Chapter 11

11

N icola couldn't sleep. Her mind was turning over everything Thor had told her, and she was worried about him being outside his territory where Kaleb could attack him. Kaleb would be stupid to try, but confidence in his own abilities wasn't something that he lacked.

Nicola couldn't stop thinking about the moment with Thor's hands on her in the hall either. He had barely touched her, and she had been more aroused than she could remember. She wasn't a virgin, but usually, her hookups were with humans because all the wolves knew that Kaleb had wanted her for years and didn't want to deal with the psycho.

I'm going to get my taste of you before dawn . Thor's words came back to her, sending a shiver through her.

Nicola had heard the stories of how intense a mating bond could be, but she had no idea. She didn't care if he was a vampire or a warg. She wanted to throw all caution to the wind and climb up into his arms. She had been so stressed with the death of her father and gathering the damming evidence on Kaleb that all she felt was relief that she didn't have to shoulder the burden alone anymore. If she hadn't been at her wit's end, there would have been no way that she would have walked into the trap the night of the party.

There was a rustle at the door, and Nicola sat up, "Thor?"

"Sorry to disappoint, princess," Astrid said, her eyes gleaming gold in the darkness. "Our perimeter wards were just tripped. Get your ass up. I think Kaleb finally grew some balls. Can you fight at all?"

Nicola pulled on her jeans and shirt. "I was an alpha's daughter. Of course I can fight. And before you say it, I was jumped the night of the party and drugged—that's why I couldn't stop them from taking me."

"Good to know you aren't useless," Astrid replied and offered Nicola a pair of small axes. "Can you use these without hurting yourself?"

"I'll be fine," Nicola said and took them. She tested the weight and gave them an experimental swing. "These will be great."

Astrid opened up the window. "Good. Out you get. We are sneaking you out before they come looking."

"We aren't staying to fight?"

"Thor would literally tear me apart if I let anything happen to his mate. You are the first mate the wargs have ever had. Did he tell you that? You are a hope for all of us, and you're not going to die or be taken on my watch," Astrid said and jumped out into the snow.

Nicola pushed down her surprise and went out after Astrid. Her wolf was on high alert as they crouched low and headed into the trees.

"There are only three of us, against how many? Is Thor back yet?" she whispered.

Astrid shook her head. "He's not returned, but I messaged him as soon as the wards were tripped." She smiled wide and crazy. "Don't worry. We have had much worse odds than ten wolves against three of us. It's kind of insulting he didn't send more. Try not to piss yourself if I warg out."

Nicola gripped her axes and grinned back. Maybe Thor was right, and they were all nuts. "I won't. I hope Alex and Matthew have come back. I owe them for how they treated me."

"Hold onto that hate, and don't put yourself at unnecessary risk," Astrid said without turning around.

Nicola caught a scent of wet fur before they were surrounded. Her feet slid into a fighting stance, and she lifted her axes.

"Ah, looks like I'm going to eat well tonight after all," Astrid said and shifted.

Nicola suddenly knew why Astrid had told her not to piss herself. She was seven feet tall with the head of a wolf. Light brown fur covered her chest and back; her hands and feet were tipped with claws, and a tail had grown from above her ass. Her muzzle was filled with wolf teeth except for long vampire incisors. Her voice growled out, "Come on, you mutts, fight me if you dare."

The wolves got over their surprise and leaped at her. Astrid swatted them aside with a roar. Nicola dodged a large black wolf and struck out with her blades while Astrid threw the big bodies around like toys. The roar of a bear made the trees shake.

"Go to Bjorn, Nicola! I will deal with these pups," Astrid called in her husky voice. Nicola knew she needed speed, so she dropped the axes and shifted into her wolf form. The world lit up, and her nose exploded with new scents.

She could smell Bjorn, and she bolted between the snapping wolves that were coming out of the trees. Nicola didn't look back, but she saw a big russet wolf pacing her through the trees in the corner of her eyes, looking for an opportunity to cut her off. Matthew .

She zig-zagged when he lunged for her, snapping at her legs to try and stop her. She kept running. If she didn't find Bjorn, she would head for the Blood Lord council chambers. If she didn't find Thor, at least crossing into vampire territory might dissuade the wolves from following her.

Nicola dashed around the hall and towards the border of Thor's territory. She heard Bjorn fighting and growling, but she didn't spot him. Her wolf side scented blood and then a deep whiff of hot male, pine and cloudberry. My mate .

Nicola sent up a howl to let Thor know she was coming. She crossed into the trees and found him surrounded in a birch glade. She charged into the first wolf, attacking them from behind. The wolves scattered in surprise but recovered, and Nicola was lost in a fight of fang and claw. Bjorn charged through the trees and bellowed, his warg form closer to eight feet and smeared in wolf blood.

Matthew leaped onto Thor's back, clawing and snapping, trying to throw him off balance. No .

Nicola's rage made her vision blur. That bastard had laughed as she was beaten for months. She could feel the imprint of his fists in her ribs. She would not let him take her mate from her.

Matthew was too focused on Thor to notice her barrelling through the fray towards them.

Thor roared and tossed Matthew over his shoulder and into the air, right into Nicola's path. She leaped, her sharp teeth finding their mark and tearing Matthew's throat out. The wolf was dead before he hit the ground.

Nicola shifted back into her human form, blood dripping down her chin, and got between Thor and the other wolves.

"Who is next? Which one of you cowardly fucks wants to try and harm my mate?" she screamed at them.

Bjorn and Astrid came into the clearing, splattered with gore, and the wolves turned tail and ran.

"Make sure they leave," Thor said, and Bjorn and Astrid took off after them.

Nicola was breathing heavily, the adrenaline of the fight and the rage still riding her. She whirled toward her mate. "Are you hurt?" she demanded.

Thor was in his human form, and there were bites and scratches on him. His eyes roamed over her, checking her for injury. Nicola's clothes were in tatters, and she was flashing her tits, but she couldn't have cared less.

"You protected me, my fierce little mate," he growled, voice husky.

"You were doing well enough on your own," she said, still breathless. "You gave me that kill."

"You needed it more than me." Thor's expression heated. "I want my taste, little wolf."

"Then come and get it," Nicola snapped.

Thor had her up in his arms in a blink, his hot mouth on hers. It was still smeared in Matthew's blood, and Thor licked it straight off her chin. Nicola's tongue thrust against his, hungry for more of him.

"Fuck, you taste so sweet, like blackberries and honey and the blood of our enemies," Thor murmured against her. His big hands squeezed her ass, pulling her up against the bulge in his jeans, making her gasp and then grind against him. "I wonder if you taste sweet everywhere."

"Only one way to find out," she said, kissing him again.

Thor laughed in triumph and slung her over his shoulder. Nicola yelped and then started to laugh.

"They left, Thor," Bjorn's voice boomed from somewhere to their left. "Ah… I can see you are busy. We'll take care of the bodies. Don't worry about it."

"Good. My mate and I need to have a discussion about her jumping between me and my enemies in the middle of a fight," Thor said.

"I wasn't going to let them hurt you," she snarled and then yelped as his hand came down on her ass. "Don't you spank me for defending you!" She smacked his ass in return.

Bjorn laughed. "She really is your mate, my jarl. "

Thor growled out something in a language Nicola didn't know, and he was striding through the snow toward the hall.

"Put me down!" she protested, which earned her another smack on the ass that had her pussy clenching.

Thor carried her back to his chambers and tossed her onto the bed. "Now, my mate, I will get my real taste."