KODRAN LEANED HIS head against Erica’s, pressed deeper and trembled with release. Odin above, every time he laid with this woman it got better. And that said a lot considering she was far better than the rest the first time they were together.

Unable to talk just yet, he spoke within her mind. “You’re still in control of Maeva.” He knew it without a doubt. “Something happened just now. We had another...enlightenment.”

“What do you mean,” she whispered aloud, just as winded. “How do you know?”

“Because I can see her now too,” he murmured as he met her eyes. “She is trying to push back but made the mistake of doing it when we mated here for the first time.” His eyes narrowed. “In my era, in my village and around my people.” He shook his head. “Now I’m there beside you every step of the way. I can see and feel her.”

Erica didn’t respond but wrapped her arm around his shoulders as he lifted her then lowered her into a warm tub of water. She leaned forward as he joined her and kept talking. “There is no hope for her.” He pulled her back against him and whispered in her ear. “But for now, you should keep it alive in your mind. Give her hope. Make her vulnerable.”

“How do you know she won’t hear what you’re saying?” she murmured as she rubbed her leg against his. “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

He tilted her face until he could brush his lips across hers. “Look inside my mind, and you’ll see too.”

So she did, somewhat amazed that he could see this so much clearer than she could.

“Sex.” He smiled against her lips. “Takes you outside of reason.”

“Outside of reason, eh?” She flicked her tongue along his lower lip then flexed her hips so that her ass pressed against his renewed erection. When he gripped her thighs and started breathing heavier, she whispered, “Seems it can take you outside of reason too.”

Erica likely thought she was going to tease then continue the conversation, and maybe she would. But not with such a smug look on her face. No, he wanted another look altogether, so he did the last thing she expected and pulled her back enough that she had no choice but to slide onto his cock.

“Oh, hell,” she groaned as he scooped his arms beneath her thighs and claimed all control. Damn, she felt good. Though it was hard, he didn’t move. Not his hips. Nothing. Only his lips, tongue and teeth as he nibbled and kissed along her jaw then down the side of her neck.

She white-knuckled the edge of the tub as he began rubbing between her legs and shifting his hips very slowly. Just enough that a scant amount of water splashed over the edge. Just enough to make the muscles in her toned stomach ripple in anticipation.

“Erica,” he whispered, still nibbling at the tender area beneath her earlobe that made her squirm and grow even wetter.

“Fuck me, what are you doing?” she choked out, her half-mast eyes on her body, on his hand, on everything he was making her feel.

“Getting you where I want you.” He bit back a groan as he kept moving and the tight heat around his cock became a welcoming blaze. After that, speech again became impossible as she bucked against him and released so hard he pressed his teeth against her neck, growled and followed.

Minutes later, maybe even half an hour, of them relaxing against each other, he finally managed a few coherent words. “I love you, Erica.”

“I’d hope so,” she whispered, her voice drowsy. “It’d be unfortunate if you didn’t.”

“It would.” He smiled against her temple and was about to murmur a chant to warm the water, but she stopped him. “No, I like it cool.” She turned enough that she could put her hand on his chest and meet his eyes. “In fact, cold is good right now.”

He understood because he was every bit as much on fire.

“It’s time to eat,” he murmured, playing with a tendril of her wet hair. “And sleep.”

“Right, because I have big stuff coming up,” she murmured as her eyes cruised his face lazily. “What with using my alternate self to dupe the enemy.”

“You mean you, not her.” Kodran brushed his fingers over her cheek, reveling in how soft she felt. “Because she doesn’t exist anymore, Erica. She’s just another voice in your head that will soon be gone.”

“Another?”

“Well, I’m one now too, yes?” He grinned, eager to put her at ease. “And like I said before, my voice is strong.”

Her eyes searched his for a long moment before she murmured, “Yeah, it is,” and kissed him.

Before it got too far because it would, his cock was already swelling again, he murmured a chant that soaped and rinsed her fast then lifted her out of the tub. Instead of drying her off with a chant, he took his time with a towel and asked something that had been weighing on his mind. About the women he had laid with before and how Erica might feel seeing them now that she was here.

“Would you like to meet all of them?” he asked. “Would you like me to claim you as mine in front of them?”

Erica’s eyes met his as he crouched and slowly dried her off. “All of them,” she murmured with a hint of humor in her eyes before it was replaced with something else. “Sounds daunting.” Then there was strength. “But no.” She shook her head. “I’d rather just meet them as time goes by without you saying who they are. They don’t deserve to be judged unfairly...” Her voice dropped an octave and grew husky. “By someone envious of them.”

“I will agree to that,” he complied as he murmured a chant and dressed them, at least for now. “If you agree to something for me.”

