Page 102 of Mating at Midnight: Book 1

Odin laughs, treading nearer to him, but stops with a good distance between them. “My son, Vidar avenged my life by taking yours centuries ago, but this time it will be me.”

Odin roars as he charges at Fenrir. Fenrir semi-shifts, showing ghastly looking scars on his face. Odin remains in his human form as they look up, hopefully for the last time.

Vidar, his men, along with Braxton, and the other men in our family come to blows with Fenrir’s men. Ballian has already killed two men and is feasting on their corpses. Momma, Skia, Kenia, Elder Nelah, her ladies, and I take on the shield maidens.

I’ve always dreamed about fighting alongside my momma and now I am. It’s silly to think about it, but the hope of someone recording this crosses my mind as I watch Momma scissor cross her knives at a woman’s throat, damn near removing her head before plunging the knives into her heart.

I shake off the thought as Kenia elbows another in the throat, making the woman gasp for air, then twists around, bringing the woman’s head over her shoulder. As if this was some plan we had practiced, I jump on the woman and spear her with my claws. I break her ribs, pulling out her heart. With a whistle to get Skia’s attention, I toss the organ to her. She swallows it down without chewing.

We show no remorse to Fenrir’s brainwashed followers as one by one they meet their demise. When the last maiden succumbs from Elder Nelah, we turn our attention to the men.

Fenrir stands alone begging for his life with no soldiers left to protect him.

“Spare me, Odin,” he beseeches, dropping to his knees. “If you kill me, how do you think it will look among the other Gods? You’ve clearly shown who is the ruler over the wolf shifters. If you let me go; I can assure you this won’t happen again.”

Odin was speechless for a few minutes. I hoped he wasn’t going to give into that tyrant’s words.

“So, if I let you live would you acknowledge me as the true wolf shifter God and pass that along to any future followers you may acquire?”

Fenrir presses his palms together, then interlacing fingers to make praying hands.

“Yes, yes. That is what I am saying.”

“Father, you cannot trust the words of...” Vidar interjects, but Odin lifts his hand, silencing Vidar’s words.

“My son, do not take me as a gullible God,” Odin objects with his eyes still on Fenrir. He points to Fenrir. “This is the same man, or should I sayGodwho didn’t give me the same courtesy as he killed my mate, our parents, members of our Pack, and he would have done the same to you if your mother and I didn’t let Elder Nelah take you off to a safer place once the war had begun.”

I cut my eyes to Elder Nelah. This little tidbit adds to the question of her age.

“And you will never know,” she chimes in my head with a wink.

How does she do that? I only have my mind open for Braxton, Skia, and Ballian. How is it possible that she’s able to come through?

A soft giggle tickles my brainwaves. “When you get to be my age, you learn a thing or two in the process,” Elder Nelah informs before fading away.

“Alpha Lightfeather,” Odin calls.

“Lord,” daddy returns.

“I have taken a special liking to your Pack, not that because I am showing favoritism over the Packs, but I like the way you run yours. You’ve always been fair with your members and gave discipline when needed.”

“Yes, Lord,” daddy returns, bowing his head.

Odin holds up his pointer finger, shaking it as he takes meticulous steps toward Fenrir, then stops.

“But the last one you did with your Beta and his son...I fully enjoyed.”

“No,” Fenrir protests.

“So, you must have seen it too?” Odin asks, clapping his hands together. His humorous expression swiftly turns expressionless. His head does a freakish jolt to the side. “Then you know you have a few moments of a head start before we begin our hunt. I believe it was a thirty second head start...” He looks at his watch, then says, “begins now.”

Chapter 56

Braxton

Lord Odin laughs as Fenrir races into the woods. We snarl and growl, digging our heels into the dirt. Vidar tries to follow before the time is up, but Odin stops him with one look. The son peers at his father with wild eyes. Foam forms around his mouth like a rabid wolf as his shoulders move up and down triggering the rest of us to do the same. Blood, blood of the God Fenrir on my tongue as he takes his last breath consumes me.

“Soon, Braxton, soon,” Ballian’s voice echoes in my head.

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