Page 54 of Baldr's Secret Mate

“Baldr,” Mist whispered, his voice trembling. “Is that...?”

I shifted back to my human form, wrapping my body in the damp blanket and taking Mist's hand in mine. “The portal,” I confirmed, my own voice barely above a whisper. “We found it.”

The light grew stronger with each step, illuminating the surrounding cavern. The walls were covered in intricate carvings, ancient runes that spoke of the wolfkin that had not only lived with Fenrir, but were created by him. It was the ancient history of my kind, the history that nobody left in my world knew. I stared at it for a long moment, able to read a good portion of it with ease thanks to my mother’s teachings. I just wished I had the time to copy it down and share it with my brothers.

But my end was drawing near and my heart told me we were already taking too much time. Tyr was on the move and if my visions were right, which they always were, my brothers were in grave danger. I had to go home and stop him once and for all. Even if I died, I planned on taking that tyrannical asshole with me.

“Come on,” I said, pulling Mist toward the large stone arch etched with golden runes. “It’s time to put that dickhead down once and for all.”

There was no pang of fear or regret as Mist followed me. Only fierce determination.

“I’m going to kill him myself,” he growled.

I didn’t have time to ask how he planned to do that before we met the portal and with a rush of magic, stepped through into the light.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Baldr

The first thing I noticed was the cold. My feet, that had been bare for the past two days, stepped from cool damp stone onto fresh, powdery snow, sinking in a few inches. Mist stepped up beside me, his hand still clasped in mine. I felt the shock of the sudden temperature swing through our bond, both of us beginning to shiver instantly. We’d either lost or left behind the spare clothing we’d had and now we were both terribly underdressed for the winter that was obviously in full swing back home.

But were we home? I wasn’t sure just yet. I glanced around, finding us both standing at the mouth of a cave. Snow had blown in, drifting against the back wall where we’d appeared. Outside it was light, but that’s all I could really tell. And when I turned around to see if the portal was still behind us, all I saw was a dark stone wall glazed with ice and snow.

“Come on,” I said, pulling Mist forward. “Even if this isn’t home, we can’t go back now.”

Mist just nodded, squeezing my hand tighter as I pulled him along. It only took a few steps before we stepped out into thesunshine, the brightness nearly blinding us both. I pulled an arm up to shield my eyes, trying to find any hint of where the portal had taken us. But when my eyes finally began to adjust, I felt a sudden surge of warmth and familiarity in my chest.

We were standing at the top of a mountain, overlooking several others. They were my mountains, the ones I’d grown up running all over. From our lookout point I could see the Skoll and Hati mountains some miles away, leaning toward one another like wolves about to tear into one another. It was a fitting image considering what I knew was going on down in Fenris.

“We’re home,” I sighed, letting a smile come over my face at last. “The portal really did work.”

“I was worried that spirit had lied to us.”

“I told you,” I grinned. “They can’t. The spell doesn’t allow it.” I pointed to the south where I knew the resort lay just out of sight. “Home is that way. But it’s a few miles off.” I glanced down at my feet. “I don’t think I can make it there in this form.” My gaze turned to Mist, another smile creeping over my face. “Do you want to ride me?”

His eyes grew wide. “R-Ride you?”

“Yeah. My Alpha form can run on all fours. But you’ll have to hold on tightly. It can be a little rough.”

He gave me a small grin. “I’ve survived a couple rides with you already. I think I’ll be fine.”

I laughed, feeling joyful despite what was soon to come. Just being home in familiar territory filled me with warmth. “Over the hills and through the woods to Nana’s house we go!”

Mist just stared at me. “Nana? Who’s Nana?”

My little joke was completely lost on him. Dammit, and it was so clever too. I never read that fairy tale to him. “She’s Flynn’s grandmother. Thor and Flynn are staying with her.”

“Alright,” he nodded. “Let’s go then.”

I leaned in, giving him a quick kiss before I stripped the makeshift clothing off my body. Then, leaning into the wolf completely, I let the Alpha form consume me. When we were mating, usually I only changed partway. But this time I let it go until I was completely covered in fur, my body had nearly doubled in size, and a long muzzle sprouted from my face. If I had a mirror, I would’ve seen a massive movie-style werewolf staring back at me with bright gold eyes and bright silver fur. It was a sight to behold and Mist’s eyes widened as he stared at me.

Giving him a grunt and a nod, I kneeled down in the snow, gesturing for him to climb onto my back. He did so hesitantly, probably remembering the last time I was in this form and I tried to kill him. I didn’t blame him for that. It wasn’t my best moment. But this was different. We weren’t being chased by giant venomous serpents. I still maintained control over myself.

As Mist settled onto my back, I felt his arms wrap tightly around my neck, his fingers digging into my thick silver fur. His body pressed against mine, warm despite the frigid air. I could sense his nervousness through our bond, but also his trust. He knew I wouldn't let him fall. He was my most precious cargo.

With a low growl, I launched forward, powerful legs propelling us through the snow. The wind whipped past, carrying the scent of pine and ice. Mist clung tighter as we bounded down the mountainside, weaving between trees and leaping over fallen logs. His heart raced, a mix of exhilaration and fear pulsing through our connection. More than once I thought I heard him laugh.

We covered ground quickly, my paws barely touching the snow as we flew across the landscape. The familiar terrain blurred past - rocky outcroppings, frozen streams, dense thickets of evergreens. Home. After everything we’d been through in Asgard, it was nice to lay eyes on a familiar place atlast. Here I knew every rock and tree and creature. Despite the danger that lay ahead, I felt more comfortable than I had in days.

As we descended further into the valley, the snow began to thin, giving way to patches of exposed earth and scattered pine needles. The air grew slightly warmer, though still brisk enough to nip at our exposed skin and never above freezing. I slowed my pace as we approached the outskirts of town, not wanting to startle any unsuspecting humans with the sight of a massive werewolf barreling through the forest. I quickly turned to the left, following the outer edge of Fenris all the way to the northern side where Nana’s farm was located. It made the path more difficult, but I wanted to stay out of sight. However, we eventually started up the Hati mountain, crossing hiking trails here and there that had been left untouched. On the air I finally caught the familiar scent of farm animals and hay. We were close.

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