Viking's Love (51 page)

“
I cannot start fires with my fingers
and rope the winds!” He sneered derisively as he watched and looked
away. “I have no powers as she does. She will not want me when she
is grown. She will want one such as Joran for a mate, do you not
see?”

“
I see you are feeling sore at yourself
and want to loll in it, Brother,” Allisande said and shrugged
indifferently. “A woman wants a man who is strong, but she also
wants a partner who understands her. You accepted Meghera for what
she is without fearing her powers. She will not soon forget
it.”

Collin mulled over his sister’s words as he
watched his wife fish, and rose to join her. He took a fishing line
from the floor of the ship. He baited his line and eyed how many
she had caught in her bucket with a determined scowl.

Meghera didn’t acknowledge him and he glared
as he felt the tug upon his line and began crowing with success. He
shouted as he pulled the line hard and frowned as he was nearly
jerked over the side.

He righted himself and struggled with the
fish. He sweated profusely as he fell back upon the deck and pulled
with all his might. The Vikings watched and came to help, but he
waved them away as he pulled his prize up from the depths of the
water.

A large sword pierced the top of the waves as
the large swordfish flipped and fought to get away. The Vikings
drew near to watch as Collin the Nightshirted wrestled to bring the
huge fish to the side of the boat. Oram clouted the fish on the
side of the head and it went still before Collin pulled it over the
side.

They gasped in wonder at the fish with a long
sword for a nose. It was nearly six feet long and two hundred
pounds. The Vikings cheered and Collin got up off the deck and
approached the fish and eyed his wife triumphantly.

“
Now, that is a fish!” Collin spoke
with all the arrogance of a lord. She glared up at him before she
dropped her pole and walked away without a word. His pleasure in
out-fishing her was obvious. He glared at her retreating back. She
could have at least said something about his catch.

The Vikings were busily filleting the large
fish and declared him the finest fisherman in all the land. He
walked proudly to the bow and enjoyed their praise, only wishing
his wife had some of it for him. The fish steaks were enjoyed by
everyone that night. Collin was frustrated his wife hadn’t remarked
upon his fish and was growing irritated.

Meghera put her nose in the air and walked
away from him when he approached her and asked how she enjoyed her
meal. His frustration was noted by all. The Vikings kept bringing
up the fish even two days later to keep the pot stirred.

Joran was standing at the rail when his wife
slid up beside him. He smiled down at her and continued to consult
the stars about their direction. She said nothing and leaned
against him and sighed.

He looked down at her and swallowed hard. Her
nearness was unsettling. He hadn’t pushed the issue of the sleeping
arrangements, but she was making it difficult for him to breathe as
she pressed closer.

He frowned. He wanted her. He wanted to erase
Ulsted’s ugliness from her mind and worried he would never be able
to do it. She regarded him under her lashes and smiled up at him
innocently.

“
Meghera is sleeping down below
tonight,” she whispered and smiled as she walked away, her hot gaze
singing his eyebrows as she made for the enclosure. He gruffly
asked Oram to take over the watch and followed her with an unsure
feeling in his gut.

When he entered the sleeping enclosure, she
was already lying upon the sleeping mat and pulled back the furs
for him. He sucked in his breath, seeing she was nude and inviting
him with her parted, trembling lips. He gazed at her with a serious
expression she found adorable.

“
Are you sure of this, Allisande?”
Joran ignored his raging desires. “We can wait. It need not be
tonight.”

She laughed in a sultry way and crooked her
finger at him, making him grow hard with desire as she gazed at him
with a look that said she was clearly ready. His trembling hands
removed his garments quickly. He flung his clothes aside and joined
her upon the mat. His lips met hers gently, tentatively at first.
His hands feared to touch her or she would push him away. She
pulled her lips from his and glared up at him.

“
You can do better than that, Viking!”
Her violet eyes met his and he chuckled as his lips came crashing
down on hers, all restraint gone. He worshiped her with his hands
and mouth as he rediscovered her body. When they joined, he
expected her to become scared, but soon he was gripping the furs
and biting back his groans of desire as she arched hungrily under
him.

