Chapter 31 - Freya

Chapter 31

Freya

The next day, I went outside to practice fighting with Flint. His eyes lit up when he saw the new Bonded mark beside the other one beneath my collarbone, but his eyebrows drew down when he found no new mark on my neck.

"It didn't work?" he asked, his voice disappointed.

I grabbed his hands and smiled. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Flint showed not even a hint of jealousy that he hadn't been my second Bonded. Dryden had made it sound like the order mattered to some witches, like Trella. I couldn't really compare the two, but I didn't see how my bond with any of the guys would be any different because of the order.

To prove all had gone according to plan, I lifted up my shirt, flashing Flint.

"Heath," Flint groaned and shook his head. "The mark is forever, and he chose there?"

I laughed. This was the perfect opportunity to prove to Flint that I didn't intend to leave him behind. "Where will you bite me?"

He grabbed me, pulling me tight against him. His arousal grew hard between us, and his eyes went dark as night. His fingertips brushed over Gage's bite mark on my right shoulder, making me shiver with pleasure.

Then he brushed my hair back from my left side, and kissed the juncture between my throat and my shoulder. "You would look so pretty with a necklace of bite marks, love."

The heat of his breath on the spot he would one day mark stole my voice for a moment, but I forced the question out.

"You're not… disappointed that I chose Heath—"

"I know you choose me, too, moonbeam. I'll wait for the right moment, for as long as you need me to. When it's time, I want to make it special."

Flint leaned down and captured my lips, sealing his words like a promise. His kiss reminded me of how perfectly he and I fit together. Our tongues danced together, neither of us taking the lead. But he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against him like he would never let me go. The knowledge of how much I loved this man left me breathless.

He'd always been my champion, forever on my side. He cared about me more than I felt I deserved, and he accepted me, flaws and all. I couldn't wait to be bonded to him. Heat flooded my body as desire overwhelmed all my senses. My hands clawed at his back, and Flint pulled away with a laugh.

"I wasn't trying to convince you we should go for it now, " he grinned. Then he sobered, running his hand through my hair. "We don't want to make Heath feel we've cheapened his mark."

I panted, trying to catch my breath. "If we haven't bitten each other before the heat, I want you to bite me then."

Flint shook his head with a smirk. "And risk that you won't remember it? No chance." His fingers teased that spot on my neck again, the blank space on the canvas of my body that he intended to claim. "When I mark you, it's going to be memorable, and we're going to have an equal mating."

I grinned at my alpha's cockiness. "How will you know the right moment?"

His smile brightened my day. "Our wolf spirits will guide us."

I sensed my inner wolf's contentedness. Right alongside her, I could feel the mate bond like a tunnel from her inner home to Heath. He was preoccupied, probably busy with something, maybe to do with the runes, like he'd promised.

I reluctantly began stretching. "Shall we?"

Flint and I practiced, and I appreciated his praise. He reminded me that I had come a long way in my fighting skills.

After lunch and a shower, Heath took my hand and led me out to the truck. Through the mate bond, I could sense his anticipation. "Ready to find out about these runes?"

"Definitely."

Heath drove outside the small town, but still within Elder Forest packlands. As we drove, I silently felt out the edges of my mate bond with Heath, noticing how different it was from what I felt with Gage. I could sense every small change in his emotions if I paid attention. It was a little unsettling, to be honest, except for the fact that Heath radiated happiness. On the outside, his expression remained pleasant and calm, but on the inside… he was bursting with contentedness.

I reached over and laid my hand on his thigh. He turned it over and laced our fingers together.

"I never really stopped to imagine what the mate bond would feel like," Heath admitted, smiling over at me before returning his eyes to the road.

I wondered what it would be like once I was joined this way with the others. Would it be overwhelming? A confusing mishmash of emotions? Maybe Gage had some insight since the pack bond probably felt similar.

The next town over was much larger, situated on the rocky hillside. In addition to houses, I also spotted a few high-rise apartments. Heath drove right into the center of it all to park in front of a library.

Inside, welcoming signs laid out guidelines for finding and returning books. Then we stepped into the library proper, and I stared in awe. I'd never seen such a huge collection of books. Every row carried a different sign labeling what types of books could be found there. I felt like I could spend days here, getting lost and finding amazing new knowledge.

But at the center of the room was a circular pit with a circular desk or countertop. As soon as the curvy woman at the center of the circle spotted us, her eyebrows shot up. Raising a section of the circular countertop, she exited the circle to come join us.

