Page 32 of Heart of the Wolf
Rough knuckles grazed her jaw as Leif fastened her cloak in place. It was late, well past when everyone had retired. The full moon hung high in the cloudless sky. Constellations twinkled overhead as a chilly breeze blew through her curls, making a shiver tickle her nape.
Without a word, Leif shed his cloak, laying it on top of hers.
“What about you?” she asked.
“As long as you are comfortable, I am fine.”
Warmth spread along her back as he tucked her into his side. The thatched roofs glistened in the moonlight, each streak of silver reflecting off the icy glaze. Soon, the quiet homes and billowing smoke stacks faded behind them.
Frozen dew-covered grass crunched beneath their boots. Wind swept over the cliff’s edge, overlooking the still ocean waters below. The earth bowed inward, steeringthem into a valley. In spring, she imagined this place bursting with colorful wildflowers.
After arriving in the middle of the quiet valley, Leif sat, pulling her down with him.
Pressure grew against her abdomen, and she squeaked. Hard muscles dug into her back, and hot breath blew over her skin. Leif situated her between his outstretched legs, circling his arms around her waist.
“This place is where Odin appeared to me. Seven years ago now. While my father succumbed to his injuries. I came out here to pray to the gods. Asking them to bless me with wisdom. To guide my feet.”
His cheek rested against hers; her body twisted too far to be comfortable, gazing at him. Grass poked through her cloak, itching her thighs. Their breath misted in the air between them. Swirls of gray mixed with flecks of silver in his eyes, communicating so many unspoken truths.
Everyone saw him as Úlfr or Konungr, but alone at this moment, she sawhim. The only person he allowed to see him like this, raw and vulnerable.
“I am sorry about your father. Was it hard on you and Astrid?”
His quiet laughter ruffled her curls, blowing them like a winter’s breeze. Warm breath fanned over her face, his lips wet and soft against her temple.
“Astrid told you, I see.” Brielle nodded. “It wasn’t a secret. But she always wanted a sister. Called boys stupid.” He chuckled, his face turning serious. “Our father died how he wanted, in battle. Besides, we are sure he missed our mother. It would have been selfish to keep him from her any longer.”
Another shiver shook her tiny frame. This time, not from the cold. Callused fingers were rough on her face as he positioned her hood into place.
When he spoke of his parents, there was a reverence in his tone. The rumble of it vibrated her body. It reminded her of how her chest squeezed whenever memories of her own mother visited. While she had no fondness for her father, her mother had always made her feel special.
Snow shimmered in the starlight, dusting the field in a thin sheen of white. She caught falling flakes on her palm, watching them melt away.
“And your mother?” she asked, wanting to know as much as he would share.
“Died in battle. Astrid was still a babe. Back when the clans still warred. As fierce as she was mighty. She wasn’t a warrior, but she fought until her last breath to protect her children from infiltrating clans. She feasts in Valhalla with my father.”
Two fingers lightly pinched her chin.
“You remind me of her,” he mused, wrapping a curl around his finger. “My father always said I needed two things to be a good Konungr. That I must know the difference between leading and ruling. And to find a strong kona who wasn’t afraid to challenge me. He warned many people would whisper half-truths in my ear to get close to power. That I needed someone who would tell me the things I didn’t want to hear. Someone who made my burdens less.”
Her eyes widened. Something inside fractured at his words, the shards piercing her delicate heart. She wanted to be that for him. He didn’t need to walk this life alone. He had her.
All of her, and she would show him how completely she was his.
“My mother died as well. I was still very little. Only a handful of winters had passed.” Strong arms rocked her gently as she spoke. “She developed a cough. Nothing helped. Then a month later, she was gone.” Tears stung her eyes as she continued. “It was why I wanted to become a healer. I wanted to help people.”
“Tell me of her,” he murmured, his lips warm against her cheek.
For once, she allowed her mind to drift back to the memories she kept tightly sealed away.
Over the years, whenever she remembered her mother, a dark cloud of grief followed her for days. Everyone told her that a time would come when she would think of her and it would be with fondness and love instead of sadness.
She hoped now was that time.
“She had hair that glittered like spun gold in the sunlight. People smiled at her no matter where she went. Her strength came from within, the anchor for our family. Without her, things fell apart.” Her shoulders rolled in as Leif’s grip around her tightened. “She’d sneak me sweet, simmered berries and tell me stories of gods and warriors when I couldn’t sleep.”
“Gods,” Leif murmured. “Which ones?”
