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  “My life was yours from the moment you saved it. I had to make the offer but when you refused me, it was you who made the decision. It was you who started the Binding.” His body completely covered mine and again I hadn’t caught the movement. It was a strange position though. He lay on me centered perfectly. His legs hung lower than mine and he had to bend to keep us face to face but we were hips to hips. Our centers were centered.

  “But I knew nothing of your culture or I wouldn’t have bound you,” I trembled from head to toe, my body already knowing something that my mind wouldn't accept.

  “It was your ignorance that made your release of me so sweet,” his breath came faster and I felt him press hard against me. Even through his jeans and the sheet covering me, I felt his heat and the pleasure of his touch. “You give without thought of gain. You’re strong, wise, fearless, and beautiful. You’re worthy of the Binding and as you have chosen me, I choose you.”

  He lowered his mouth over mine and slipped through my lips. As soon as our tongues met, white light poured between us, around us, within us. He shuddered against me and I felt waves of pleasure course through me, tightening my body and pushing it into release. Trevor cried out into my mouth and I drank down his rapture as I felt the warmth of his release rush against me. His magic came pouring out with it, past the barrier of fabric and into me.

  My body seemed to rebel, tightening and trying to reject the magic. I had no idea what was going on inside me until I saw a flash of white fur in my head and heard a low growl. My Nahual was coming out to defend her territory and she wasn't too pleased to find that the invader was a wolf. My jaguar faced Trevor's wolf inside my chest, both of them ready to tear each other apart over living space.

  I slammed down an imaginary wall between the two of them and made my feelings known. They needed to get along or there'd be nothing to fight over because I'd be dead. That seemed to calm them both and I felt my Nahual withdraw reluctantly. She kept her eyes on Trevor's wolf though, even after he backed away and curled up, warm and content. The honey eyes I’d sensed in my mind earlier, closed.

  We lay pressed together for a few minutes, breathing hard and staring at each other wide-eyed, until our breath slowed and I could think clearly again. I closed my eyes and groaned. This wasn’t going to make my life any easier. How the hell was I going to explain it to Thor?

  “Minn Elska,” Trevor whispered into my neck as he slid down into a more relaxed position.

  “What?” I brushed the hair back from his eyes. I loved his eyes and his hair was silky like fur. What? No! What the hell was I thinking?

  “My love,” he smiled with passion-heavy eyes up at me.

  “Fuck!” I swore and Trevor’s eyes shot wide open. “Get off me! I can’t do this. There’s got to be a way to unbind you.”

  “It’s done, darling,” Thor was standing beside the bed looking down on us with an unreadable expression.

  I gaped at him and pushed at Trevor. The wolf rolled off me and my face flushed when I saw the stain on the front of his jeans. Trevor curled up on the foot of the bed and continued to stare at me contentedly. It was like he was high. Part of me wished I could stay in that high with him but reality was a downer. I was stone cold sober.

  “How much of that did you see?” I was also mortified.

  “Enough,” Thor's jaw was clenched so he had to speak through his teeth. That couldn’t be a good sign.

  “Baby,” I sat up and reached for him and he gave me his hand before he sat down beside me. At least he wasn’t throwing things at my head again. Maybe I had a chance. I hoped so since I didn't think I could handle losing him again. “Trevor, please,” I glanced at the wolf. “Now I need to ask you to leave.”

  He stood up and nodded solemnly, finally joining the rest of us on planet Sobriety, but he turned to Thor before he left. “You know me, Thunderer. You know whose scent I carry. I’ve pledged all to your woman and my legacy is now hers. As long as you treat her well, you both are Froekn. I don’t ask for her love or her sex but I will have my share of her. You know you cannot deny me.”

  Thor looked toward Trevor but not directly at him. He closed his eyes and nodded curtly before turning back to me. I didn’t like that nod and I really didn’t like the satisfaction in Trevor’s face as he walked from the room.

  “What does that mean, Baby Thunder?” I looked at him with my heart in my eyes, begging him not to destroy it.

