Page 24

Jamie

Early the next morning, I find Anders going through the bathroom cabinet. “Where is your razor? I wish to shave my beard.”

“Shave it?” I ask, walking around in front of him to admire the beard in question.

It’s long and dense with little silver hairs popping out here and there.

He must have lived a hard life for his hair to already be going gray.

Reaching out, I play with his wet beard, twirling it around my fingers. “But it’s so nice.”

“I’ve been growing it out since I was a lad, but it’s time for a change. I… I would like to fit in more.”

“Really?” Hope flares warm and bright in my chest. It almost sounds like he wants to stay here in this time.

Anders’s big hands grip my hips, and he pushes me back against the sink. I sit on it, his thighs between my knees. “Aye.” Anders frowns, lowering his gaze. “I’m going to be here for a while. I should blend in more with my environment.”

For a while. I try and hide my disappointment by looking at the floor.

“Okay.” I twist around to open the mirror behind me, trying to fight down my disappointment.

I find the shaving cream, my best razor, and some fresh blades.

I fit the razor with the blade, then grab my brush and the cream. I squirt some into my palms.

Anders sniffs my hands. “Smells good.”

“I’m going to give this a trim first,” I warn him, but he still jumps when I switch on my electric clippers. Anders eyes them with suspicion.

“Okay?” I ask. If he’s uncomfortable, I’ll stop.

Anders swallows. “I…” He glances at me, and I’m shaken to the core by the vulnerability in his eyes.

“I won’t hurt you, Anders. I promise. If you tell me to stop, I will.”

Anders holds my gaze, and after a moment’s hesitation, he nods.

My heart does flips in my chest as I lift the clippers toward his beard. Trust doesn’t come easily to Anders, yet here he is, trusting me not to hurt him. I won’t let him down.

Slowly and carefully, I shave off his beard. Anders flinches at first, shoulders drawn up to his ears. I ask him questions to help him relax, small things like what his village is like, if it ever warms up where he’s from. Gradually, Anders relaxes.

Once I’ve finished using the clippers, I lather shaving cream into his stubble.

Those green eyes never stray from my face.

His big hands knead at my thighs while I massage the cream in.

Beneath the rough hair, his jawline is sharp and angular.

I can picture the exact shape of his face, handsome but sharp and severe.

There’s nothing sharp about his gaze, though.

No, he looks at me with pure indulgence, like I’m all that exists as he trusts me to press a blade to his skin without doing him harm.

It’s… intimate. Touching his face. Caring for him like this. Doing something soft and domestic together like shaving. I like it. I like it too much, especially knowing what time we have together is brief.

“Ready?” I ask, my voice a whisper, our breath mingling.

Anders’s throat bobs when he swallows, and then he nods.

I gently press the blade to his skin and glide it through the hair.

Anders’s eyes widen, but he stays still and patient while I work.

I stop once in a while to rinse the blade under the tap, then continue.

My wolf is in harmony with his, and a calm like nothing I’ve ever felt guides my hand in slow, gentle motions.

Slowly, his face reveals itself to me. He looks shockingly young, cheekbones high and flat, jaw as chiseled as I knew it would be.

There’s a scar on his chin where hair doesn’t grow, and I wonder where he got it and how.

I wonder at all of him, wishing I had time to learn all there is to know about Anders and the world he comes from.

“Where’d you get the scar?” I ask. He’s got lots of them; I’ve seen them when we make love.

“Hunters. Ulfhednar heal our wounds, but cuts made by a silver blade never fade.”

I think back to our talk in the diner. So much of his anger toward his brother sounded like fear to me. He’s lost his parents, and he’s scared that unless he returns home, he’ll lose more of his family.

My fingers slip. I wince when a few drops of blood well to the surface of Anders’s cheek. “I’m so sorry.” The wound heals in seconds before my eyes. “Did that hurt?”

Anders shrugs. “I doubt there’s anything you could do that would hurt me, pet, even if you tried.

You have a kind soul. I’ve always thought of kindness as a weakness, but you have defied my expectations.

There is nothing weak about you. I’m glad your life has been easier than mine.

My wolf does not like the idea of you knowing the hardships that I have. ”

It’s like he read my thoughts. I don’t know how to tell him I have known plenty of hardships.

Sure, we had sex, and we’re stuck together for now, but it doesn’t make talking about the past any easier.

Maybe I’ve never been cut by a blade, but I’ve known pain that stabs just as deeply.

Pain I’ve learned to hide behind a smile, laughter, books, and coffee.

