Enthralled: Viking Lore, Book 1 (27 page)

She would have been
nervous about her wedding night and the consummation of their marriage had she still
been a maiden. Yet she had learned over the last sennight spent with Eirik that
there was naught to fear, and so much pleasure to be had. She’d never known
that she was so passionate, but she was now coming to trust in and revere the
beauty and rightness of the physical expression of their love.

Slowly, he unfastened
the pins holding her dress over her shoulders. The overdress slipped along her
shift and down her body. Meanwhile, her fingers worked on his belt. She lifted
the belt and scabbard, sword and all, away from his body, setting them aside.

He leaned in and kissed
her, but it wasn’t the jubilant press of lips they’d shared earlier at their
wedding ceremony. This kiss was slow, soft at first but deepening,
communicating the assured pleasures they were about to share.

She reveled in the
tantalizing caresses of his tongue. Her mind flitted to all the things he could
do with that tongue, and the coil of heat in her belly flared to life.

He pulled her against
his chest, bringing new awareness and sensation to her breasts where they
pressed against every hard ridge and plane of him. She could feel the stiff
column of his manhood solidly grinding into her belly.

Suddenly he stooped and
scooped her up with a hand behind each of her knees. She squealed in surprise
and clung to his neck as he secured her legs around his hips and strode toward
the wooden table against the wall.

He set her down on the
table but held her legs around him, circling his hips against her to show her
how much he wanted her. She dropped her arms from around his neck and leaned
back, propping herself up with her hands. She let her head fall back as a moan
escaped her. His hardness rubbed against her most sensitive spot, both a tease
and a promise of what was to come.

He released his hold on
her legs
,
and she drew them up slightly so
that her heels rested on the table. He skimmed his hands down her front, over
both hard-tipped breasts and across her belly. The touch was so light and
fleeting that it caused her to shiver, but his hands returned soon enough, this
time more firmly. They found each one of her breasts, his thumbs circling her
nipples.

Without realizing it,
her hips were beginning to writhe and swirl against his to the rhythm of his
hands. Her breath
ing
had grown ragged and she
didn’t bother to suppress the sighs and moans passing her lips.

He jerked away from
her, and she raised her head to protest the sudden absence of contact, but then
he gripped her thighs. He yanked her shift up past her hips and knelt between
her spread legs.

She let her head fall
back onto the table at the first flick of his tongue. This kind of pleasure,
this level of closeness, was almost too much. But instead of shying away from
the intimacy, she spread her legs wider, beckoning him on.

He flicked and laved,
sucked and swirled, until she was arching in pleasure and crying out his name.
Ecstasy stole over her, flooding her with light and sensation.

When the throbbing
pleasure began to ebb, he stood and tore off his tunic to reveal all the hard
lines, ridges, and valleys of his torso. He pulled her up to him, and she could
feel the warmth of his skin even through her shift.

Just as he started to
lift her toward the bed, she wriggled from his hold and spun around so that she
now pinned him against the table. Her hands found the ties on his pants and she
gave him a wicked smile as her fingers worked.

His blue eyes, already
hazy with passion, flared with renewed heat as her intent became clear. As his
pants slid down his muscular legs, she knelt before him. She’d already learned
in their sennight of exploring and loving each other with their bodies that she
could wreak the same pleasurable torture on him with her mouth as he did on
her.

He watched as she
flicked her tongue over his swollen cock, teasing him. When she circled the
head with the tip of her tongue, he cursed, his whole body tensing. And when
she took him into her mouth, he clutched the edge of the table, his knuckles
turning white as if he were holding on for dear life.

She gave him the same
torturous treatment he’d given her. She ran her fingernails up the insides of
his thighs and he shivered, biting off a curse and a groan. As her fingers
brushed against the sack hanging between his legs, he jerked and pulled her
back by the shoulders.

Without a word, he drew
her up and moved toward the bed—
their
bed. He lifted her shift over her
head so that they were both naked, then eased her back onto the down mattress.

She readily opened her
legs to him as he lowered himself on top of her. Giving him pleasure had
stirred her own desire once more, fanning the flames of passion burning within
her. She felt his rigid cock nudging at her entrance and lifted her hips,
begging him on.

With one swift, hard
thrust, he entered her. Their cries of pleasure mingled as she adjusted to his
size and length.

Even though both of
their skin was enflamed from their desire, she felt a shiver steal through her.
This joining was somehow different, somehow deeper, for they had not simply
joined their bodies, but also their lives, forever.

He began moving in and
out of her. She locked eyes with him, silently sharing all her pleasure, all
her emotions as they slid apart and plunged together. She was his, body, mind,
and spirit, as he was hers.

