Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (355 page)

“Don’t just stand there watching them,” Cora said, coming to stand beside me. She fanned her face. “Go dance.”

I yanked my hand from Torin’s and turned to face her. “I don’t mind.”

“Really? What’s the game about?” she challenged and cocked her brow.

I stared blankly at her. “I don’t know, but Eirik seems to enjoy it and I don’t want to pull him away.”

“You don’t have to dance with him.” She grabbed Torin’s arm. “Dance with Torin.”

Cora could be so bossy sometimes. I glanced at Torin and found him trying hard not to laugh. Once again, they were ganging up on me without knowing it. I wanted to go with him. Eirik was into the video game and wouldn’t miss me. Besides, it was just a dance. No need to feel guilty.

I led the way to the living room. As though on cue, the music changed to a slow tune. The dancers on the floor went with the flow. I hesitated. Torin didn’t give me a chance to escape. He took my hands and placed them on his shoulders.

“Did you change the music?” I asked.

“What do you think?” He flashed a wicked grin, looped his arm around my waist, and pulled me closer.

If it were possible to melt, I’d be a pool of goo on the floor. Time lost meaning. Wrong and right ceased to matter. The twig of guilt at leaving Eirik disappeared. We moved even closer, my check resting on Torin’s chest.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice husky.

I didn’t say yes, but neither did I say no. The music was still playing when he maneuvered us to the side door leading to the garage, opened it, and closed the door behind us. The lights turned on automatically. I looked around. His Harley looked majestic in the middle of the garage.

“Alone at last,” he said.

“What are we doing in here?” I asked, walking toward his bike.

“Escaping the noise. Techno music is just not my thing.”

I laughed and glanced his way. He watched me with a naughty gleam in his eyes. I swallowed, trying to focus on our conversation. “Then why play it.”

“This generation seems to enjoy it, and faking interest in the same music creates trust.” He followed me, his gait slow like a predator stalking its prey.

“So, it is important to gain our trust?”

He shrugged. “Not really, but it makes my work easier.”

“You still won’t tell me why you need to recruit athletes?”

A pained expression crossed his handsome face. “I can’t.”

Andris had hinted Jess and her friends weren’t on his list. “Do you have a list of recruits?”

He laughed. “No.”

“Will I be on yours?”

A look of utter horror crossed his face. “No way.”

His reaction hurt. “Why not? Am I not good enough?”

He shook his head, a lock of hair falling over his forehead. He pushed it back, and I could tell he hated discussing his work. “That’s not it.”

“Maybe I’m on Andris’ list.”

“He wouldn’t dare without telling me,” Torin ground out.

Silence followed. I might not know why they were after the swim team, but his attitude sucked. “I should go back inside,” I said weakly, though I didn’t make a move to leave. “Eirik’s probably looking for me.”

“Don’t go,” he said softly, walking around the Harley. He stood behind me, bringing his intoxicating warmth. “I didn’t bring you in here to talk about my work.”

“Why then?”

“I wanted us to be alone.”

I released a shaky breath. “I saw you earlier.”

“It wasn’t enough. Call me greedy, but I need more.” He ran his knuckles up and down my arm. I shivered. His hands rested on my hips. Then he lowered his head and pressed his face into my hair. “I didn’t expect you when I came here, Freckles. This was supposed to be a routine job, yet now it’s much more.”

I leaned against him, wanting to ease the pain in his voice even though I didn’t know how. “But I’m with Eirik.”

“He’s not right for you.” His voice was low, intense.

“I’ve known him all my life. He understands me.”

“Does he make you tremble with a touch?” He ran the tips of his fingers up my bare arm, his touch feather light, yet it lit a fire inside me. I closed my eyes, my entire body trembling. He lifted hair from my neck, lowered his head, and pressed a kiss on my exposed neck. Warmth pulsed through me. “Is he the first person you think about when you wake up in the morning and the last one you think about before you fall asleep?”

Torin was the one I thought about every night and every morning. I opened my mouth to tell him he was the one. That he was all I’d ever wanted in a guy, but I couldn’t speak.

“Do you know what I want to do to him every time I see him touch you? Every time he kisses you? I want to rip his head off.” He turned me around and brought me against him.

