulbs and flashlights caught my eye. I knew Magnar had never seen electricity in action and my vague explanation of it couldn’t compare to seeing it for himself. Besides, I may have had no experience in climbing off of horses, but he might just shit himself at the magic light stick when it appeared. Revenge called my name like a pretty little demon in my ear, and I wasn’t strong enough to resist her call.

I shoved Fury back into its holster and grabbed a flashlight from the display, ripping off the cardboard packaging before starting after Magnar again.

But as I jogged out at the far end of the aisle, a huge body lurched from the darkness, tackling me and lifting me off of my feet before propelling me around and pressing me against the wall. A cry of fear escaped my lips, my finds falling from my grip as I lurched for Fury in a panic.

But before I could get near the blade, strong fingers banded around my wrist, pinning it in place beside my head, his other hand gripping my throat, the scent of oak and leather enveloping me.

“Have you forgotten everything you learned about stealth already?” Magnar growled as he held me still.

My heart pounded with a whole new set of emotions as I realised this was simply more of his bullshit and not an attack at all. It was almost pitch black this far from the doors and I could only make out the outline of his silhouette, so it was hard to tell precisely how pissed off he was, but as I aimed a knee for his balls, I was fairly certain I was about to find out.

Magnar blocked my strike with his own knee, forcing it between my thighs to stop me from doing it again, a breath of amusement escaping him as he leaned into me.

“Now what, drakaina hjarta?” he purred, an offer in those words which made my pulse riot.

I tried to force my heart rate to slow as I relaxed, knowing it was only him.

“You tell me,” I replied, his grip flexing on my throat. “You’re the one who keeps finding reasons to touch me like this.”

“Were you hoping I might touch you differently? Are you used to tenderness and sweet declarations, Callie?”

My name on his lips was its own brand of unholy, but I simply swallowed, seeking out his eyes in the dark and shaking my head as best I could with the way he was holding me.

“I’m used to far worse than some bastard manhandling me whenever the mood strikes him. If there’s some further point to this, then spit it out, if not, feel free to stop dry humping me at any point,” I sneered.

Magnar breathed a laugh, his thigh pressing more firmly between my legs, making fire race through my core. The move was as intentional as the way his fingers flexed around my throat, but he released me all the same.

“So you simply forgot everything I told you about practicing stealth?” he pushed, making my hackles raise.

“No. But Fury doesn’t think there are any vampires nearby and I found us food,” I stated.

Magnar sighed like he was losing patience with a petulant child, and I folded my arms as I leaned back against the end of the aisle.

“You shouldn’t rely on that blade entirely. Your own senses mustn’t be ignored in favour of blind trust in that weapon. The runes help it to sense when a vampire is close, but they found ways around the runes in my time. When the Belvederes realise I’m back, I’m sure they will remember some of the tricks they used to use on us.”

“Okay. Lesson learned.” I didn’t bother to point out the fact that if any powerful vampires were that close to me, then I didn’t stand a hope in hell of escaping them anyway. It seemed like a moot point. “Are you going to thank me for the food or...”

I stooped down to retrieve my mega bar of chocolate, then ripped open the wrapper and broke off a square of it.

Magnar eyed the processed sugar like it was a turd on a rock, so I shrugged and pushed it between my own lips, perfectly content to eat the lot for myself if he would rather go hungry.

My stomach growled impatiently, and a moan rolled up the back of my throat as the heavenly taste consumed my attention. I let my eyes fall closed to appreciate it better, sighing with contentment and pushing another square between my lips.

“You must be very hungry to make such noises over whatever that is,” Magnar grunted.

I opened my eyes, finding his heated gaze locked on me and wondering how he might like a taste of his own games.

“See for yourself,” I offered, breaking off a small square for him – no need to offer up too much of my prize to the asshole after all.

I held it out, but Magnar still didn’t move, so I sighed dramatically and stepped forward.

I lifted the square of sugary goodness to his mouth, and he arched an eyebrow at me in surprise as my fingers brushed against his lips.