  “He’s bound to you,” he swallowed hard. “Wolves mate for life. It’s like an eternal marriage.”

  “But I don’t want to marry him!” I nearly screamed in frustration. “I barely know the guy.”

  “This is a complicated situation,” he took my hands in his. “He’s bound himself to you because you saved him. You haven’t agreed to love him but there will be attraction between you.” He frowned and took a deep breath. “You’ll desire him, Vervain. It’s part of the magic. It’s meant to keep the species going and the Binding strong.”

  “But I still feel attraction for you,” I lifted my hands to his face, stroking the angles I loved. He smiled and kissed both of my palms.

  “I’m very happy to hear you say that,” he took my hands in his again. “But you’re not the bonded. This wasn't a mutual Binding, as you’ve already discovered. He’s given his life to you. You haven’t offered yours to him.”

  “So normally the other wolf would offer their life as well?” I frowned and tried to grasp it all. “The process is done by both wolves?”

  “Exactly,” he smiled. “You’re not under any restriction regarding him. Only he is bound.”

  “That’s unacceptable,” I said firmly. “I can’t have some wolf bound to me, unable to satisfy his basic needs because I’m already in love with you.”

  Thor laughed and it was a surprised sound, like he couldn’t believe I’d made him laugh in such a horrible situation. He hugged me to him and kissed the top of my head.

  “Thank you, darling,” he whispered. “You’ve just made this bearable.”

  “Thor,” I gasped. “I can’t breathe.”

  He chuckled again and loosened his hold. “We’ll make it work,” he stroked my cheek and kissed me quickly.

  “You still haven’t explained what he meant,” I gave him a reproachful look. “What was all that about scent, legacy, and having his fair share, huh? What the hell was that?”

  “Vervain, someday I’m going to introduce you to Hel since you keep invoking her name.”

  “What?”

  “The Goddess of the Underworld,” he patted my thigh. “My followers revered her as the keeper of those who died of old age and illness. Her name is Hel, one L not two. She also happens to be Trevor’s Aunt.”

  “So that’s where the Christians got it,” I snorted.

  “We all traveled a lot,” he shrugged. “Our myths got mixed together, our followers got confused occasionally.”

  “You’re trying to get me off the subject,” I pointed at him and thinned my lips. “Wait… Aunty Hel? Oh that’s rich. No! You’re not distracting me. Tell me the rest.”

  “Very well,” he heaved a sigh. “The scent he carries is that of Fenrir himself. All werewolves stem from the Great Wolf but most are generations from the source. Trevor is Fenrir’s first cub.”

  “What?” The bad feeling was getting worse, the butterflies in my belly turning to lead and plummeting. “That means I’ve bound the Big Bad Wolf’s eldest son? His bouncing baby boy? His prime offspring? His…”

  “Yes, Vervain,” Thor laughed and shook his head.

  Something occurred to me. “What does VѐulfR mean?”

  “He spoke his name to you?” Thor didn’t sound surprised so much as resigned.

  “Yes, and I felt something when he said it.”

  “It’s just one more thing that ties him to you now. You of all people should know the power of words when spoken at the right time.”

  “Why do you think I’m asking?” I looked at him expectantly.

>   “It means ‘Sacred Wolf’. He’s Fenrir’s holy one, like Christ to the Christian god.”

  “Whoa.”

  “Now you understand why he has a legacy and why it’s an honor for you to be a part of it.”

  “Yeah but what exactly is this legacy?” I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “I’m not going to need a lot of Nair am I?”

  “What?”

  “Am I going to get furry?”

  “No, baby,” Thor looked up like there was an explanation for my insanity written on the ceiling. “His legacy is power and now you can tap into it. He has a direct link to Fenrir and you may call on the Wolf himself for aid in times of need.”

  “That’s pretty groovy,” I nodded and raised my brows.

  “Yes, it’s all groovy,” he rolled his eyes, “now for the bad part.”

  “No,” I groaned. “No more bad news… how’s my back by the way? Am I going to scar?”

