Page 59 of Baldr's Secret Mate

Both Tyr and I turned, seeing two figures step into the edge of the light. I recognized them immediately as Baldr’s brother Loki and his mate that I couldn’t remember the name of. He said they were double crossing Tyr from the inside. And as they stepped forward, the snarl on Tyr’s lips told me he’d suspected their treachery all along.

“I knew it,” he hissed. “I knew you weren’t faithful to this pack!”

“I’ll happily help your pack,” Loki shot back, his long dark hair peppered with snow. “But I’m not going to help you kill this man or steal his power.”

Tyr scoffed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Yes he does,” Loki’s mate added. “He grew up with a half witch, remember?”

“You shut your mouth you filthy traitor!”

“I’m not a traitor! I’m your son! And I’m trying to save you!”

“You’re no fucking son of mine.”

The man at Loki’s side deflated instantly, but Loki did not.

“Removing a witch from his power will either kill him or drive him mad until he wishes he was dead,” he said. “And that power has to go somewhere. It must be claimed or it will destroy everything in its path until it unravels.”

I turned to Tyr, taking a few steps back. “Is… Is that true?”

He pulled the spellbook back, his grin twisting into a cruel expression. “It was worth a try at least.”

“Y-You… You lied to me!” I cried. “Again! You’re a monster!”

“And you,” he shot back. “Are stupid and weak.” He pulled the spellbook up in front of his face, flipping to a dog-eared page. “And now you’re worthless to me.” He glanced over at Loki and his mate that had stepped closer to me. “Time for you all to go to an early grave.”

Power coalesced in the air around him, turning red as he began to chant. I felt a hand on my shoulder pull me back, disrupting my desperate reach for my own magic. However, as Tyr’s eyes glowed bright red and his body began to shift into his Alpha form, I knew it was too late. Whatever he was about to do, there was no way I’d be able to counter it in time.

I closed my eyes and waited for impact.

Chapter Thirty-One: Baldr

“What do you mean he’s gone?!” I cried, grabbing Flynn by the shoulders and shaking him. “You just let Mist leave on his own? What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“He said he wanted a chance to see if he could defeat Tyr alone,” Flynn replied, pulling himself away from me. “And I thought he deserved that much. Besides, I only gave him a small head start.”

“He can’t face Tyr alone!” I snapped. “That’s not how the vision goes!”

“Then maybe your vision was wrong,” Flynn snapped right back at me. “Ever since I met you, you’ve been enslaving yourself to these visions! You tell everyone they’re always right and you’ve been right enough times to convince them.” He paused, pointing a threatening finger in my face. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe it’s you that’s making them come true?!”

“Do you think I want them to be true?!” I cried, throwing my arms wide. “Do you think I wanted to see my own death, overand over and over again for the past decade? Or watch my father be killed by Tyr every night in my sleep without knowing when or where it would happen? I’d do anything to make just one of these visions false! I don’t want them to be true anymore than you or Thor do!”

Thor’s hand came to rest on my shoulder. “You… You saw your own death?” There was a tone of concern in his voice and accusation. “If you were seeing all of this… why didn’t you tell me about it? Maybe I could’ve helped.”

I pulled away from him, still too mad to speak sensibly. “Yeah, well, it’s way too late for that.”

I turned away from them both, stomping toward the door. However, as I pulled it open I stopped, turning back to look at Thor, Flynn, and Nana standing in the small living room, illuminated by the firelight. It was probably the last time I was going to see them.

“I love you all,” I said, letting out a long sigh. “And I’m sorry for what’s about to happen. Just know, it’s not your fault.”

“Baldr, wait—”

But Thor’s voice was cut off as I burst out of the house, leaping off the front porch and tearing across the farmyard toward the Skoll mountain in the distance. I lifted my nose to the wind, catching the scent of Mist on the icy breeze. He wasn’t too far ahead of me and I knew I could catch up quickly. Letting my Alpha form seep out, my muscles swelled against my clothing and my speed doubled. Saving Mist was all that mattered. It was my destiny. Out of every vision I’ve ever had, nothing was more clear than that. And even when I fell, Thor would be right behind me to save the rest of them. Of that, I was sure and confident.

The wind whipped through my hair as I raced across the frozen landscape, my enhanced senses picking up every detail around me. The crunch of snow beneath my feet, the distant howl of wolves, the scent of pine and frost in the air. But Ifocused solely on Mist's trail, pushing myself harder with each stride. I could catch his scent here and there and I knew he couldn’t have gotten far. But I had to stop him before he found Tyr. Whatever he was planning to do, it was damn foolish and it wouldn’t work. Of that I was sure.

My mind raced as fast as my feet. How could Flynn let him go? How could Mist think he stood a chance against Tyr alone? The visions flashed through my mind again - Mist face full of fear, Tyr's maniacal laughter, my own final moments. I shook my head, trying to dispel the images. No, it wouldn't end like that. Not if I could help it. I’d rather lay down my life than have Mist’s taken away from him prematurely. He already never got to have a life of his own and I wouldn’t let him not have one on my account now.

---