Frey added her power to Einarr’s as he lowered his barriers and pushed deep into Aki’s mind. He took another step forward, his gaze intent. Frey climbed up onto the countertop and took up her new firing stance.
“Aki…”
With a roar, Aki threw the captain to one side and launched himself at his brother, his dagger raised.
Frey yelled and threw herself off the counter coming down on Aki’s back and shooting the tranquilizer dart directly into his neck. He fell forward with a snarl of pain. Even before he hit the ground, Einarr was on top of him, securing his hands behind his back.
He glanced up at Frey who had also rolled to one side. “You have the translator?”
She secured it to the back of Aki’s neck, smoothing out the band until it was stuck firmly in place. If he wanted to remove it, he’d have to use a knife. Not that she thought that would stop him. She hoped he’d remain quiet long enough to understand that the translator wouldn’t harm him. He was a big man like Einarr and he’d already started to regain consciousness. This time some of his curses were even translatable.
Einarr removed his brother’s weapons and remained beside him, one hand smoothing his twin’s fair hair away from his face.
“I’ll watch him, Frey. Help untie the crew.”
The females had also started on that task so the others were soon released and proved to be mainly unharmed. As she worked to free them, Frey heard several versions of the story. Apparently since the eclipse, Aki had picked them off one at a time, starting with the science officer assigned to care for him on the journey, and progressing through the crew until only the pilot and captain had been spared to do their job and land the ship.
After informing Brown that the situation was clear and he should get the medics onboard, Frey turned her attention to tracking down the science officer and comparing notes. If her opposite number had been the first to go down, it was highly likely that any special orders from FREN with regards to the Viking had not been carried out. After speaking to the shaken male, she discovered that had proved to be the case. Once he realized that his report and Frey’s described similar occurrences related to the eclipse and the orders he’d received, he promised to send her a copy. She could only hope that it would prevent FREN from insisting everything that had happened was her fault.
“Frey?”
She looked around to see Aki being strapped on a gurney. His eyes were closed and he was breathing normally. His hair was the color of golden corn and was tied back in a braid like his twins. Einarr stood next to him, his blue gaze icy and fixed on her.
“What’s up?”
“Come with Aki and me.”
“Sure.” She knew he wasn’t pleased at her for literally leaping to his defense, but she wasn’t going to sit still while Aki gutted her male on the end of his dagger. The fact that she hadn’t even had to think about her decision to protect Einarr was unnerving. The gurney moved off, surrounded by a secure guard and followed by Einarr and Frey.
When they emerged into the docking bay, it looked like the whole of Alpha Three was present including an unhappy looking Dr. Pel Aziz and the reps from FREN and TSA.
“Oh
heeze
,” Frey muttered. “Now we’re in for it.”
Dr. Aziz held up her hand blocking the others.
“Infirmary first for
everyone
. Questions later. No arguments.”
Frey waited as Aki was sedated more heavily and the medical team converged on him to complete their assessments. Brown had secured the entire medical wing, and only she and Einarr were allowed anywhere near the unconscious Viking. She’d expected to be put back in her cell, but for some reason, no one had attempted to restrain her—yet.
She rolled her shoulders, aware of a number of aches and pains collected during her adventurous day. Brown came out of Aki’s room escorting a furious-looking Einarr.
“He’s not going anywhere, Viking. Let the medical team get their tests done, okay?”
Einarr glared at him. “Get me the moment he awakens.”
“I’ll make sure that happens.” Brown pointed at the room across the hallway. “Why don’t you crash in there. I’ll come and find you the second the scientists are done with him.”
“Crash?” Einarr frowned.
Frey couldn’t help but smile. “He means you should get some sleep while you can so that you’ll be ready to deal with Aki when he wakes up.”
Einarr’s blue gaze rested on her, and she wished she hadn’t opened her mouth.
“I will rest.” His hand shot out and caught her elbow. “But I insist you accompany me.”
Frey glanced at Brown. “Don’t I have to be locked up somewhere or something?”
