He's quiet for a moment, staring into the dancing flames. "My wolf was taking control and I was losing my humanity, my ability to reason in wolf form." He rises from the chair and crosses to where I stand. His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining. "Until you."
Something warm unfurls in my chest at his words. The intensity in his eyes tells me more than any lengthy explanation could. I squeeze his hand, suddenly so grateful for whatever cosmic force decided to plant his soul shard inside of me.
"I was meant to be your mate," I murmur, the realization both humbling and empowering.
"In every way." His thumb traces small circles on my wrist, his touch sending shivers up my arm.
"So tomorrow we go to Avalon," I say, slipping from his grasp to move toward the balcony on the other side of the room. I push open the glass doors, letting in a rush of cool night air that makes the hearth fire flicker. The city spreads below us, a web of golden lights against the darkness, with mountains rising like sentinels in the distance. "To meet a king, a queen, more Knights, and probably get even deeper in this... what is happening?"
The words come out slightly breathless, reality catching up with me as I stare at this alien landscape. A week ago, I was just Agent Mathieson with a government badge, a gun, swords, and a clear mission. Now I'm standing on a balcony on another planet, wearing an Asgardian gown, with a wolf living inside me and a mate who's over five centuries old.
The vertigo isn't just from the height of the balcony. It's from the staggering realization that I'm now entangled in a conflict spanning eight worlds and thousands of years. Kings and queens. Ancient magick. Soul shards. Knights of the Round Table. It sounds like something from a fantasy novel, not my life. Part of me wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all, while another part wonders if I'm remotely qualified to play a role in something this monumental.
Fen comes to stand behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, his chest solid and warm against my back. "Having second thoughts?"
I lean back against him, taking comfort in his solid presence as the cool breeze lifts strands of my hair. "No. Just trying to keep up. A week ago, I was just hunting monsters. Now I'm part of the solution to an ancient magickal multi-world crisis."
"You're handling it remarkably well," he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear, creating a pleasant contrast to the night air on my skin.
"I'm compartmentalizing," I admit. "It's what I do. One problem at a time, one day at a time."
"A good strategy," he says, his hands tightening slightly at my waist as he pulls me closer. "For now, maybe we should focus on getting some rest?"
I turn in his arms to face him, the moonlight streaming in behind me, casting half his face in shadow while illuminating the other. His proximity sends a rush of heat through me.
"Is that really what you want to focus on right now?" I challenge, one eyebrow raised.
His eyes darken, pupils expanding until only a thin ring of amber-gold remains, his gaze dropping to my lips with such intensity I can almost feel the touch. The scent of him intensifies into something wild that makes my wolf surge beneath my skin. My breath catches as his hands tighten at my waist, fingers pressing into the fabric with just enough pressure to send electricity racing along my nerves.
"Perhaps not my first choice," he admits, voice dropping to a low rumble that reverberates through his chest into mine where our bodies press together.
"I thought not." My skin feels too tight, too hot, too sensitive as I stretch up on my toes, bringing my mouth close to his.
His hands slide from my waist to my lower back, pulling me flush against the hard planes of his body.
His laugh rumbles through his chest, a sound of pure joy that makes my wolf purr in response. "You are very correct," he murmurs against my lips, the whisper of contact sending sparks racing across my skin before he captures my mouth fully with his own.
The kiss deepens quickly, any pretense of restraint abandoned as my fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer. His hands roam possessively up my back, tracing the curve of my spine through the gown that is suddenly an unwelcome barrier.
Tomorrow will bring Camelot, politics, and more complications for sure. But tonight, with the moon watching over Asgard's golden spires and the fire casting dancing shadows across the walls, tonight is just for us. Wolf to wolf, mate to mate, with no world but the one we create between our bodies.
CHAPTER 43
The Evil Queen
* * *
Astrid Mathieson
"Are you ready?" Fen asks, his massive frame currently blocking a doorway that shouldn't exist. He says we can walk through this liquidy-looking water straight into Camelot.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Not too long ago, I would have classified this as a Class Three anomaly and called for immediate containment. I would have done my job as a GUIDE Inquisitor—eliminate the threat and protect humanity from the dangers of unchecked magick.
Now I'm about to step through it willingly, though perhaps slightly worried.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I say, squaring my shoulders.
Fen extends his hand. I take it. I can do this.
