A Viking's Lost Soul Read online

  Since she was born, my family followed her every move. Rugby games, fast pitch practice, horseback riding lessons, her first dates, etc. She was a rare beauty that we were forbidden to touch. As the years progressed, my feelings for her started to grow. I knew she was off limits, and I would be skinned alive if anyone knew, but my cock had other ideas.

  I met her when I was thirteen after her mother died, but it wasn’t until a short while ago that everything started to change. A blind date that went horribly wrong; her date thought she was easy prey and he could do anything he wanted to her. But Stephanie was not someone you wanted to underestimate. She kicked the living shit out of him and ran.

  Tears streamed down her face, and I went after her. I pretended to be a bystander who bumped into her, but with her dress torn and makeup all over, she looked like she had just been raped or about to be. Running for dear life, she slipped on a patch of ice and hit her head on the hood of her car.

  I ran towards her as she fell, and a sickening sound echoed when her head hit the ground. Keeping my breaths steady, I yelled for someone to call 9-1-1.

  Kneeling beside her still form, I checked for any other injuries besides the gash on her head. Her knee was twisted in an odd angle, a large gash on her forehead had blood trickling down the side of her face, but she was alive. The killer inside of me roared to life seeing the state of her dress and the marks on her arms. She fought her attacker, but he was going to pay for what he did.

  My brother was on duty that night, but a woman with nice tits and a fresh pussy had him running the other way. If I hadn’t been there to cover his ass, who knows what would have happened. I was ordered to stay hidden, but at that moment, I had to break the rules. Cameron was sheltering a Viking who was lost and needed to be set free.

  My cock throbbed to feel her folds wrapped around me, but she was forbidden. She was the one person I have wanted since the day I saw her in Oslo. Her laughter caused my heart to stop, while her smile brightened my days when they seem so bleak. Wars would start over her.

  The sad reality is, they have. Stephanie is in more danger now than she will ever realize. So, fuck the rules and fuck the order. She was worth more than I could ever give her.

  The sirens could be heard from miles away, signaling my time was up. Stephanie began to stir in my arms, her hazel eyes opening slowly. She paused for a moment, and when her eyes locked with mine, she was all I could see. The sirens faded off into the distance, and my world began to revolve around her. She was a woman I would kill for, and one day I planned to make her mine.

  “Til vi møtes igjen.” I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, as her eyes began to shut. I cradled her head in my hands and inhaled her intoxicating scent. Her scent sent shivers throughout my body, and that was when I knew my life would change forever.

  That night has been at the forefront of my mind ever since. Cameron made me swear I would protect her with my life, and I intended to keep that promise. He knew I would go to any lengths to protect her.

  Chapter 3

  ~ Stephanie ~

  Everything had been a blur after I talked to Dr. Martin. I couldn't tell you what day it was or what happened. I curled up in a ball on the sofa with Luna laying near my heart, feeling her heartbreak. Her soft purrs lulled me to sleep at night, helping me mourn the loss of my father. Both of my parents were gone, and the only family I had left was Luna and Etienne.

  Three days have passed since my world stood still, and here I am sitting in a chair inside a church with my best friend, Etienne, holding my hand and offering me words of comfort. The church is packed with people I don’t know, nor care to know. When I called Etienne after I spoke with Dr. Martin, he rushed over to the grocery store and promised he would take care of everything.

  He has been my rock and best friend for the past fifteen years. After my mother’s passing, Etienne and his mother moved right next door. My father insisted I go out and play with the other kids, but I refused. So, one day my father invited Etienne and his mother over. Since we were both new kids on the block, he thought we would hit it off. His mother was beautiful and extremely sweet. She and my mother would have hit it off right away.

  Etienne, on the other hand, reminded me of Shaggy from Scooby Doo with his ‘rut ro’ t-shirt and G.I. Joe’s. Granted, he doesn’t look anything like that now, since he was in the Military. But I will never forget that day. He made me smile for the first time since we moved to Colorado.

  But ever since that day, we have been inseparable. We would spend hours talking about books, movies, our dates, family. People asked for years why we never dated, and our exact response was, hell no. We’re family and family does not date or breed. We are not kings, pharaohs, or those seeking to be pureblood.

  He is my other half, and without him, I have no idea what life would have thrown my way.

  “Steph?” Etienne whispers, bringing me out of my daze.

  I look around the room and notice the minister is waiting for me to approach. I shake my head and hold onto Etienne’s hand for dear life. I can’t face these people.

  Whenever I’m supposed to speak in public, the urge to vomit overtakes me, and I run every time. I’ve never been good with crowds, people, or talking. I stutter most of the time or lock myself away from the world. Etienne and my father told me I was an old soul that needed to be freed from her cage and go out and explore. But until three days ago, my father needed me more than ever. Now, I’m not sure what I am going to do next.

  I feel Etienne tighten his grip on my hand as he pulls me to the podium. I shake my head, trying to fight him, but he refuses to budge. He pulls me into a tight embrace and whispers into my ear. “Your father was a great man. I know he was proud to have you as a daughter. He sheltered you from life, but it’s time for everyone to see what I see. Go tell everyone what kind of man he was.”

