Son of Thunder (5 page)

When he stepped out of the car, he froze. The vibrations caught the corner of his eye, so light, and fading fast. “Stop.”

He sensed her go on alert, ready to fight.

“He’s been here recently. To this hotel. His energy is soft, so it wasn’t a long stay, but he
was
here.”

Her gaze tracked the area, the wind blowing an errant strand of hair into her eyes. She tucked it behind her ear absently. “Let’s get inside and see if the clerk can help us with a name.”

He hoped the clerk could, because the disappointment on her face earlier actually hurt him to witness. Connecting with her as hunting partners was natural since that’s what they both loved to do—hunt the bad guys. And he respected her strength, her fortitude, and her desire to make the world better for others, even when private pain gripped her so terribly. But the
woman
was harder to reach. They had great chemistry, but watching her track made him want to know her more deeply, more intimately than just through their bodies.

But it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to open up about her personal life when he refused to speak of his.

Nautical decor greeted them upon entering the hotel: a dark blue rug with gold anchors throughout it, white walls decorated with a large black and bronze compass… Yeah, he wasn’t impressed.

When they reached the counter, he let Liv take the lead. She smiled at the clerk—a beautiful smile, full of light. It made him wish she would look at him like that.

“Hi. I’m Liv Winter. I have a room reserved.”

“Of course.” The middle-aged woman smiled back. “Let’s get you checked in.”

“Before you do that…” Liv reached into her back pocket, taking out her badge, which he hadn’t realized she’d tucked away there. “I’m hoping you can help us with a case.”

The woman—Gladys, her nametag read—looked slightly taken aback by the badge. “Oh my. How can I help you, Agent Winter?”

“We’re looking for a man—probably in his late thirties, early forties. Recent information leads us to believe he’s been to your hotel.”

“I see. How long ago would he have been here?”

Rune stepped forward, next to Liv. “Not too long, maybe two weeks, three tops. And he would’ve been handsome, charming, very charismatic.”

Gladys blushed.

Oh yes, you know something.

“Gladys?” Liv prompted.

Gladys placed one hand on her flushed cheek. “Only one man has been through here with that description. His name was Erik… Hold on a moment, I’ll pull his information up on the computer.”

Energy buzzed around Liv, yet she maintained a professional stance.

“Here it is,” Gladys announced. “Erik Rutten. Stayed here for three days. I remember him saying that he was heading north, somewhere close to the border, I believe.”

Having a direction would give them a head start.

“I have a photocopy of his license if you’d like it? We require the ID.”

Liv’s mouth parted slightly. “Yes, we would. Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back.”

As Gladys stepped into an office, Liv turned to him.

“I’m buzzing, aren’t I?” she asked.

He grinned. “Yes, you are.”

She laughed softly. “I’m trying not to.”

“Well, I for one—” He stopped as Gladys returned.

She handed Liv a paper. “Here you are, Agent Winters.”

Looking at the paper, he saw a colored photo of Erik, and he looked almost exactly like Reign—same eyes, same hair, same magnetic smile. Rune didn’t share looks with his brother, save eye color and height. The more he stared at the picture, the more worry burrowed deep in his gut.

What have you set upon this world, brother?

“How long ago was he here?” Liv asked, breaking through his thoughts.

“He checked out early last week.”

To say that her body filled with the intensity of a predator on the trail of its prey was an understatement. She visibly tensed, her energy vibrating toward him. And unfortunately for him, the need to touch her was almost impossible to deny. But he held back.

Liv shook the woman’s hand.

“Thank you so much. I’m going to have to cancel our reservation.”

“Is the young man in trouble?”

“I’m sure everything is fine,” Liv lied. “I’m sorry about the reservation.”

“No need to apologize, Agent Winter. I’ll keep the room open until tomorrow in case you end up needing it.”

Liv smiled. “Thank you. Have a good day.”

Following her outside, he couldn’t deny the need to touch any longer—between the worry over his brother’s involvement in hiding Erik, and his desire for Liv, the need was
far
too great. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her upper arm.

