The Fire Within The Night (Night Aberrations - Book Two) Page 3
“Is my father really that bad?”
“He is much worse than you can imagine. He is a tyrant. The entire realm suffers as his playthings. It is a relief to me that you were fortunate enough to have green eyes. Had you not, you would be forced to endure the same disdain the creatures of the Norse-lands harbor for Soren and the rest of your siblings.”
Well, that was beyond depressing. “Poor Soren. No wonder he was so serious looking.” Being shunned because of your parent had to be as bad as it was for me having been excluded for being an orphan.
Jakob shook his head. “He is impervious to that sort of thing. When you are seven thousand years old, few circumstances will bother you enough to take notice of, which is why I want to leave you to look at the mark by yourself. I am certain that he would take action if he knew I saw you in your undergarments.”
“I understand, but can you at least show me yours, so I know what I’m looking for?”
With an uncertain expression plain on his face, he turned his back to me and shed his dark jacket and t-shirt. “If that is what you desire.”
My legs took me over to him as if they had a mind of their own. The need to touch his smooth bare back was overwhelming. Reaching up, I traced the overlapping triangles of his mark’s design with my fingertip, enjoying the way his muscles tightened at the first stroke.
“Erin?” he inquired.
Jakob's impassioned voice was gruff with the same lust I was feeling. Unable to help myself, I leaned into him, resting my forehead on his back and breathing in his masculine scent. “Yes?”
“Do not do something you will regret.”
Sliding my hands to his stomach, I placed a kiss in the center of his back, my lips lingering on his skin as I spoke. “Will I regret it, Jakob?”
He stilled my roaming hands with his own, turned to face me, and walked me backward until my back was pressed against the middle mirror. “That depends on whether you want to see me alive tomorrow, älskling. I was not in jest about Soren’s anger.” His voice was slow and slurred.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.
On a heavy sigh he breathed, “I do not know,” and pressed his hard body into mine. I moaned out his name as he slowly licked up the column of my throat and whispered into my neck. “You are so perfect, Erin. I do not want to hurt you.”
Opening my eyes, I pulled back to meet his hungry stare. His jaw was clenched in unnecessary restraint. “I want you, Jakob.”
He bared fangs. “You know not what you ask for.”
I gasped at his exhibition, more in surprise than fear. “You’re a vampire?”
He threaded his fingers into my hair, burying his face in the dark mass. “The dark elves have been called many things, älskling. Gud, jag vill ha dig. Jag vill begrava mig själv i dig när jag tar en ven.”
I didn’t have to speak whatever language he was speaking to understand what he said. I wanted the same thing—even if that meant I was about to get laid by Dracula.
A pounding on the bathroom door startled us apart. “Uh, Jakob? Soren is on the line for you. He sounds kind of pissed.”
Jakob gave me an, “I told you so,” look and picked his shirt up to hold over the impressive bulge in his jeans.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed.
“No more than I,” he acknowledged, leaving the room.
Our interloper stepped into the bathroom after Jakob’s departure and grinned a knowing smile. “You have quite the dirty mind, Erin. I approve.”
Another telepath? Well, isn’t that just what the situation needed? I unbuttoned the top buttons of my shirt in order to examine the mark on my shoulder. “You liked that, did you, Nils?” I asked distracted.
“I am a heterosexual male, aren’t I? That bit about him burying himself inside you, while he takes your vein? That was smoking hot. You must be a naughty female to have evoked those words from our virtuous Jakob. He is so … saint-like. I, on the other hand, would be happy to do anything you set your dirty little mind on.” His smile widened, showing the barest amount of fang. “Anything.”
With a grimace, I straightened my top. “No, thanks.”
Affronted by my not caring that he was more than a virile male specimen, he added, “I am also a wolf, if that does anything for you.”
“What do you mean, wolf?” Did he mean he was a werewolf? Holy shit!
“Yes, I do.” He growled low, flashing his glowing yellow eyes.
