Howl for Me (7 page)

“And now?”

Travis smiled, his eyes misting over. “He’s pure alpha.” Travis leaned forward, his hand dangling between his knees. “He followed because he wanted to protect her and he knew only a force of nature could stop her.”

“Because she’s alpha too.”

Travis nodded. “Do yourself a favor. Don’t cut him out of the loop. Don’t order him around. If you want him as badly as I know you do, make him want you. But most of all, never, and I mean
never
, get between Jeffrey Grimm and his siblings or he’ll root out your balls with a dull spoon and feed them to an alligator.”

The intensity of Travis’s stare almost unnerved him, but Fen had stared Odin himself down and laughed in his face. “They are his family.”

Travis nodded. “Yeah.
We
are. And now we’re yours, too, if you’ll let us be.”

Fen laughed, the sound bitter. “I thought you were once before too.” He closed his eyes, still trying to reconcile the man he’d hated for centuries with the urbane, twenty-first-century Travis who ate pancakes and loved the crazy redheaded twin of his mate. “I’ll try.”

It was the best he could do at the moment.

“Thank you.” When Fen opened his eyes he was startled to see tears in Travis’s. “I know you don’t believe me, but I loved you like a son. It’s why I volunteered to save you, even though I knew you’d probably try to kill me the moment you were free.”

Fen couldn’t look at him anymore. He
had
thought about killing Travis more than once since he’d been freed. Only Jeff’s presence, his trust in Travis and his twin, had stayed Fen’s hand.

“Like I told your fathers, justice has been a long time coming for you and your siblings, but I’m going to do my best to fix that. If you’ll let me.”

He stared at Travis’s stump and suddenly realized why Grimm had been able to defeat Travis. If his sword hand had still been there Grimm would at least have been damaged. “I’d say we’re almost even.”

“Almost?”

The cautious hope in Travis’s voice was something Fen had to respond to if he was ever to heal the breech the way his mate wished. He sat up and stared into Travis’s eyes. “Save my siblings and any bad blood between us will be erased.”

“Done.”

The ring of magic in the god’s voice sealed the deal, as the God of Justice glowed so brightly Fen could no longer see him.

“Damn it. Logan threw out my mistletoe again. Shit.”

Fen blinked and turned to find Kir, hands on his hips, his bottom lip between his teeth. “Trav? Think you can hook me up?”

“Planning on committing seppuku?” Travis darted a look at Fen, the look full of cautious affection. “Um. That means ritual suicide.”

Fen smiled. “Thank you.” Fen tilted his head and, for his mate’s sake, decided to take the first step in forgiving Travis. “Could you tell me something?”

“What?”

“What’s an alligator?”

Kir laughed. For a split second Fen had forgotten his other father was there. “I plan on…hmm.” His eyes narrowed in speculation just before a happy smile crossed his face. “You know, I bet Fen would be fascinated by the Internet, don’t you? Great place to learn about America and history and alligators and stuff like that.” Kir waved his hand absently. “Why don’t you show him how to work the computer?”

Jordan sauntered into the room and winked at Travis. “Just don’t show him Vincente.”

This was beginning to annoy him. Who was Vincente, and what did the man have to do with Fenris’s mate.

“This is such a nice surprise!” Jeanne Grimm tugged Jeff and Jamie into her home, her expression filled with that pure sunshine she constantly seemed to emit. She was what Jordan would look like in her fifties if Jordan had the same kind of sunny personality. The only thing Jordan had inherited from her father, Adam Grey, was her dark eyes. Jeanne’s were the same hazel as Jeff’s.

If Jeff didn’t know better he’d swear his mother was a goddess too.

“Your father told me you two had gone on vacation and that Travis sent you to Europe. When did you get back?” She dragged them into the kitchen and pointed at the small table. “Sit.”

Jeff sat next to his sister and the pair exchanged a look. Their mother didn’t know Jamie had been in the hospital? “Uh, not long ago.”

“How was the trip? And why the hell didn’t you call me? What, they don’t have phones in the Caribbean?” Jeanne pulled three glasses out of the cabinet and opened the fridge.

Oh no. No way was he lying to his mother. That would get him sent straight to hell. But he could deflect her attention. “Jamie got engaged.”