  With Etienne’s words of encouragement, I walk to the podium and look around the room. People from all over the world traveled to be here. My eyes continue to roam until I notice a lot of men dressed in black suits leaning against the wall, looking like they are security guards or something. Yeah, I know, this is a funeral, and most everyone is wearing a tux or whatever, but this is different.

  The way they hold themselves tells me they are not here to mourn my father. I scan each man and notice every single one of them is ripped like a god, but what shocks me the most is the look on each of their faces. Blank, void of emotion, and their eyes scan the room ever so slowly. If I didn’t know any better, they look a hell of a lot like secret service. Secret service at my father’s funeral? Ha, you are losing it, Nils.

  A small chuckle escapes my lips, causing Etienne to raise his eyebrow. I shake my head and continue my grand tour of the sex gods in the room. As my eyes scan each one, they keep wandering back to one in particular. He looks familiar to me, but those eyes. He is over six feet tall, short hair that makes him look almost bald, but if you look closely, you can see a tint of red. He is the largest man in the group and would make any woman's panties wet just looking at him. Mine included.

  Who the hell are these men? My dad was an engineer for a database company. He was a nobody who fixed servers and rebuilt computers. Why are there bodyguards here?

  Etienne coughs and brings my attention back to him. He motions his hands for me to start talking, but my eyes keep wandering back to the sex god who made my vagina come alive for the first time in a while.

  “The room is yours, Ms. Nils.” The minister whispers to me as he gently lays his hand on my shoulder. I look over my shoulder and give a slight nod.

  “Here goes nothing.”

  Taking a deep breath and praying for the strength not to puke when addressing everyone, I turn to face the room and start talking about my father.

  “That was beautiful, dear. Your father would have been so proud.” A woman in her late sixties shakes my hand and makes her way to the reception room where my father’s favorite restaurant is catering the event. We have everythin
g from burgers, meatballs, and steaks, to fruit tarts, fresh fruit, chips and more.

  I shake everyone’s hand as they talk about my father and give me their condolences. But when the sex gods dressed in suits who look like they want to kill someone, come towards me, my heart rate starts to quicken. The entire time I talked about my father, I focused my attention on the sex god with red hair and piercing blue eyes. As if sensing someone looking at him, his eyes locked with mine the entire time.

  Shifting uncomfortably, I start to wish I was somewhere else in the world. There is no way in hell a man like that could be into a girl like me. Five feet four-inches, brown hair that barely touches the top of her breasts, and curves that have a little extra cushion for the pushin. I am not exactly the prize trophy most men want.

  As the men start to get closer, knots form in my stomach. Why the hell did they make me so nervous? For God’s sake, go get laid. You are not a nun, you don’t live in a convent.

  As if on cue, my father's voice pops into my head. “Never show fear to anyone, squirt. You are stronger than you realize and exactly like your mother. Stand up to the evil in the world and never give in.”

  So much for being brave. Snap out of it, Nils. You are better than this.

  I watch as the men approach and can’t stop my jaw from dropping. There are twelve in total, but I only have eyes for one. As each man shakes my hand, my eyes continue to drift back to the man at the back of the line. The man who caught my attention earlier was even hotter up close. How the hell is that even possible? Rugged jawline, ocean blue eyes, and a massive body that causes my imagination to go wild. The things I would do to that man. And don't get me started on his Tux. It’s clinging to his body, making it, so every movement shows off his incredible bod.

  Man, I’m so screwed.

  As the line starts to dwindle, my nerves start to go into overdrive. The man who made my heart rate soar, shakes my hand, causing the knots in my stomach to explode and fire to erupt all over my skin. I could see his mouth moving, but I can’t hear a thing.

  “Ma’am?” The gorgeous man says.

  Shaking my head and realizing what a complete idiot I must look like, I just smile. Oh, yeah. Smile like a damn looney toon crazy person. That’ll win him over. Sheesh.

  “What? I… sorry. It’s been a long day.” I say, trying to recover from whatever just happened.

  “I am sorry for your loss. Your father was a good man.” His deep voice sends shivers through my body. Well, that is new. As if it has a mind of its own, my body starts to lean forward, but I stop myself dead in my tracks. What the hell is wrong with me? You don’t just lean into a stranger and dear Lord; did I just sniff him?

  “Thank you. How did you know my father?”

  The man is still holding onto my hand, never showing signs of letting go. “He is a family friend. I knew him well.”

  “I would love to know more. My father was a secretive man.”

  “Some secrets are meant to be buried.” I hear him mutter.

  I start to ask him what he meant when the minister interrupts us and motions for me to follow him inside. I release my hand from the man’s grasp and follow the minister towards the reception. I mentally scowl him and flip him off for interrupting me. I still have a lot of people to meet and talk with, but something tells me the conversation with that man would be a lot more stimulating.

  As the minister goes on to talk about something or another, I look back to see the man, who just made my body respond in a way it never has, run his hand through his hair and groan.