I tamped down the urge to reprimand him for reading my mind again. Instead, I squealed in delight and pointed to the door. “Outside—now! I have to see this!” He looked confused, but I didn’t care. A werewolf! How cool was that?
Jakob was in the living room, just hanging up the phone with Soren, as Nils led me out the front door and into the night. “Where are you taking her, Fenrir?”
“He’s going to phase for me.” I was giddy with excitement.
Viggo burst out laughing from where he had been sitting on the couch and followed us outside. “You already know the lingo? True Blood?”
“Yep,” I agreed, returning his amused grin with an eager one of my own.
Nils harrumphed with impatience. “Naked male phasing over here.”
“Oh, sorry, Nils.” I ignored his now nude form and gave him a ‘go ahead’ motion. “We’ll talk later, Viggo.”
Jakob groaned. “It is almost as if you are already one of them. How could they have tainted you with their nonsense this fast?”
“Nonsense? Are you kidding? I’m at a fantasy creature camp. This is awesome!” I winked at him. “You’re the hot camp counselor, by the way.”
“She already has you figured out!” Viggo crowed. “You are the serious, somber one out of all of us.” His animated face went blank. “Do you know what I just realized, Erin?”
“No, but it already sounds awesome!” Viggo was fast becoming one of my favorite friends—ever. His zest for life was contagious.
“You are a female!” he said. “We can reenact the getaway scene from Breaking Dawn Part II! Please, tell me you have seen it.”
“Of course I have! Three times!”
Viggo put his arm around me and spoke with a serious face for a moment. “Mate me instead. Jakob is so boring. Trust me. It is a dreary existence without joy and mirth in your life.”
“Just hurry up and phase, Nils. She needs to get back into the safety of the house!” Jakob demanded in exasperation.
Viggo leaned down and whispered, “See?”
A loud crack of bone (that sounded excruciating) pulled my attention from Jakob’s brooding visage, alerting me that Nils was phasing into his wolf form. It was incredible. One second, there was a deliciously naked man standing across from me, the next, a huge wolf stood in his place. It happened so fast, if I’d have blinked, I would have missed it.
I walked to Nils. His tail pounded the ground in an enthusiastic wag. “Wow. You’re a big scary puppy!” I rubbed his ears and hugged him to me. “I’ve always wanted a dog.”
Nils shifted back into his normal form beneath my hands, and I snatched them away from his bare torso as if he was on fire. He sighed. “Well, that got me freaking nowhere.”
Jakob shook his head at our theatrics. “Come, children, it is almost morning.”
“Awwwww!” Viggo and I groaned in chorus as we followed single file behind him, snickering when he shook his head in disapproval.
Once back inside of the house, the group scattered. Jakob excused himself to do some research—a chore that Nils and Viggo deemed wholly insignificant when compared to the virtues of the God of War game they had been arguing over in the living room. I went in search of food. I should have followed Jakob and asked the million questions about him, the spell book and the Norse-lands that were on the tip of my tongue, but my hunger wouldn’t let me move past the kitchen. I could barely think, let alone unravel the mysteries of the world…err…worlds… on an empty stomach.
Leaving the boys to their game, I went to the kitchen in sea
rch of food. My hope that I would find unusual fruits and vegetables, or maybe even animals, in the kitchen were dashed by the ordinary tomatoes, chicken, and milk inside their fridge. The pantry was even odder. It held at least ten jars and boxes of organic marinara sauce and spaghetti noodles. Why so much?
“It is Emelie,” Viggo said in answer. “She is a bit of a freak about her Chicken Parm.”
I smiled to myself. I was excited about the prospect of getting to spend time with my new sister-in-law. Emelie was obviously unusual, but I already knew we’d be good friends by her affectionate welcome. “That sounds good. Are you hungry?” I turned to search the island cabinets for a frying pan and found Viggo’s hopeful, puppy dog face. “What?” I asked, wary of his expression.
“You can cook?”
“How else am I supposed to feed myself? I’m not made of money.”
