Page 56 of Alien Viking's Plunder

Holding her breath as she was pushed to the top of the curve, she let go and the climax washed over her. She heard herself gasp and moan at the heat that spread in her, and she let it.

Bragr slowed down, and then his thrusts went erratic and hard as he sprayed his hot juices inside her, his throaty roar of triumph making the pots rattle by the fire.

Josie still bucked and jerked on his cock as she rode out the climax.

Bragr slowed down but stayed inside as he collapsed on top of her, letting some of his mass weigh her down, his warm chest pressing on hers.

After a while she was distantly aware that he lifted and carried her into the sauna. The heat didn’t shock her — she was feeling pretty hot herself. Bragr placed her on the bench so her head was on his lap, and caressed her forearm.

She tried to withdraw it, not wanting him to study her cutting scars too closely. Her life hadn’t always been easy.

But Bragr held firm. “All warriors have scars,” he said softly, running his thumb back and forth across the thin, white lines. “Some on the outside, most on the inside. The hardest wars we fight are with ourselves. And the best we can hope for is not to lose. You haven’t lost, and now you never will.”

“How can you be so sure?” Josie managed, tears burning at the corners of her eyes.

“Hjalmarheim won’t let you. It will throw other enemies at you, and you will fight. You will be too busy to wage war on yourself.”

Josie sniffled. “Is that why you’re a warrior? To be distracted from the war against yourself?”

“I am a warrior because I have to be,” Bragr said, two fingers absentmindedly making small circles on her upper arm. “And because it distracts me from the… urges, I suppose.”

“The urges from your father, that you’re scared of giving in to,” Josie completed. “You never mentioned your mother. What happened to her?”

Bragr looked away. “She was the wife that Gornt poisoned. I was not even one year old when that happened. Her name was Gudruna, a famous shieldmaiden that Gornt briefly desired and then grew tired of. I only learned of her from secret whispers. Gornt would not permit having her name mentioned anywhere around me.”

“I’m sorry,” Josie said, putting one hand on his and squeezing. “That must have been really tough for you.”

“I suppose so. It’s been my experience that one can learn from almost anything. What I’ve mostly learned from Gornt is hownotto do things, and hownotto be. I wish it were different, but we must do the best we can with the tools we have. And I keep telling myself that while I am Gornt’s son, I am also Gudruna’s son. In this world, Gornt defeated her. But in the world inside me, Gudruna will win every time. She is my ally in that constant struggle against myself. She will help me be agoodearl and chief. I will be theoppositeof Gornt! I will be Bragr. And I have decided that Bragr is Gudruna’s son more than Gornt’s.” There was a quiet but intense passion in his words.

Josie leaned her head back so she could look into his sky-blue eyes. “I love you.”

He squeezed her hand. “And I love you.”

They sat in silence for a long time.

“You look hot,” Bragr finally said. “Your face is all flushed. Let’s cool down.” He took her hand and helped her get up, steadying her until her knees would carry her properly. They went out the tunnel and threw themselves into the snow, well away from the spot where Bragr had tossed the innards from the keir.

The stars sparkled above them like a million jewels strewn across black velvet. Josie stretched her arms and legs out and enjoyed the cooling effect. The air was crisp and fresh with the scent of pine.

She could learn to like this place. She really could.

“Bragr, does this planet have something like a—” She cut herself off. There was movement, barely visible in the darkness.

She squinted. It could be Ninja. But this thing, whatever it was, moved wrong…

“Bragr,” she said urgently.

He was on his feet immediately, pushing her behind him.

“Who’s there?” he called, moving them both quickly towards the hut.

There was a muffled sound like a groan, and then a raspy sound, almost like hoarse singing.

Bragr stiffened, then sprinted naked through the snow towards the shape.

“Bragr!” Josie backed all the way up to the hut, ready to throw herself in the door and through the tunnel to get her spear and Bragr’s sword.

Then she heard talking. Two voices. One of them was Bragr’s and the other had a lighter tone to it.

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