Her brows perked. “You’re making demands when I just agreed to be cool with all your former playmates?”

“I am.” Kodran kept her close and searched her eyes. “When Eluf lost Maeva’s, or your, former incarnate the first time it was on his home world, their home world, Vanaheim. A place where she was something to Eluf that she never got to be after that life.” He cupped her cheek and spoke softly. “She was not just his mate, but his wife.”

As her eyes widened, he murmured a chant, embraced his twisted cane, fell to one knee and lowered his head. “Erica, will you—”

“Wait,” she interrupted, her voice a little shaky.

It felt like his heart dropped out of his chest as his eyes met hers. Was she going to say no? Already?

She put a finger beneath his chin and whispered, “There you go.”

As their eyes held, he understood her meaning. Erica didn’t want him to bow or lower his head in respect or worship when he asked this. She wanted them to be on equal ground right from the beginning of their journey.

Not the one they had already taken but the one ahead.

So he stood, set aside the cane and cupped her cheeks. “Marry me, Erica.” He ran the pads of his thumbs along her upper cheekbones. “Become my wife...again.”

“But we’ve only known each other for a few days,” she whispered hoarsely. Emotions mixed with humor as her eyes stayed with his. “Isn’t this kinda jumping the gun?”

“Maybe,” he conceded. “If we were anyone but us.”

The corner of her mouth curled up and wobbled a little. “I’m not the sort of woman that does this...”

“Does what?”

Fear flashed so quickly in her eyes he barely caught it. “Love...romance...marriage...”

“Neither do I.” He brushed his lips across hers. “At least not until now...not until you.”

She blinked away moisture. “This is cheesy, you know that right?” But she never looked away. “A little too fairytale’ish?”

“Avoiding fairytale endings might just be out of our hands.” He offered a crooked grin. “Because I’m fairly certain I cast a spell in another life to get you right where you are today.”

“That’s assuming marriage was ever part of Maeva’s fairytale.” She shook her head, doubtful. “I don’t remember her mentioning that in her story, do you?”

“No,” he said. “But I do remember her creating a tale that would make everything right. That would lead her back to Eluf.” He kissed her again. “That would lead you back to me.”

Erica didn’t say anything at first, only searched his eyes before she, at last, whispered, “I’ve got to say, as long term plans go, I’m pretty damn impressed by what he accomplished.”

“As am I.” He didn’t let her go, not for a second. “So does that mean you will marry me?”

She eyed him for another long moment before she stepped away and shook her head. “No.”

He fought the slow halt of his heart at her blunt word, the way his blood turned sluggish.

Erica sat at the table laden with food, a pitcher and several mugs and gestured for him to sit down. “Why don’t we eat?” She shook her head. “Because I’m sorry, but marriage just isn’t an option. I’m just not feeling it.”

Not feeling it? That didn’t sound right. None of this did. When he looked at her in question, she put a finger to her lips before she murmured sadly, “I hope you understand.”

He was about to respond when Aunt Aella, Heidrek, and Cybil entered followed by her sisters, Tait and Matthew. Everyone remained silent. What in Loki’s Hel was going on? He was about to say something but stopped when Cybil put a finger to her lips and shook her head right before Heidrek unsheathed a blade he hadn’t seen since all this started. The one that had been given to him on his journey when he came together with Cybil.

Thor’s blade.

That’s when he knew something was happening and didn’t speak another word, telepathically or otherwise. Heidrek looked between Kodran and Erica as Cybil pulled something out of her pocket and placed it on the table. Erica’s eyes grew damp as they fell to the ring and she stood. Everyone remained perfectly silent as she picked it up and placed it on the end of Heidrek’s sword.

That’s when Kodran finally figured it out.

They were getting married right now.

And it was in every sense of the word, not to be talked about, thought about or even celebrated.

Not yet.

He took Erica’s hand and stood in front of Heidrek and his sword before the fire. He said nothing but Kodran knew that words were being spoken somewhere beyond this place. Somewhere only gods could hear.

Words that were bringing Eluf back together with Maeva.

Words that were uniting Kodran and Erica.

When Thor’s sword began to glow, Kodran knew what to do. He took the ring and met her eyes. Then he stopped and waited. Because he would not go any further if she did not want him to.

Their eyes held for what seemed like centuries, hers growing moist all the while before she nodded. Eager, ready, he was about to slide the ring onto her finger but hesitated. Even to convince Maeva that theirs was true love, was it worth it if it meant forcing Erica into marriage? If they did it without even sharing another thought or word? Wouldn’t that be, in its own way, every bit as much a prison as what she had experienced with Hallstein?

Reading his thoughts, the corner of Erica’s lips twitched, and she shook her head. “No,” she mouthed. “Not even close.”