I looked into his beautiful sapphire eyes and found myself drowning, melting. He traced my jaw line then my lips with his finger. Unparalleled craving rocked through me, and I grabbed a handful of his shirt to keep from falling. He lowered his head, and I stopped breathing. All my senses focused on him.

Then our lips met.

A tingling started on my lips and skidded under my skin. His teeth nipped my lip, and I gasped, giving him access to my mouth. He gently soothed the bite with his tongue then slipped past my lips to find my tongue. The first taste of him and my world exploded. I ceased to exist. I became part of something bigger, better, and brighter.

He groaned and deepened the kiss, his arm tightening around me and pulling me closer. I let go of his shirt, reached up, and cupped his face, holding him in place. This was what I had craved ever since he stopped outside my house, this feeling of completeness. He let go of my mouth long enough to rain kisses all over my face and down my neck, but I wasn’t ready to let him go. I grabbed his head and brought his mouth back to mine, my head spinning, my entire body on the verge of something I didn’t understand.

He tore his mouth from mine and looked at me with burning eyes, his breathing heavy. I loved that he was affected by the kiss.

“You are mine, Freckles,” he vowed.

A chuckle filled the room. “This is very entertaining—”

Torin growled. “Get lost, Andris.”

“I plan to, big brother, but her love-struck boyfriend will be here any second. He’s looking for her and getting frantic.”

I stared at Torin in horror. Eirik. What was I going to do? “I have to talk to him.”

“No. We’ll talk to him together.”

I shook my head. “No. I have to do it alone.”

“I agree with her,” Andris butted in again. “Duty calls, big brother.”

Blue ice flashed in Torin’s eyes, but he ignored Andris. “Freckles—”

“This whole place is about to go ka-boom, Torin,” Andris cut in.

“What?” Torin glared at Andris, his arm tightening around me.

“What do you mean ka-boom?” I asked, my senses still humming from the kiss, but reality returning like a splash of cold water.

“Maliina is here, and she’s on the war path. I think she broke a gas pipe or something. You might not smell it in here, but inside reeks of it. I thought you’d want to know.”

Torin cursed. “You said you bound her with runes.”

Andris shrugged. “Ingrid must have released her. Don’t worry. I’ll find her and take her home.”

“Like Hel you will,” Torin snapped, runes appearing on his body, their glow visible through his dark clothes. “I’ll deal with her myself. Take Raine to safety.”

“No, I have to warn my friends,” I protested.

“Let her,” Andris added. “Why do we have to do everything by the book? Mortals and Immortals working together sounds great.”

One second Torin was beside me, the next his hand was wrapped around Andris’ neck. “I’m entrusting you with her life, little brother. Anything happens to her and your life is mine for eternity. Get it?”

Andris nodded, but a huge grin settled on his face.

“Good. Now get her out of here.” The runes glowed brighter, and Torin went through the door.

I ran after him, fear making my insides shaky. I reached for the door knob. I had to find the others. If anything happened to Cora or Eirik…

Andris grabbed my wrist before my hand closed on the knob. “Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?”

I yanked my arm. “Let go, you psycho. I have to find my friends.”

“No, you don’t.” He wrapped his arms around my mid-section and lifted me toward the side door leading out of the garage. I kicked and struggled, but he just laughed. “One thing you’re going to learn is that St. James is like a one-man army.”

“I know this house,” I snapped, still trying to break free. “I know where some of the people are making out. He’ll need our help to get everyone out.”

For a brief moment, I thought Andris would disobey Torin when he put me down. I turned, and he snugged me, slung me on his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes, and left the garage. I hit his back, kicked. Cool night air slapped my heated cheeks as he moved away from Torin’s house so fast everything was blurry. “Put me down.”

He did, but didn’t let go of me. We were under my tree.

“Do you know how big this is?” he asked.

I ignored him, studying the students pouring out of Torin’s house and trying to find Cora and Eirik.

“He trusted me with the most important thing in his life,” Andris added.

Seriously? He was the most self-absorbed guy I’d ever met. “This is not about you, Andris. Your girlfriend is about to kill my friends and for what?”

“For thinking you can take him from me,” Maliina snarled, and the next thing I knew I was airborne. Arms flailing, I tried to find something to grab onto. I found nothing but air. My head slammed against the wall. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and spears of white pain shot across my skull.

Disoriented, I struggled to keep my eyes open and move away from her. She landed on my chest with so much force I nearly blacked out. Air whooshed from my lungs like they were popped balloons. Pain radiated across my chest. I tried to breathe but couldn’t. It hurt too much.

