Page 29 of The Heir
“Try telling him that. He thinks he knows what’s best for me when he doesn’t.”
“It’s not up to me to tell your father anything. You’ll have to do this for yourself. You showed him not to take you for granted and that you’re not afraid to walk away. There’s nothing more powerful than moving away from drama. This time when you speak, he’ll listen.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
My mother took Thor’s hands. “He will, so make sure that you listen too.”
I couldn’t see Thor’s face, but the way he hugged my mom back, when she stepped in and wrapped her arms around him, told me he appreciated her empowering words.
My dad gave Thor a manly slap on the shoulder and I was just about to raise my hand and wave goodbye, when Thor moved closer. “If I can hug your mom, I suppose I can hug you goodbye as well.”
Nmen didn’t get many hugs. With their strict laws physical contact between males and females was limited to family members. Thor had been alone for almost half a year and I sensed a need for connection in him.
He might not be my favorite person, but I still opened my arms, preparing myself for a brief hug. Thor surprised me when he squeezed me tight and held on long enough for me to inhale his masculine scent. The faint tickle in my private parts stayed with me after Thor let go and we watched him jog to his drone and take off.
“I hope things don’t explode between him and Khan,” I said as my parents and I watched Thor fly away in his drone.
My dad groaned. “I’ll bet good money that it does.”
CHAPTER 7
Homebound
Thor
All the way back to the Northlands, Athena’s words stayed with me. By the time I saw the familiar landscape with its abundance of pine trees and green colors, I’d made up my mind that I wouldn’t take any shit from my father.
If he was open to listening, I’d tell him to stop bossing me around once and for all. These past months I’d had plenty of time to think and I always came back to the heavy sadness from not feeling good enough.
When my drone landed, I hesitated before exiting. My hands were clammy, my mouth dry, and my heart felt like it was about to push through my chest from beating too fast. Rubbing my palms against my thighs, I ordered myself to be strong.
“You’re not a fucking boy anymore. If he wants you to be his heir, he’d better treat you like you matter to him.”
Getting out of the drone, I had my jaw set and my mind fixed on standing my ground, but then Mason came sprinting out the door, howling, and picking me up in a big bearhug.
“Well, fuck me sideways. If it isn’t my long-lost cousin returning to the sinking ship.”
His joy of seeing me soothed my soul. “What do you mean, the sinking ship?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just the same old drama with the chandeliers.”
“Don’t tell me my mother got her way and removed them.”
“She tried, but Laura caught her and called in the troops. Magni and your father came storming in to save the integrity of this place.”
“Well, I guess my mother does have a point. Those chandeliers are from a different era and they aren’t energy efficient. She grew up with a different mindset about consumption.”
Mason walked with his hand around my shoulder. “Your mom needs to learn how to relax, Thor. I’m so glad you’re back, because Pearl has been driving us all insane. She was always extreme in many ways, but it’s like missing you drove her over the edge.”
“How bad can it be?”
Letting go of me, Mason took the stairs three steps at a time. “You have no idea. The poor woman was so busy distracting herself from her grief that she worked like she was possessed. She had the staff do inventory of all the items in the Gray Mansion and took part herself. She project-managed the renovation of the basement, which sucked because they closed down the fight room for three months. It’s a good thing that you’re back because we were seriously worried about what she would do next.”
I looked up to see the beautiful old chandeliers still in their place and heard doors slamming somewhere above. Soon running footsteps followed and my sister’s head popped out from the third-floor landing.
“Thor! You’re back.”
It was good to see Freya’s wide smile and I waited by the end of the stairs while she came running down followed by my cousin Dina.