Their mother gasped and before they knew it Jamie was enveloped in a patented Jeanne bear hug. “Oh, my baby. Travis proposed?”

“Can’t. Breathe.”

Jeanne pushed Jamie back. “Ring.” She wiggled her fingers. Jamie held out her hand and showed her mother the two-carat heart-shaped solitaire on her finger. The smile Jeanne wore wasn’t marred at all by the tears that sprang into her eyes. “Oh, sweetie. He gave you his heart.” She enveloped Jamie once more. “Does your father know? And why didn’t Travis come with you today?”

They exchanged a look and Jamie shrugged. “He’s working.”

Jeanne tsk’d. “Well. You tell him to come over here to help with the wedding plans or I’ll send your father to fetch him.”

Jeff tried to keep the horror of that thought from his face. “Yes’m.”

Jeanne frowned at Jamie. “This calls for a celebration!” Jamie was plunked once more into her seat. “It’s a little early for champagne.” Jeanne opened the fridge, pulling something out. “I’m all out of OJ, damn it. Anyone want apple juice?”

Both of her children bolted from the table and knocked the open bottle clean out of her hands.

Grimm couldn’t believe his eyes. What was
she
doing there? There was no way, no
way
fate would be that cruel.

Then again, considering who he was staring at, the point was obviously moot.

“You think she’s there to consult with them about the prophecy?” Rina’s gaze roamed the park, ever vigilant. She’d taken it upon herself to be his bodyguard, and he’d never had one better. She was a true warrior queen, and Grimm couldn’t be happier with her.

“Yes.” He watched Skuld, the Norn of the Future, enter the Rittenhouse Square condo building Loki and Baldur were holed up in. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Should we take her out?”

“Too late. She’s already inside. If she tells them what they want to know, everything could go to hell.”

“Then we find a way to stop the prophecy from ever happening.”

He turned to stare into her pale, cold eyes, eyes so much like her stupid son’s that for a moment he saw red. “How?”

“Kill the wolf before he kills you.”

He sat back in his seat. The only reason he’d kept Fenrisùlfr alive was to appease Tyr. If the God of Justice had been roused, then his rule of the Aesir and Vanir would have been challenged, and Grimm couldn’t have that. Now that Tyr was no longer under the influence, keeping Fenrisùlfr alive was no longer a necessity. “Do it.”

“Clean kill or fun kill?”

He loved the way her mind worked. “Oh, fun kill. Definitely.” If this didn’t work it would be time to go for the clean kill. Grimm was almost done playing, but making Loki hurt through his children was a game that never got old.

She grinned at him, both of them in perfect accord.

Chapter Four

“I still don’t understand why I had to throw away perfectly good apple juice.” Jeanne huffed out a breath and glared at her children as they finished cleaning up the mess they’d made. “It’s not like it was drugged or something.”

Jeff and Jamie exchanged a look. How should they tell their mother that she might be wrong?

“Something strange is going on. Your father’s been acting weird, you two go away for weeks, Jordan won’t answer her phone and the Old Man is missing, presumed dead. Oh, and my mother-in-law has now become my monster-in-law.” Her hands landed on her hips and Jeff cringed. “You two are going to tell me what’s going on, or so help you God you’ll live to regret it.”

“Mom—” Jamie started as she took her seat again.

“Don’t you Mom me, young lady. You think I can’t tell when my children are hiding something from me? Either you tell me the truth or I’ll march myself down to Jordan’s condo and drag it out of her if I have to torture her.”

Jamie flinched and swallowed. She might be healed, but the memories ate at her. When it got really bad only Jeff, Travis or Uncle Val could calm her. Not even Jordan could keep Jamie’s memories at bay.

“Jamie?” The anger turned to protective concern, reminding Jeff where his own temper came from. “What’s wrong, baby girl?”

“
You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” But the speculative look on her face said his little sister was thinking of telling their mother anyway. Oh boy. Jeff sat back down and prepared for the fireworks. Jamie was going to tell their mother everything. When she did, Grimm wouldn’t be able to dig a deep enough hole to hide in.

Fenris started at the sound of a knock on the front door. Jeff still wasn’t back, and he’d decided to bide his time in their condo rather than his father’s. He just couldn’t take much more of the “Internet” without losing his mind.