She stopped, furrowing her brow at him. “What is it?”

He stepped close to her, sliding a finger across her cheek. “I want you.”

Her body stilled, desire flashing quickly in her gaze before she returned to her professional stance. But he didn’t miss the way her breath caught in her throat. He clenched his jaw, trying to tamp down his need.

She cleared her throat. “We need to head north and catch this godkin.”

He held onto her a few moments longer, pulling himself together. No easy feat, and from her regretful gaze, she wanted him just as much.

Good
.

Walking to her side of the car, he opened the door. “Then let’s hunt.”

Chapter Six

Gods
. What was he trying to do to her? Set her blood on fire in full view of the public?

As she calmly pulled back onto the road, she collected her now-hot self and concentrated on what they were doing and where they were going. She was
this
close to finding Soosie’s killer—she wasn’t about to get momentarily distracted by a man, god or not. But it didn’t help that he practically radiated sex. It was almost electric, humming along her skin as she drove.

But this time it was tied to the hunt. It excited him, obviously, and seeing her get excited about catching up with Soosie’s killer probably made it worse.

Oh, who was she kidding?
Her
excitement made it worse.

Shouldn’t have slept with him this morning, Liv. Should. Not. Have.

No way would she have sex with him just because he was all hyped on the hunt, but it’d be hard. She snickered to herself. His energy vibrated along her skin, making it even more difficult to ignore her own desire. If he even brushed her side, she’d probably ignite into flames and let him take her. The memory of his thick cock filling her was like an echo—she could almost feel him sliding into her, inch by delicious inch. Gods, she was getting wet, and if she didn’t stop thinking about that morning she’d have to pull the car to the side of the road and let him take her in the cornfield.

Concentrate on the hunt, Winter.

“You’re going to have to be the bloodhound, Rune,” she said. “Once you catch his trail, keep me on track.”

“Of course.”

That hum along her skin sank deeper. She squirmed a bit in her seat as heat zoomed down beneath her panties. Hopefully it looked as if she were getting comfortable.
Damn god
.
Stupid, sexy, stubborn god.

“Keep going north, on this road. The receptionist was correct—he kept by the lake on his way toward the border.”

Well, that was good news, indeed. But no way would this be an easy catch—Erik was a godkin, and something had helped him hide for six years, while he left a trail of murders that no one could link. She’d have to call the Boston FBI office and talk to her partner about the new developments.

At least she’d already sent an email to Cory, letting him know she’d caught a lead on Soosie’s killer, and that she’d explain everything once she confirmed that she was truly on the trail. She hadn’t mentioned Rune, or that the possible suspect was a godkin. Those were details best told over the phone. Cory would have a fit when she told him the Son of Thunder had landed on her in the middle of the night then found out the elusive murderer was a godkin.

Her partner was very protective of her, especially when it came to Soosie…and men. Her track record wasn’t great, and her trust issues were plentiful. It irked her that even while she was a competent FBI agent, she sucked when it came to finding a good man, one who wouldn’t lie, cheat, or break her heart. She wasn’t certain if she’d ever be able to give all of herself to a man again: her trust, her secrets, her heart and soul. With Rune, though, she felt a kinship with him, grown out of his own sense of loss.

Knowing that he shared that kind of pain with her had opened a piece of her to him. And it was, unfortunately, more intimate than their morning tryst had been. Sex without strings was great, but now that a tether of emotion had been created, sleeping with him again wouldn’t be “just sex.” It would bind her closer to him.

Damn it, Liv. He’s a friggin’
god
.

“Will we be able to find another place to stay, by the border?” he asked.

“I’ve got some listed,” she murmured. She’d met men whose presence could immediately spark her desire—
every
time—but Rune was different. Even before their talk in the car, she’d known that once with him probably wouldn’t be enough.

The fact that he was also the key to tracking down Soosie’s killer meant they would be sticking close to each other until the godkin was caught.

Fantabulous. I’m fucking screwed
.

No matter how many times she berated herself for that action, it wouldn’t be enough. She knew better than to have a quickie with someone she was hunting with, because the chance of being tied closer during the case was too high to risk. For
her
to risk.