The beta wolf shifter stood shorter than me, with chin-length golden hair and bright blue eyes. I was instantly envious of her clear skin and flawless nails. In Ironwood, I'd been too unimportant to deserve any indulgences, and ever since then, we'd been on the run and far too busy for such pampering.

"Rose, what are you doing here?" Heath asked.

I stepped closer to him without even thinking about it, instinctively lacing my fingers through his. My wolf snarled inside of me, begging for a reason to shift.

The librarian pulled up short, her eyes scanning me. Then her gaze locked on the mark on Heath's face. She nodded to herself and took one giant step back.

Inside my mind, my wolf ceased snarling, but she remained on all four paws, as if ready to pounce.

"I work here now," Rose answered, turning her wrist over to reveal a blotted out tattoo below a dark, newer tattoo of a tall, sturdy tree and the forest behind it, symbolizing the Elder Forest.

"You left Frost Fang," Heath mused. "I wondered why I hadn't seen you." Then he gestured over at me. "Rose, this is Freya. Freya, Rose used to be my Frost Fang packmate."

"Nice to meet your mate." She dipped her head to me. "Freya is a powerful name." But her eyebrows drew down in confusion when she glanced back at Heath. "I left Frost Fang when Pack Alpha Nira took over."

"A wise decision," Heath agreed. "But Gage has recently returned to reclaim his birthright. Nira is dead."

Her eyes fell to Heath's wrist, and I found myself turning mine over at the same time he did. My fresh Howling Echo tattoo of a wolf howling in the mountains looked like I'd had it for weeks or months instead of days, thanks to my new healing ability. It still stunned me to think of myself as a shifter.

"We… haven't redone our Frost Fang tattoos," Heath said.

I had a feeling we would all keep the Howling Echo ones forever, regardless of whether they had another pack tattoo alongside them.

"So Gage is the pack alpha of Frost Fang now," Rose mused. Her smile broadened. "Gage was always the bookworm, though I suppose pack alphas are much too busy for the likes of libraries. You, though, I never would have expected to see set foot inside of one."

She cut him a mischievous grin that had my hackles rising again. Something told me these two had once been more than acquaintances. However, I comforted myself with the fact that the mate bond showed me that Heath had no interest in Rose. Curiosity was the dominant emotion I felt from him at the moment, not desire or attraction.

"I'm here to find out about this rune," Heath pointed to his left cheek. "Do you have any books that might help?"

Rose's lips pursed in confusion. "You understand that you're Bonded to Freya, right?"

"Of course, but I've never seen this rune specifically."

Rose took a small step forward, which had me drawing closer to Heath.

"It's a rune called ansuz, from the Elder Futhark. Often considered to be Odin's symbol. I could spare you a long reading list by telling you more about it, if you'd like."

Heath and I exchanged a look. Through the mate bond, I pushed wariness toward him and sensed his agreement. We wouldn't tell her anything until we knew more.

"Great," I said. "What else can you tell us?"

"Come, let's sit down," Rose gestured us toward the back corner of the library, where I spotted lots of desks and chairs, including lounge chairs. "We encourage our patrons to read here if they like, but you've chosen a rather quiet day, so we can talk without disturbing anyone."

Heath guided me to a small sofa, and I cuddled up beside of him. His arms wrapped around me, and the bond showed me his affection. Rose's eyes softened when she saw us.

"Newly bonded, I take it?" she asked as she settled in across a low coffee table from us.

I nodded. "Just yesterday. The rune that appeared surprised me."

It had actually surprised me when it appeared first on Gage, but I wasn't about to tell her that I already had two Bonded.

Rose nodded. "Most witches choose their Bonded marks, but the fact that yours appeared on their own is a sign that the fates chose for you. Odin's symbol is a powerful one. If I believed in the Old Norse gods, I would say it means you speak for Odin, as it's also a rune of communication and divination. It's meant to symbolize a connection to the supreme deity as well as spiritual knowledge."

I smiled. "Forgive me… despite my name, I was kept ignorant of the myths as a child. What can you tell us about Odin?"

"Odin himself has a deep connection with magic. He discovered the alphabet and gifted humanity with poetry. Female wielders of seidhr power were highly associated with Odin in the myths. In other words, powerful women carried out his magic." She jutted her chin toward Heath. "In truth, Odin has a strong connection with both magic and wolves. After all, he was the first shapeshifter."

I remembered what Hank had told me back at the Bloody Dawn camp. "What can you tell me about the wolves in Norse mythology… Frekr and Gerr… Fenrir?"

I was beginning to suspect the myths might be more than just myths.