“Don’t tell me the big, bad warrior is afraid of trying something new,” I taunted, a dare in my eyes.

He expelled a harsh breath and reluctantly accepted it, my fingers grazing against his lips for longer than was really necessary as I placed the square of chocolate on his tongue, smiling sweetly at him and making his eyes narrow in suspicion.

As he started chewing, his muscles relaxed and some of that heated tension loosened in his limbs.

“Are you going to moan for me now?” I teased.

“You’d have to do better than that, drakaina hjarta,” he replied. “But I’ll admit it’s good. What is it?”

“Something they used to eat before the war. It’s called chocolate. I couldn’t have you thinking everything about this time is bad.”

“It isn’t all bad,” he replied evenly, his eyes raking over me. “Not that I’ve ever been much opposed to bad anyway.” A tingle ran along my spine at the implication. He looked away from me, towards the front of the store. “I should bring the horses inside and place the wards. It’s nearly nightfall.”

“There was something else,” I added quickly before he could leave.

I grabbed the flashlight from the floor and flicked it on, shining the beam directly into his eyes.

Magnar stepped back suddenly, jerking away from the light.

“By the gods,” he cursed, drawing a knife from his belt so fast that I barely had a moment to realise scaring him might have been a terrible fucking idea, especially if I ended up skewered for it.

I barked a laugh, then bit my lip, backing away from him as I swung the flashlight from side to side, the beam arching around us. “It’s just an electric light. Like I told you, remember?”

“That is unholy,” he growled, pointing at it with his blade like he still planned on stabbing the thing.

“This is the new world, old man. And you might want to get used to it before a vampire ends up defeating you simply by turning on the lights.” I turned the flashlight off again and held it out to him, my revenge tasting even sweeter than the chocolate.

Magnar eyed it suspiciously, clenching his jaw before holding his hand out to accept it.

He turned the flashlight over in his hand and I leaned closer, placing my finger on the button. He watched as I pressed it and the light came on again. Only the faintest flicker in his gaze gave away how disconcerting he found the little device, but I didn’t hate putting him on the back foot for once. He lifted it higher, shining it along the closest aisle before switching it off.

“I’m sure this will be useful,” he said eventually, though his tone made me think he’d sooner throw it away than keep it.

A smile pulled at my lips, and I reached out and took it from him. “I can look after it if you’re worried it might bite you in your ungodly ass or something.”

Magnar caught my wrist before I could snatch it away from him and brushed his thumb across my slayer’s mark. “If you’re going to mock me, you might want to remember that I can put you on your ungodly ass in the blink of an eye,” he warned.

“Not before I can flash my scary light at you,” I replied, flicking the flashlight on and off, shining it in his face.

Magnar scowled at it for a moment, then released a low laugh, shaking his head. I stayed put as he released me and walked away.

Something about knowing that I was going to be leaving him soon made the tension between us feel stronger than it had before. Like there was a clock ticking down the seconds to our separation. It wasn’t like I cared. But the more I told myself to keep my distance, the more I found myself seeking him out. None of that interaction had been necessary, and yet I’d stalked him through the dark to find him.

My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten nearly enough, and I stuffed another lump of chocolate into my mouth, savouring the sweetness as I started to hunt the shelves for something more nourishing.

Magnar Elioson wouldn’t be my problem for much longer, so I wasn’t going to waste time on overthinking the time we had left stuck together like this.

It turned out that the store held more than we ever could have hoped for. Though a lot of the food left lying on the shelves had rotted away years ago, much of it hadn’t. We’d enjoyed a meal made up of all the different things we’d found in more packets and tins than I could count.

Bags of oatmeal had made a meal for the horses too, and the large animals were now wandering the aisles contentedly, enjoying the time to rest.

Magnar had lit a fire in a huge metal bin to keep us warm, and the building was big enough that we didn’t have to worry about the smoke.

