“Yes, perfect. And so now,” Torsten said, straightening his spine. “All there is left to do is tell Moon.”
“You don’t look tooshocked, I have to say.”
Torsten arched one eyebrow in surprise. Moon was standing in front of him, a tranquil expression on his face, when he’d expected him to show at least some reaction.
“That may be because I’m not shocked,” his friend answered. “I knew all along this would happen.”
“Did you now?”
“Yes, because the alternative was unbearable.” A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “All the same, I will say this: ’Tis good to see you on your feet, my friend. Seeing you lying down on your pallet felt wrong.”
Oh, he thought they had come to tell him about his recovery. Torsten gave a small smile. “It certainly did.”
He had hated every moment of it. After the first few encouraging tries with Steinar and Sven, he’d practiced on his own, doing it at night so that no one could visit by surprise and see how weak he’d become. To his relief, however, it had not taken long for him to see that his body was indeed recovering well.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank you again for what you did with for Aife. You protected her with your body, placing your own in danger, and you saved her life.”
“Which is more or less what you did with Eyja when you both went to war,” Torsten answered wryly. Moon had made sure that Eyja, who’d been foolish—some would argue, brave—enough to join the Saxon army, had made it back home unscathed. “Itwould seem we both cannot help but find ourselves embroiled with each other’s sister.”
“Yes. So it would seem.”
Torsten cleared his throat in readiness. Moon had not expressed any surprise when he had seen him enter the hut on his own two feet, but he might be shocked by what was to come.
“Speaking of which, there is something you need to know.”
He gestured to Aife, who’d been waiting for his signal outside the hut. She entered, bold and unashamed and immediately took his hand in hers. A burst of love surged through him at her unwavering support.
“What’s this?” Moon asked, addressing her. Though it would be clear what was happening, he appeared reluctant to believe what his eyes were telling him. “I thought you two were only pretending to be together?”
“We’re not anymore.”
“I thought you were interested in Sven?”
Aife didn’t hesitate, even if her cheeks flushed slightly. “I’m not ‘interested,’ as you say, in him anymore. I know I have been ‘interested’ in many unsuitable men over the years, but there is only one man I love.”
“Love?” Moon repeated, taking a menacing step forward, his gaze fastened on their clasped hands. Torsten drew Aife closer to him in a protective gesture. If he had to fight with his best friend to prove the strength of his feelings for Aife, he would do it, just like Moon had taken a beating from him and Steinar to defend his feelings for Eyja, but he would not have her upset. “Wait, just what the fuckisthis?”
“It is exactly what it looks like,” Aife answered, squaring her shoulders.
“Aye, apparently. And you,” Moon snarled, turning to face Torsten once more. “What is wrong with you? You let a woman speak in your stead? You hide behind her like a coward?”
“This is not ‘a woman,’ but the love of my life and I’m not hiding. But Aife is your sister and she insisted on coming in case you decided to, you know, pummel me to the ground, like you clearly want to do.”
“Of course, I— You bastard!”
“He’s not a bastard,” Aife interposed before Torsten could even react. “But Wolf’s true son, as we all know. Or are you saying it is impossible that a good man should fall in love with me? Are you saying that you don’t trust his sincerity, even if I do, even if he’s your best friend? Are you saying that Torsten should not have trusted your intentions when you fell in love with his little sister? That he should have accused you of only amusing yourself with Eyja before discarding her like an old sock? Should he have beaten you to a pulp simply for wanting to be with the woman you loved? Should he deny his love for me just because?—”
“All right!” Moon exploded. “I think you’ve made your point! You’re in love! It’s all wonderful.”
Torsten took Aife’s hand back in his, sympathizing with his friend. Being a woman, and more sensible than men, she would not understand that it was not all that simple for a man to imagine his little sister as a woman in the arms of a man, especially if that man was a friend. But he knew his intentions were as pure as Moon’s had been where Eyja was concerned, and he knew his friend would finally come to accept the change because he was a good man.
“I know how you feel because I felt the same when you started to see Eyja.” He glanced at Aife and gave her a slanted smile. She would remember he had accused Moon of amusing himself with his sister at the time, and that he and Steinar had tried to beat him into a pulp, even if she’d chosen to behave as if it hadn’t happened. “But we are in love and itiswonderful. Ipromise that I will strive to make Aife as happy as you make my sister.”
Exasperation flashed across Moon’s face but Torsten knew he had won, because the muscles in his jaws had relaxed. It would be all right. In fact, his friend had shown more restraint that he’d had the right to expect.
“Well, if that’s the case, I suppose there is nothing I?—”
“What’s this I hear?”
