Page 40 of Thorulf

Chapter Fifteen

JADE WAS CAUGHT somewherebetween being pissed off she couldn’t shift and kick the purple dragon’s butt and emotional over the deep connection she’d made with Thor. One she finally remembered as they made it to Thorulf’s lair, and Loki threw up a wall of magic, blocking the enemy.

“I remember him now.” She sank onto a rock, suddenly caught in memories. “He was like a father or a big brother.” She flinched a little at hitting on him but hey, just look at the guy. “Always there to help and guide me.”

“I tried,” came a deep rumble before another magical wall of protection fell over the lair and Thor appeared. He gazed at her with a tenderness she saw clearly now as platonic affection and not flirtation. “I’ve missed you, little troublemaker.”

She set aside her blades, closed the distance, and embraced him. “How did I ever forget you?” she murmured against his shoulder before she met his gaze through tears. “You were there every step of the way. From getting me from Ireland to Helheim then steering me along to Midgard then...so much after.”

The details might still be fuzzy but not him. Not their endless conversations over the years. She still couldn’t remember her time with Thorulf, though, or what happened to make her forget everything, but she recalled other stuff.

“You steered me in the direction of Thorulf’s mother that day.” She pulled away and frowned. “Why?” She glanced from Thorulf back to Thor. “Why not direct me back to Hel so I’d be born on Earth...or Midgard?”

“I think we all know nobody can really direct you, Jade. I merely helped steer you where your heart was already leading you.” Thor shrugged and grinned at Thorulf. “That it just happened to lead you to my distant offspring was a perk.” He gestured at her blades. “Now, clean your weapons, and I’ll tell you what I can at this point.”

“Yeah, yeah, you know I’ll get to the blades,” she muttered before she recalled how much he’d added to her training as a warrior. How he had worked with her when she was here. “I’ll just,” magic away the blood, she almost said but knew he would counter her, so recited what he’d said time and time again. “Clean them now to keep them at their best. Learn the value of manual labor rather than always depending on magic.”

“Good girl,” he replied, finally taking note of his shocked audience. Even Loki seemed caught off guard, if not bemused by the long-time connection they shared. Well, long for her. A blip for Thor.

“So Jade’s heart was leading her to Thorulf?” Maya prompted, having shifted back. Of course, she focused on the romantic side of things. No wonder seeing how she and Dagr were together. Her big sister had definitely blossomed in the lust department.

“How do you know Jade’s heart was leading her?” Maya continued.

“I guess you could call it divine intuition.” Thor perked a brow at Jade when she thought to sheath her blades without cleaning them. “Not only is Thorulf of my blood, but his mother was a devout worshiper of mine, so I had a strong connection to her.”

“Ja, she was,” Thorulf confirmed, cleaning his axe for all to see when Jade suspected he usually just magically cleaned it. “She worshiped you second only to our All-Father, Odin.”

“You’re never short on worshipers,” Loki conceded on a mutter, his frustration fleeting yet noteworthy.

“Only because I run more benevolent.” Thor winked at Loki. “Rather than chaotic.”

“Boring rather than fun, you mean.” Loki magically cleaned his blade and sheathed it. “Ah, but the joy in a little chaos.”

“So because Thorulf’s related and his mother worshiped you,” Maya went on, intercepting any possible tension before it went too far, “you could sense Jade and Thorulf’s draw to one another? Even though they weren’t fated mates reborn to find each other again?” She eyed him curiously, clearly brimming with questions. “So is it safe to say you've been around Thorulf a lot too? That yesterday wasn't the first time you met?”

“I've only ever watched over Thorulf from afar,” he revealed, both pride and affection in his eyes when he looked at Thorulf. “It was better that way until I knew what the future held. Gods must be careful how involved in mortal lives they get, for it can change destinies too easily.” He looked between Thorulf and Jade. “And while not fated mates, they were connected by the same magic.”