Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
W ulf made it to Kari just in time to catch her body as it fell. Surely she wouldn’t be taken from him so soon. Frenziedly, he pressed his finger to her throat, sighing in relief as her pulse beat strong and steady beneath his fingers. The journey from the land of the Gods had obviously been too much for her. She felt so fragile and delicate in his arms as he held her close, vowing to do everything in his power to make this transition easier for her. Of course, if would have helped if Wold had blessed him with a knowledge of her language as well but they could overcome that.
“What happened?” Lothar asked.
“I think she just fainted. This whole experience had to be a shock.”
“Which is why we should do as I suggested and travel back to the edge of the forest so we can build a fire and hunt for nourishment.” Lothar immediately resumed the argument they had been having prior to Kari’s collapse.
“As soon as we have had the wedding ceremony,” he insisted.
“How can you have a ceremony with an unconscious bride? One, I might add, who can’t understand our language.”
“It doesn’t matter. Wold sent her to me. I want the marriage consecrated here in his holy place.”
“I thought you were praying to Wold to save our people.” Egon’s deep voice entering the conversation startled both of the other men.
“I did.” He fought down a wave of guilt. He shouldn’t feel so happy when his people were still on the verge of extinction. And yet, he had ached for a bride for such a long time. “I am ashamed to admit that perhaps my personal desires were easier for Wold to hear.”
“Or perhaps she is the answer to your original prayer,” Egon continued. Both of his brothers stared at him. Egon was a man of few words and even fewer opinions. Both of them knew that he felt deeply but those thoughts were rarely expressed vocally.
“Her?” Wulf looked down at the small bundle in his arms. “What could she do? And anyway, I felt the mate bond. Dammit, Wold sent her to me.”
He fought down the rising anger and glared at his brothers. Both of them regarded him silently for a long moment and then exchanged an even longer look between them.
“Very well,” Lothar finally agreed. “I will go ahead and make camp. Egon will stay and witness your vows. But, Wulf…” He hesitated. “The marriage won’t be binding until she agrees.”
“She will agree,” he said with a certainty that he prayed was justified. “She was sent to me to be my bride.”
Together the brothers made their way back up the hill. Lothar picked up his pack and Wolf’s and headed for the treeline. Despite his brother's tendency to argue, once a decision was made, Lothar accepted it with good grace. For the second time that night, Wulf prepared to enter the Sacred Stones. Reluctantly, Egon discarded his weapons, then took up a defensive position at his left rear.
“I don’t think we need to worry about being attacked,” Wulf said mildly.
“Probably not,” Egon agreed - but he didn’t change position.
With a sigh, Wulf led the way into the rings of stone. The air inside felt even quieter than before, with an air of hushed expectancy that made him glad Egon was at his back after all. Silently, the two men trod the concentric circles until they reached the center altar. A chill swept down Wulf’s spine as he realized that all trace of his previous presence was gone. No candle stubs remained on the altar, no empty flask or overturned cup lay on the ground. He started to place Kari on the altar but changed his mind, suddenly afraid that she would be taken away from him. Instead, he knelt before it, Kari still in his arms.
“Great Father, thank you for the precious gift that you have bestowed upon me. I vow that I will take her as my wife and cherish her always. I will protect her with my life. Her happiness will be everything to me.”
A sudden rush of wind swept through the stones and just as before, the physical world fell away and he was on the endless plain. After an interminable period, Wulf felt a presence in his mind, questioning. “And if her happiness comes at the cost of your people?”
And just as before, Wulf could not lie. “Then it will still come first.”
This time he did not feel any response. The presence was gone and he was once again kneeling on the ground before the altar. Egon crouched next to him, his face impenetrable as always but oddly pale. “What happened? You...faded.”
“I don’t know.” Wulf shook his head. For a brief moment he considered telling Egon his decision but he needed time to think about it himself. He started to his feet, only to stagger as his knees gave way. Two trips to the mind of a God in one night were hard to take. Egon grabbed his elbow and held him steady.
“Let me take her.”
“No.” Wulf pulled Kari’s soft warmth closer against his chest. “This is my wedding ceremony. I’m the only one who will carry my bride.”