Through a haze of pain, I saw Andris and Ingrid struggling. Then Maliina’s rage-twisted face blocked them from my line of vision. Her fingers, spread like claws, moved toward my face. I tried to raise my arms to block her, but she’d trapped them with her thighs.

She was about to finish me. I couldn’t even fight back because every movement sent sharp pain across my chest and lungs. One second I was struggling to stay alive, the next someone yanked her from me and sent her flying.

W
hy wasn’t
I self-healing? My head pounded, and my lungs hurt, each breath sending needles of white-hot pain through me. Arms cradled me close, and gentle fingers pushed hair away from my face. I recognized Torin’s familiar scent, his voice. He was talking, but a ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear him properly. I only caught the tail end of his sentence.

“…be okay,” Torin vowed.

“No, she won’t. Heal her… start the transformation… together forever and...” Andris’ voice ebbed, but I didn’t mistake his words. Forever with Torin sounded great.

“No,” Torin snapped.

“Why deny yourself…” I didn’t hear the rest of Andris’ words. The ringing in my ears grew louder and louder. Then suddenly it stopped.

“It doesn’t matter what I need,” Torin ground out, his voice clear. “It’s about what she wants. The last time I healed her, she hated it. I won’t do that to her again.”

“You’re a fool. If you can’t heal her, then let her die,” Andris said. “At least then you can—”

“Damn it, Andris,” Torin swore. “Don’t you get it? I gave her my word. I won’t let her become like us.”

I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t care as long as we were together, but Andris interrupted. “This is no time to develop a conscience,” he said.

“Go. Find Maliina and stay with her. I’ll deal with her later.”

“Heal me, Torin,” I whispered, my words slurred, my breathing shallow. A weird pressure started on my temple, but my eyes sought his.

He stroked my temple and shook his head. “No, Freckles. You can’t make a decision like that now. We’ll talk later.”

“It hurts. Make the pain go away,” I begged.

“I can’t,” he whispered achingly, before pressing a kiss on my forehead. “Don’t try to move. Help’s on its way.”

“Why can’t I self-heal?”

“Your injuries are too extensive.” His voice dropped to an anguished whisper. “You need new healing runes.”

“Do it. Rune me. Please.”

“Don’t ask me to do this. I can’t sentence you to a life like mine unless you know everything, yet I can’t tell you much because I’m bound by an oath.”

“I don’t care what you are. I trust you. Please…” Pain speared across my skull, and my vision blurred. There was pounding all around me like running footsteps. It grew louder and louder, making the pressure in my head worse. “My head. Make it stop.”

“What happened?” Eirik demanded, his voice echoing eerily.

“She was climbing the tree and fell,” Torin said.

“Did you call 9-1-1?” Eirik dropped beside me.

“What do you think?” Torin snapped.

“That you might have healed her again,” Eirik snarled.

How did Eirik know about Torin? I struggled to keep my eyes open. “How…?”

“Don’t talk,” Eirik said softly. “I’m here now.”

“Is she okay?” Cora knelt near my feet. “Where does it hurt?”

“My chest.” My eyes sought Torin’s, hoping he’d take the pain away. He shook his head. My vision grew hazy again. I blinked to clear it, my eyes clinging to his. There was so much pain and despair in his eyes. Part of me was angry with him for refusing to help me while the other just wanted him to hold me. Then there was Eirik. He knew about Torin healing me and never said anything. The shrill sound of an ambulance pierced the air, adding to the ringing in my ears.

“Why does she keep blinking?” Eirik asked.

Torin answered, but I didn’t hear his words. Darkness pulled me under again.

W
hen I came around
, someone was lifting my eyelids and flashing light on and off into my eyes. I tried to protest, but I couldn’t speak. I tried to sit up, but something held me down. I was trapped. Voices filtered through my foggy head, and once again, I strained to hear.

“CT scan… hematoma… broken ribs…”

A sob followed. Mom. I wanted to reassure her, but I kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Voices came and went—Mom, Torin, Eirik, Cora. They urged me to wake up, told me they loved me. Then there were the three women. I wasn’t sure who they were or what they wanted, but they hovered in the background, silent, watching, waiting. It was impossible to see their features. They kept changing, hazy one minute, transparent the next. At times they looked ancient, other times young like regular teens. Something about them was familiar, but I couldn’t tell what.