Travis had assured him that he had his own “high-speed connection” in the condo he shared with Jeff. Well, Fen had seen enough “high speed” to last him an eternity, thank you very much. Battery operated, PVC-wearing, vibrating high speed. In new, fun colors, no less. See-through double-headed purple penises? Which god had been responsible for inspiring humans to make
that
?

Fen shook his head. Humans had evolved into a very strange species. He was glad Jeff would soon no longer be a part of it. Rubber things you shoved up your ass were not something Fenris wanted to experience, especially not in that shade of purple. No matter how pretty the sparkles were.

He shuddered and clenched his butt cheeks at the thought.

Admittedly, some of the things he’d seen had been interesting. He’d learned a few new tricks, found a few new ideas he’d love to show his mate, if only the man would forgive him and come home.

The knock came again, startling him out of his thoughts. He opened the door, astonished at who was on the other side. “Skuld?”

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed female before him tilted her head with a frown. She seemed confused. “Who?”

“Your name is Skuld, is it not?” Now Fen was confused.

“Uh, no. My name’s Skye, and you’re in my condo.”

“I am not. I am in my own condo.” It was filled with things that reminded him of home. He adored the hand-painted chest, the sturdy leather furniture. The television he would adapt to, and as for the computer… He shivered. Perhaps not.

“Look.” She darted a glance behind her. “Can I come in? There’s something really weird going on, and I think the condo manager is out to get you, Mr. Saeter.”

That piqued his interest. This could be a trap laid by Grimm, but he didn’t think so. When she’d denied being Skuld he couldn’t smell a lie on her. It was possible he was wrong—it had been so long since the last time he’d seen the three Norns of Fate.

He held the door open wider. “Please do.”

She entered cautiously and stared around the room. “Wow. It doesn’t even look like my place anymore.”

“Because it belongs to me and my mate.” He closed the door behind her.

“That’s just it. It doesn’t.” She took a seat on the sofa gingerly, barely making herself comfortable. Fen was careful to take the chair with the wolf heads, unwilling to make her too nervous. She seemed as if she could break at any moment. “I went on vacation recently, and when I got back I found not only has my condo been moved, my whole
life
has been moved. Hell, even the dust marks are still there.”

Uh-oh.
Fen was beginning to get the picture. This woman, who claimed not to be a Norn, had either shaken off his father’s misdirection spell or had never fallen under its influence to begin with. Only two races could withstand the magic of the gods—the Norns and the Valkyries, both female, both powerful in their magic. If this woman wasn’t one or the other, then she was descended from them somehow. Could she be one of Skuld’s daughters? That would account for the uncanny resemblance.

“Hello? Am I boring you? It’s not like this little problem doesn’t affect both our lives, especially with the police involved.”

“Police?”

“Yeah. I think I saw a police detective knocking on one of the condo doors before I got here. If you and your…roommate somehow managed to pull a fast one the cops will figure it out before you can say ten to twenty.”

Pappa
was not going to be happy about this. “They are at my father’s, then.” He stood. “Come. We will clear this up.” He hoped. If Logan couldn’t fix this, then they were all screwed.

“Gods.” Their mother was staring at them as if they’d just told her pumpkins were growing on her behind. “You’re telling me the entire Grimm family is chock full of Norse gods. And that I married one.” One of Jeanne’s eyebrows rose into her hair. Her voice was full of disbelief. “And you’re engaged to one.”

“Yup.” Jamie sipped her coffee, but Jeff could see her hands shaking. “Do you have any creamer?”

“Okay. Fine.” Jeanne stood and snatched the cup from Jamie’s fingers. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s going on, that’s fine. You don’t have to. But you know how I feel about being lied to.”

Jamie took a deep breath. “Mom?”

“Yes?” Jeanne’s voice was as cold as it ever got, which meant it was about as cold as a spring morning. The woman just didn’t have it in her to be mean to anyone.

“Look at my chair.”

Jeff winced. He knew where this was going—up. He now understood why Logan had asked if he and Jamie were ready for Plan A-1, because he had the feeling their butts were about to be well done.

Jeanne shrieked as Jamie’s chair rose a good five feet off the floor. She kept going until her curls brushed the ceiling. She glowed faintly, illuminating the ceiling. “Yeah, Mom. Gods.”