Page 33 of Her Viking Master

My breath caught in my throat at his words. Seduction? Of strangers? The idea both terrified and, distressingly, excited me. The thought that Sven would let men I didn’t know use me in contravention of his ownership, for the sake of saving the world, made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t discover, in my mind and my heart, whether I detested the idea or loved it despite myself.

“The Pretorian Guard, like the Institute and Selecta, is organized around the same patriarchal, traditional gender roles as the Sons of Odin,” Sven explained. “The girls sent into the field will attempt to become the fuck toys of Pretorian Guard agents in order to gather intelligence. As I said, they will use you in every way, and before you leave on a mission you will receive time-release birth control medication.”

I swallowed hard, my mind reeling with the implications. My cheeks burned as vivid fantasies flooded my mind unbidden. I imagined myself on my knees before a stern-faced man in an expensive suit, his hand fisted in my hair as he guided my mouth onto his cock. In another flash, I saw myself bent over a desk, skirt hiked up around my waist as a different man pounded into me from behind. My body responded helplessly to these images, a rush of wetness suddenly threatening to coat my inner thighs.

Ashamed and aroused in equal measure, I snuck a glance at Camille. Her face was flushed, her breathing slightly uneven. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and I saw my own inner conflict reflected in her dark gaze. It helped, if only a little, to see that she too had to grapple with unwanted desires—that her body, like mine, betrayed her mind’s resistance.

Sven’s deep voice drew my attention back to the front of the room. “Those of you not immediately sent into the field will learn to assist us with data analysis of signals intelligence,” he explained.

I blinked, trying to focus on his words rather than the lingering fantasies. Data analysis? It seemed so mundane compared to the seduction missions he had just described. And yet, a small part of me felt relieved at the thought of a less dangerous assignment. Surely I would be a data analyst—myHerrawouldn’t part with me, would he?

“You will be trained in advanced cryptography, pattern recognition, and data mining techniques,” Sven continued. “Your natural intelligence, combined with our training, will make you invaluable assets in our fight against the Pretorian Guard.”

I found myself leaning forward slightly, intrigued. This sounded more like the academic pursuits I had always excelled at. My thoughts were interrupted as Sven’s tone grew more serious. “Usually, we take more time to determine which operatives are assigned to which duties,” he said, his blue eyes scanning our faces. “But an urgent mission is waiting, and two of you will have to go into the field in the next few days.”

I felt my heart begin to race, a mixture of excitement and fear coursing through me. Would I be chosen, despite my belonging to theOverherra? Did Iwantto be chosen? Contradictory emotions left me feeling dizzy and unsettled.

“So now, girls, you will be taken to the training hall,” Sven announced. “There, we will conduct a trial to determine which of you are ready to be sent into the field.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Whatever this trial entailed, I felt sure it would push us to our limits—both physically and mentally. As I rose to follow Sven out of the classroom, I caught Camille’s eye once more. The determined set of her jaw told me she was steeling herself for whatever lay ahead. I took a deep breath, trying to summon the same resolve.

MorAstrid appeared at the back of the classroom, her stern presence immediately commanding our attention. Without a word, she gestured for us to follow her. My heart raced as we filed out of the room and back into the stone corridors of our strange new world.

As we made our way through the winding passages, the air grew cooler and damper. I realized we had descended deeper into the complex, and a shiver went down my spine.

Finally, we arrived at a massive wooden door, its surface etched with runes I recognized as the same kind as those from Sven’s morning lesson.MorAstrid pushed it open with surprising strength, revealing the training hall beyond.

Yet another vast chamber opened to our view. High vaulted ceilings disappeared into shadows above, while torches along the walls cast a warm, dancing light across the space. The air was thick with the scent of leather, sweat, and the unmistakable, cheek-reddening aroma of sex—too similar in quality to the way my master’s chamber had smelled that morning for me to keep from biting my lip.

But it was the equipment scattered throughout the room that truly caught my attention. Racks of whips and floggers lined one wall, their leather tails gleaming ominously. Strange contraptions of wood and metal stood at intervals, their purpose a mystery that both frightened and intrigued me.

And then I saw the bride saddles. Six of them, in a semicircle around a throne-like wooden chair, in the center of the hall. My breath caught in my throat as memories of the previous night came flooding back. I heard the other girls gasp and whisper as they too recognized the ornate wooden structures.

“Oh, God,” I heard Sophie murmur. “Those are the things where…”

“Where they took our asses,” Camille finished, her voice a mix of defiance and a hint of helpless arousal.

I nodded mutely, unable to tear my eyes away from the saddles. They seemed both familiar and alien in the light of day. The polished wood gleamed, the leather straps hanging ready. I could almost feel the ghost of those straps against my skin, holding me in place as Sven had claimed my virgin bottom.

An intense flash of heat washed over me at the memory. The initial pain, yes, but also the overwhelming fullness, the exquisite pleasure that had followed. I shifted uncomfortably, acutely aware of the wetness gathering between my thighs.

“Girls.”MorAstrid’s sharp voice cut through my reverie. “Your attention, please.”

I tore my gaze away from the saddles, forcing myself to focus on the older woman. She stood beside a row of what looked like ordinary exercise equipment—treadmills, stationary bikes, and weight machines.

“Before your trial begins, you must warm up,”MorAstrid continued. “This test involves much more than physical fitness, but the physical element represents an essential component of it.”

She moved to a large wicker basket near the exercise equipment. She reached in and pulled out a handful of wide strips of fabric, about the breadth of her hand, colored a natural homespun beige. The strips stretched down into the basket, and as I peered into it I could see they must be about six feet long.

“These are breast bands,” she announced, holding them up for us to see. “They’re made of linen, and they’re to be tucked around your bosoms. This is the traditional Norse way to support yourbrjóst.You will help each other put them on before your warmup.”

CHAPTER17

Mary

I felt a flutter of nervous excitement in my stomach. On one hand, the thought of having even this small bit of covering was a relief after hours of complete nudity. But the idea of touching the other girls so intimately, of having them touch me, sent a confusing thrill through my body.

“Come now, don’t be shy,”MorAstrid chided, her stern voice brooking no argument. “You’ve all been far more intimate with each other already.”

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