Filed To Story: Luna Riannon and Alpha Brayden Novel
The lights blinded him when he entered the feasting hall in the Asgardian palace. The white columns with the carvings of Asgard’s rich history were gleaming brighter than usual. The best golden thread tapestries were on display, and Fenrir noted that there were more beautifully crafted statues of gods here today than usual.
The Golden Hall didn’t inspire awe in Fenrir anymore. It was a place that demanded reverence and respect, a place where he had to kneel and not say a word until he was spoken to.
He knew very well that he was the strongest warrior in the room, yet he had no power. He couldn’t embrace the same lifestyle as everyone else.
One day it would be worth it, though. When Jor and Hel could join him in here to eat, drink, and dance together. When he would be able to see his sister and not hide his brother. He was working towards that day.
“Astrea, I think my dragonflies love you,” Freyja’s giggle and the sound of her name made him snap his head in its direction.
He hadn’t seen the little goddess for days, and finally, she was here right before his eyes. She was seated at the main table, of course. He hadn’t expected anything less. The men and women around her looked mesmerised by her presence, while Freyja laughed at something she said with the warmest glint in her eyes. At the same time, Vidar, that silent prick, stood right behind Astrea with his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes not leaving her slender frame.
A growl escaped Fenrir against his will, and everyone grew still, acknowledging his arrival.
Hostile… Their looks were so hostile, but he focused on the All-Father, and bowed only to Odin, feigning as much respect in the gesture as possible.
“There he is!” The ruler of Asgard chuckled and gestured for him to come closer. The siblings from the other realm sat beside him, both Helios and Selene observing him with interest.
“Is this the wolf you were talking about?” the Moon Goddess asked.
“Yes, and trust me when I tell you he is the biggest one you’ll ever see,” Odin boasted, his golden eye patch glinting.
“That’s unlikely,” Selene smiled gently. “Wolves are my creatures. They obey the Moon Cycle, and their souls are connected to me. I think I have seen everything there is to see in this kind.”
“But our Fenrir is different,” someone huffed a laugh, a sound that was more derisive than amused. To which the young wolf only lifted his head higher, not giving any other reaction and getting a quick glance of approval from Tyr, who had already left him to join the main deities at their table.
He was on his own now.
“Now you’ve piqued my interest,” Selene’s smile was gentle, her pale blue hair glowing slightly. “What is the difference from my wolves? I thought you said he could shift the same way.”
“Shift, yes, but I never said it was the same way!” Odin smirked at his guest. “It’s a shame you are missing my brother. You would have liked him. He has this… desire to experiment and, well, let’s say his children are something else!”
More laughter erupted, and for the first time, Fenrir allowed himself to glance at Astrea. Her luscious lips didn’t curl; in fact, she looked around with disapproval in her gaze, which lifted Fenrir’s spirits almost instantly.
“Would you like to see our Fenrir shift?” Frigg, Odin’s wife, asked the young star goddess, and something told him the latter wasn’t pleased with it.
“No,” she shook her head firmly. “As my mother mentioned, wolf shifting is not new to us. Let’s allow Fenrir to have a peaceful night.”
“But he would love to!” Vidar interjected, his scornful gaze meeting Fenrir’s. “It’s his honour to entertain the esteemed guests. Isn’t it?”
All eyes were on the young wolf again. For the first time, he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t take the insult and swallow it. Something was different today, and he couldn’t explain it.
His lips curled into a provocative smile, “If the starry maiden wishes me to entertain her, it would indeed be my honour and pleasure to do so. I would gladly indulge her every desire all night long.”
Astrea’s lips parted at the audacity of his remark, but she quickly pressed them back together, pretending to ignore the insolent remark.
“How dare you?” Vidar scowled, ready to start a fight, but a simple touch of Freyja’s hand on his arm calmed him.
“Please,” the goddess of fertility offered a dazzling smile, “Let’s not ruin our guests’ impression of us. We were doing so well.”
Vidar turned his attention back to Astrea, who was busy playing with one of the glowing dragonflies instead, and Fenrir wanted to smack his head against the wall.
“Excuse my brother,” Heimdall, another son of Odin, spoke. “He doesn’t know how to behave. Or have fun.”
Fenrir took the chance to escape and bowed to Odin, wishing to leave to get some mead when he was stopped.
“But our wolf is indeed like no one else,” Heimdall didn’t want to let it go. “How about a little demonstration?”
Fenrir glared at him, knowing that it wasn’t actually a request. The other deities observed him with rabid interest, as if their lives depended on it.
“Sure,” he agreed dryly, knowing that whatever it was, he wouldn’t like it.
“Allow me to demonstrate how strong our friend here is!” Heimdall continued.
They were family, but he still referred to him as a friend.
They weren’t friends. Not even close.
Heim produced what looked like a thick golden chain out of thin air and Fenrir wanted to snarl at him, knowing where this was going.
“This again?” He arched his brow at Odin’s son and noticed how quiet everyone around them became.
“I call her Dromi!” Heimdall taunted, wriggling his brows. “It’s twice as strong as the last one. I bet you cannot break this one.”
Fenrir frowned. He hated how eagerly they wanted to see him chained by this new creation. The last time they offered the same entertainment, he didn’t think of it much when he agreed, but when he saw how carefully they’d wrapped the chain to bind him and how disappointed they looked when he broke it, doubt crept into his mind.
His eyes met with Astrea’s again, but she didn’t say a word.
“Come on! One time for the guests!” Heimdall insisted, and Odin gave a curt nod, meaning it was in his best interest not to refuse.
“Fine,” he agreed, emptying a new goblet of mead first.
Heimdall was already wrapping the chain around his feet, and Fenrir felt the magic in it trying to subdue him. It was unpleasant, as if a substantial furry spider crawled over his skin, trying to get inside.
He couldn’t wield magic himself, but his tolerance was a different question. The young wolf offered his hands with a sneer on his face, knowing that it would never hold him.
In the worst-case scenario, the bead bracelet was still on him.
However, he wanted to test something first. Slowly and patiently, he looked into the eyes of each Asgardian present, noting every visible hint of emotions. Some were good at hiding their feelings or were simply not involved in this. But some, like Freyja, couldn’t handle it. She may have been one of the most powerful deities, but she turned away the moment he stared at her, pretending to say something to Astrea instead.
The little goddess of stars did not react, the corners of her lips tilted downward slightly. Fenrir wanted to believe that his ordeal was the reason for it.
He also tried to look at Tyr, but his mentor was busy talking to Helios, who wasn’t too impressed by “the show.”
“So?” Heimdall asked eagerly. “Can you break it?”
He smiled, but it seemed empty, making Fenrir wary. What was the point of all this? To laugh at him? To put him in his place? To prove that he would never truly belong here?
He decided to give them a little show and feigned struggling with the chain he could easily break, observing everyone around him.