Valkyrie Heat (16 page)

said. He rose from his huge wooden seat and went to place his

hand on Katla’s pregnant belly. “Sky and my son, Leif, have a

connection; he lives because of her.”

Many agreed, but there was one whose anger was growing in

his frustration.

* * * *

The next day later in the afternoon, Rolf was sitting by the

fire in his hut thinking. Sky was at the cabin helping Katla and a

few others by keeping an eye on their children. Rolf was very

happy with the situation. Sky would help the women watch their

children and no man in the village would dare harm a woman

endeared to their wivesunless they were looking for a losing

battle. Both Rolf and Brandr had been growing concerned as the

weeks passed. Sky tried so hard to be helpful, but their lives were

very physical, and Sky was not. Rolf had been approached by a few

women, friends of Sky’s. A few times, Sky had been weeping and

tried to cover it up. She never complained to anyone. She suffered

in silence. The woman was strong-hearted. The village women

were concerned for her. Many men also shared the women’s

concerns and their respect had grown.

98

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

Sky had no strength in her arms; she was trouble even when

she tried to stay out of the way. She was sometimes more trouble

than a tick on a horse’s ass! She couldn’t haul water in their

wooden buckets; the empty bucket was heavy enough. Then she

had the young pre-warriors chasing her about. Sky was little, but

all woman with her sweet curves and was very appealing to a lusty

young man. She was smaller than all of them, making them feel

strong and big, and would be an easy conquest and the young men

would find her effortless to control and keep quiet. Eirik had

offered her his protection, but Eirik’s older son, Alfarin, was just

as eager for her.

Now that Sky had saved Alfarin’s younger brother, he would

no doubt protect her like a rabid hound from his panting friends. A

bad situation had worked out very well. Now Rolf just had to

figure out what to do with Brandr. The man was eager for Sky to

let him do anything he wanted in the furs. Sky was obviously

hesitant. Rolf scratched at his head. Sky cared for Brandr, that

wasn’t the issue. He smiled when he secretly believed her to be in

love with himself already. She trusted Brandr and ran to him for

protection when she needed him. Rolf was uncertain why Sky

would let him do anything he wanted during sex, yet not Brandr.

Sky had warmed to Rolf the moment they had met; he had

seen it. It was why he had taken her so quickly and not just waited

for her to get used to him. He had been amazed she had wanted

him so fast, as if she had known him forever and already loved him.

Sky went to Rolf more often than Brandr. Rolf frowned; he

wanted Sky to love them equally. It was important there be no

rivalry or jealousy or their little family would be doomed.

Rolf wanted to protect both of them. But he couldn’t will or

demand that Sky let Brandr be rough with her. It would make

everyone miserable. Rolf knew Brandr wouldn’t hurt her. How

could he convince Sky? While thinking of them both, Sky and

Brandr walked into the hut.

99

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

“Not tired,” Sky said and rolled her eyes.

Rolf chuckled. Because she was so little, Brandr had insisted

she nap. Rolf admitted she looked tired. Sky tried so hard to fit in,

she did more than she should and ended up paying for it. He had

never known a woman to bruise or tire so easily. But because she

did, both men had watched her closely and Rolf thought he saw a

pattern. If Sky ate regularly and had enough sleep, she seemed to

have more energy and bruised less. If she was too tired, she ate

less, and a few small bruises would then be visible the next day.

Discovering this, the men fell into a pattern with her—napping

and regular meals. It appeared to help.

“Brandr and I will be outside,” Rolf said and cupped her chin.

He kissed her tenderly. He had already grown to love her. She was

so beautiful, so perfect for them both.

She tried to mask a yawn. “Sleep. Children are very

demanding and Leif is a willful boy.”

“He never gives me any trouble,” Sky said.

It was true. The almost five-year-old had never been the cause

of any concern to Sky, even before she had saved him. Since she

had saved him, he was now just as smitten as the other boys, it

would seem. He followed her around the cabin with his wooden

sword, glaring at the older boys. Rolf remembered he had smiled

earlier that morning when the boy had wielded his wooden sword

at a young pre-warrior when the young man had gotten close to

Sky. Leif was a son any man would be proud of. Rolf hoped to be

as lucky. He refrained from saying anything, but he had casually

noted Sky had missed her moon time. He wouldn’t jump to

conclusions, though he longed to be a father. After all Sky had been

working hard. It might just be that her woman time had been

thrown off. But Rolf still hoped for a child; boy or girl it didn’t

matter. As long as both the child and mother were healthy. All too

often, they were reminded how fragile a birthing woman could

be…as well as a vulnerable babe.

100

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

Rolf smiled as Brandr settled Sky down in the furs and told

her sternly to close her eyes.

Sky always listened to Brandr, but she smiled cheekily at his

dear friend and demanded a kiss first. Brandr kissed her tenderly

then draped a light skin over her. For a few moments, Brandr

rubbed his hand up and down her back to her hip.

Rolf smiled at the love he could see in his friend’s eyes. Sky’s

lashes fluttered closed and before the men left the hut, she was

asleep on her side with a small fist tucked under her chin.

They walked companionably around the back of the hut.

“There was a bruise on her thigh this morning,” Rolf said.

“It wasn’t me,” Brandr said defensively. “That woman looks at

something hard and she has a bruise.”

Rolf chuckled. “True enough. Did she eat this morning?”

“Yes.”

Brandr dumped a huge load of wood onto a pile that Rolf

began stacking neatly against the hut wall.

Brandr stretched, his look was thoughtful and Rolf could tell

he wanted advice.

“I asked her last night if she would let me have her a bit

rougher than I have.”

“And?”