Another wave of ecstasy
swelled within her, lifting her up toward the heavens. She dug her fingers into
his back, the surge and pulse of pleasure rising and rising impossibly high
until suddenly the wave broke over her, flooding her, sweeping her away.
Distantly, she heard him reach his own release as they clung to each other,
riding out the wave.

As they spiraled back
down to the soft bed, he remained inside her, their bodies pulsing, their
panting breaths mingling.

They were bound
together inextricably. Laurel didn’t know if it was some twist of fate or an
act by her God, but her life had changed irrevocably the moment she’d laid eyes
on Eirik. And now they were one, stronger together than as individuals,
entangled in the sweet ecstasy of life.

The End

On June 8, 793, Vikings
landed on the small island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumbria, an
ancient kingdom in what is now northeast England. They raided the undefended
monastery they found there, killing some monks on the spot, drowning some from
their ships, and keeping some as slaves. Thus is said to be the start of the
Viking Age.

The Vikings who made
landfall on Lindisfarne were likely surprised to find so many unprotected
riches. Word spread through the lands we would eventually come to call
Scandinavia, and within a few years, more Vikings raided other Christian holy
sites in Ireland, Scotland, and southern England.

Monasteries, often
located on islands or other remote locations to avoid interference by the
outside world, were hit especially hard. Fear of the raiders from the north
spread quickly, with Vikings being called “wolves among sheep” for their
merciless and swift attacks, and their superior seafaring and battle
capabilities.

One such monastery to
fall to Viking raids was Whitby Abbey. South of Lindisfarne along the
Northumbrian coast, Whitby was founded in 657 A.D. under the name Streoneshalh.
It was laid waste by Danish Vikings between 867 and 870 A.D. Though Whitby
Abbey is real, I have taken liberties with it in this story—first in having a
raid occur earlier, in 806, second in calling it Whitby rather than
Streoneshalh, and third in having the raiders be from an area that would become
Norway rather than Denmark. The history of the Abbey is fascinating, however,
and seemed too rich not to include. (Fun literary crossover tidbit: the ruins
of Whitby Abbey inspired Bram Stoker in writing
Dracula
. In the novel,
Dracula comes ashore at the Abbey resembling a large dog!)

Whitby Abbey was indeed
what was called a “double monastery.” It housed both nuns and monks, who lived
separately but worshipped together. Double monasteries could have both an abbot
and an abbess, but in an unusual quirk of history, abbesses were more common,
and their authority was to be obeyed absolutely.

The character of Abbess
Hilda in this tale is a slight nod to the historical figure St. Hilda of
Whitby, though the resemblance is little more than a shared name. The real
Hilda was born nearly two hundred years before this story takes place. She was
the founding abbess of Whitby Abbey, then known as Streoneshalh. She was
renowned for her wisdom, energy, and skills as a teacher and leader (unlike the
fictitious Abbess Hilda). She is considered one of the patron saints of
learning and culture, and the feast day of St. Hilda is celebrated on November
17, 18, or 19 (depending on the church).

The Second Council of
Nicaea declared in 787 that double monasteries were henceforth forbidden, in
part because men and women “living together gives occasion for incontinence.”
In other words, pregnant nuns became a problem. The Council decision meant that
no new double monasteries could be formed, and the ones already in existence
couldn’t admit new members, thus ensuring that double monasteries would die out
on their own (as we see happening by 806 in this story). But the Council’s
decision was almost unnecessary, for when Vikings began raiding monasteries,
many fell into obscurity on their own.

In light of the
Vikings’ overpowering abilities against such monasteries, it is understandable
that their victims painted them as savages, barbarians, and ruthless heathens.
This is the image of Vikings that has been passed down through history (along
with horned helmets). The reason for this is because while Vikings didn’t have
a system of written language (besides runes used sparingly), those they
attacked did. While normally the victors get to be the writers of history, in
this case the victims wrote it—because they could write!

But today a new story
of Vikings and their way of life is emerging. Though Vikings did indeed raid
and pillage across the British Isles, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and as
far as North America, North Africa, and the Middle East, they also settled,
traded, farmed, and lived peacefully in these lands.

As portrayed in this
story, in the early 800s, Jutland (part of modern-day Denmark) was centralizing
its power, while other areas of Scandinavia remained isolated by physical
barriers and scattered power. Many historians now believe that Vikings began
raiding not simply to grab wealth and land, but to escape the limited resources
and farmland of Scandinavia. Some also argue that Vikings were subjected to
cruel practices under expanding Christianity and wished to retaliate.