Egon muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like stubborn idiot, but he didn’t argue. On the trip out of the rings, his position at Wulf’s back was close enough that he would be able to catch Wulf if he should stumble and Wulf was silently grateful for the big man’s support. Under other circumstances he might have taken offense but with such a precious burden in his arms, he could put aside his pride.
When they finally emerged from the stone rings, Wulf was breathing heavily. Staring down the hill to the hint of firelight at the edge of the tree line, the distance seemed far greater than it had the previous night.
"Let me carry her," Egon suggested again. "Two prayer rituals in one night are enough to drain anyone."
Every instinct Wulf had protested the thought of Kari in another man's arms but he trusted Egon completely. Giving in to the lingering weakness he could feel coursing through him, he reluctantly transferred her to Egon. She looked even smaller cradled against Egon's broad chest and he felt the Curse start to rise. A low rumble sounded in his chest and he felt his vision sharpening to battle acuity.
"Easy, brother. I mean no harm to your bride." Egon remained perfectly still as he spoke.
Bride. The reminder calmed him and Wulf was able to force his breathing into the deep slow intake designed to establish the control of man over beast. Egon watched him cautiously, his breathing equally slow and shallow. At Wulf's nod, he turned and began walking down the hill. Knowing that he was over-reacting, Wulf still found himself only inches away from the larger man. The grumble in his chest started again but he let the sound continue once he realized that he was in no danger of losing control. Unable to resist, he edged even closer until one hand could stroke the damp strands of Kari's hair as they flowed over Egon's arm. The contact, minimal though it was, soothed him.
As they reached the small camp Lothar had created, Kari shifted slightly and moaned under her breath. With a snarl, Wulf snatched her from Egon's arms and backed away from the other two men.
"I thought weddings were supposed to ease the mating tension." Lothar spoke casually but he kept a watchful eye on Wulf.
"This wasn't a traditional ceremony," Egon said with a flash of the dry humor he rarely allowed to surface. He nodded to the bed roll that Lothar had laid out to one side of the fire. "It's been a long night, Wulf. Take your bride and rest. We will keep watch."
The rational part of his brain knew that he must be acting oddly for Egon to feel the need to reassure him; however, the irrational part of his brain was completely focused on the soft, warm woman in his arms and the need to protect her. Realizing that he was nearing his limits, he moved cautiously to the pallet and laid down. He curled his body tightly around Kari's, watching his brothers warily as they stood unmoving on the other side of the fire. She felt so good in his arms, so right. Burying his nose in the sweet scent of her hair, his body finally relaxed. As the tension left him, exhaustion settled in. Unable to fight it any longer, he put his trust in his brothers and drifted off to sleep.
A soft sound woke him some time later, and as consciousness fully returned, he realized the noise came from Kari, her small form trembling against him. Each quiet sobs twisted like a knife in his gut as guilt swept over him. He'd prayed for salvation, and the Old Gods had answered. But at what cost? His fragile human bride now wept in his arms.
He tightened his arms around heri, desperate to offer some form of comfort, and gentled stroked her back. She stiffened at his touch and for a moment he feared she'd pull away. Instead, she buried her face against his chest, her tears soaking through his tunic. Her small fingers clutched at the fabric as if it were a lifeline.
Egon was sitting next to the dying embers of their campfire, a massive silhouette against the night as he kept watch. Their eyes met and he saw a reflection of his own sorrow and guilt in his brother's eyes but there was no condemnation on his face. Egon raised a brow, silently offering his assistance, but Wulf shook his head. His brother nodded and looked down into the fire, giving them the small amount of privacy possible in the tiny camp.
Kari's sobs gradually subsided, her breathing evening out as exhaustion claimed her. Still, he held her close, his hand tracing a soothing path down her back. He wished he could talk to her, to speak words of comfort, to explain, to apologize. But the language barrier stood between them and all he could offer was his presence.
She eventually slipped into a fitful sleep but he remained awake for much longer. There had to be a way to make this right, to ease her fear and sorrow. He was still trying to come up with an answer when he finally joined her in sleep.