“No, you’re good. Less manpower if you’re together.”
She narrowed her eyes at him “Thanks a lot, Brown.”
He winked as he opened the door into the room. “Always happy to aid young lovers.”
The door shut behind her and she turned and walked straight into a two hundred and thirty pound wall of steel. Her nose bumped hard against Einarr’s chest and she took an involuntarily step backward, ending up plastered against the door.
Einarr stared down at her. “Do not
ever
do that again.”
“What?”
“Put yourself in danger for my sake.”
She scowled right back at him. “
Right
, like I’m going to let you die in front of me while I wring my hands and cry like a baby.”
“Aki would not have hurt me.”
“Didn’t look like it from where I was standing. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.” She shoved at his chest, and he rocked on his heels. “Now back off.”
He rested one hand on the door behind her head. “I do not doubt your courage, Frey. But like all men, I would prefer my womenfolk to be safe and far away from the fighting.”
“
Womenfolk
? So you can run around being all heroic and die rather than accept that a woman can fight alongside you?”
‘You told me you wanted my protection,” he growled.
“Not when you’re the one whose about to die.” She pushed him again. “Let me pass you male chauvinist pig.”
This time he took a reluctant step back, and she ducked under his raised arm and got away. Of course, being as they were stuck in the same room, she didn’t have many options. She headed for the small bathroom and slammed the door as hard as she could.
After using the facilities and splashing water on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. There was no way out. Either she stayed in the bathroom until Einarr was called to his brother, or she went out to him and…what? She had nothing to apologize for.
A knock sounded on the door and she stiffened.
“What?”
“May I come in?”
She sighed and straightened up. “I suppose so.”
He opened the door, which she’d forgotten to lock during all her flouncing, and came to stand behind her, his blue eyes meeting hers in the large mirror.
“I have never seen my reflection so clearly,” he murmured.
“It’s just a mirror.” Frey said. His hands remained on her shoulders as he kissed the top of her head, which fitted, neatly under his chin.
“It is not made of polished metal.”
“No, it’s a kind of glass.” She thought about moving away. The sensation of his fingers kneading the tight muscles of her shoulders kept her glued in place and in danger of purring like a cat.
“I should not have shouted at you.” Einarr said quietly. “You did what any valiant warrior would do for a brother-in-arms.”
“I’m not your brother.” The moment she heard the words Frey rushed to take them back. “I mean you’re welcome. And you’re right I would’ve done that for anyone.”
He continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror. “For anyone? It is strange because I would never even think of berating one of my fellow warriors for defending me. I would expect it as my right.”
Frey smiled sweetly. “That’s because you are a four-thousand-year-old sexist Viking pig. Or in simpler terms an old boar. I bet if a woman had done that in your time, you would’ve taken her over your knee and beaten her.”
“Nay, we had shield maidens who fought alongside us.”
“You did?” She frowned at him. “Then why are you so mad at me?”
He bit her throat and she shuddered. “Because you are mine, and I cannot bear to lose you.”
“That’s—”
He bit her again, this time more roughly. “You are
mine
.”
“I can’t be yours, you know that,” she whispered.
“It is not something you or I can decide, Frey. We were fated to meet by the Gods.”
“No, it was just luck.” She swallowed hard. “Einarr,
look
at me. I’m just a boring old scientist who happened to be the first woman you saw when you woke up. Your feelings for me are awesome and all that, but they are
not
real.”
He wrapped one arm around her hips and drew her ass tight against the hardness of his cock. “What I feel for you is quite real.”
“That’s just lust. You can’t—”
She gasped as he sank his teeth into her shoulder and started unbuttoning her uniform. His large hands making short work of her tunic and bra, baring her breasts to his gaze. He cupped her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples into two hard points. She arched her back and he groaned taking the opportunity to shove the rest of her clothes down to the floor where she automatically stepped out of them.
“Mine,” he murmured. “
My
woman.”