"There are lots of wolves in Norse mythology," Rose waved a hand. "I could give you book after book about them all. But the wolves most associated with Odin were indeed Gerr and Frekr. They were friends to humankind, teaching the first humans how to survive. Fenrir was said to be the trickster god's offspring — Loki. Fenrir was untameable, even by the gods. And Fenrir begat Hati and Skoll, the ones who will—"

"—bring about the apocalypse," I nodded.

"Exactly," she smiled at me. "Many myths sprang up about the true origins of shifters and why we seemed to disappear from history before reappearing with the sudden resurgence of the other supernatural races as well." She shrugged. "The truth is, none of us will ever know."

"But there is a connection between Odin and the first shifters?" I asked.

"It's said that Odin — in wolf form — begat human children called the Volsungs, the first wolf shifters. These Volsungs mated with wolves the world over, including Loki's descendants — Fenrir's offspring, Skoll and Hati — as well as descendants of Odin's wolves — Gerr and Frekr. Supposedly, my ancestors are descended from Loki's line."

"And the ones descended from Odin's line?" I asked.

"Well, in the earliest histories, the Ulfhednar, the Viking wolf warriors, were said to wear wolf pelts into battle and hunt in packs. We now know they were some of the first shifters, descendants of the Volsungs mating with Gerr and Frekr. The Ulfhednar were very loyal to their packs. They identified with the noble spirit of the wolf, and followed the ways of Odin."

"And now?"

"Now?" Rose chuckled as if the question was preposterous. "This is all myth. Who can separate fact from fiction? All of this took place in ancient times. When every type of shifter population skyrocketed in 1875, society refocused on those old myths. They didn't exactly refute them, but your new markings don't exactly support them, either. If you ask any of the First Nations tribes about the origin of shifters, they'll tell you something different."

That made sense, because Hank made it sound like Flint's ancestors came from a different branch on the wolf shifter family tree, as different from Heath, Gage, and Rowan's ancestors as from mine. Their origins might indeed be different.

All I knew was that I bore Odin's mark, and Hank knew me as an Odinswolf. It was all connected somehow.

"Now, can I ask you a question?" Rose asked, her eyes burning with curiosity.

As a librarian, she probably loved acquiring new knowledge, and I suddenly found myself warming to her. She hadn't come onto Heath, and even if they had a shared past, clearly they'd moved beyond it. She knew what my marks on Heath meant, and she wouldn't challenge our bond.

I tentatively nodded, uncertain of what she might ask, though I was willing to bet it was about Heath.

"My wolf senses a wolf within you, Freya. But you Bonded Heath like a witch… and I also see a proper bite mark on his throat. Are you a hybrid?"

I nodded. "Half wolf, half witch."

"Let me guess…" Rose went on. "The rune was a surprise to you because you bit Heath to claim him as your own, and the ansuz rune appeared without a Bonding ceremony."

Heath let out a breath, his worry leaking into our mate bond. He worried that by coming here, we'd given away too much.

"Why do you ask?"

"I find it fascinating," Rose answered without hesitation. "I've never met a hybrid before. Some say you're destined to turn out as abominations, unable to shift or use magic. Yet I clearly sense your wolf, and the Bond mark is proof your magic exists. You prove that the prejudice is a lie meant to keep our two kinds separate for a different reason."

Heath nodded. "There's always politics. My father seems to want to ally with witches, so clearly times are changing."

Rose nodded. "Indeed they have. Pack Alpha Gage now rules Frost Fang. I never thought I'd see the day."

A wistful expression came over her face.

Before I could think better of it, I reassured her, "I'm sure Gage would welcome you back if you ever wanted to return."

She narrowed her eyes. "New pack alphas are notoriously suspicious of outsiders, and this mark proves I'm an outsider," she gestured to her bite mark and tattoo. Then her gaze sharpened with renewed interest. "You know Gage well?"

I grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling it down to reveal my collarbone and the two runes sitting side by side. "He's my other mate… my first Bonded."

Rose gasped, but her eyes lit with… glee? "You lucky gal! You count Gage and Heath as your Bonded? I'm jealous."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me, because she was right — I was the luckiest hybrid I knew. Rose was growing on me the more I talked to her.

"I would love to get my hands on some of those books you mentioned."

"Of course. I'll get you the three most pertinent ones before you leave the library."

Heath leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "Do you know anything about the wolf shifters descended from Odin's line?"

Rose shrugged and shook her head. "Most of my knowledge about Norse mythology comes from human tales, not shifter ones." Her bright blue eyes flicked over to me with a curious assessment. "But a wolf hybrid descending from Odin's line, with magic in her blood already, might be very powerful indeed."