Page 26 of Soul of Fire

“Ah. I see it suits you just fine,” Ingrid commented wryly, looking between my face and her son’s.

Idunn purred in my chest, and I was sure I had turned crimson. “I have no complaints.” I glanced back at Arik and gave him a nudge over our mental bridge. “Aside from the stubbornness.”

Cheeky. You’ll pay for that later.Arik’s voice was pure, feral need, and it was taking a great deal of self-control to rein in Idunn as she struggled to reach Baldur.

Arik’s mother is right there. Would you have me take him here and now?

Yes.Idunn’s eyes almost broke through my own, but I pushed her back.

No.

“Are you quite alright?” Ingrid was looking at me with amused concern.

Arik’s shoulders shook with laughter as he remained unhelpfully silent.

“I—“

But I didn’t have to scramble for an answer after all.

One of the adjoining chamber doors banged open as a man, older than Arik by at least fifteen years and wearing nothing but a towel wrapped low around his waist, stepped into the room.

His voice was thickly accented, and he scowled as if Arik had personally wronged him. “About bloody time ye came to say hello.”

Chapter eight

Arik

Yourmotherhasa…Eisa seemed to fumble for the right word as she took in the man who had been more a father to me than my own.A mistress?

I choked on a laugh.Not even close.

It had been five years at least since I’d seen him, but Arne hadn’t changed much. His dark beard was a little more liberally streaked with gray, perhaps, and the silver at his temples extended farther than I remembered, but in every other way he was unchanged.

“Arne arrived late last night,” my mother said apologetically as the towel sagged ominously around my uncle’s waist.

“For fuck’s sake, put some clothes on, old man,” I drawled, moving to Eisa’s other side and draping my arm over the back of the sofa a bit more possessively than was strictly necessary.

Arne’s eyes followed my movement, and he swore as he fled back behind the door with irritated growls and mutterings.

“I’d better ask Magda to bring more breakfast.” My mother sighed deeply as she rose from her chair. “Your uncle has a foul temper when he’s hungry.”

Your uncle?Eisa asked, her eyes bright with amusement.I thought he wasn’t here yet.

So did I.I poured myself a cup of tea and settled in more comfortably beside my mate.Imagine my surprise.

You sent him away rather rudely.

Baldur growled, unhelpfully, and I tamped him down.

The only bare chest I want you looking at is mine, Kjære.

Eisa snorted into her teacup.He’s too hairy for me, anyway.

I smiled despite Baldur’s possessive nonsense.Arne is one of the reasons I am the man I am today.I tucked a strand of wayward hair behind her ear, admiring the shape of the pointed tip.And a valuable ally against my father.

“Gods fucking damn these buttons to the deepest hells!” Arne’s voice carried from behind the door.

Charming, too. I see where you get it.