While she might say that he wasn’t sure if...

His thoughts came to a screeching halt as she pressed her lips together, snatched the ring, took his hand and slid it on his small finger until it could go no further...which wasn’t even halfway up.

But more than enough based on what happened next.

The fire flared on the hearth, and the air pressure seemed to change before it returned to normal. When Cybil met Heidrek’s eyes in question, he nodded. “It is done.”

“What is done?” Kodran said softly, his eyes on Erica and her alone.

“I think you know,” she murmured just as softly. “We just got married.”

He ignored the thundering of his heart and his dragon’s possessive response and looked at the ring before his eyes returned to hers. “Why like this?”

When Cybil started to speak, he shook his head. “No, my queen. Erica needs to explain. No one else.”

“Because the other Maeva was surfacing,” Erica cut in before Cybil could come to her defense. “When you proposed, it ignited something in her just as readily as it did me. A memory of sorts. And a strong one at that. Strong enough that she might have been able to use it. To tap into it. So it was best she heard my rejection to your proposal then we married in silence.”

Kodran frowned. “What memory?”

“Aunt Aella will explain it to you, Brother,” Tait said as his hand landed on his shoulder. “All of us felt it the second the other Maeva started to connect with you.”

“What matters now is that she’s been stopped in her tracks.” Erica shook her head. “We needed to reconnect like we were supposed to and now we have in every sense of the word.”

Kodran wasn’t sure what to make of that as his eyes dropped to the ring again. Though it hurt that it seemed to mean very little to her, he supposed if it kept her safe, that’s all that mattered. When his eyes met hers, he made sure she only saw relief. “So you are safe now? Maeva cannot touch you again?”

“No,” she said softly as her eyes dropped to the ring as well. “As long as we’re married like Maeva’s incarnate and Eluf once were, Maeva’s not getting any closer to us and she sure as heck isn’t relaying any information back to Hallstein unless I approve it.”

“Something I thought she couldn’t do anyway,” he muttered as he filled a mug with ale and took a deep swig. He didn’t mean to seem frustrated, but this was not how he had envisioned his marriage to her. Not in the least.

“I’m going to go spend a little time with my sisters,” Erica murmured.

They had just gotten married, and she didn’t want to stay with him? So was she truly unhappy to have married him? Was it as he had speculated and she felt as trapped with him as she had with Hallstein? Unfortunately, her thoughts were scattered, but there was no denying that she felt strong emotions. He just couldn’t tell what they were about.

He did, however, know what he was feeling. Disappointed. Alone in a whole new way. Why was she shutting him out when they were growing so close? When they had just shared something so important?

Congratulations were murmured as everyone except Aunt Aella left.

“Sit, Nephew.” She gestured to a chair. “Let’s take a moment so I can help you to see better.”

He sank into a chair and stared at the ring. A ring that was supposed to be on her finger, not his. Kodran muttered under his breath and was about to take another swig of his ale when he stopped and really looked at the ring. Something about it suddenly seemed so familiar.

“I would imagine,” Aella said softly, following his thoughts. “Though you remember it all one way, the Gungnir blade was made of several parts. All meant to bring you and your...us...dragons and seers back together.”

He kept staring at the ring as a memory hovered just out of reach. “What does that have to do with this?”

“It means that more came out of those ashes than just your cane and blade, Eluf.” She touched his arm until his eyes went to hers. “Don’t you remember? Really remember?”

“Remember what?” he ground out, frustrated. “All I remember is keeping Maeva safe. All I remember is...” His eyes dropped to the ring again, and a strange sensation washed over him as snapshot images started to flash through his mind. The Gungnir blade. His cane. Then something else. A rock at the base of the Gungnir blade cave. The one that he and Erica had sat on at the edge of the pond.

And the small circle in it that Erica’s finger had explored.

It had looked like there were flecks of mica in it, but instead, it had been a rare metal.

He gritted his teeth when he suddenly saw it for what it really was. The heart of the power. Something Eluf had taken from his home world when he came to Midgard. To most it would mean nothing but to him, it meant everything. After all, the ring now contained the metal from the stone where Maeva’s former incarnate had last stood before she was ripped away from him on Vanaheim. So this ring was touched by her not only in this life but two before, one of which was on another world.

“All along it was right there where we were.” His eyes met Aella’s. “The answer to all our problems. Something more powerful than we could’ve imagined.”

“That’s right.” She nodded. “And yet another reason for such a swift, silent wedding. We do not want Hallstein to know of this.”

That made sense. Curious, he said, “So how did Cybil get this ring?”

“She got it from me,” Aella said. “And I got it from the head seer before me, so on and so forth.”