“Oh, sweet mercy.” Dropping down to his knees, he bowed down at my feet in reverence.
“Get up from there, you weirdo.” I giggled and pulled the chicken out of the refrigerator.
“What’s going on?” Nils asked from the doorway, smirking at Viggo’s still prone position on the floor.
I opened the drawers looking for the meat tenderizer and shrugged. “I’m cooking and Viggo is practicing to be a jester when he grows up?”
“Holy shit!” Nils exclaimed, making me jump. “Jakob, you picked a good one. She cooks!”
The sound of Jakob’s deep chuckle made me forget what I was doing. I glanced in the drawers not seeing anything but the private time we’d just shared.
Viggo popped up to his feet and handed me the utensil I was searching for. “Erin, you have got to learn how to block your thoughts. You are already worse than Emelie was. At least she wasn’t thinking about making out with one of my brothers.” He sighed. “Oh wait, yes she was.”
I nearly dropped the jar of sauce I was pulling off the shelf. “Come again?”
Nils barked out a laugh and took off like a wolf after its prey. “I’m out.”
Viggo grabbed a stack of plates out of the cupboard and followed him. “Sorry, I have to set the table. Emelie will have to fill you in.”
“Are you kidding me?” I threw my hands up. “Leave me hanging, why don’t you?”
“Sorry, poppet. I should not have said anything at all.”
I pouted with my arms crossed, shooting daggers at him. “Fine.”
He studied me a moment, then squinted his eyes. “That is not going to work on me, missy.”
“It doesn’t work on anyone! What does? Damn it! Now I’m dying of curiosity. And what the fuck is up with missy? Where’s your walker, old man?”
He laughed “I doubt that you will die, you hateful bitch.”
I grinned. “You never know. We don’t even know what I am yet. I could be half-human.”
“I would bet my inheritance that you are Odin’s child with a dark elf female. Your eye color alone would mark you as one of us. Well, that and your great taste in vampire cinematography.”
“Me? A dark elf?” I guess that couldn’t be any more unusual than me being Odin’s daughter.
“Yep, you a dark elf. You have not noticed the similarities between us? We have the same nose.” He left with the plates and came back for the silverware. “Thanks for making dinner, Erin. You have no idea how long it has been since we have eaten anything out of this kitchen other than breakfast. Nils cannot cook anything else.”
“That’s not true!” Nils yelled from the living room. “I can make Lappkok.”
“Nej, Nils. Du kan inte. Kommer du inte ihåg vad som hände förra gången?” Viggo replied in an exasperated voice, then winked at me. “He gets upset when we mention the ‘incident’.”
I could hear Nils’ scoff from where I stood. “Whatever, Viggo.”
Viggo shuddered. “It was horrific.” Seeing the question in my eyes, he added, “Do not ask, Erin—ever. No need to have that bouncing around in your head.”
He couldn’t have said anything that piqued my interest more. “What language are you speaking?” I asked, trying to remember some of the words he’d spoken so I could look them up later.
“Swedish. We lived in Uppsala until recent events forced us to move here. We speak it when we are home out of habit.”
“Swedish … ugh. I tried to learn how to say the numbers one through ten when I was younger. I’m not sure if it’s even possible for me to pronounce the number seven. It’s just a nasal noise.”
He laughed and started back towards his game. “Do not worry. We will endeavor to speak in English while you are here.”
“Viggo?”
He stopped, reluctant to answer my question. He knew what I was going to ask. “Yes?”
“What does älskling mean?”
He winked at me. “Sweetheart, beloved—so many things, poppet.”
I blushed. “Really?”
Nils poked his head in the kitchen and answered for Viggo. “Yes, and it’s all fucking nauseating. I still cannot believe you’re going to pick Jakob over me. There are thousands of dark elves. I’m one of a kind!”
Amused, I gave him a hug. “Don’t be sad, Nils. I still wuv my wittle puppy!”
He rolled his eyes and muttered, “Fuck me. I’m getting drunk,” as he shrugged my arm off and stalked away.