  “What? No,” Thor blinked as he tried to follow my train of thought past its derailment. “You’re back will heal perfectly, Teharon's a god.”

  “Very groovy,” I nodded and felt supremely cool.

  “Can I tell you the bad part now?”

  “If you must,” I waved imperiously. I was a powerful girl now after all. I had connections.

  “Too bad I’m not a god of patience,” he muttered.

  “What was that?” I narrowed my eyes again… with great wolf-empowered menace.

  “Nothing, darling,” he sighed. “Trevor is bound in a one way tie so he requires you to spend time with him or he’ll fall ill.”

  “He’ll get sick if I don’t see him?” I blinked. “Talk about taking rejection hard.”

  “This isn’t funny, Vervain,” Thor was losing his tolerance so I gave him my good girl face and nodded. He seemed satisfied with it. “You must have physical contact with him at least once a month. It doesn’t have to be big. You don’t have to have sex with him or anything like that but it must be skin to skin contact. He’s given you a part of his soul and he needs to connect with it or he’ll die.”

  I felt the blood leave my face and I sat back against the pillows with a thud. I had to touch him every month or he died? Well hell, I mean Hel, no pressure or anything. I looked at Thor and noticed the little lines around the corners of his mouth.

  “You’re not telling me something,” I glared at him.

  His eyes widened and his head rocked back. “You're getting good at reading me.”

  “Yeah and what aren’t you telling me?”

  “It’s best to touch him as often as possible,” he looked away and I hit his arm lightly, so he’d looked back. “If you keep the touching to a minimum he could become starved for you and attack.”

  “Attack, like he’d try to kill me?” I so did not need a rabid werewolf for a pet. What would Nick think?

  “Not kill,” Thor looked away again then back quickly, “rape maybe.”

  “Oh shit,” I gaped at him.

  “Yes, very eloquent, Vervain,” he swallowed hard. “That about sums it up.”

  “Okay, so I got a new doggy that needs to be pet a lot or he may end up humping my leg.”

  “You have such a way with words,” his lips were twitching.

  “I just wish he didn’t have to give up a chance at normal werewolf bliss for me,” I sighed and frowned. “I don’t like standing in the way of anyone’s happiness.”

  “You still don’t understand,” he caught my gaze and held it. “You are his happiness now. You bring him joy beyond sex. He doesn’t need intercourse as much as he needs you. The needs of the body can be managed in other ways, the needs of the soul cannot.”

  “So he can still masturbate is what you’re saying,” I chewed my lip as I mulled it over.

  Thor rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. “Yes, he can, but like you experienced earlier, your touch alone can bring him that pleasure.”

  “And you’ll be okay with this?”

  “No, I'm definitely not okay with this, but what choice do I have?”

  “There’s always a choice,” I whispered and looked down at my hands gripping the sheet.

  “Not if I want to keep you,” he pulled me against him so roughly and so suddenly that I couldn’t think for a second. His mouth ravaged mine and I tasted the salt of his tears in his kiss. The air sparked around us, our hair starting to lift, so I pulled away breathlessly.

  “I don't know if I'm rested enough for mind blowing sex yet, babe,” I smirked, “and that's the only kind of sex I'm willing to have with you anymore.”

  “I love you,” he laughed. “You’re worth every headache.”

  “I told you before, be careful you don’t speak too soon.”

  “There’s something else,” Thor smiled so it couldn’t have been that bad but I still went on guard immediately.

  “What?”

  “I think you should take a look in the mirror.”

  I looked down at my body quickly to make sure I hadn’t turned into a wolfgirl or anything like that. No, still me. What the hell? Oh shit, my face. My hands flew up to it but everything felt fine to me. Thor laughed and pulled me out of bed.

  “It’s nothing horrible, just go look,” he nudged me in the direction of the bathroom.

  I was still a little weak so I stumbled and he reached out to steady me. I caught my balance, waved him off with a smile, and made my way over to the mirror. Then I just stood and stared.