It was all he could do to not bring it to the
whole ship’s attention he was finally bedding his wife as they
strained together until their bodies were slick and wet with sweat.
She dug her nails in his buttocks and her heels dug into his hips
as he drove deeply inside her, moaning into his neck as she shook
around him. He stiffened and gasped as he began to reach his
crisis, her name escaped him. He closed his eyes as the waves
washed over them.

He was careful to roll to her side and bring
her into his arms comfortingly when they lay quietly some time
later, stroking her hair as she lay across his chest. He sighed and
she looked up and grinned at the satisfied look on his handsome
face.

“
Dare I hope that was for me, Viking?”
She smiled, tears filling her eyes as she leaned over to kiss
him.

“
It is always for you,” he said and met
her gaze with such a tender look of love she thought herself
unworthy of it, and looked away, but he grabbed her chin and forced
her to look at him. “I will love you forever, Wench! Have I not
proved it on more than one occasion?”

“
What is this persistent ‘wench’ thing
you label me with? I am a wife now, Viking!” she said heatedly and
rolled atop him, her violet eyes black with desire. There were no
more words as she lowered herself upon him and took him
again.

He caressed her breasts slowly as she rode
him hungrily and met her eyes as she brought them both to pleasure
once more, watching as she threw back her head and a soft moan
escaped her. He closed his eyes and bit back his cries as they
climaxed together. She collapsed upon his chest and sighed deeply
making him chuckle and hold her to him tightly.

“
Dare I hope that was for me?” Joran
asked smugly and she pinched his shoulder and lay upon him
comfortingly as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of
completion at last.

“
It is always for you, Joran,” she
breathed and he smiled as he held her, feeling the movement of his
ship beneath his back and thinking he would never forget this
moment if he lived to be an old man.

****

Collin felt ridiculous. He looked down at
himself and wondered if the Vikings were not taking advantage of
him once again. They assured him he was dressed most appropriately
for his ruse as a Viking once they landed in York. He glared at
them and looked for Allisande. They had already made him a fool
more times than he cared to recall.

He opened the flap of the enclosure and
looked properly embarrassed when he saw his sister lying with her
husband upon the mats. They slept, looking so perfectly matched he
closed the flap and wondered if he would ever find such love for
himself, and frustrated he had to wait years to find out.

He stepped away and Meghera came up top and
glanced at him and frowned.

“
You look like a Viking, Collin,” she
said disapprovingly and he was relieved by her inspection that he
did in fact look like those he would accompany to Ivar’s lair to
find the man who kidnapped his sister and kill him.

“
That is the whole point, Meghera.” He
regarded her with raised black eyebrow. “I can hardly stroll into
Viking-controlled York as Baron Lockwraithe, now can I?”

“
You will be careful, won’t you?”
Meghera’s deep blue eyes met his worriedly. “Leave the matter to
Joran.”

“
You think me not capable of defending
my sister’s honor?” Collin flung her a look of annoyance. “You do
not know everything there is to know about me, my dear. I can be a
ruthless warrior when I need to be! Ivarsson is not the only one
who will get his pound of flesh!”

Meghera’s look was clearly doubtful as she
passed him. He longed to spank the insolent child as she joined the
Vikings upon the bow of the ship, ignoring him deliberately. He
joined them as the first sighting of land was made.

Grogan estimated they would be in York within
a couple of hours and suggested they make way. Joran arrived to
stand with him and Grogan smiled knowingly as he saw his
Chieftain’s satisfied expression.

It certainly didn’t bear reminding him that
the ship they were on wasn’t large enough to drown out him and his
wife’s sounds of pleasure the night before, but Grogan was pleased
nonetheless. He feared Ulsted ruined the girl by the things he
heard from the serfs at Ulsted of his penchant for cruelty.

