I sense Rhyland's contentment in his ancestral homeland, but I can barely focus on anything beyond the maddening need to claim what'smine. Lilith's machinations and our objectives fade to meaningless background noise compared to the magnificent creature who's demolished my control with terrifying efficiency.
Mate.
The word pulses through my veins like molten silver, a truth I can neither deny nor escape. Each moment in her presence is exquisite torture.
I watch Dani's joy at discovering her sister, knowing my revelation could destroy everything between them. Ensuring Rhyland's silence on this matter will require significant leverage. That loose-tongued bastard better keep his mouth shut, or I'll personally ensure his next sparring session becomes remarkably unpleasant.
The first sight of her obliterated my control. My dead heart slammed against my ribs with enough force to steal my breath, awakening needs I'd buried beneath discipline and duty. After watching my brothers find their destined ones, I'd resigned myself to solitude. Now fate mocks me by presenting the most magnificent warrior I've ever encountered—and making her absolutely forbidden.
The need to claim her burns through me like acid, testing my limits in ways no battle ever has.
Finally, I comprehend my brothers' obsessions with absolute clarity. Our mates truly are our salvation, though I recall Rhyland's stubborn denial of his bond with Dani with newfound sympathy. I pushed him back then, insisted he embrace what fate had chosen—ironic, considering my current predicament.
But this... this is different. My mate sits before me, a warrior goddess who could likely hand me my own ass in combat. The sheer power she radiates, her fierce independence, her raw beauty—it's intoxicating. Yet therein lies the challenge. How does one approach a Valkyrie who radiates pure freedom, whose very essence screams defiance against chains of any kind? She's half angel, half warrior goddess, and entirely capable of separating my head from my shoulders if I make the wrong move.
And there's the additional complication of her being Dani's sister. One wrong step could shatter not only my chance at claiming what's mine, but also destroy their newfound relationship. For the first time in centuries, my mind fails to formulate a clear path forward.
Watching her in that ring made me ache for my powers with an intensity that rivals bloodlust. My gift of foresight has carved my reputation in battle—the ability to see strikes before they land, to counter with murderous precision, to crush opponents through perfect anticipation. Yet these fucking wards stripped me of everything except the maddening need to claim what's mine.
The Little Huntress already proved impossible to read—her time-bending abilities making her movements a lethal mystery. But Bryn... watching her demolish her opponent with brutal efficiency set my blood on fire. Every strike, every deadly twist of her body makes me imagine how she'd move beneath me, against me, over me. My cock throbs painfully as I envision all the ways I could make her screammy name, memorize every inch of that warrior's body with my tongue, and claim her in ways that would make even the gods blush.
"Get your sulking ass over there before Dani starts asking questions, or I swear to fucking god, I'll spill every detail of your little situation," Rhyland grumbles, his alpha-male dominance radiating off him like a storm.
I respond with an eye roll, finding his attempt at intimidation beneath acknowledgment. The sisters remain absorbed in their exchange, mercifully oblivious as my brutish brother drops his considerable mass onto the bench before me.
"For fuck's sake, Erik. Why are you being such a little bitch about this? This is good shit, brother."
I empty my horn in one savage gulp, desperate to numb everything I'm feeling. "Your simple view of this situation fails to account for crucial details," I reply, my cultured voice sharp with frustration. "This is Dani's sister—heronlyblood family. The Little Huntress will either tear me apart herself, or Bryn will use her considerable warrior skills to end my existence in excruciating ways. Neither fate appeals to my continued survival."
"Are you kidding me? Dani will lose her goddamn mind, and bless you both when she hears this, you brooding bastard. She knows better than anyone how this mate bond works—how it keeps us from turning into complete fucking monsters."
I refill our horns while desperately trying to adjust myself without drawing attention. Christ, I haven't experienced this level of basic need in…I don't even know how long. Her scent assaults my senses—a bewitching blend of winter frost and honeyed mead, undercut with the sharp tang of steel and leather. Where Dani's fragrance carries the warmth of sunlight, Bryn's aroma is pure Valkyrie—the crisp bite of a warrior's spirit mixed with something ethereal and divine. The combination makes my fangs ache with desperate hunger.
"Erik, get your head out of your ass and listen," Rhyland growls, drawing my attention from where Bryn sits across the hall. "This is your fucking chance at salvation—at actually having something worth living for. You've been shoving this mate shit down my throat for years—preaching about finding the one who completes you. And now that she's right here in front of your face, you're gonna walk away like a coward? Ignore what fate's handed you?"
I maintain my composure, though his words strike deeper than I care to admit. His frustration rolling off him in waves—the same fierce protectiveness he shows for all his family. But this situation requires a more... delicate approach than his characteristic brute force tactics.
"Your eloquent way with words never ceases to amaze me, brother," I reply, my refined tone masking the aching need coursing through my veins.
"Cut the fancy bullshit, Erik," Rhyland snarls, leaning forward. "You want her. I can smell it on you, see it in the way you track her every fucking move. So man up and do something about it before I lose my shit watching you pine like a lovesick teenager."
"No," I state, my deep tone betraying none of the hunger churning beneath my surface. "Allow me to manage this situation with the same meticulous care you demonstrated with your own mate."
My gaze drifts across the hall, drawn to her with magnetic intensity. Her eyes catch mine and for one breathtaking moment, the world dissolves into nothing. Those beautiful eyes pierce through me, and it's like I can't breathe. The raw power of her stare ignites an inferno in my blood, making my cock throb. Time stretches between us like an eternity, heavy with unspoken promise.
Does she sense this devastating connection?
"Oh, that's rich coming from you, you hypocritical fuck," Rhyland growls, his words shattering our heated exchange. "You spent fucking weeks shoving me toward Dani, preaching about claiming what was mine. About following my goddamn instincts—which is exactly what I did."
I break eye contact, already aching for another glimpse of her face.
I throw back another, the aching need for intoxication clawing at my throat. "That you did, brother," I acknowledge, slamming the horn onto the ancient wood with more force than necessary. "Now, it's time for you to allow me the same courtesy—to navigate this situation on my own terms."
Rhyland sighs, frustration rolling off him in waves. "Erik, you stubborn son of a bitch. Most of the time, I can respect that about you."
Like my decades of iron control, my ability to subsist on minimal blood—even resorting to animal blood before the advent of blood bags and our integration into society.
"But I swear, if you let this go—if you lethergo—I will personally kick your crabby ass from here to Valhalla."
