Page 32 of Valkyrie Song

He immediately rises to his feet, holding his hand out for me.

I take it without question, eager to be alone with him again. The nights aren't nearly long enough when the days are so full of things determined to keep us apart. Between the varulv, the Bifröst, fortifying the village, taking care of Ing, and the thousand other things wrestling for our time and attention…well, we snatch what time we can from the broken hands of a racing clock.

Stephan pulls me up from the table into his arms, glancing down at Ing. "Ing, come."

The wolf ignores him, his tail twitching as he gnaws on the few scraps of meat still clinging to the bone.

"Leave him," Marion murmurs. "I'll make sure he gets back to the house safely."

"Are you sure?" I ask, chewing on my bottom lip. Things between her and I have improved drastically since I confessed my guilt. I feel closer to her than ever—to each of my sisters, honestly. They've become my rocks, lending me strength when mine fails. Getting to do the same for them in return is beautiful in a way I never knew it could be. I appreciat it so much more than they know…appreciatethemmore than they can understand.

"I'm sure." She smiles up at me. "Go. He'll be fine with us."

I nod gratefully. My sisters have quickly fallen in love with Ing. The wolf will never admit it, but I think the feeling is mutual. He's ambivalent toward the warriors, but there's a…softness in his mind when he thinks about my sisters. He likes them.

I don't think he'll ever be truly wild again. He's one of ours now, a warrior of Valhalla. Perhaps that's the way it was always meant to play out. I don't know. I wish it'd gone differently for him and the cost hadn't been so high. But at least with us, he's safe from the varulv.

Stephan and I exit the Mess Hall hand in hand, not speaking. A soft wind blows through the village, the heady scent of poppies strong. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me up against his side.

"I missed you today, Valkyrie." His nose skims my crown as if he's breathing me in.

I smile, my heart skipping a beat. Does he know how much I love him? I haven't told him yet. I'm not sure I know the words to explain. "I missed you too, warrior."

"Many more days of hunting instead of stalking you around Valhalla, and I'm going to be a very cranky mate, princess."

"Did you guys find anything today?"

"Ja." He falls silent for a moment and then curses. "We killed four varulv. Rhistel was nearly bitten."

"Oh no," I whisper, my stomach sinking.

"He's fine, but it was close." He shoots me an appreciative glance. "Asking the animals to help us hunt was smart, Kara. It'll save us a lot of time."

"I hope so."

"If there are any wolves left in Valhalla, we haven't found them."

My heart sinks. "Ing says there were dozens when we arrived, Stephan. Maybe even hundreds."

"Ja, I know. And in a matter of days, they've all fallen to the Dark." He sighs quietly. "Damrion pulled the warriors out of Asgard, Kara. It's overrun."

"Varulv?" I glance up at him, fear shooting through me.

"And Forsaken." They're amassing an army."

A shiver rips through me, chilling me to the bone.

"We're running out of time."

"Ja," he whispers. "I think we are."

The Bifröst is flickering again. There's no denying it as my sisters and I stand before it, sending flows of Light beaming across its reflective surface. As usual, we get nothing in response. Well, nothing save more flickers.

"I don't understand," Tori huffs, releasing her Light as her hands drop to her sides in defeat. "We're doing everything right."

Except…clearly, we aren't.

Ever since Damrion pulled the warriors from Asgard, we've redoubled our efforts to learn how to operate the Portal. It's been two days, and we've learned nothing. But the flickers are growing more insistent by the day, as if the Bifröst is in distress.

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