Page 59 of Thorulf
“Yeah, right.” Jade snorted, responding when Tor didn’t. “I don’t think he’s capable of anything but lusting after Revna right now.”
She was right, and it was bad. Something Sven noted as well when Tor didn’t bother heading their way but pulled Revna against him, murmured in her ear, then kissed her soundly.
“Great,” Maya muttered. “One’s firmly Múspellsheimr and the other’s blind with desire for someone who’snotone of our sisters.”
“No, she’s not,” Jade murmured absently, eyeing the sensual display. Her skin sheened with her inner dragon when Tor grabbed Revna’s backside and pulled her tighter against his arousal. “But at least he’s getting in some admirable practice in the meantime.”
Jade bit her lower lip and flinched at her own admission before she clenched Thorulf’s hand beneath the table and downed the rest of her ale as quickly as Vicar just had. He understood her frustration when the scent of her arousal hit him.
“Ahh.” Vicar inhaled deeply before he tossed his horn to a servant for a refill, rested his hands on Jade’s shoulders, and leaned close to her ear. “There’s nothing quite like a female in heat. Especially one as—”
That’s all he got out before Thorulf saw angry red, grabbed Vicar around the back of the neck with one hand, and slammed him down face-first on the table until his cheek was flush with the wood. He didn’t care how it looked to his people. All he cared about was making things perfectly clear to his brother.
Múspellsheimr personality or not, he’d had enough of Vicar’s behavior.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he overreacted, but he had no choice. Not when it came to Jade. She belonged to him and his dragon in ways he was still trying to understand. Belonged to his heart in a way that made Vicar’s actions wholly unacceptable.
“If you say one more lustful word to Jade, I’ll kill you,” he ground out in Vicar’s ear while holding everyone else back with Celtic magic. “And if you touch her again, I’ll chase you right into the underworld and slice off your cock, may it never find its way into another life.”
Though Vicar’s dragon eyes were aflame and his body tense, a small, knowing smile curled his mouth. “An underworld you might be visiting sooner rather than later, brother, considering your actions.” He chuckled darkly when Thorulf brought Loki’s Dagger to his neck. “Actions that show everyone just howCelticyou really are.” He said the word Celtic with disgust. “How much of the enemy lives within you at this very moment.”
While he had meant to merely defend Jade, he realized his brother was right. Though tempted plenty over the years, he had never laid a finger on Vicar. Never let his Múspellsheimr side get to him because he knew his brother had no control over it. That it had caused more than enough havoc in his own life over time.
“No, Thorulf’s not the enemy.” Jade’s gentle hand landed on Vicar. “And you know that.”
Thorulf knew by her tone and how different her thoughts were that it wasn’t really Jade talking. Wasn’t Jade who made Vicar’s eyes narrow and his body begin to relax despite Thorulf’s grip on him.
“Trinity,” Vicar managed. “Is that you again, woman?”
“Yes.” Trinity’s voice was close, as though she were right here, before she was in Jade again. “I’m coming for you.” Her tone shifted. Became more demanding and sultrier all at once. “And I’ll be keeping you until I’m done with you. Until you’re halfway civilized again.”
Thorulf glanced at his kin in concern. Whowasthis woman?
Seconds after Trinity spoke, Vicar relaxed entirely, and his Múspellsheimr side fled. So said the way he closed his eyes, sighed heavily, then reopened them. “I see I’ve caused trouble again.”
“As have I,” Thorulf murmured, ashamed at how out of control he’d gotten. He released his brother, then spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. Spoke as the king he might someday be. Or should have been before this display. “I acted rashly, and for that, I apologize.” He hung his head for a moment before continuing, unsure what the right words were in this situation. Should he blame his actions on navigating his love for Jade? No. That was no kind of excuse. What was, then? He simply didn’t know. What hedidknow was many a wary eye looked back at him. People he called friends. Kin. “I am not your enemy...I’m not...”
When he trailed off, his father put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “We know you’re not.”
“Now isn’t the time for a speech,”his father said telepathically.“Take Jade and go. Give everybody time. Sven will explain what happened. All will be well.”
“But I can explain just as well if given half a—”
“No.”Jade took his hand.“You can’t. Not right now.”She tilted her head toward one of two exits, her hopeful expression endearing for the simple fact that she was trying to protect him. “The rain has stopped. How about you show me around?”
Thorulf shot his kin an apologetic look and nodded before leading her out the front, so it didn’t seem like he was skulking away. Some met his eyes in passing, but most looked away, only seeing the potential enemy lurking inside him. Where they could forgive him acting out against Vicar, utilizing what they saw as enemy magic to hold everybody back was harder to accept.
“But they will because you’renotthe enemy,” Jade said softly once they were outside. “And they know it, Thorulf. They saw it when you rescued Maya.” She gestured loosely over her shoulder. “What happened in there was just a momentary lapse where I suspect Vicar’s had many.”
“Yet he always finds a way to be forgiven quickly no matter his personality,” he returned, letting her lead the way through the village. Letting her go where her dragon wanted to take her. “He truly is the better leader.”
Thorulf would only inherit his father’s throne because he was firstborn.
“When it comes to Múspellsheimr dragons, I agree, Vicaristhe better leader.” Jade shook her head when he tried to hand her his cloak. “Sorry, still way too hot.” She glanced from the people passing to Thorulf. “As to Vicar leading Vikings like this? Heck, no. They need someone steadier and more dependable. Someone who’s stood by their side over the years where Vicar’s preferred the Realm.” She perked her brows at him. “Because you have, haven’t you? You watched over not just this Fortress but your father’s kingdom as well? Divided your time, determined to be there for both places?”
“I have,” he conceded, not surprised she sensed all that. “But that doesn’t excuse my behavior back there. It wasn’t how a future king should act.”
“Hell yeah, it is if he’s defending his woman.” Jade winked at him and offered a crooked grin he had forgotten to love. “Because you were, right?” Though she offered a little eye roll, he knew she was genuine. That she’d actuallylikedhis behavior. “You were just giving into your dragonly instincts and standing up for your future mate?” She arched her brows again and kept grinning. “I might be wrong, but that’s up to Viking standards, never mind valued among Midgard dragonkind, eh?”
“Ja.” He met her grin because he couldn’t help it. “Itisappreciated.” If that were all there was to it. “But not the idea the enemy might be among them. Within one of their own.”
“Damn Vicar for pushing it that far to be sure.” She shrugged and kept grinning. “But you’ve gotta hand it to him for thinking on his feet even when his cheek was ground into a table.” When he frowned, she shook her head and did roll her eyes this time. “Sure, he exploited your actions to his advantage, but I guarantee it didn't win him any points. Give it time. We’ll show everyone you’re not the enemy. We just need to...”
Her voice faded as another memory manifested at the front gate.
One that had them both bolting forward so they didn’t miss what proved to be almost more ‘truth’ than they could handle.