We’d also found an aisle filled with bottles of water. There was so much of it that I’d stolen some so I could wash, finding a quiet corner of the store to do so. I’d even found some soap, and it wasn’t like the scentless communal bars we’d been given in the Realm’s bathhouse; it smelled good enough to eat. I’d taken a while to decide on a scent and had eventually settled for cherry. They even had some special shit for washing my hair. The picture of the woman on the bottle had told me what to do and I’d scrubbed half of the contents through my waist-length locks before using two bottles of water to rinse it back out again.

On my way back to the fire, I found an aisle filled with clothes. I grabbed armfuls of the different materials greedily before settling on a bottle green shirt which hugged my figure and felt as soft as butter. I added new underwear and a pair of black jeans to the ensemble, revelling in the feeling of being truly clean.

By the time I re-joined Magnar, I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He’d washed too and his long, half braided hair glistened with moisture as he sat shirtless beside the fire. The wounds he’d gained from the vampires were all healing incredibly quickly, apart from the two bites given to him by the Elite, and I eyed the inflamed skin with a flicker of anger rolling through me at the memory of that monster sinking her teeth into him.

I took a seat beside him and watched as he inspected the row of tooth marks on his right arm.

“You’re not about to develop a taste for my blood, are you?” I teased, although a small part of me was afraid he might. There had been plenty of rumours in the Realm about how someone became a vampire and getting bitten was pretty high on the list. Though I guessed Magnar would have been more concerned about the bites if that were the case.

“It is rather more complicated than that to turn a mortal into a monster,” Magnar replied, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved. The idea of becoming one of them was about the worst thing I could imagine, and I was glad it couldn’t happen easily. I’d rather die than be a vampire, cut my own throat, leap from the top of a building, drown myself in a lake – whatever the method, I’d take it a thousand times over becoming one of them.

“How does it work then?” I asked, a morbid fascination gripping me.

“A human has to drink their blood as well as being bitten,” he replied with a sneer of disgust. “It’s like being infected with a disease alongside suffering their venom.”

“That’s it?” I raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Then the mortal has to die. It doesn’t matter how, so long as the heart is intact. Nothing else is fatal to them. They can fuse severed limbs back into place, even heads with some help. Only a direct blow to the heart will end them.”

“That’s…so gross,” I said, not knowing what else I could say about a creature that could stick its own head back on.

“Indeed. Nothing about them is natural. They’re an abomination, an insult to the living.” He continued to inspect the row of tooth marks on his arm, and I shifted a little closer to see too.

“So why isn’t your super-healing working on the bites then?” I asked.

“Just as my people developed ways to combat the vampires’ power, they developed ways to resist us. Their fangs hold a venom which stops blood from clotting so they can drink freely from their victims. It also combats the innate ability in my blood to heal. While that venom remains present, my body can only hold the blood back but cannot force the wounds to mend. Now that I have flushed them with water, they should heal well. I’m just making sure no venom remains.”

“You can see it?” I asked as I looked at the bite mark again curiously.

“It shines like moonlight. A mark of the curse which ties them to the hours of night – or at least out of full sunlight. Look; I missed some.” He held his arm out to me and tilted it while pointing at one of the puncture wounds. The flickering light of the fire highlighted a glimmer of silver within the wound.

Magnar lifted a bottle of water and tipped it over the area, flushing the bite clean. When he inspected it again, all of the venom was gone, and I could have sworn the skin around the bite already looked less inflamed.

“Do you need help with the one on your neck?” I offered.

He clearly wouldn’t be able to see it to check the venom was removed properly and despite my general disdain for him, he had gotten those bites by coming to save my sorry ass. So the least I could offer was my help in treating them

Magnar regarded me for a moment, and I got the feeling he wanted to refuse but he sighed, beckoning me closer.

“That would be helpful,” he said finally.

I smiled sweetly as I shifted nearer, enjoying the moment where the brutal barbarian had to ask for help from little old me, and he tilted his chin up so that I could inspect the injury. I could instantly see that this bite was a lot deeper than the one on his arm. The flesh was torn around the holes the vampire had punched into his skin and despite his gifts fighting against it, some blood still trickled from the wound.

I couldn’t believe he’d been suffering with the pain of it for over a day and hadn’t said a word.