I cup his cheek and angle his head, shaving with care beneath his nose. He closes his eyes, a low rumbling in his chest that speaks to my wolf. I can feel how pleased he is, how content… How he trusts me not to hurt him. It makes my heart fluttery and light.

In a few minutes, Anders’s face is clean-shaven. He wipes away the remnants of the cream with a towel and considers himself in the mirror, running a hand over his smooth jaw.

“Okay?” I ask.

Anders’s brow furrows. “It’s… different. But I like it.”

I exhale my relief. “Really?”

“Aye. Feels like I can be a new person. Someone else.”

I’d like nothing more than for Anders to find a place here, maybe even with me, but I shove that thought away. Anders has made it clear his place here is temporary.

Closing my eyes, I try desperately to ignore the howl of my wolf, begging for him to stay.

After shutting down my computer, I stretch out my back as I leave the office, passing through the empty kitchen.

Beyond the kitchen, the café is wonderfully busy.

Every table is full. People work on their laptops, read while they sip their coffee, and chat with their friends.

I can’t help but feel warm with pride. My gran created a space where people can come together.

Since Jace is suspended, he’s hanging out at the store this week. He’s also been helpful and brought people their pastries and drinks for us. I’d love for him to work in the shop once he’s older. I think he could be a natural.

I go to help fulfill drink orders behind the counter, and I spot a face I haven’t seen in a while. It’s Kieran Grove and one of my regulars, Amanda. I almost don’t recognize Kieran; he’s grown out a beard as red as his hair. Hell, he almost looks like a Viking warrior.

“Hey, Kieran!” I wave at him. “The usual?” He always has an iced matcha latte.

“Yes, please,” he calls. After he pays, I get his drink ready. It’s nice to see him and Amanda again. The last time I saw them, they’d been planning a trip to Iceland together after Kieran’s jerk of an ex dumped him. I hope they had fun.

I deliver Kieran’s drink, and by the time I’m back behind the counter, Kieran is talking animatedly to Amanda about something.

“Jamie, sugar-bear,” Bailey says as they prepare an espresso, “how about you and Jace come over to my place? It’s time for our annual LOTR marathon.”

“Oh yeah! I’d totally forgotten. I did promise Jace we should do something fun this weekend. Should we watch The Hobbit trilogy too?” Obviously not in the same night. Those movies are long as fuck.

Bailey laughs. “Those movies are goofy as hell, but why not?”

Maybe the second trilogy isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s still quality entertainment.

Bailey grins impishly. “You should have Anders cosplay as Thorin.”

“Holy shit. I never noticed the similarities!” Maybe Anders is too tall to play the dwarf Thorin, but now that I think about it, he looks a lot like Richard Armitage.

Cue the drooling. Yummy. “Maybe I can dress up as Bilbo, and we can be BagginShield.” It’s the ship name for Bilbo and Thorin.

They were a popular ship on Tumblr back in the day, even though they were never canonized as a queer couple.

“BagginShield is cute,” Jess interjects, “but nothing will ever top the epic romance that is Sam and Frodo.”

“Never! Sam and Frodo will live forever!”

We laugh, and for the next hour, I fantasize about introducing Anders to some of my favorite films and hobbies.

“Tyr’s balls! It’s you!” Anders’s voice snarls.

I jolt out of my thoughts. Anders looms over Amanda and Kieran’s table, body taut with tension, and anger is rolling off him in waves as he glares at Kieran. What is going on? How does Anders know Kieran? The fear blanching Kieran’s face makes my stomach lurch.

“Well, well. Seems like Loki is having a laugh at my expense today. What happened? Did my brother get tired of his new pet and send you packing? Need a consolatory belly rub? Oh, how about a little scratchy behind your ears?” Anders sneers.

What gives? I’ve never seen Anders be so nasty before. It’s not a side of him that I like.

I rush out from behind the counter as Kieran and Amanda say something to him.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I flash an easygoing smile and get between them. I elbow Anders in the ribs. “I sincerely apologize for my new employee. He’s supposed to be stocking the dark romance section. Aren’t you, puppy dog?”

Anders’s whole face goes red. “I can’t kill them?”

What? I hide my shock behind a smile. “No!” I hiss, whipping around toward him.

Anders growls. “Can I maim them? Just a little bit.”

What the fuck? I bat my eyelashes. “No.”

Anders deflates. “Fine.” My big, bad Viking ulfhednar warrior is practically pouting as he stomps back to the dark romance section.