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Eyes narrowing, she stared at her mother. There was somethingabout the way she’d said the word - all - that made Shaw think she was stillmissing something key here. Freyja, reaching up to rub her eyes. She was weary.She hadn’t slept in weeks.
“You look tired.” Tore observed. “Why don’t you head home and getsome sleep.”
Sleep would be nice. If only she could. Getting to her feet Shawkissed both her parents goodnight before leaving, intending to head home whereshe would spend her time cleaning and sharpening all her weaponry. At leastthat would keep her busy. First though, she would take the battery out of herphone. That way she wouldn’t be interrupted by a plethora of Demon selfiesshowcasing what a good time Kaleb was out there having. Dancing. Drinking.Cavorting.
Christina and Tore watched Shaw wearily shuffle out.
“She does look tired.” Christina agreed.
“And confused and unhappy. You don’t think we could have done…said more to help?”
Turning in her seat, Christina reached over to caress the smoothmidnight skin of Tore’s cheek. “Do you remember when we were falling in love?How we both fought and struggled against it? Neither one of us would havelistened to any advice. We had to blindly blunder onwards until the truth wasundeniable.”
Capturing Christina’s hand, Tore planted a kiss on her palm, hiseyes heating with desire. “You are my love, that is the truth and it isundeniable.”
“Yes, it is. Now let’s just hope our gorgeous mule headed eldestchild can get out of her own damn way and claim that Demon of hers.”
The edges of Tore’s mouth lifted into a wry smile. “Family dinnerswill never be dull… or quiet ever again.”
“Maybe that’s for the best. Perhaps you and I are also in need ofsome fresh new challenges… what could be more challenging than having someValkyrie grandbabies running around under foot…”
“…Or Conflict Demon imps setting each other on fire.” They bothwinced at the idea, before erupting into shared laughter.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Ugh.” Kaleb uttered the sound like it had ten syllables.Seriously contemplating the idea of collapsing face down on his desk. No. He’dbarely commenced the campaign to win Shaw’s heart and manoeuvre her intoclaiming him. He would not fail at the first hurdle.
Sliding open the nearest desk drawer he grabbed some eyedrops.Applying two drops expertly to each eye. Ah, better already, less sandpaper andmore liquid. Next, he popped the top off an antacid bottle, tossing backseveral pills, dry swallowing them. It was official, a Conflict Demon could notsurvive on ale alone. He made a mental note to order a salad for lunch.
Next was a wet wipe, slapping that on his face and rubbing hard.That would get the blood moving and hopefully help disguise the fact that itwas almost a month now since he’d slept. Running fingers through his hair,attempting to make it look less like it hadn’t seen a comb or brush in over aweek.
Lord Lucifer below, Kaleb was weary to his very bones. But nomatter how often he tried, his brain refused to switch off and allow him tosleep.
Plotting his way into Shaw’s heart took up the majority of hiswaking hours. His mission made easier thanks to a tracking app he’d had one ofhis rocket scientist pre-school teachers cobble together. (An actual rocketscientist. Kaleb paid way better wages than NASA) Also going a long way to helpwas all the intel imparted by the Valkyries he bumped into at Shaw’s regularhaunts. Allowing him to stay abreast of where Shaw was and what she was doing.
Such a bunch of sweet, tender-hearted sturdy gals. Yes, they madehim pay for the ale. But they were always willing to spill all the latest newson Shaw.
When Kaleb wasn’t stalking and pre-empting Shaw’s every move, hewas trying to come up with thoughtful, meaningful gifts, that would ensure shedidn’t forget his name or that he even existed.
Though none of that busy work could dispel the gut gnawing worrythat just wouldn’t loosen its hold upon him. Was Shaw, okay? Was she happy? Howwere those medically mandated battle tests going? Was she wearing enoughsunscreen? The suns could be harsh on most of the Fjornfall battle Planes.
How about that meeting she had scheduled with the PathingwostCollective? Who were suing the Valkyrie Empire because their illustriousleader’s birthday brouhaha battle had resulted in his heir losing a testicle.
Problem being the Valkyrie, who was currently displaying theappendage on her trophy wall, was refusing to give it back. A delicate legalproblem to say the least.
Although Kaleb’s biggest concern was fixated upon how Shaw wascoping with the realisation that she no longer belonged on the battlefields. Ithad been plain to Kaleb, almost from the first moment they met, when shedemanded he sign the pre-school admission forms, that Shaw enjoyed theirnegotiations. Okay, yes, perhaps she relied too heavily on the threat ofviolence to get her own way. But that just made Shaw’s unique managerialapproach of scowls and smarts all the more effective.
The more time they’d spent together, the more Kaleb had witnessedShaw tap into her innate core strengths. She wasn’t charm and blowing smoke upyour ass. She was steely eyed intent, ruthless with the few words she did use,and able to cut through bullshit like she was part laser scalpel. It was notKaleb’s style, but it worked for Shaw.
He knew her, inside and out. Knew it would go down to the wire.That she would need to pass all the medically mandated testing battles to provesomething to herself, if nothing else, before she would be able to come toterms with the fact that she had moved on from being a battle Valkyrie.
To accept the reality that just because she worked at CorporateHeadquarters, it didn’t mean her role was lesser. In fact, Shaw was oftenplaying for higher stakes now. The situations more delicate, bordering on thedire. The outcomes having a ripple effect and impacting the entire ValkyrieEmpire. Every action Shaw undertook, every word she uttered, had to bemeasured, success more vital than ever.
Zuri had been exceedingly helpful in letting Kaleb know the dateand time of Shaw’s final battle trial. It being Shaw, who wasn’t one toprocrastinate, he was pretty sure within five minutes of completing the testshe would have faced up to the brutal truth.
Approaching Shaw’s parents had been the stuff of nightmares. ButKaleb couldn’t allow Shaw to just turn up and blurt out her intent to embraceher role at Headquarters indefinitely.
After meeting Christina and Tore, he knew they were the kind ofpeople who needed time to digest life changing news. Their first answer toeverything was violence. Better he make himself a target than have themalienate or sway Shaw from her chosen path.
