Page 44 of Fenrir

The vampire who had initially attacked Grace slid backward across the floor, bleeding profusely. Odin advanced on him and held his spear over his head. His eyes flashed with lightning, and he brought down the spear in an arc of glowing light. Her assailant turned and crumbled like a burnt cookie.

Fenrir yanked the knife from Grace’s back and tossed it across the room. He sniffed her back and whined.

She sucked in a ragged breath as the pain shot down her arm and across her chest.

Odin turned to the other vampires who were trying to scamper to the door. “Tell your friends that if I see them again, I’ll be able to use what’s left of them to barbecue ribs at my next family cookout.”

The vampires raced from the room, and Odin looked around the rest of the mess. Music still blared from a speaker in the corner. Odin slung his spear at it, and the speaker exploded into a million pieces and went quiet.

Fenrir licked her skin and rocked her back and forth. His pitch-black eyes wild and unfocused. Thick, long, black fur still clung to his enlarged form, and his fangs had grown even longer. If she had been anyone else, the sight of him would have probably terrified her, but as it was, it didn’t. He didn’t. All she felt was love. Love and concern.

She reached up with her good hand and touched his cheek. “Fen. It’s not too bad. I have a tolerance for silver.”

He didn’t reply.

Odin walked over slowly, but Fenrir roared and pushed her behind him as he stood between her and Odin.

“Fen, it’s okay.” She’d begun to sweat as the poison moved across her back and up her shoulders. “I’m okay.”

Fenrir and Odin looked at each other, but neither moved.

“Grace,” said Odin. “The girls told me what happened. I never should have let those assholes have a private party. I take full responsibility. I apologize.”

“Don’t be silly. You weren’t the one who attacked me.” She tried to manage a smile. “I’m just sorry that your room got ruined.”

Odin waved her off. “That’s what deposits are for. And luckily, I’ve got every single one of their credit cards on file.” He looked at Fenrir and licked his lips. “Fenrir. May I check her wound?”

Grace got the feeling from Odin’s stiff wording that he wasn’t used to asking for permission to do anything.

Fenrir growled, and his gaze locked on Odin. Odin’s eyes flashed briefly, but he calmed the storm in his eyes.

“I need to see how bad it is.”

Fenrir looked back at her, his eyes raging and unfocused.

She reached for him. “Let, Lord Odin, look please, Fen. I can’t see the wound from this angle.”

Fenrir looked conflicted, and then he stepped aside. She grabbed his soft furry arm as Odin lifted the back of her uniform shirt and checked the wound.

Grace winced as Odin’s fingers prodded the wound, and Fenrir lunged for Odin. The raven on Odin’s shoulder and the one on the light swooped down and flapped their wings in Fenrir’s face. He swatted them away, and out of nowhere, a giant black wolf appeared and bared its teeth at Fenrir. Fenrir swung toward the animal and roared.

Nope. She would not be the reason that Fenrir or Odin’s familiars were killed.

“Fen, stop!” she commanded. She had never used her alpha command before, but it seemed to work because Fenrir’s gaze connected with hers, and he stepped back.

“Huggin. Muninn.” Odin waved his hand, and the raven’s settled on his shoulders. “Freki,socraich.”

The wolf growled at Fenrir once more and then backed into the shadows.

“I’ll get Frigg,” said Odin. “Fenrir, take her to my room downstairs.”

Fenrir stepped between her and Odin again.

“I’ll be fine,” said Grace. “I heal quick.”

“That knife was silver, daughter. You will need a healer.”

She nodded to Odin. “I am aware. Silver doesn’t affect me for long. I have a sort of tolerance for it. I just need to lie down for a bit, and I’ll be as good as before. Would it be alright if I took the rest of the shift off?”

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