Chapter Eighteen Thor

"S o, what does this one mean?" Flynn asked, pointing to one of the tattoos on my chest.

We'd been lying in bed for some time, just wrapped in one another's arms. We got a few rounds into the night before we had to take a break. Still, we'd managed to sneak in a couple more sessions before dawn. But now we were just lying there, his head nestled against my shoulder as he ran his fingers over my chest.

"That one is Fenrir," I replied with a smile. "He's the wolf that killed Odin during Ragnarok according to Norse mythology."

"And what about these two smaller wolves?"

"That's Skoll and Hati, the wolves that chase the sun and the moon across the sky." I pointed to the circle between them that had both sunrays and a crescent moon combined.

"They have the same names as the packs…"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm not sure what it is about our family, but we're obsessed with Norse mythology. Probably because we're descendants of Nords themselves."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Most people think werewolves were just monsters in Norse mythology. But we tell the story differently."

"What's the story?" Flynn asked, sitting up on one elbow.

"My family believes that Fenrir himself blessed our people with the power of strength and healing in a time when war was prevalent, and every Nord man had to be a warrior. My father said that one of our ancestors went to beg for the power to defend his people and Fenrir granted his wish. The man drank from the stream flowing from Fenrir's mouth and was reborn a greater warrior than any had ever seen. Not only that, but he could take on the shape of Fenrir himself. He passed on those gifts to his children and every generation since has honored his bravery by naming their children after Norse gods."

"What was your father's name?"

"You're not going to believe this… but it was Odin III."

Flynn grinned at that. "You're kidding me…"

"Not at all. His father was Odin too. And his grandfather. Apparently, there was a long tradition of naming the first son Odin in the hopes that he would become a great leader. My father, however, broke that tradition when he named me and my brothers. I guess my mother wasn't very fond of the idea."

"I don't blame her."

I nodded. "I'm glad she talked him out of it. I could never live up to the man my father was… so I'm happy to be my own person."

Flynn gave me a sort of pitiful look but didn't say anything. What could he say? It wasn't like words could bring my father back.

"And you said Baldr's mother was a witch?" He cocked his head to the side. "I'm assuming he's just your half-brother?"

"That's right."

"And Loki?"

"He's my full brother." I let out a long sigh. "I think he looks down on Baldr a bit because his lineage isn't fully wolf. But Baldr is strong in mind, body, and magic. If I were to fear angering anyone in my family, it would be Baldr." I paused for a moment, giving Flynn a serious look. "His power is much greater than he realizes, I think. But he has yet to use it thankfully." I shook my head. "I hope he never has to be in a situation where he has to. That's my job. To keep them all safe from that kind of danger."

"That sounds like a lot to carry on your shoulders alone."

I nodded. "They're depending on me. With my father gone so early, there's no one else to lead. I'm the only one that has had any training and I'm the eldest. It's my duty." I turned my gaze away, unable to look at him as I said, "That's why I have to sacrifice my wants. The pack is more important than my yearnings."

"Who says you can't have both?" Flynn grabbed my cheek, forcing me to look at him. "They expect you to have a mate and produce an heir anyway, don't they? So why can't you be happy too?"

"You and I could not produce an heir," I replied. "No matter how many times I bred you, men cannot get pregnant."

"Honestly, I'm happy for that," Flynn grinned. "But you could always take a surrogate or something, right?"

"It's possible. Wolves aren't prejudiced against same-sex couples. But they are unwilling to accept a human into the pack. In fact, it's probably the most forbidden rule we have besides killing another wolf. Even the Skoll pack agrees with us on that."

"But you don't agree," Flynn said, lifting an eyebrow. "Do you?"

"I… I did . Until I met you."

"You trust I won't go blab your secret to everyone in the world to make a quick buck?"

I shook my head. "You wouldn't do that to me. We may not be bonded yet, but I can tell you're being truthful."

"So why can't the others learn to accept that too?"

What he was saying made sense. It really did. But he was asking a lot more than he thought. Just because I trusted him didn't mean anyone else would give him the time of day.

"You're asking me to convince a pack of wolves that thousands of years of tradition is wrong ," I said. "Asking them to do that is like asking them to change our culture on a dime. It… It 's nearly impossible."

"But you already live with humans all the time…"

"We run a business so we can fit into the modern world," I corrected. "And humans have the money we need. The Skoll pack won't even interact with humans. They've holed themselves up on the eastern mountain, cut off from everyone where they live off the land." I let out another sigh. "Most packs are more inclined to be like them than like us."

Flynn searched for a moment, looking between my eyes as the gears in his head turned. But, after a long moment, he just sighed and gave me a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not trying to force your hand… it's just… well, I don't want to leave you behind. Every moment we spend talking makes me feel closer to you. Last night I thought you were just some fling that dumped me. But now… well now I'm growing pretty fond of you, and I don't want to go."

I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him tight against my chest so that his face rested against my neck. "I really like you too. Probably more than I should after so little time together. But the mate bond does that. Wolves aren't supposed to resist it and it seems neither is anybody else. It's trying to keep us together, forever."

"Doesn't that sound amazing?" Flynn dreamed. "A lifetime of mornings like this, together in each other's arms?" He squeezed me tight, kissing my neck. "What a wonderful life that would be."

"Yeah," I grinned, a tinge of sadness in my voice. "It really would be."

I leaned down to kiss him once more when I heard the sudden whir of the electric lock on the door to the suite. Neither Flynn nor I had ordered any room service, and it was far too early for the cleaning crew to be going through the rooms. I sat up at once, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as I stared through the open bedroom door to the room door on the other end of the suite.

As soon as the lock stopped moving, the door handle turned, and the door was thrown wide, crashing into the wall behind it. And there, standing in the threshold was both Loki and Baldr.

Loki's jaw dropped as he saw me lying naked next to Flynn. Baldr, on the other hand, didn't feign surprise. Instead, his eyebrows were knit together in an expression that said I'm sorry . The moment they laid eyes on me, I knew all hell was going to break loose. So instead of trying to deny it, I got up from the bed and walked to the bedroom door.

"You will sit down, and you will wait," I commanded, my eyes glowing gold as the wolf took over for a moment.

"What the fuck–"

"LOKI!" I roared. "Sit the fuck down!"

With a small nudge from Baldr, Loki was pushed into the room. The front door closed behind them and while Baldr took a seat, Loki began to pace, his eyes full of rage and panic.

"Give me just one minute," I said and closed the bedroom door.

My macho Alpha facade faded the moment I turned around and looked at Flynn.

"Oh my god…" he muttered. "What… What do we do now?"

I reached up, rubbing my face with both my hands. "I… I don't know," I replied honestly. "But they know now. Baldr already knew, but Loki will know if I'm lying. So, I guess we're going to tell them the truth," I sighed. "I have no other choice."

"Do… Do you want me to stay in here?" Flynn asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

I considered it for a moment. If Loki went off the handle, there would be no stopping him. A door was little more than a tiny hurdle in the face of an Alpha werewolf. He might not be as muscled as me, but he was still strong as fuck.

"No," I said at last. "Come out with me. I want to keep you close in case Loki tries anything. Baldr won't hurt you, but Loki? Well, I'd rather have you near so I can keep you safe."

He nodded, putting on a strong face. "Okay. Let me grab my clothes."

"Me too," I nodded. "This is going to be a long talk."

Flynn stood, but paused as he looked over at me. "You know what? This sounds really stupid and selfish but… I don't know… it seems like the universe is giving us a chance ."

"You might be right. Fate destined you and I to meet." I shrugged. "Maybe it's trying to keep us together."

"Yeah," he smiled. "Maybe."