“What kind of powers do godkin have, anyway?” she asked, trying to keep her mind from the consequences she’d rained down on herself. “I know they have a bit of their parent’s power, but how strong is it?”

“The strength of it depends on who their parent is and, more importantly, how many generations down they are from the god in question.”

“So, if my multi-great-grandmother was the first born to a human and god, my power would be weaker than hers? My lifespan would be less?”

“Yes, to both. The further down the line a child is from the original godkin, the less power he or she has, and the less the life extension. Though, to the latter, it takes at least four generations for that to start to lessen, and even longer for it to dip below a thousand.”

Go me!
Got one right
. “Are their powers tied to that god only?”

“Not necessarily. Sometimes they can pick up traits from others in their bloodline. There is a chance the child could have the powers of the god they were born to, but they could just as easily inherit a gift from an aunt or uncle of the god.”

She saw him shrug out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s really a sixty-forty chance for the human-god child.”

Made sense, she supposed. Just as with humans, a child could look like a relative or have the personality traits of several. It was a coin-flip as to what the child would inherit from DNA.

“What gifts could Erik have? Can you give me a hint of what he can do?”

He sighed. She stole a glance at him and saw his eyebrows furrowed as he thought. What did he need to think about? Erik was of his bloodline—he should know what he was capable of.

“Rune?”

“I apologize—I was thinking of my brother.”

Oh. Now I feel like an ass
. “No, I’m sorry. I should have known that your thoughts would go to him since he’s the father.”

“Reign has always been difficult, though when we were young his lust for violence and vengeance wasn’t so all-consuming,” he said, voice soft. “I miss him when his mind goes dark, Liv. I miss the brother I love when he turns into the monster he is.”

Her heart ached for him. She’d seen what he was describing a hundred times in her job, and the sorrow and empathy for the families that filled her each time hadn’t diminished. Hearing his longing for his brother, for the times when Reign wasn’t driven by anger and bloodlust, pierced her heart like a dagger.

“That monster isn’t going to go away, Rune,” she said. “He is what he is—you can’t change it, and you know that. I’m so sorry.”

His hand moved to rest on her thigh. He smoothed over her jeans, almost caressing, then moved away.

“I know, and thank you for understanding.”

She peeked at him again, seeing the hurt wash over his face before an expressionless mask replaced it. Projecting calm was something she’d done often the first year after Soosie’s death.

“My brother takes after our uncle Modi, so he thrives on anger and justice. He will defend populations devastated by unwarranted attacks or during war vigorously, just as easily as he would murder the innocent if he feels they offended him. I am our father, Magni’s, son. Though I am not as strong as my father, I do have the same strength as Thor”—Magni was stronger than Thor—“and I am meant to help keep humankind from falling apart because of us. You know most of the tales of Odin, Loki, Thor, and Sif, so I won’t repeat those.”

“What does this mean for Erik?” Worry crept up as Rune spoke.

“He probably has some of the family strength, though greatly watered down. He’s hidden this long from the human eye, so that means he has the ability to mask himself, build barrier runes to keep his home and killing space hidden as well.” He paused. “Soosie had no defense wounds, and no drugs were in her system, which means he could use the anger to keep victims in a constant state of unbridled fear. They wouldn’t be able to climb out far enough to fight him.”

The urge to vomit threatened, but she managed to swallow it down her burning throat. To know that innocents were kept like that, that
Soosie
hadn’t been allowed to fight in any way, made her angry and sick.

“That’s good to know,” she said, through clenched teeth. Unable to hold her tongue about the god she felt was ultimately responsible for letting Erik’s killing spree go unchecked, she said, “Odin is just as responsible for this as Erik is.
Why
hasn’t he dealt with this? Why hasn’t he dealt with Reign?”

A palpable anger rolled off him, then he calmed. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know, Liv, and that is the truth.”

She believed him. “If there are indeed more Eriks on Earth, how did they go unnoticed by their Asgardian parent?”

