Page 15 of The Heir
I fished two letters from my back pocket and handed them to him. “These are from your parents, but I also have a message from Banni. He and Sparrow were sad that you missed their wedding. He misses you and wants to see you. He even offered to come to you if you don’t want to come home.”
Thor held the two letters from Khan and Pearl in his hand. I knew they weighed nothing and yet he looked at them as if they felt heavy.
“How about you take a minute to read the letters in peace? I’ll wait for you outside.”
While he sat down on his bed, I took three steps to the door. He was opening the letter from his mother when I exited his room.
Huginn and Muninn stood up as soon as I came out. With the bright light making me squint my eyes, I squatted down and petted the large black dogs. To others, it might look like I was giving the dogs love, but in reality, I was rattled from what happened in Thor’s room and soaked up their support. Thor had kissed me, not once, but twice.
I sat for around ten minutes, analyzing and rationalizing what had happened between Thor and me. For an Nman to kiss an unmarried woman was unheard of. They had strict laws that required consent and I had never given him mine. Thor had broken laws and overstepped boundaries and it was something I would have to address.
Once again, my fingers touched my lips. He had said that he either had to kiss me or spank me. The thought of Thor pulling me over his knees made another wave of heat spread at my core, followed by acute shame. I wasn’t beyond physical arousal and clearly my childhood fantasies about Thor made me susceptible to him. It was something I would have to be careful of.
My face felt warm from embarrassment when Thor’s door opened, and he walked out. “Do you know the content of these letters?” he asked, holding up the papers in his hand.
“I haven’t read them if that’s what you mean.”
“Did my father tell you about his ultimatum?”
I was raised not to lie, so I nodded.
“He’s making Freya his heir.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked softly.
Thor began pacing in front of the small building. “I don’t care what he does.”
“Liar.”
He grunted. “I’m much happier here anyway.”
I kept quiet, letting him vent.
“Maybe he won’t think Freya is so perfect when she’s carrying the responsibility of his expectations.”
With my foot, I drew a circle in the sand but didn’t respond.
“My dad’s deadline is impossible. He wants me back this week, but it’s already Friday afternoon. I won’t just drop everything and run to him like I’m his bloody lapdog. Here’s what I want you to tell him from me: Tell him that he can go fuck himself.”
Our gazes met for a second. “How about you tell him yourself?”
“Why? I thought you weren’t scared of anything. Hell, you just physically shoved me in my room.”
A new wave of shame rushed over me. Thor shouldn’t have kissed me, but I had assaulted him first. “I never said that I was scared of Khan. But it’s time you and your dad sat down and talked things through.”
Thor scoffed. “Ha, then you don’t know my dad. Khan doesn’t talk, he commands.”
“He talks to me.”
“Sure, but does he listen?”
I smiled. “It’s not his strongest suit, but what’s your alternative? You made your point by leaving for this long. Now go back and reap the reward.”
Thor narrowed his eyes. “What reward? If I go back, all I’ll get from Khan is a shitload of disappointment and anger.”
“Could be. Unless losing you has made your father realize that things have to change.”
Pointing to the letter in his hand, Thor exclaimed, “The only change he’s willing to make is to humiliate me by making Freya his heir instead of me.”
