Page 29

"Is that tight enough, or do I need to do it again?" Lara asked anxiously. She'd finished wrapping the ribbon around them, and tied the ends into a little bow. That shouldn't be too hard to untie, so they wouldn't damage it. Sibyl allowed herself to breathe again.

"That's wonderful." Thor beamed at Lara, then turned the same devastating smile on Sibyl. "Are you ready?" He reached over to capture her other hand, too.

Her hand. Her breath. Her heart. Her...nope, her knickers had definitely melted this time. She was ready to jump him and pin him to the wall, even with all these people watching. She definitely shouldn't do that. Wait, what was it he'd asked her?

"Are you ready, ástin mín?"

My love. And the way he was looking at her, his eyes burning into her very soul...

Her throat turned dry. Unable to get any words out, Sibyl just nodded.

"Time for the vows, then!"

Karl cleared his throat. "Uh, Thor, do you agree to a handfasting with this woman?"

"I, Thor, Hymir's son, vow to love, honour and protect this woman, and fight at her side for a year from this day."

Karl seemed to relax into the role a little. "Okay, Sibyl, do you agree?"

Thor squeezed her hands, his gaze never leaving hers. He wanted this. Wanted her. And she...fuck, who was she kidding? If His Norse Hotness was willing, she'd keep him forever, not just for a year.

Sibyl took a deep breath. "I, Sibyl, Cassandra's daughter, vow to love, honour and protect this man, and fight at his side for a year from this day."

Thor's grin couldn't have gotten any wider. But then he leaned in to kiss her, and she forgot everything else.

Well, until the cheers and cries of "Get a room!" got too loud to ignore.

"Now, we must share a cup of mead," Thor said.

"I'll get you one!" Lara said, holding out a cup.

With Thor holding both her hands, Sibyl wasn't sure how this was supposed to work.

Luckily, Thor wasn't as clueless. He reached forward with their bound hands, so both his and her fingers curled around the cup.

"I'll drink first," he said, lifting the cup to his lips. A long moment passed, before he wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand and held the cup out to Sibyl.

Just as she suspected, he hadn't drunk more than a drop.

"We must finish it all," Thor said.

Of course they did.

Sibyl drank deeply, feeling the burn as the warm mead slid down her throat. There was so much of it, and her head was swimming. But with Thor's eyes on her, so expectant and trusting, she made herself drink it all. Finally, the cup was empty.

"Another!"

A second cup was forced into her free hand, as everyone else collected a glass, too.

"To the handfasting of Thor and Sibyl!"

By the time she'd finished the second cup, accepting congratulations and hugs from everyone, she was having trouble staying on her feet. Luckily, she was still tied to Thor, whose arm around her waist kept her from falling.

That's when Jorunn returned. "I don't know where you put the rest of the mead, but I couldn't find any!"

Thor's grip tightened around Sibyl's waist. "Don't worry, we'll go find it. We'll be right back."

He hurried her across the camp to her tent.