“All right, get out. Let the female cook in peace,” Jakob said, from just outside the doorway. My heart palpitated in triple time when I heard the possessiveness in his voice.
“No one is moving in on your female!” Viggo shot back.
Jakob didn’t respond to his brother, just seated himself across the counter from me and watched me work until Viggo stormed out in anger. Breaking the silence, I spoke first. “They weren’t bothering me, you know.”
“They are a distraction, and I am starving, Erin.”
I looked up to find him fixated on me with burning eyes. The look on his face clearly conveyed that he wasn’t hungry for food.
Dinner was tense. So much so, Nils and Viggo opted to eat in the living room rather than eat with us. It’s not as if I could blame them. The heat between Jakob and I was scorching. My thoughts must be driving them all crazy. “Tell me about your family,” I suggested to try and take our minds off of the elephant in the room.
“My mother and father have been gone for many years. I have my two brothers. Viggo, you have met. Kristian is in Svartálfaheim, another world of the Norse-lands. He serves as king there in my stead.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’re supposed to be a king?”
He nodded. “Kristian is keen on the throne, and I have no ambition to rule. I think it better to let him have his desire than end up with a dagger in my back.”
“You think he would do that to you? To his own blood?”
Sighing, he spoke. “I have no idea what he is capable of. Two years ago, he was returned to his right mind after over a hundred years of possession by another. Kristian was long known in the Norse-lands as the Mad King.”
“Huh,” I muttered, lost in thought. It was too bad that Jakob relinquished the throne. I thought him being a king would suit him well.
He leaned in close. “Is that so?”
I swallowed hard. “Sure, you’re kind, serious, and passionate.”
“You think me passionate?”
“Yes,” I exhaled.
Viggo chose that moment to step into the room and clear his throat. “I am heading to my room. See you guys tonight.”
I stood to hug him. “Good night, Viggo.”
He patted my back once before shoving me away from him. “Good day, Erin. Sleep well.”
Bewildered, I looked at Jakob, who was standing across the table, furious and staring a hole in the back of Viggo’s head as he walked away. “What was that about?”
Through clenched teeth, he said, “I do not want him touching you.”
“Is that jealousy coming out?” I teased. “I’ll give you a good night hug, too, if you want one.”
“I like the sound of that,” I replied, daring him to make good on that statement with my eyes.
“Your brother, Soren, does not. He reminded me of my promise to keep you untouched when he called. As I knew he would.”
“None of what you’re saying is making me want you any less.”
His hand snaked out to trace the line of my jaw. “You must stop this, Erin. Soren is my oldest acquaintance and you are his newly found sister. Do you not see how this could be disastrous to our long friendship?” I feigned disappointment, even though I knew he would know what I was up to. “Try all you like, temptress. You will not win this.”
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “Is that a challenge?”
His brother’s voice drifted in from the next room. “On second thought, I believe that I will go to the castle for the day. You guys are creeping me out.”
“Not leaving!” Nils yelled from somewhere nearby. “No way am I missing this!”
Jakob walked to the doorway to talk to Viggo. “There is no need to leave. Nothing is happening in here.”
“I am sure that you are right,” Viggo assured him, sarcasm dripping from his words. “And yet, I am still leaving. Get up, Nils. You are going with me.”
“Like hell I am!” Nils countered.
There was the muffled sound of shuffling, and then the front door slammed. The silence that followed, along with Jakob’s irritated sigh, assured me that we were alone. Perfect. I shot Jakob a look of victory.
CHAPTER THREE
After helping me with the dinner dishes, Jakob made himself scarce again. He was hiding from me. It didn’t matter. I would get my way—eventually. I guess that I should have felt guilty for making him a prisoner in his own home, but I didn’t. I knew he wanted me in the same way I wanted him, and I didn’t need his mind-reading ability to figure that out. It was in every intense move he made. He was coiled up, ready, and waiting for the right moment to strike. I just needed to find out what would push him far enough to bite—so to speak.