Being naked and in front of a mirror had never been her favorite place to be, but with Einarr’s big callused hands roaming over her flesh, she almost didn’t care. His cock pushed hard against the leather of his crotch making her writhe against him. He reached down and put his hand behind her knee, bringing it up to the countertop and set her foot down exposing her sex to his gaze.
His palm cupped her sex. “
Mine
.”
Using two fingers, he rubbed back and forth over her clit and then lower until she was shuddering and wet. He didn’t stop, his thumb working the moisture around her now throbbing clit and then inside her in an endless and remorseless pattern. She climaxed, the sensation so tight and hard that she cried out, echoing his satisfied growl.
She could see everything he was doing to her in the mirror, her dark red swollen clit and the wet slippery opening to her sex where he stabbed his thumb deep.
“Please…” she whispered straining against him, pressing her ass against the unyielding stiff column of his cock. “ Please fuck me.”
“Not yet.”
She reached back and dug her fingernails into his exposed arm. “
Please
.”
He used his fingers to spread her pussy lips wide and pressed his long middle finger inside her. It wasn’t enough and he damn well knew it.
“Fuck me.” This time she didn’t beg, she demanded.
Einarr stared at Frey’s exposed body, the slick wetness on his fingers and the throb of her need playing out beneath his palm. For the first time in his life, he wished he had two cocks to ram into her and fill her until she screamed.
“Your sister has two men in her bed, aye?”
“Yes, but, what’s that got to do with—”
“Do they fuck her together?”
“Yes.”
“I wish there were two of me to fuck you right now, although I fear you might not survive it.”
She glared at him in the mirror, her brown eyes flashing sparks like a fire. “I can take anything you want to give me. I’m a Pavlovan. We’re built to deal with two mates.”
He couldn’t help but slide three fingers in and out of her wetness, aware how wide she was, and how much he wanted her. Her hand gentled on his arm.
“
It’s okay. I won’t break. I promise you
.”
With a growl he released his cock and lifted her high. Both of them watched as he slowly lowered her onto his big needy rod. She took him easily and it was like coming home. After watching her risk her life for him, he wanted to be slow and tender to show his gratitude, but he couldn’t do it. He had to possess her, to make her realize how much she needed him, to make her scream so hard that she’d never want him to stop fucking her.
She came suddenly around his thrusting shaft, each squeeze bringing him closer to his own climax, but he kept moving, pushing her onward, linking his mind to hers so that she’d somehow realize how restrained he was actually being.
“
I know you’re still mad but
you won’t hurt me. You couldn’t
.”
Her thought reverberated through his mind, the stark truth of it making him wild. His hips pistoned back and forth as he fucked her with his full length, each stroke from root to tip, her body taking him, endlessly offering him sanctuary and fulfillment and…Gods…
With one last slam of his hips he pushed deep and held still as his come jetted out in rapid hot spurts. She climaxed with him drawing every last drop of seed from his thrusting cock. His chin came to rest on her shoulder and he opened his eyes and met her gaze in the mirror.
“It is not that I think you lack worth as a fighter, Frey, or wish to keep you doing woman’s work. It is more that I fear I cannot protect you in this strange world—that you will be injured and I will not be able to save you.”
She swallowed hard. “Which is exactly how I feel about you.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Then perhaps we are both fools?”
“For wanting to save each other? I suppose we are.” Frey sighed. “But this can’t last. I have to go back to Pavlovan, and you will be here for a long time in the rehabilitation center.”
He eased his cock free and gently set her foot down on the floor. “I cannot accept this.”
“You
have
to. I’m trying to be honest with you. There isn’t another choice.”
“That is not true.” He moved away from her and she crossed her arms over her breasts. He washed and dried himself off, aware of her withdrawing from him in her mind as well as her body. “You simply do not choose to believe.”
“That’s not
fair
—”
“When the Gods and the Fates align we can do nothing but accept their wishes and sometimes find joy in them.”
She raised her chin. “That’s all very nice, but I don’t believe in your Gods, and I know from personal experience that meeting someone and wanting them like
this
isn’t good or sustainable!”