“Why didn’t you ask me to help you with this before?” I asked. “Are you really that pig-headed that you couldn’t bear to ask for assistance with this one thing?”

“We couldn’t spare the water and I could take the pain,” he replied dismissively.

“I would sooner have gone thirsty for a day to save you from suffering,” I said irritably, and he glanced at me in surprise, the truth having fallen from my lips before I could consider it. I refused to take it back though. It was the truth, and it was ridiculous to put himself through such a thing.

“And I would sooner not see you go without food or water. Especially as that is a burden you have had to bear before.” His gaze flicked to my too-thin figure, and I shifted uncomfortably.

“It’s something I’m more than used to. It wouldn’t have been a problem,” I replied dismissively.

“It would have been a problem for me.” His gaze was unyielding, and I frowned at him, finding this side of him far harder to deal with than the brute who infuriated me to the point of tears.

I sighed in defeat as I turned my attention back to the job of tending his wound, deciding not to reply to that declaration and focus on the job at hand.

I moved to kneel before him and picked up the bottle of water. His gaze met mine for several long seconds before he turned to look at a point beyond my head.

I started to pour the water over the bite and his fist clenched tightly in his lap. I’d never seen him show a reaction to pain before, and the sight made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

“Sorry,” I breathed.

“You weren’t the one who tried to rip my throat out,” he replied lightly, raising one huge shoulder like it was some kind of joke.

“Well, if you had just kept your swords in hand instead of offering her a fist fight...”

He laughed and the deep rumbling sound of it pulled a smile to my own lips.

I continued rinsing the wound clean and tried to ignore the tension in his body.

I was so close to him that his scent enveloped me entirely, my gaze drifting from the wound to the way the water tumbled over the carved muscles of his chest. I bit my tongue, forcing my gaze back to his neck. It might have helped if he’d had a fucking shirt on. Having his ridiculously ripped body inches from mine was making indecent thoughts flash through my mind.

Nope.

Ibit my lip to stop myself from looking at his chest again and forced my eyes to stay fixed on the bite through pure force of will.

“You smell like cherries,” he said, his voice rough with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

“No.”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that, so I kept my attention on the bite instead of replying.

He tilted his head, blocking the light so that I couldn’t see what I was doing. I reached up and caught his chin, lifting it slightly with my fingertips. The rough stubble lining his jaw scratched against my thumb as I shifted my grip, and I bit down harder on my lip to distract myself from it. The point where our skin touched sent sparks of energy racing right back to my thumping heart.

I felt his gaze shift to my face but didn’t dare turn to meet it.

I continued to rinse the wound until all of the venom swirled out of it, leaving silver trails down his broad chest between the lines of his muscles. I realised I’d let my attention slip down to stare at his body again and quickly flipped my eyes up to meet his.

His golden eyes burned with molten fire and took me captive.

He didn’t move an inch and I didn’t release my hold on his jaw.

I tried to blink or turn my head or do anything to break the connection between us, but my treacherous body wouldn’t let me. This thing between us was a storm cloud shot through with lightning, the sparks breaking free and lashing against our flesh whenever we got too close. It was heat and anger, regret and loss, a pair of paths which never should have crossed and yet had become entangled.

I wanted to lean in, my body ached with a desire which I rebelled against with what little willpower I held, and the two feelings immobilised me where I was.

“I have never met a man as arrogant as you,” I said, the words falling from my lips like some feeble attempt at a shield, a challenge for him to pull away.

“And I have never met a woman as infuriating as you,” he replied, his voice a growl which rolled down the back of my spine and forced a breath to expel from my lungs.

“So why stay with me?” I asked, because that was the crux of it, wasn’t it? We both knew I followed along behind him for the sake of my family and nothing else. But his motivation had never been made clear to me. He’d claimed to have saved me when my family was captured but what about Dad and Montana? I’d seen him take on twenty vampires, including an Elite, and win since that day. I knew Wolfe could have called for reinforcements from the Realm, but everything I’d seen of Magnar made me think that risk wouldn’t have stopped him. There was more to it, and I wanted the truth.

