Page 82 of Valkyrie Unknown

It took a heartbeat to assess the situation and confirm there were only two of them. They’d been fighting the undead. And before that, fucking.

I was already sprinting across the room toward him. Gripping him by the throat, ready to rip it out.

“He’s not the enemy.” That was Azzie, behind me.

He was, though. I didn’t care that she had a casual sex life before I met her. I wouldn’t care if she was sleeping around now. However, she’d been here for days. There was a level of trust implied that wasn’t like her.

“Did you convince her of your lies before or after you fucked her?” I let the threat bleed from my question. It didn’t matter what his answer was—I’d kill him regardless.

He stared at me, wide-eyed and radiating fear.

Thiswas a creature she chose to put her faith in? Even for a short while?

Another man appeared between me and my prey. I knew this one, but before I could process a name for the white-haired god, he slammed the insides of my elbows with his fists hard enough to knock my grip loose, and blinked the blacksmith out of my reach.

I whirled on the god, my rage growing, and a foot landed hard against the inside back of my knee, sending me stumbling.

The trick wasn’t new to me; Azzie used something similar when we sparred, though she couldn’t teleport. I held back when it came to her, and I wouldn’t do that here. I was already rolling into an exaggerated fall, to come up on my feet and swing at my attacker.

The god had vanished again.

Also not a new trick to me. One of Loki’s favorites. I let momentum carry me in a spin, elbow out, to knock the irritating god in the gut when he appeared behind me.

“Davyn. Stop.” Azzie’s voice was hard.

I wasn’t interested in stopping.

Twenty-Three

Zeke

I hadfantasies about a big bear of a man pinning me down by the throat. But in the daydreams it was always accompanied by him saying something like,that’s right, take my cock like a good boyinstead of,I’m going to tear you limb from limb.

The instant he—Davyn apparently—let go of me, Finn blinked me by Azzie’s side, then kicked off a fight with the new arrival. What I was watching was similar to when Finn attacked Azzie. Except that even knowing nothing about hand-to-hand combat, it was clear now Finn had been holding back with her.

With Davyn he was lightning fast. The hits were hard. Finn hadstick and movedown to an art form.

How did I never know he could do this? Did he ever see Azzie as a threat? Did she realize the answer wasprobably not?

It was also clear that this Davyn was really fucking hot. She had to seethat.

The fight was enthralling. Like nothing I’d ever seen before. Finn popped into view, sucker punched Davyn, and disappeared before the other man could react. His hits couldn’t be landing hard, but there were a lot of them.

When Davyn connected with a fist or a boot though, it was hard. Each blow was enough to send Finn stumbling back, dazed for a moment and paused long enough for Davyn to charge.

“Davyn. Stop.” Azzie’s shout jarred me from my awe.

I should be protesting too, not just drooling. “Finn. I gave my word.”

“I told you not to, and I didn’t give my word.” He appeared at Davyn’s side, but Davyn was waiting with a sweeping kick. Finn vanished before their legs connected.

“What was the promise?” Davyn’s movements were fluid. Ballet performed with fists, by a beast. He fell into a crouch, and came up with a shoulder to Finn’s gut.

Finn doubled over, but he was gone again before Davyn’s uppercut found his jaw.

“We promised not to hurt each other, and to keep you from hurting us,” I said. “That’s the blood oath.”

“Why would you make a promise like tha—?” Davyn’s question ended in a grunt when Finn landed behind him and landed a short rain of punches to his side and back.

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