Page 9 of Before the Bond Breaks
He moved closer and kept his voice low. “Maze. You sure you want to do this together?”
I didn’t want to go on this mission with anyone else. However, so much time had passed, I wasn’t sure of his feelings. Yet, neither of us would choose any other option but to mate. It was our duty to our clans.
“If we’re going to win this war, you and I have to mate. The ripple effect of the soulbound will strengthen our clans.”
One corner of his mouth inched up, and his wolf flashed in his eyes. “I’ll do it.”
Relief edged through me. Until he added, “But not like this. Not out of duty. If I take you as my mate, it’ll be because we chose it. Not because theNornsdemand it.”
His words reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. I stared at him, every instinct warring inside me. “Talon?—”
“Maze,” he interrupted, his voice rough but certain. “I want more than power. I want you. All of you.”
The air between us went molten. And just like that, the next battle wasn’t out there. It was inside me.
5
TALON
Just after sunrise,Maze and I arrived at the small airport where the private jet waited for us. I parked my SUV in the lot closest to the hangar. One of my brothers would come get the vehicle later. Maze wanted to create a portal to New York City since she and her sisters discovered Jessica had rented an apartment in the city right after she went radio silent. I insisted we fly because I wanted to spend time with Maze where we were alone and she couldn’t escape me easily. Not that she would actually run away.
But, I wasn’t taking any chances.
She was stubborn and way too duty-bound. It was her nature since she was the eldest daughter of the Valkyrie Prime Matron. The Prime Heir and a born leader.
After we boarded the jet, Maze sat across from me, back straight, legs crossed, eyes fixed on the clouds beyond the window. Regal, unshakable, untouchable. The same damn way she’d been two hundred years ago. I’d witnessed the softer side of Maze when she was with me or her sisters. The death of mother had madeher push all that softness away. I was going to bring that side back out of its hiding spot.
My wolf prowled under my skin, restless, snarling every time her scent drifted over the narrow cabin. Vanilla and ice. It had haunted me for centuries.
She pulled her gaze from the window and locked with mine. Small frown lines formed between her brows. “You’re staring.”
“It’s been a long time.”
Her frown deepened, but her reply was soft. “I know.”
I could push. Demand answers. She wasn’t ready to share them right now. I guessed it was because she didn’t have many answers to my mountain of questions. So, I let it go for now.
After a few beats of silence, she asked, “How long have you known Balder was on Midgard?”
“A few months. Although he’s been here longer than that, if he has an army already.”
“I agree. The more I think about it, the more I think he sent my sisters and me on a senseless chase through the nine worlds.”
I held back a smile that tried to form. “That pisses you off.”
She glared at me. “That’s an understatement. The only thing that makes sense is that he is using my mother’s grimoire to hide his location.”
“That’s my theory too. My inner circle and I have been tracking down theeitrborn,and we discovered they live in groups like my clan does. But their groups are smaller, with three to six members.” We’d taken down each group, killing the monsters.“We’ve also been searching for and collecting magical artifacts so Balder couldn’t use them for whatever plan he has.”
“Good.” She glanced out the window again and didn’t speak again for a few minutes. “How are you doing?”
I leaned forward and took her hand, needing the physical contact. “My wolf and I miss our mate, but otherwise we’re good. The clan is thriving as much as we can. Freya being there with us helps. So does my ability to ground chaotic magic.”
Using my grounding magic daily to keep my clan from going completely feral was taking its toll on me. But I won’t need to use it as much once Maze and I bond.
“If we complete the bond, you wouldn’t need to use it.”
Meeting her hard gaze, I pulled on her hand, making her jerk forward so I could wrap my arms around her. I tugged her onto my lap and sat back on the seat. “If it gets critical, we’ll do it, but right now I’m managing.”