Magnar looked me over slowly, his attention dripping over my flesh and making every inch of it prickle with awareness.

He moved suddenly, gripping my waist and lifting me so easily that I sucked in a breath of surprise, finding myself in his lap a moment later, my thighs parted over his, the scent of him intoxicating.

I shifted my hand to balance myself, my fingers falling from his strong jaw, causing his stubble to graze against my skin. My palm fell heavily onto his chest, pressing down right above his heart, the solid thump of it matching with my own pounding pulse.

Magnar released a deep groan and the sound of it tied a knot in the pit of my stomach. He tightened his grip on my waist with his strong hands and dragged me forward with his strong hands so that the inch of space between us disappeared.

“What are you-” I began, but he cut me off.

“Bait,” he said simply, his fingers moving to the side of my face, tangling in strands of golden hair as he tucked them behind my ear. “I’d been searching for any sign of my kind for days and had found nothing but a barren land and fences lit with lightning. I’d seen the blood bank, as you call it, and I wanted to strike at it. I’d already come to the conclusion that I would be doing so alone. My plan was simple enough; I was scouting your Realm so that I could take count of the vampires there. I wanted to lead them away from the humans they’d caged inside to minimise the casualties once we came to blows. I was already turning back to the blood bank when I heard the fighting which led me to you.”

“So us fighting for our lives was just some curiosity to you?” I growled, trying to shift back, but he kept hold of me, his fingers tight around my hips.

“For a moment, I wondered if I’d found my people at last. But it was obvious your family were human the moment I saw them. But you…there was a ferocity to you which captured me the moment I saw you racing towards them, charging straight for death with no thought for your own life. I could see your intentions were fated to fail regardless, so I stopped you.”

“Because you wanted to use me as bait?” I spat, giving up on trying to escape him and making myself listen instead. I’d wanted these answers after all, so I would force myself to endure the truth of them no matter how bitter it was.

“In that moment? No. I acted on impulse, the instinct to protect you rising in me the second I laid eyes on you,” he replied, his fingers pushing into my hair, and I fought the urge to arch into the touch, batting his hand away instead.

“Why?” I demanded.

Magnar surveyed me, the corner of his mouth lifting in that arrogant way which made me want to smack him so often.

“I wanted you. Simple as that.”

“Like a caveman claiming a rock?” I sneered, and he snorted.

“A vexing, provocative rock,” he agreed, pushing his hand back into my hair and wrapping the length of it around his fist, tugging my head back so that I was forced to bare my throat to him.

“So when did the rock become bait?” I hissed, my fingernails biting into his chest above that pounding muscle.

“Once I had you, I had time to think my actions through. Time to assess why the gods had led me to you in that moment.”

“Oh, so we’re blaming the so-called gods, are we?” I replied scornfully, but he ignored my contempt as he went on.

“My plan was straightforward enough. I would attack the blood bank, killing the bloodsuckers who oversee the atrocities there, allowing one of them to ‘escape’ and run for help from your Realm. Then I would lie in wait for all who followed. But that came with too many pitfalls for my liking. I couldn’t be certain there weren’t other strongholds nearby. And though I am a man of legend, I am just one man.”

“A self-proclaimed legend,” I scoffed. “How humble you are.”

“The truth is what it is, drakaina hjarta.” Magnar tugged on my hair, the sudden jerk pulling a sound from my lips that was all too like a moan, and I dug my nails into his skin more forcefully.

“So you decided to use me as bait instead of relying on your first plan?” I demanded, refusing to let him turn me from the topic.

“They’re hunting you. It makes for easy sport,” he agreed, and I slapped him.

Magnar’s head wheeled to the side, and he breathed a laugh, turning back to me with fire dancing in the gold of his eyes.

“You can be angry with me all you like,” he replied in a level tone. “But I haven’t lied to you. We are heading where I promised, and I will help you to retrieve your family just as I swore to. If in turn you help lure out the bloodsuckers and guide them to my sword, then all the better.”

“So you’re just using me?” I sneered.

“Aren’t you using me too?” he tossed back, and fuck him because I was, and that smirk said he knew it.