“That’s a tricky question. Or, I should say, an unpleasant one.”

Yeah, she figured it would be. “Be that as it may, please answer it anyway. I need to know—both as an FBI agent and as your partner.”

“Very well,” he said, reluctance heavy in his tone.

She wanted answers, and she wanted them
now
, because if she had to hunt more godkin, she needed all the information she could get.

“Most gods keep track of the children they have with humans, as it’s no good to have the human race raging at us, as we’ve discussed. Some join their god parent in Asgard, some stay on Earth.”

“Is there no one in Asgard that…I don’t know…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words. “Knows when a godkin is born?”

If there isn’t, there fucking should be
.

“No, we have no one like that.” He blew out a breath. “Knowing what I do now, with this case, I have a feeling that may change. At least to a small degree.”

She hoped the hell it would, because if it didn’t…well, she really didn’t feel like thinking about that. Trying to focus on the godkin at hand she asked, “Is Erik harder to kill because he’s the son of a god?”

“No. Anything that will kill a human will kill him—it’s one of the things that differs between them and a full god.
But
, you have to get around his powers before you can do such a thing. And humans have no way of counteracting the powers in confinement. Godkin can start riots, some can create illusions. Either way, humans can’t control it.”

She ground her teeth, pissed off all over again. The fact that gods were so careless in not keeping track of their offspring as they should be really boiled her blood.

“You are angry and have every right to be.”

“Ya think?”

“You have to understand, after one or two millennia, gods tend to forget things we find trivial. That includes when Asgardian men mate with a human woman.”

“Mating with a human woman is
trivial
? Maybe to you, pal, but not us.” She blew out a frustrated breath and gripped the steering wheel, her fingernails biting into her palm. “Men,” she muttered. “And I suppose that’s why humans have never captured a godkin who has committed murder, or caused damaging chaos? Because you, or another god, has taken care of them before we can even catch a trail?”

“Yes. Liv, please understand.” His voice was calm, and he laid a hand over her tight fist on the steering wheel. “The truth is that sometimes a god doesn’t know they’ve created a life until the child comes into its power—only then do they sense it. No matter how light or watered down the power is, they
feel
it, as does Odin.”

She inhaled, then blew out, trying to calm her racing heart. “Odin feels each godkin when they come into their power? Never before then?”

“No. He can’t sense them before that moment.”

“And we humans are the ones who suffer the consequences of your actions, of your games, your
good times
on Earth.”

“Unfortunately, that is true. But please believe me, this is
not
normal. Erik should have been dealt with before now. Why Odin has not seen to it sends many warning signs that something else is wrong.”

“What else could be wrong with this situation?” Part of her really didn’t want to know. She wasn’t certain how much anger she could bottle up and swallow without her head exploding in flames.

“Erik could have someone helping him hide, as well as using his own powers. That
Reign
is helping his son hide would certainly be worse.”

Despite the fact that he agreed with her about Odin, she couldn’t help but wonder if he truly felt that way. She understood that having his brother be the one helping Erik hide would be worse in certain ways, but how different was it really from another god doing it? She found she couldn’t read him well at the moment, probably due to her heightened anger. She wondered if he was playing a game with her—had he used his own gifts to manipulate her to aid him at the beginning of their hunt? To keep her from rejecting his offer of help because he needed to get home as soon as possible?

She didn’t like to distrust the one person who could help her catch a killer, but the thought was there all the same. She suddenly felt his gaze on her, the intensity like embers falling on her skin. She didn’t dare look from the road, didn’t want to.

“I am not playing with you, Liv,” he said, no room for argument in his tone. “Don’t doubt me now, not when we’re closing in on our prey.”

She dared meet his gaze briefly then looked back at the road. “I believe that you don’t know why he hasn’t been dealt with. That you don’t know why
Odin
hasn’t dealt with it. And it’s not distrust in you as a partner
right now
—I was thinking back on
before
we left the cabin. I
will
try to trust you more, Rune. That’s all I can give you.”

“Then that is what I will take.”

As if you have a choice in what I give you, Son of Thunder.