Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
“Because you are mine,” he said and expected her to retort or at least say something snarky, to distance herself… anything, really. He had been there before.
Nikki felt a prickle of guilt because, for a moment, she was glad he couldn’t see her flushed cheeks.
“You are not going to object?” he asked, and the Firstborn cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb over his scars.
“Why would I?” she whispered.
“Honestly-” The werebear was at a loss for words. “So many reasons come to mind!”
“You know that Vincent is Vidar, right?” She sighed, and his whole body shuddered in response.
“Yes, of course.”
“And Astrea is really Astraea, the one who is destined to become the Star Goddess.” Nikki’s voice quivered.
Bjorn nodded.
“Vidar was there when they were taking me away.” Nikki traced the scar that went over one of his eyes, and he didn’t flinch because he already knew those did not scare her. “He said that Astrea will have to choose between me and-“
He already knew the answer.
“Between me and her real sister” Darius did not see her, but he could tell she was sad by how the words vibrated in her throat. “He was confident Astrea would choose Riannon, and considering they were about to kill me, I guess he wasn’t wrong.”
“He is a manipulator,” Bjorn assured her. “You shouldn’t fall for his traps.”
Nikki smiled, pressing her cheek against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. Gods, she was happy he was alive.
“You don’t get it.” she drew a little circle on his skin with her finger. “I am not falling for anything. I just-I just realised something.”
“What is it?”
“I love Astrea with all my heart,” the woman confessed. “
But if he made me choose between her and you- don’t think I would have chosen her either. Not anymore. And it’s not because I don’t love her-“
He was afraid to say anything. The world stood still as he waited for her to go on.
“It’s just-I think-I think I love you so much that I can’t imagine living without you. ‘d choose you.”
He locked her in his arms, his face buried in her hair and his heart racing. He had two mates, but it was the first time a woman he was in love with truly reciprocated his feelings.
“Say something!” she muttered, tears running down her cheeks.
“Nikiah, I belonged to you from the moment you let me touch you the first time.” He brushed his fingers over her skin. “One contact mixed with your scent, and I was a gone man. I really tried not to fall in love with you. I did everything I could for us to go our seperate ways because, gods know, you deserve better-“
She interrupted him firmly. “But I want you!”
“And you have me. All of me. As long as you want me,” he promised. “But right now, we need to go. This is not the place where your first time will happen.”
“Darius, I don’t care! As long as we are together!” Nikki bit her lip, embarrassed to insist more. This was completely new territory for her.
“I know,” Bjorn chuckled, taking her hand. “We are on the outskirts of the city, and I smelled a flower field nearby.
That’ll do.”
Nikki’s heart was about to break out of her chest when she laced her fingers with his. This was really happening, and she was ready to go wherever he took her.
However, Darius paused at the door, and she panicked, thinking he changed his mind.
“Can you do something for me?” he asked.
“Of course.” Nikki tried to sound confident.
“The field-I want to take you there on my back.” She was watching him closely and only now noticed a slight tint on his cheeks.
The mighty bear was flustered
He cleared his throat and added, “I am from the North. We have a tradition of bringing our one and only home on our beasts’ backs. I don’t have a home, but-“
“With pleasure.” Nikki grinned, squeezing his hand tighter, barely able to contain her emotions.
He shifted before her eyes, and this time she studied him slowly, tracing her palm over his wings and every spike he had. She stroked his head, awakening the glow in his glassy eyes again.
He was a real monster now, but he knelt before her and she climbed on, finding a comfortable spot on his back between two large spikes.
And then Bjorn spread his wings…
***
Fenrir stormed into the archives, noticing the broken bookshelves. People tried to escape, and it took him some time to get through the crowd.
He found Astrea on her knees before a smirking Vidar, and his heart clenched painfully at the sight. A loud growl left his chest, rumbling through the spacious hall that was now empty.
“What the f*ck did you do to her?” He wanted to pounce at him, but Warg held him back.
“Look!” he pointed at the dull glow in the distance, and Fenrir’s lips parted in shock.
He was expecting many things, but this wasn’t one of them.
A quick realisation made him clench his fists.
“You again!” Vidar chuckled. “My betrothed and I were catching up, but you can never leave us alone, can you?
Always the third wheel in our relationship.”
“You took the dragonfly away?” Fenrir seethed. “How?”
“It’s been so long.” The God of Vengeance looked smug.” The magic wore off, weakened. After all, she was using it all the time.”
Astrea tried to steady her breathing on the floor. It felt like he had torn a part of her soul with that dragonfly, and she still couldn’t process what that meant.
“How insecure can you get when you have to do something like this?” Fenrir snarled.
Footsteps echoed behind his back, signalling Devoss and Bash’s arrival.
“Don’t you get it?” Vidar’s lips curled into a smirk. “Her human body is dying. Tick Tock.”
“B*stard!” The wolf was ready to rip his head off. “Be a man for once and have a fight with me! The winner will-“
“I have no need to fight you, mutt!” Vidar gritted his teeth, his eyes emitting a red glow. “I am the ruler of Asgard, the immortal god in full power! You are scum under my feet! I have already won, and this is just the last piece of the puzzle.”
Astrea stood up on wobbly feet, leaning onto the column next to her. She felt weaker. Much weaker.
“Step away from her!” Fenrir was on the verge of exploding.
Vidar observed the two lovers with a sneer. They hadn’t realised it was over for them yet, but here it was-his victory. At last.
“And if I do, what will happen?” He arched his brow. dramatically, folding his hands over his chest. “How can you help her? She will only be immortal if she lives in Asgard and that’s something you cannot offer, mutt.”
Fenrir clenched his jaw, and his enemy threw his head back, laughing.
“I guess this is the real test,” Vidar continued. “Do you love her enough to let me have her?”
“That’s not for any of you to decide!” Astrea snarled, growing her claws to accelerate healing. Nova was working as fast as she could, but they still felt excruciating pain.
“On the contrary.” The God of Vengeance cast her a disdainful look. “That’s between me and him. You were always the collateral damage in our story.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?