“Fine. So I’m your bait and you’re my…sword dude.”

“What is a sword dude?” He frowned at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“An overly muscular asshole with an affinity for killing bloodsuckers and making it look easy.”

“It is easy,” he agreed, making my blood flare.

“You’re infuriating.”

“And you talk too much,” he replied.

“Perhaps I’ll stop talking altogether,” I bit back.

“Good.”

A noise escaped me which was an honest-to-shit growl, and he just fucking laughed.

“Maybe you’d feel better if you hit me again,” Magnar taunted.

This time, I punched him.

“Motherfucker,” I cursed, pain flaring through my knuckles as they connected with the solid curve of his jaw.

He ignored my cursing and my attack on him, tugging my hair tight in his fist and pressing his free hand to my spine to remove any lingering distance between us.

When his mouth claimed mine, a fire lit beneath my skin. My nails dug in deeper, drawing blood on his chest, my anger blazing into something far more dangerous as I parted for him, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, claiming it for his own and making me moan.

I wrapped my other arm around his neck, pulling him closer still, not sure if I wanted to kill him or kiss him but getting lost in the feeling of his lips against mine before I could decide.

That kiss was the first truly honest thing that had passed between us. No ulterior motives, no half-truths, no miscommunication. This was something both of us wanted without needing to spell it out. No matter how much bitterness, anger, or resentment there may have been hanging between us over his use of me or my rejection of his bloodline, this was real.

He rolled his hips beneath me, the thick ridge of his cock pressing into me through our clothes. I gave up on any pretence of rejecting this, any hesitation I had left melted at the feeling of his mouth against mine, his powerful body beneath me, giving in to him completely and letting the last of my resolve disappear.

Magnar’s fist knotted in my hair, tightening to the point of pain as he pulled my head back and ran his mouth down my neck, arching my spine precisely how he wanted me.

My skin burned for him, and I moaned as I let any remaining walls between us come crashing down. My own hands ran down his chest, feeling the firm lines of his muscles beneath my palms, exploring the scars and the ink which I’d lusted over more than I cared to admit. I couldn’t get enough of touching him; the feeling of his body against mine this intoxicating rush which I couldn’t deny any longer.

Magnar’s teeth raked against my throat, his stubble grazing the soft skin in a way that had me moaning before he bit down just hard enough to hurt, the jolt of pain racing straight down between my thighs. I rocked my hips against him, feeling the sinfully thick length of him against my core, my panties soaking at the thought of him filling me.

He fisted my shirt, twisting it in his grasp until the fabric tore, pulling a gasp from my lips as he tugged it off of me and revealed my bra.

His mouth dropped lower, and I lost myself in the feeling of his lips against my skin, the kisses interspersed with bites which verged on just the right side of pain. I tangled my fingers in his long hair, pushing him towards my aching nipple and moaning as he tugged the fabric of my bra down, sucking it into his mouth.

This was a mistake. A beautiful, fucked-up mistake which I wanted to keep making over and over again.

Magnar lifted me easily, pushing me down onto the floor beside the fire, his weight dropping over me instantly, his attention going to my other breast.

“I fucking hate you,” I panted, my thighs locking around his hips, my clit grinding against the hard length of his cock.

“Say it again, maybe I’ll believe you next time,” Magnar taunted, his hand finding my fly and opening it with ease.

“I fucking-” I cut off with a moan as he pushed two thick fingers straight inside me, the heel of his hand rolling over my clit in a way that stole the breath from my damn lungs.

I arched against the cold ground, my nails biting into his scalp as I tugged him closer, needing his mouth on my nipple again.

Magnar fucking laughed against my skin as he complied, pleasure tumbling through me as he bit down on my nipple and thrust his fingers in deep at once.

The noise which escaped me wasn’t one I’d ever made before. I’d fucked men in the Realm for an escape from my mundane reality, but it had always been a hurried, desperate collision of need, our clothes never fully leaving our bodies, the experience fast and to the point. Magnar was toying with me, teasing my flesh, and making me burn.

