bathroom dressing table. “When he took me to meet his father, we had a talk. He wants more time alone with me and I think I've worked out a way.”
“ Okay,” Trevor leaned against the door frame, looking a little wary.
“ If we spend time in the Human Realm, I could use the ring to travel back to a predetermined time with Azrael, then come back to be with you or Kirill immediately. Or vice-versa.”
“ I... yeah, that sounds feasible,” he nodded.
“ But it also got me thinking, wondering if maybe you and Kirill were unhappy too. Are you? Unhappy?”
“ Minn Elska,” he sighed and came over to squat in front of my chair. “There are times that I wish things were different but every relationship has its negatives and on the whole, I'm a very lucky man. I love you and I bonded to you without your permission. I could have spent eternity alone, my love unrequited. Yet here I am, loved enough that you worry over my happiness.”
“ Today, with Fenrir,” I swallowed hard and then just plunged right in. “It inspired me. I think I'm ready to complete our Binding.”
“ What?” He stood up and took a step back.
“ I thought you'd be happy,” I frowned at him. “Don't you want me to be bonded to you as you are to me?”
“ If we were a normal Froekn couple, yes,” he sighed, “but we're not and we can't have what they have.”
“ Why not?” And why did it hurt my heart to hear him say that?
“ When Odin died,” Trevor ran a hand roughly over his face, “it made me realize something. You'll survive without us. You can make it past any of our deaths because you'll have other lovers to help you through.”
“ Trevor,” I shook my head.
“ No, this is a good thing because, Vervain, your life is not just your own.” He waved a silencing hand when I started to speak. “I know this disturbs you but there are a lot of people who depend on you, a lot of people who love you. If you died, I would happily follow you into the grave because there would be no one to console me, no one who could possibly get me over the grief. For you, it would be different. If I die, you'll still have Kirill, Azrael, and that dragon.”
“ Arach,” I chided him.
“ Yeah him,” he grinned at me. “They would help you past your grief and you would carry on. Binding with you now, knowing there's so many others whose lives would be irrevocably changed without you in them, would be selfish of me. I can't allow you to bond fully with me. If I do and I die, I'll pull you into death with me and that's just not fair to everyone else.”
“ Honey-Eyes,” I stood up and went to hug him. “Sometimes I wish things were different.”
“ But then you remember that if it were, you wouldn't have Kirill or Azrael... or that lizard,” he chucked me under the chin.
“ Arach,” I giggled.
“ Yeah him.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Hugin,” I growled up at the raven, “stop pecking at Munin, you're wrecking my concentration.”
The large raven ruffled its feathers and gave one last peck to his brother before settling down. Beneath the delicate leafed tree they were perched in, I sat with Geri and Freki, Odin's wolves. All four of the animals had adapted well to their new environment and seemed to now be a part of the landscape. Freki made a huffing sound up at the ravens as if to mimic my admonishment and then settled back into a relaxed position, his head laid on his paws as he watched me.
Whenever I spent time outside of Pride Palace, on the grounds of my territory, they were there. For companionship or to guard me, I wasn't sure but I loved their presence. They were a gentle reminder of Odin and the quality of his heart. Memories of them prowling his hall swept through my head and I smiled a little before settling back into my relaxed cross-legged position.
“ Thank you,” I murmured to the birds. “Now let's try this again.
I held a small rock in my
“ Okay,” Trevor leaned against the door frame, looking a little wary.
“ If we spend time in the Human Realm, I could use the ring to travel back to a predetermined time with Azrael, then come back to be with you or Kirill immediately. Or vice-versa.”
“ I... yeah, that sounds feasible,” he nodded.
“ But it also got me thinking, wondering if maybe you and Kirill were unhappy too. Are you? Unhappy?”
“ Minn Elska,” he sighed and came over to squat in front of my chair. “There are times that I wish things were different but every relationship has its negatives and on the whole, I'm a very lucky man. I love you and I bonded to you without your permission. I could have spent eternity alone, my love unrequited. Yet here I am, loved enough that you worry over my happiness.”
“ Today, with Fenrir,” I swallowed hard and then just plunged right in. “It inspired me. I think I'm ready to complete our Binding.”
“ What?” He stood up and took a step back.
“ I thought you'd be happy,” I frowned at him. “Don't you want me to be bonded to you as you are to me?”
“ If we were a normal Froekn couple, yes,” he sighed, “but we're not and we can't have what they have.”
“ Why not?” And why did it hurt my heart to hear him say that?
“ When Odin died,” Trevor ran a hand roughly over his face, “it made me realize something. You'll survive without us. You can make it past any of our deaths because you'll have other lovers to help you through.”
“ Trevor,” I shook my head.
“ No, this is a good thing because, Vervain, your life is not just your own.” He waved a silencing hand when I started to speak. “I know this disturbs you but there are a lot of people who depend on you, a lot of people who love you. If you died, I would happily follow you into the grave because there would be no one to console me, no one who could possibly get me over the grief. For you, it would be different. If I die, you'll still have Kirill, Azrael, and that dragon.”
“ Arach,” I chided him.
“ Yeah him,” he grinned at me. “They would help you past your grief and you would carry on. Binding with you now, knowing there's so many others whose lives would be irrevocably changed without you in them, would be selfish of me. I can't allow you to bond fully with me. If I do and I die, I'll pull you into death with me and that's just not fair to everyone else.”
“ Honey-Eyes,” I stood up and went to hug him. “Sometimes I wish things were different.”
“ But then you remember that if it were, you wouldn't have Kirill or Azrael... or that lizard,” he chucked me under the chin.
“ Arach,” I giggled.
“ Yeah him.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Hugin,” I growled up at the raven, “stop pecking at Munin, you're wrecking my concentration.”
The large raven ruffled its feathers and gave one last peck to his brother before settling down. Beneath the delicate leafed tree they were perched in, I sat with Geri and Freki, Odin's wolves. All four of the animals had adapted well to their new environment and seemed to now be a part of the landscape. Freki made a huffing sound up at the ravens as if to mimic my admonishment and then settled back into a relaxed position, his head laid on his paws as he watched me.
Whenever I spent time outside of Pride Palace, on the grounds of my territory, they were there. For companionship or to guard me, I wasn't sure but I loved their presence. They were a gentle reminder of Odin and the quality of his heart. Memories of them prowling his hall swept through my head and I smiled a little before settling back into my relaxed cross-legged position.
“ Thank you,” I murmured to the birds. “Now let's try this again.
I held a small rock in my
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