  It was still me. Same dark hair, same dark eyes, same curves, but somehow I was different. I leaned in closer. My hair was longer and a little thicker, falling in shining, fat curls to my ass. Normally my hair grew at a snail’s pace and to get those kind of curls I’d have to set it. My skin was perfect, shining with a healthy glow, and when I touched it, my hand glided over its surface like silk. My eyelashes were long and thick, curling up and out. My lips were just a tad fuller and were a soft rose pink. I felt like a sex kitten and I didn’t have a stitch of make-up on. Then I noticed the changes in my body, the way everything felt tighter and stronger, the way even simple functions like breathing seemed easier.

  “Groovy,” I whispered.

  “Yes, darling it’s very nice,” Thor’s eyes sparkled as he came up behind me.

  “Very nice?” I turned and lifted a new perfectly shaped eyebrow. I wondered if this meant I’d never have to pluck again. “This is about fifty thou in work here… check me out.” I spun around in a circle and felt my hair follow me in a wide arch. “Holy cannolis! Is my ass firmer?”

  “Yes,” he reached out and pulled me to him. “Like I said, it’s very nice, but I liked you as you were. This added kick from Aphrodite’s magic is just frosting on my Vervain cake.” He kissed my neck over the thunderbolt scar.

  I laughed and shook my head a little. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re not impressed, it’s pretty much what you said before.”

  “Ah, so I’ve proved my love then?” He was kissing lower.

  “I think I might require just a little more proof,” I sighed.

  “Little?” He raised an outraged face to me.

  “We’re not back to that again, are we? You’re huge, monstrous, I’m terrified, eeek, someone help me.” I intoned dryly and he laughed before he returned to his kissing.

  Epilogue

  Thor and I settled into couple life. We worked out a system where I spend three nights at his house, he spends three nights at mine, and then he leaves so I can have the seventh day to myself. Hey isn't it like some kinda god code to rest on the seventh day? I was only being considerate of his culture. Yeah, okay, I admit I just really needed a day to myself every once in awhile. I tell him, “Baby, how can I miss you, if you never leave?” He really hates that line.

  The arrangement is perfect though. It gives me time to be home and take care of my housework and plants, as well as a day alone to paint and actually make a living. Thor scoffs at my need for money, telling me over and over that he'll handle any
financial needs I have. I told him to shove it where the lightning don't strike.

  Persephone and Hades must be doing well because nobody’s heard from them in awhile. No news is good news. Last we did hear, they were getting a place in Hawaii Kai, an ultra rich neighborhood across the island from me. So maybe they're just taking their time getting settled in.

  Teharon's a source of strength as much as Pan is a source of amusement. I don’t think either will ever change. Horus and I are growing on each other… like mold, but I catch him smiling at me every once in awhile so I think it’s a good mold. The kind you can make into penicillin.

  Mr. T and Mrs. E are trying to bring their son over from the dark side but I’ve yet to even meet Nayenezgani so I think the chances of that happening are about as good as the chances of Brahma ever being faithful to Sarasvati. Who I still haven’t met either, by the way.

  Things with Trevor have been going smoothly. He's respectful of Thor and keeps his touching to a minimum. Thor, in turn, respects Trevor's right to keep breathing. The two very different magical aspects inside of me, my jaguar and Trevor's wolf, have seemed to reach an accord as well. I wouldn't say it's exactly harmonious in there but at least they're not fighting like cats and dogs.

  Although I still have my concerns over being in a relationship with an immortal, life is pretty great. I'm no longer being stalked by werewolves or hunted by a psycho love goddess. There were no more vampire killings or dream visits from a crazy Aztec god and when I checked in on him, Blue seemed to have given up on his plan to launch Russia into war. Maybe the thing with Aphrodite had thrown him for a loop or maybe my new connection to the Froekn was a deterrent. Either way, all was quiet and peaceful. I wallowed in the serenity, knowing it would never last. If there was anything I'd learned from dating a god of lightning, it was that there was only one thing that followed a calm... the storm.

  Keep reading for a sneak peak at the next book in the Godhunter Series:

  Of Gods and Wolves