“Get on with it,” I growled, my body writhing beneath him, the need in me building beyond the point that I could take.

He rose his head, meeting my eyes as he pushed his fingers in deeper, rode my clit harder.

“Is that what you’re used to in your Realm, drakaina hjarta? A quick fuck to take the edge off that lasts a matter of minutes?”

“What else is there?” I hissed, the words faltering as he pushed his fingers in deeper still, my pussy pulsing around them, something building in me which I couldn’t take any more of.

Magnar studied me for another moment and then laughed, his free hand leaving my fingers and curling around my throat instead.

“Oh, drakaina hjarta, I am going to enjoy educating you.”

I frowned at him, but whatever I’d been going to say was lost as he drove his fingers into me again, deeper, faster, his grip tightening on my throat just enough to make a thrill dance through my veins.

I was utterly at his mercy, his powerful body dominating mine, his muscles flexing as he kept up that blissful movement between my thighs, tightening that knot inside me until I was melting beneath him, panting and cursing, unsure what I even wanted anymore until-

The pleasure that exploded through my body was unlike anything I’d ever felt before and yet somehow precisely what I’d been aching for at the same time. I cried out, my nails digging into his skin, spine arching beneath him, body blazing with a heat that was so exquisite my toes curled and my breath stalled in my lungs.

Magnar took my mouth with his, the smugness of his smile biting into my lips as he claimed them, the pleasure in my body so intense that I couldn’t even summon the energy to be angry at him for it.

I had never felt anything like that before. And I needed more of it.

“By the gods, you’re so wet for me,” Magnar growled against my mouth, his hand still massaging the slickness between my thighs even though my legs felt like they’d turned to jelly.

He shifted back, kneeling over me as he tugged my pants down and I just lay there beneath him, staring up at the perfection of his body, letting him reveal every inch of my flesh.

“I don’t care much for the modern clothing you wear in general,” he said as he unlaced my boot and tossed it aside. “But the undergarments are…” he trailed off, drinking in the sight of me in my bra and panties while removing my other boot so that he could drag my jeans off too.

I bit my lip. Watching the heat in his golden eyes as he looked at me, fighting the urge to hide from that intensity. I’d never been so bare before any man, never had the time to even consider it. It wasn’t like there was privacy to be had in my apartment or anyone else’s. I’d stolen moments in alleys and half destroyed buildings in the ruins. Never anything like this.

Magnar moved his hands to the sides of my panties and dragged them down my thighs with such aching slowness that my body trembled from the anticipation he was building. I took his lead and stripped out of my bra, revealing all of myself to him, finding a rush of freedom in the act as the need in his expression deepened.

Magnar pushed my thighs apart, baring my pussy to him as he leaned down over me, his gaze intent and fixed between my legs.

“What are you doing?” I panted, my heart racing as he closed in on my core, his cock rigid in his pants, his body a coil of tension which he was clearly fighting to restrain.

“Educating you like I said, drakaina hjarta. And looking forward to hearing that sound from you again.”

“But what-”

He dropped lower and spat on my clit, the strike of his saliva against it sending a bolt of shock and wicked pleasure straight through me and causing a moan to spill from my lips, his blazing eyes snapping to mine and holding there.

“Watch me,” he commanded and for once, I had no objection to make against his bossy tone, simply nodding like a good, obedient girl and watching as he dropped his mouth to my core.

This was…hell I had no idea what it was or why he was doing it, but the moment his lips met with my pussy I couldn’t find it in me to care anymore.

The noise that escaped me was pure carnal bliss, my thighs instantly locking around his head, muscles tensing, fingers biting into the hard floor either side of me.

“More,” I gasped, his tongue lapping, caressing my clit and building that tension inside my body all over again.

His gaze remained locked with mine and I found myself unable to look away, captivated by the sight of him between my thighs, his broad shoulders tight with tension, his dark, part-braided hair soft against my skin.