“She looked worried, a bit scared.”

Rolf sighed. He could see Brandr’s emotions boiling under the

surface, and Brandr wasn’t one to simmer. Rolf knew he had been

waiting and attempting to control his urges for a long time. When

Sky finally agreed to have him the way he wanted, Rolf wanted to

make certain Brandr would be in charge of his emotions.

“I want Sky to want me. She is ours, after all,” Brandr

complained.

Rolf looked at him feeling thoughtful. “But she is not ours to

abuse.”

Brandr looked appalled. “I would never

101

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

“I know,” Rolf soothed quickly, realizing he had hurt his

friend’s feelings. “But what if Sky doesn’t want sex the way you

want it?”

“There is heat in her eyes,” Brandr said, gazing past him as

though seeing a different place. “She has Valkyrie heat. She just

needs a taste.”

“I’m going hunting for a few days,” Rolf casually mentioned.

Perhaps Brandr was right. He could use this opportunity to his

advantage. It was time to give them a chance to connect better.

“Will you be all right with Sky alone?”

Brandr grinned widely. “Oh, we’ll be just fine,” he declared.

* * * *

Sky was exhausted. But it was a good kind of tired. Her limbs

didn’t ache so bad that she felt she would cry. Her back wasn’t sore

from lifting firewood. There were no new blisters from hauling

water on her soft palms. She loved the children she cared for that

day. The mothers had watched her closely at first, but soon relaxed

when Sky settled the little ones in the log cabin and told them a

story, keeping not only the children quiet and entertained but

handled some of the older boys who were always trying to cop a

feel on a dare. Sometimes they were such nuisances. And if the

boys had gotten a bit rowdy, Alfarin and little Leif growled a

command to leave her be.

Brandr was smiling when he sat at the table. They had chosen

to eat at the hut that evening; actually, it had been Brandr’s idea.

Sky didn’t mind, she was looking forward to some quiet time with

her men. She had brought meat and bread and many wonderful

foods to sample from the hut. The other women had spoiled her

with many dishes to try; they had been very grateful.

Sky set the food out before them. “Rolf should hurry before it

gets cold.”

“Rolf is hunting,” Brandr said.

102

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

Sky hadn’t known he was going hunting; he had said nothing

when he left that afternoon. “Will he be back shortly? It will be

dark soon.”

“He and a few others went scouting as well as hunting; it’s

always safe to keep an eye on your perimeter and surrounding

outer areas. He will be back in a few days.”

Sky’s mug paused at her lips. She hadn’t been left alone for

days with Brandr without Rolf since Brandr had first found her. She

felt Brandr’s fingers touch hers. She looked into his smiling eyes,

and her heart skipped a beat.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to,” Brandr

promised.

Sky nodded. She stilled her shaky hand and sipped from her

mug. She watched Brandr eat. “What do you want?”

“For you to trust me.”

“I do. You let no harm come to me.”

“You think I will harm you.”

“Not on purpose. You are so powerful. Sometimes you get

too rough. Sometimes it hurts.”

Brandr looked at her strangely. “I don’t think you mind

rough, and it hurts when you tense and try to deny me. I think you

are afraid of something else.”

She looked at him a bit shocked. A flashback of Brody

thrusting heatedly into Colleen came to mind and she felt her face

flame. She had been appalled, frightened, excited…curious. Brody

had pinned her arms. Colleen had yelled for more. Before Sky had

raced from the room, Brody had placed his hand over Colleen’s

mouth to quiet her and thrust harder.
What if Colleen had changed

her mind? How would Brody know if what he was doing hurt her?

Brandr cocked his head to the side. “You have seen rough sex

and it frightened you,” he exclaimed. “Was the captive taken

brutally?”

103

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

Sky reddened further. “She is always taken brutally,” she

mumbled.

Brandr leaned back in his chair. “She has no choice. You have

a choice. She doesn’t trust those men; you trust me. She hates

everyoneyou like me?”

“Very very much,” Sky admitted.

Brandr smiled. “Eat, Sky. I won’t pounce on you.”

Sky munched on her bread and downed a mug of fermented

brew. She ate the mutton Brandr handed her and cheese and sweet

berries. Brandr devoured his dinner. When Sky finished, she

gathered their plates and Brandr stood watch over her while she

washed them at the river. Sky settled the dishes onto a shelf when

they returned to the hut and jumped when she felt Brandr’s lips at

her neck. He removed her small leather shirt.

He nuzzled her ear and he whispered, “Tonight I will be

gentle and begin slowly. You are mine alone for the next three

nights.”

Sky gulped and shivered when he turned her. She whimpered

when he gathered her wrists and tied them in front of her.

104

Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

Chapter 5

“What are you going to do?” Sky whispered.

“Everything,” he said. His mouth moved over her shoulders

hungrily.

Sky felt her hip wrap fall to the ground. Brandr turned her

around and pushed her backwards gently until she bumped against

the wall. There was a small smooth log she stepped up on. He took

her tied wrists and pulled them high over her head, slipping them

over a large steel hook. Sky was standing on her tiptoes. Colleen

had been held captive like this, not tied, but helpless. Sky’s heart

began to beat madly. She whimpered his name with uncertainty.

“I won’t hurt you, Sky. Please don’t be afraid of me.”

Sky wasn’t afraid of him, but she was pensive. Brandr began

to suck her breasts. He devoted long moments to each one until

they throbbed. He pulled her bud into his mouth and worked it

hard with his demanding tongue and lips. He grazed his teeth over

the tip of her nipple. Sky squirmed under him, groaning and

gasping for breath. It hurt and felt good at the same time. Her

turmoil battled. This was always the part where she and Brandr had