They made York by midday. Meghera pitched a
tantrum when it was decided she would stay behind on the ship and
mind Storm while they went to the home where Ivar and his brothers
had taken up residence.

She glared at them and stamped her foot upon
the deck, her pout growing more pronounced when Joran stepped
forward.

“
It is no place for a child, little
one,” Joran said gently and eyed her warily. “Do not seek to join
us in this, Meghera. We will bring Wulfstan down ourselves without
need of you.”

“
It is not fair!” She howled in outrage
and eyed all the Vikings resentfully. “Have I not proven myself?
It’s not like I will start him on fire the first time I get the
chance!” Joran smiled in satisfaction when two spots of color
appeared in her cheeks, for she had nearly killed Ulsted before he
had the chance to cut the man to pieces.

“
You will remain aboard with Oram,
little one, and there will be no further discussion, is that
clear?”Joran’s tone brooked no resistance as she looked down and
nodded meekly.

Collin was relieved Joran had such control
over Meghera, but a part of him resented the fact that the Norseman
had clearly become her champion. He was hoping for a kind word from
her before they departed. She sent him a frosty glare, and stood
with Oram as they descended the planks to the dock. She looked up
at Oram and scowled.

“
What if they run into trouble and have
need of me?”

”
Last I heard, they got on well enough
without the little fire trick of yours, girl,” Oram said and gazed
at her in commiseration. “Why don’t you practice your new trick,
aye?”

She glowered at him and followed him to the
bow of the ship. She pointed to the tip of the water and brought
the fish to the surface and released them. Had Collin known she
could also commune with the animals in nature, he wouldn’t have
been so cocky about bringing up the swordfish.

She had given him the fish to make him feel
better after his bad night of drinking with the Vikings, and
becoming the butt of their jokes. She smiled as the fish popped up
upon the surface and flapped their fins at her. They flopped upon
the surface of the water and she tossed them crumbs of bread before
she released them to their home.

Joran told her there was more satisfaction to
be had in doing the actual work involved in fishing. He discovered
her playing with the fish over the side of the boat when she got
bored. He was like the father she wished she had, for he had been
patient and full of praise for her where her own sire had looked at
her with fear and revulsion when he thought her a witch. He assured
her that she was safe at his home, but cautioned her on using her
gift if it wasn’t absolutely necessary to protect her or another’s
life.

He felt sure she wasn’t evil as her family
thought, and told her of the mystics in Oslo he would consult to
find out what she was. She adored Joran Ivarsson and thought
Allisande the luckiest woman to have such a wise husband.

She frowned when she thought of her own
husband and her eyes narrowed. Collin may have to wait five years
for her to become his wife in fact, but she still felt the sting of
his betrayal with the village whore, and would not forgive him, no
matter how his charm appealed to her. She giggled when she wondered
how Collin the Nightshirted fared in the lair of Ivar the
Boneless.

Collin kept his expression rigid as they
entered the house and he spied his father’s nemesis at the head of
the high table. It was difficult not to feel a degree of loathing
when he looked at the large, blond man with his golden beard and
jovial laugh.

He gazed at the occupants of the hall and
kept quiet as Joran had warned him too. Joran steered Allisande
through the throng of Vikings keeping an eye out for Wulfstan when
his father saw him.

Allisande saw the way Ivar’s face softened in
relief to see him. He rose and bounded over and took him in a bear
hug. Allisande wondered if she was seeing things. Was that moisture
in his gaze when he regarded his son? Ivar gazed down at her and
smiled benignly. “Congratulations on your new marriage, my
daughter,” he said gruffly and eyed her warily. “I like this
husband of yours far better than the last.” He eyed Joran closely,
and took him aside to get the details of Ulsted’s demise.

Ivar did not bat an eyelash when he learned
Wulfstan set up his son in regard to the failed raid upon Ulsted
with the help of the Danes. Joran felt a feeling of alarm as he
gazed at his father, his piercing gaze taking in his hooded
expression.