This man was ruination given flesh, he was the devil built for sinning, an unholy creature created from all the darkest desires I’d never known I had, and everything about him drove me to desperate, furious insanity. But I couldn’t find it in me to care about any of that as he devoured me like a starving man, and I lost all sense of who I was or what I was or where I was…

I clenched my thighs as oblivion rose in me once more, and Magnar took hold of my ankles, pushing them over his shoulders, giving himself more room to do whatever godly thing he was doing with his tongue.

I did as he’d told me and kept watching him, the sight of his mouth on my pussy the filthiest, most intoxicating thing I’d ever seen. He had that look in his eyes again, that cocky arrogance which wound me up so tightly, but this time, he was offering the key to unlocking that tension, and I was giving in to it, desperate for it, pleading for it with every moan and curse that spilled from my lips.

He dropped one of his hands to his waistband, loosing the ties which secured his pants and unsheathing the huge length of his cock.

I bit my lip as I stared at it, wanting to feel the fullness of it inside me, aching for it in a way I never had for any of my previous lovers.

“Don’t finish inside me,” I gasped between moans, some lucid part of me knowing I had to protect myself against the consequences this act could bring.

“Don’t worry, drakaina hjarta,” Magnar growled against my core, vibrations rolling through me with his words and driving me closer to release. “You aren’t ready for me to fuck you yet. I’m going to go easy on you this time.”

Questions. So many questions sprung to my lips at his words but none of them made it free of my tongue because he chose that moment to thrust his fingers deep into my pussy once more, the combination of his hand and tongue making me cry out as I came for him like my body was utterly his to command.

The orgasm consumed me. I hadn’t even realised what it was I’d been aching for when I’d been fucked before, but it was this perfect oblivion, this complete destruction. Magnar didn’t slow his assault on my flesh, his other hand fisting his massive cock and gliding up and down it while he worked on me, taking his own pleasure too.

My heels drove into the ink which decorated his broad back, my fingers tangling in his dark hair as I rolled my hips against the movement of his mouth, fucking his face, his hand, everything but that perfect cock which I couldn’t stop staring at.

I was on the verge of begging him for it, only the smallest thread of self-control keeping the words inside my mouth while he continued to punish me with pleasure. I could see it in his eyes, every harsh word, every curse, every bit of anger he held over the situation he’d found himself in after waking hundreds of years too late to fulfil his destiny. He was taking it out on me, and I was his willing victim, receiving all he would offer with stars flickering across my vision.

It was too much. My body couldn’t process the level of pleasure he was offering me, my breathing rushed and shallow, my nipples tight and aching, my pussy slick and throbbing. I’d never felt so turned on, never needed sex like I needed it now, and I knew he wasn’t going to give it to me. He was going to wait until I begged him for it, my pride the only thing standing between me and that perfect cock.

I came again so suddenly that darkness flashed across my vision, my spine arching against the cold floor, pussy thrusting so hard against his face that he was buried in it as my thighs clamped shut around him.

I lost sight of his eyes but could still feel them on me, devouring me even more devoutly than his tongue had.

He reared over me, pushing my thighs apart so that he could kneel between them, letting me watch as he fisted his cock, pumping it over the sight of me, the look of feral need on his face making me whimper with the desire for him to just drive it into me and take what he needed from my body.

I reached for him, wanting to feel him, and he let me take his cock in my hand, my thumb gliding through the precum which lined his tip as his fingers tangled with mine and he guided my movements.

I bit my lip as I watched him, his eyes darkening as he looked down at me, his hips pumping into our joined hands until he came with a growl, marking my flesh with his cum, a contented noise escaping me as I felt it splash hotly against my nipples.

Magnar leaned down to kiss me, his tongue sinking deep into my mouth, stealing the last of my breath as I wound my arms around his neck and drew him closer. His hand roamed over my breast, smearing cum across my nipple before shifting lower, seeking out my clit once more.

I was wound so tight, the feeling of his slick fingers massaging his cum against my core had me coming again within moments, our kiss deepening as he stole the last of my strength from me, and I let myself drown in the feeling of his mouth against mine.

I was lost in chaos and bliss, and I never wanted to resurface and face the punishing world beyond our bubble of stolen sin.