It was dark when I woke up again. My neck was stiff, and my chest and head throbbed. At least the pain was dull. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t and panicked. A beeping sound went off.

“Shh, it’s okay,” a familiar voice said in the void. Torin.

I managed to open my eyes, turned my head to find him, and winced when a spasm of pain radiated across my chest. A bright light drew my attention to the corner of the room. The light came from the glowing runes on Torin’s face and body. He got up, the light from his body bathing Mom, who was asleep on a chair by my bed. No, not my bed. A hospital bed. I tried to remember how I got to the hospital, but I couldn’t recall anything that happened after Maliina hit me. Now beeping machines monitored my vitals, and my body felt like I’d been run over by a truck.

A nurse entered the room and fussed over me and the machines. She checked my vitals, flashing light into my eyes, asking if I knew my name and my pain level. She adjusted the IV and fed me ice cubes from a cup. My throat was dry and painful, and the ice felt nice, but I wanted her gone so I could be alone with Torin.

“Thank you,” I managed to say.

As soon as she left the room, my eyes found Torin again. The glow from the runes made his blue eyes hypnotic. He moved closer, scooped up an ice cube from the cup, and fed it to me.

“Why am I here?” I whispered hoarsely.

He frowned. “Maliina attacked you, but I pulled her off before she seriously hurt you.” He fed me another ice cube. “I shouldn’t have trusted Andris to watch over you. He’s completely useless.”

Memories of the events at the party trickled in. “No, he took care of me, Torin. He carried me from your place, but Maliina appeared out of nowhere and attacked.” I glanced around the room. There were flowers and ‘Get Well Soon’ balloons. “How long have I been here?”

“About thirty hours.”

“The gas leak at your place, was anyone hurt?”

He smiled. “No, but we cut things short. Actually, quite a number of students followed the ambulance here and camped in the waiting room until you left the operating room.”

“I had surgery? Where?”

“Your brain.” He stroked my forehead, but my skin felt weird. I tried to lift my hand to find out why, but Torin pressed my hand down. “Don’t. You’ve broken several ribs and mustn’t move too much. Do you want more ice?”

I searched his face. “I don’t understand. You said I wasn’t seriously hurt, yet I had surgery and broke my ribs. Why didn’t you just heal me?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked instead of answering.

“Maliina attacking me. I don’t know what happened afterwards, until I woke up just now.” Panic surged to the surface. “What happened? Why can’t I remember?”

“You had bleeding in your brain, which caused you to lose consciousness. The doctor stopped the bleeding and told your mom you’ll be okay, but some of your recent memories may be affected.”

He tried to feed me more ice, but I turned my head away, my mind racing. I couldn’t remember anything that happened after the attack, yet something about Torin and Eirik teased my mind.

“Was Eirik there?” I asked.

“Yes. He and Cora were here until a couple of hours ago when your mother insisted they go home. They have school tomorrow.”

I glanced at Mom. She was usually a light sleeper. She must have been up the last thirty hours to be so tired. Who was taking care of her?

“Don’t worry about her,” Torin said as though reading my thoughts. “She’s a lot stronger than you think. Go back to sleep, Freckles. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He put the cup of ice down and covered my hand.

He fell asleep before I did, his head resting on the bed beside my hip. I stroked his hair, happy despite my banged up body and missing memories. As the pain meds worked their magic, I relived every moment Torin and I had spent together just before Maliina attacked. The kiss, so beautiful and perfect. The feeling of completeness. He hadn’t said he loved me, but he’d claimed me as his. I planned to claim him too as soon as I broke off things with Eirik.

Thoughts of Eirik filled me with sadness. He loved me, but my love for him was not enough. It wasn’t comparable to my feelings for Torin. Maybe there was someone out there for him, someone who’d love him like he deserved. I was still thinking about how I’d break up with him when sleep tugged at my senses and I closed my eyes.

I
t was
daytime when I woke up again. The first person I saw was Mom seated on the chair, a magazine on her lap. She looked so miserable. Torin sat in the corner, arms crossed, runes making him invisible to everyone but me.

He smiled and mouthed, “Good morning, Freckles.”

“Good morning.” I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud until Mom looked up and gasped.