He perked his brows. “Do you mean to tell me this has been handed down by seers from every generation going back to the beginning?”

“Yes,” she said, respect in her eyes as she looked at him. “Just as a few dragons survived, many seers did as well, Kodran. Those who were not part of your society. Those who did not trust dragons.” Wisdom lit her eyes. “But when they saw what Eluf ultimately did to protect his own, even for the sake of love, they made sure this ring was taken from the ashes. A ring you had created in hopes that it would someday find its way back to your wife. Your mate. And that a part of their home world, Vanaheim, would help reunite the love that was torn from them so long ago.”

“I’m very thankful to all of you,” he said softly, suddenly seeing through her mind’s eye the endless trail of seers that held this ring over the years and made this moment possible. “Very thankful.”

“You were good to your people and the first of our kind on Midgard.” She squeezed his hand. “You deserved to get back what you lost...what was taken from you.”

“Erica didn’t just see but felt all of it just now, didn’t she,” he murmured. “When she saw this ring, she re-experienced what Maeva’s incarnate had when she was torn from Eluf.”

When Aunt Aella nodded, he frowned and said, “Why didn’t I see it right away as well?”

“Because she didn’t want you to,” Aella said softly. “She wanted you to enjoy the moment.”

His eyes stayed with hers. “Erica was going to say yes to the proposal, wasn’t she? She truly wanted to marry me.”

“Without a doubt,” Aunt Aella confirmed. “She wanted it more than she’s wanted anything.”

“Then why not just tell me afterward?” He shook his head. “Why leave?”

“Because it was hard for her, Kodran,” she said. “And it was better for me to explain than her. So a few moments to collect herself with her sisters seemed like a better alternative.” Aella stood. “She is in the great lodge now if you would...”

He didn’t wait to hear the rest but headed that way. The moment he entered, her eyes met his across the room. This time things would go as they should have. He strode in her direction and roared, “My people, you have met Erica, yes?”

The music stopped, and the floor opened as he approached her. The man who thought to pull her close bowed his head to Kodran and backed away.

“Have you met Erica?” he repeated as his eyes swept over the room.

When everyone nodded, he nodded as well and met her eyes. “And do you know who she is?”

Many nodded, but some looked curious. Women mostly. As if they knew but wondered if he would say it out loud. So he did as he dropped to one knee, held out Eluf’s ring and declared, “Erica has already accepted me as her husband, but I would like to ask her again...” His eyes searched hers as he held the ring at the tip of her finger. “Would you agree to be my wife...” There was no stopping his dragon as he saw red. “My mate.”

“I would,” she managed, her voice so soft he barely heard it as he slid the ring on her finger, scooped her up, ignored the cheers of the crowd and plunked her down the minute they went out the back of the lodge.

“You should have told me...” he began before she stood on her tiptoes, cupped his cheeks and kissed the words right out of him. He walked her into a darkened corner where nobody would see and lifted her against the wall.

“Don’t keep things from me anymore,” he whispered into her ear as he ground against her without removing their clothing. “You no longer have to face things alone.”

“I know,” she said, her voice husky, aroused. “I’ll try not to...”

“You mean you will not.” He kept thrusting against her center as she grew hotter and started moaning.

“Not sure how I feel about demands,” she gasped as he started to manipulate the juncture between her legs.

“Not a demand but a request.” His eyes met hers as he kept moving against her. “An insistent request.” He cupped the side of her neck as he slowed then started to roll his hips with each thrust. “From your husband.”

“Oh, screw me,” she gasped. “I can’t think straight...”

A second later, she chanted, and their pants were down just enough that he wasn’t grinding against her clothes anymore, but sliding deep inside. Hel she was hot and tight and clearly not worried about being caught if someone happened upon them.

Caught in how good she felt, he lost all reason. All he could do was feel. How much he wanted her. How deeply he would put his seed in her. His thoughts and actions were animalistic and far beyond his control.

Yet he wasn’t alone.

Erica muffled her groans against the side of his neck and moved just as eagerly until he couldn’t hold back any longer. He pressed deep and let go so hard, he sank to his knees. Moments later, she cried out against his neck as she found her own release.

Her breathing choppy, she murmured, “Something’s happening.”

“It is,” he managed hoarsely as she milked his cock. “And I can’t get enough of it.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she whispered. “The ring...”

He pulled back and glanced at it with alarm. It was glowing softly. “Is it hurting you? Is there pain?”

“Pain? No,” she murmured as her eyes drifted over his shoulder. “But maybe embarrassment.”

He glanced over his shoulder and murmured a chant to cloth them when he spied three hooded, robed figures standing nearby.

“Hello, Eluf,” one said. “We were once your kin on Vanaheim and have heard your summons for help.”