Page 42 of Into the Isle

“She doesn’t look particularly menacing, Ulf,” I drawled, glancing over at him. I tried to hide the curiosity from my face, because I had a reputation of my own to keep here.

By and large, the students of Vikingrune Academy did not impress me. The Hersirs did not scare me. Olaf, Edda, and Ulf looked to me for guidance. I may not have been the eldest—only in my second year here, with two older siblings in Olaf and Edda—but they all knew their place in the pecking order.

I was Father’s favored son, for whatever reason. His opinion meant everything, and as much as it gave Olaf and Edda a chip on their shoulder, they wouldn’t outwardly or publicly defy me.

Edda was strong and dependable. Olaf was reserved and studious. Ulf was young and stupid. They were all followers. Not me, though. I was a born fucking leader. I would be the one to bring the next generation of Torfen cubs prosperity and glory.

“Show me where the mean girl hurt you, brother,” I teased Ulf.

He scowled, shrugging my arm off his shoulder. “Fuck you, Sven. You never take me seriously.”

“Because you’re pathetic. What did this girl do—”

“It wasn’t her directly! It was the damn iceshaper. The blond one.”

My frown deepened. “Be more specific.”

Ulf glanced around the hall, at the benches, which were quickly emptying out. Only twenty or so students still remained—acquaintances who hadn’t seen each other in months, talking to each other.

Ulf’s face became hectic, scrunched with worry as he scanned the hall up and down.

“Is the bad man in the room with us right now?” I poked again, smirking.

Ulf bared his teeth. “Fuck you, man. I can’t see—”

My fist lashed out and caught my younger brother in the throat, cutting him off. He choked on his own spit, gurgling, and wrapped a hand around his neck as his eyes bulged.

Even Olaf and Edda lurched back at my sudden show of brutality to our younger sibling.

I thrust a finger at Ulf’s face, inches away. “Say that a third time to me, brother, and I’ll fucking staple your jaw shut so I don’t have to listen to you anymore. Got it?”

Ulf nodded hurriedly.

The sound of Ulf’s whining and my fist in his trachea caught the silver-haired girl’s attention. Out the corner of my eye I saw her looking over her shoulder at us. I didn’t face her or look at her this time, not wanting to draw more attention to ourselves.

She took that as a cue to leave, and stood from her bench to head up the stairs.

I watched her go once she couldn’t tell I was spying on her. Upright, she looked even better than sitting: powerful legs and thick thighs that were perfect for squishing a man’s head.

Smiling at the lewd thought of my face thrust between her warm thighs, feasting on her, I fought back a flare of lust inside me.

She had a fit physique, though somewhat of an innocent glint to her face—a deer-in-the-headlights expression that made me want to teach her how things went around here. Put her in her place.

It wasn’t for Ulf that I suddenly wanted to terrorize this girl. No, it was purely for my own greed. To keep up expectations, teach a lesson, and remind others that no one could fuck with the Torfen pack without repercussions.

This fair-skinned, bright-haired girl would be a perfect chew-toy to break.

I was sure Ulf had been a fool on the Wraith, and this whole thing was likely his fault. It didn’t matter. Like it or not, he was one of us. And if he ever laid eyes on the iceshaper responsible for tarnishing his standing, then that bastard would get it too.

Haven’t these people learned not to fuck with us? Is everyone a damn fool around here?

Ulf choked down his spit and recovered, just as the starry-eyed girl left the hall. He said, “She’s the bog-bred bitch-sister of Eirik Halldan. Her name is . . . Ravioli, or something like that.”

I raised a brow. “Eirik, eh? Why didn’t you lead with that?”

Ulf shrugged.

I supposed it wasn’t his fault. He’d only been here a day and had no idea the connections and familiarities I had with certain people at Vikingrune. At least Eirik is not a complete imbecile. Some might even call him a friend.

---