“Oh, honey. You’re awake.” She jumped up, and the magazine fell from her lap. “The nurses told me you woke up last night and talked, but I didn’t believe them. They should have woken me up. How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you want me to call the nurse?”

I managed a smile. “No, Mom. I’m fine.”

Tears filled her eyes, and a sob escaped her lips. She covered her mouth. “I was so scared when they told me you were bleeding in your brain. Then they drilled a hole into your skull and… and… I’m sorry I’m going on, but I’m just happy you’re okay.” She sniffled and wiped her cheeks. Then she reached out with a trembling hand as though to touch my head. At the last minute, she stopped, fisted her hand, and gave me a tiny apologetic smile. “Look at me, crying like a baby when you’re finally awake. That cursed tree is being chopped down tomorrow. I already made an appointment with a landscape company.” She turned to pull the chair closer to the bed.

I glanced at Torin in confusion.

“I told her you fell from the tree,” he explained. “It was the only explanation I could give her and the EMT.”

“Don’t blame the tree or cut it down, Mom,” I whispered. “Dad planted it.”

“Your father will understand. Every time I see it, I’ll be reminded of how close I came to losing you. You were right to be wary about climbing it all these years. It’s dangerous.”

There was no point arguing with her once she made up her mind. She could be as stubborn as me. I reached for the water.

“No, don’t move. The doctor said you must not exert yourself.” She picked up the cup and held the straw to my lips. “Are you hungry?”

I nodded.

“I’ll see what the nurses can rustle up.” She disappeared out the door.

Torin moved closer and stroked my hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

“You missed Eirik and Cora this morning, so don’t be surprised if they come back during lunch.”

Before I could respond, Mom came back. Torin moved back to the corner and watched us with a tiny smile as she fussed over me and talked about the surgery. She reassured me about my hair and the scar. Apparently, they had to shave an area near my ear for the surgery, but my chopped off hair was the least of my problems. The hospital food, when it finally arrived, was awful, and I could barely hold it down.

“Do you want me to get you something else to eat?” Torin asked.

Happy I could see him and talk to him without Mom knowing, I nodded. He left and returned a little later with breakfast—egg and sausage sandwiches and hot chocolate for both of us. By then, Mom had left for home to change. We ate. Then he left so I could rest. He came back hours later with lunch. A few minutes after he arrived, I heard the cheer chant for the Trojan swim team.

W
e are the Trojans
. Oh Yeah

Kayville High top guns. Oh Yeah

When in the pool. Oh Yeah

We are so cool. Oh Yeah

W
hen at a meet
. Oh Yeah

We bring the heat. Oh Yeah

We’ve got the hold. Oh Yeah

On all the gold. Oh Yeah

I
grinned
, recognizing Cora and Eirik’s voices. Even though they weren’t yelling, I was surprised the nurses didn’t kick them out or tell them to zip it. They danced into my hospital room, both of them in Trojan crimson and gold swim pants, jackets, and T-shirts, swim goggles on their foreheads. They continued to chant.

C
ause when we race
. Oh Yeah

We set the pace. Oh Yeah

We’re number 1. Oh Yeah

The only one. Oh Yeah

Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah

T
hey finished and posed
. Torin stared at them as though they’d lost their minds, but he was trying hard not to laugh. They looked ridiculous, but it was Homecoming week.

“First day of Spirit Week is…?” Cora asked, hands on her hips, head cocked to the side.

“Sports Day,” I said.

Cora’s chin trembled, tears springing to her eyes. “Tomorrow is…?”

“Neon Day, then Wacky Tacky,” I added, my eyes welling, too. “Then my favorite… Character Day.”

“You remembered. That means you’re okay, right? Your brain is working fine.” She closed the gap between us, tears racing down her face.

I lifted my hand toward her, and she gripped it, both of us crying. “They might have drilled a hole into my skull, but I can never forget how crazy you act during Spirit Week. What floor did we get?”

“Second floor, west wing,” Eirik said, grinning.

“We decorated it with blue balloons and streamers, water-themed…” Cora swallowed a sob and glared at me. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I thought I’d lost you and… and… I want to hug you, but I’m scared of hurting your ribs.” She swiped at her cheeks. “I’ll say it again. Don’t ever, ever scare me like that again.” She glanced at Eirik. “Okay, it’s his turn. I’ll wait outside, where I can sob like an idiot without making you cry, too.”