  A few of the men in suits approach the man and say something that causes his shoulders to go rigid. Mystery man seems to get agitated and shoves one of them against the wall with his hand wrapped around his throat. I try to see what is happening, but the minister pulls me inside and shuts the door before I can see what is going to happen next.

  Who the hell are those men?

  Chapter 4

  ~ Finn ~

  The night before Cameron Nils died, he called to warn me about our enemies. Bjarne and his men are slowly closing in, and Stephanie is in immediate danger. We need to get her the fuck out of this godforsaken place, and back to Skorraey. She needs to learn the truth about her family and finally know what we are all about. It’s been a long time coming, and it is only a matter of time before they strike.

  Cameron knew of my love for his daughter and tasked me with her protection. I am the best at what I do and would die to protect her. She is the one person in this world worth fighting for.

  Cameron warned me about the oath I took when I was thirteen but told me no other man could handle a spitfire like her. Stephanie may act scared, but she is tough as nails and will make our enemies cower with fear. She is a true warrior at heart.

  I would do anything in my power to make sure she stays alive. The problem is, her life is at greater risk now that her father is dead. Not to mention, the fact that she has stolen the heart of a killer who would do anything to make her his.

  What the fuck am I saying? I am a part of the Hrothgier brotherhood. Fight, Kill, Erase. That is my life, but one look at those hazel green eyes and I was done for.

  She has no one left to protect her from the evil that plagues this world. She has no idea what is about to happen. Everything she grew up knowing is a farce. Her mother’s death, being secluded in Denver. Not knowing who her family is, how she only has one real friend and why we kept the others a safe distance away.

  We did this. We created a bubble to keep her out. Now, it is time to shatter everything she holds dear.

  I have to make sure she is ready. If she isn’t, she will be dead. They will come after her and torture her. She will be a pawn in a game that’s been going on for centuries.

  I will not lose her. She is what keeps the demons at bay and allows the real me to come out. If I have to break the rules and claim her as my own, I will. No woman in this world has given me a reason to fight as hard as she does. She met me after her mother’s death, but that was all it took. She staked her claim on my heart the moment I looked into her eyes, but it wasn’t until the attempted rape that sealed the deal.

  Being at Cameron’s funeral brought it all back. The promise I made, the oath I took for this family. What I didn’t expect was the draw she had on me. It’s been three years since I last saw her, and she is a vision of beauty. Her brown hair pulled to the side with a single flower woven within the small braids. A simple black dress that left nothing to the imagination but caused my cock to harden the moment I saw her.

  “Easy, Finn. We don’t want to scare the girl.” Liam, my leading officer, whispers as we survey the room.

  “It’s been three years since I saw her last. She is even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.”

  Liam pats me on the back as our brothers start to take their places. “Don’t let the others hear you say that. They will think you’ve gone soft.”

  “Fuck off.”

  A mischievous grin is plastered on Liam’s face, as I flip him off and take my position.

  My brothers were on edge when we received Intel a few weeks back that someone was after Cameron. With his untimely death, we flew to Denver to ensure Stephanie would be well protected. We can’t take the chance of her falling into the wrong hands. Stephanie is the last of her line, and until she is in Norway, she isn’t safe.

  We surround the inside of the church, covering every angle. Dimitri and Ian stay outside to keep an eye on the grounds, while the rest of us keep an eye on things inside.

  The minister and a few others take the podium to talk about nonsense and meaningless bullshit. Cameron this and Cameron that. They don’t know a damn thing about Cameron and his way of life. They only know what he wanted people to see.

  As time drags on, my eyes never stray from Stephanie. Her hand holds onto Blackhawk’s for dear life, wishing she was anywhere but here. We never expected his role to turn out like it has but thank Odin it did. Without his Intel and close proximity to th
e target, this would never work.

  As Stephanie walks to the podium, my breath stills. The girl I rescued three years ago has vanished. The woman who now stands before me is a woman blessed by the goddess, Freya. I know of her fear of public speaking, but when her mouth opens, the entire room is captivated by her voice. She gives a beautiful eulogy about her father that leaves not a dry eye in the house. I stand there proud as she commands the room, causing everyone to be in awe. Gone is the girl who used to throw up trying to give her speech on the Tudor Empire, and in its place stands a woman with strength and conviction.

  Seeing her stand proud and strong, causes my heart to swell. She held fear in her eyes only for a moment, before a new-found strength takes her over. She is her father’s daughter.

  As everyone leaves the church, my brothers and I stand back. We take one last sweep of the room, looking for any sign of intrusion before we head out to offer our condolences.

  As each of my brothers shake her hand, I can’t help but notice her eyes never stray from mine. My cock starts to stir at the thought of finally claiming her as my own.

  “I am sorry for your loss, Steph. He was a good man.” I say, reaching for her hand. Her hands are small but smooth as butter. I look into her sapphire eyes, the ones that haunt my dreams every night, never wanting to let go of her hand.

  Stephanie shakes her head slightly, not saying a word. She continues to stare at me, her mouth at a loss for words.

  “Ma’am?”

  “What? I… sorry. It’s been a long day.” She snaps, a little confused.

  “I am sorry for your loss. Your father was a good man.”