Whatever their reasons
for expansion, Vikings had complex social and legal systems based on a strong
code of honor. From the Vikings we get the precursor to the game to chess
(called Hnefatafl), shipbuilding advancements, and countless words that made
their way into the English language. But we also get such concepts as outlawry—literally
being banished to live outside the protection of the law and community.
(Special thanks to Robert Wernick’s
The Vikings
for the phrase
“unfeedable, unferriably, and unfit for all help and shelter” regarding one who
is banished.) It was a harsh time, but also a time of law, culture, and
society.

Though this is a work
of romantic fiction, I aimed to capture some of the struggles, complexities,
and pleasures of the Vikings’ way of life. I hope you enjoyed traveling back to
the Viking Age with me! Thank you!

Thank you for taking
the time to read Enthralled (Viking Lore, Book One)! Consider sharing your
enjoyment of this book (or my other books) with fellow readers by leaving a
review on sites like Amazon and Goodreads.

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readers! For book updates, news on future projects, pictures, and more, visit
my website at
www.EmmaPrinceBooks.com
.

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The
Sinclair Brothers Trilogy:

Highlander’s
Ransom
(Book 1)

Highlander’s
Redemption
(Book 2)

Highlander’s
Return
(Bonus Novella, Book 2.5)

Highlander’s
Reckoning
(Book 3)

Viking
Lore Series:

Enthralled
(Viking Lore, Book 1)

Go back to where it all began—with
Robert and Alwin’s story in
HIGHLANDER’S
RANSOM
, Book One of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy. Available now on
Amazon!

He was out for revenge…

Laird Robert Sinclair would stop at
nothing to exact revenge on Lord Raef Warren, the English scoundrel who had
brought war to his doorstep and razed his lands and people. Leaving his clan in
the Highlands to conduct covert attacks in the Borderlands, Robert lives to be
a thorn in Warren’s side. So when he finds a beautiful English lass on her way
to marry Warren, he whisks her away to the Highlands with a plan to ransom her
back to her dastardly fiancé.

She would not be controlled…

Lady Alwin Hewett had no idea when she
left her father’s manor to marry a man she’d never met that she would instead
be kidnapped by a Highland rogue out for vengeance. But she refuses to be a
pawn in any man’s game. So when she learns that Robert has had them secretly
wed, she will stop at nothing to regain her freedom. But her heart may have
other plans…

Garrick and Jossalyn’s story unfolds in
HIGHLANDER’S
REDEMPTION
,
Book Two of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy. Available now on
Amazon!

He is on a mission…

Garrick Sinclair, an expert archer and
Robert the Bruce's best mercenary, is sent on a covert operation to the
Borderlands by his older brother, Laird Robert Sinclair. He never expects to
meet the most beautiful woman he's ever seen—who turns out to be the sister of
Raef Warren, his family's mortal enemy. Though he knows he shouldn’t want
her—and doesn’t deserve her—can he resist the passion that ignites between
them?

She longs for freedom…

Jossalyn Warren is desperate to escape
her cruel brother and put her healing skills to use, and perhaps the handsome
stranger with a dangerous look about him will be her ticket to a new life. She
never imagines that she will be spirited away to Robert the Bruce’s secret camp
in the Highlands, yet more shocking is the lust the dark warrior stirs in her.
But can she heal the invisible scars of a man who believes that he’s no hero?

Uncover Burke and Meredith’s story in
HIGHLANDER’S
RETURN
, a Sinclair Brothers Trilogy BONUS novella (Book 2.5). Available
now on Amazon!

First love’s flame extinguished…

Burke Sinclair and Meredith Sutherland
want nothing more than to be married, but ancient clan hostilities tear them
apart. When Meredith is forced to marry another to appease her father and
secure an alliance, the young lovers think all is lost.

Only to be reignited…

Ten long years of a stifling marriage
nearly crush Meredith’s spirit. But when her unfeeling husband dies and Burke,
now a grown man and a hardened warrior, suddenly reappears in her life, the two
may get a second chance at first love—if old blood feuds don’t rip them apart
once and for all.

Follow the thrilling conclusion of the
Sinclair Brothers Trilogy with
HIGHLANDER’S
RECKONING
. Available now on Amazon!

He is forced to marry…

Daniel Sinclair is charged by Robert the
Bruce to secure the King’s ancestral holding in the Lowlands—and marry the daughter
of the castle’s keeper to secure a shaky alliance. But the lass’s spirit
matches her fiery hair, and Daniel quickly realizes that the King’s “reward” is
more than he bargained for.

She won’t submit without a fight…

To protect her secret—and illegal—love
of falconry, Rona Kennedy must keep her new husband at arm’s length, no matter
how much his commanding presence and sinfully handsome face make her knees
tremble. But when an all-out war with Raef Warren, the Sinclair clan’s greatest
enemy, finally erupts, will their growing love be destroyed forever?