Was that why she had insisted Embla come and live with them?
It made sense, as she was a lonely and complicated creature, and it was why he had found her so fascinating when he was young.
Now he pitied her.
Embla grinned at him above the three golden heads, her joy lighting up her face and leaving him in no doubt of her emotions.
Then, another woman joined them. This one was older, but obviously closely related to Embla by their similarity in height and appearance. An icy hand clenched his heart until it burst like a sour berry in his chest.
Her eyes followed his gaze, and she gasped, ‘Mother?’
It is hopeless... How can my meagre heart compete with this much love?
‘Thank the gods! I prayed for your safe return every day, and they must have heard me!’ sobbed her mother, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her into a fierce embrace.
‘Mother!’ Embla cried, hold her tightly as tears flowed down her face. ‘I am so sorry if I worried you!’
‘Worried me? You scared me half to death! When I heard you were missing, I insisted on coming to search for you. We scoured this side of the mountain for weeks. I almost gave up hope!’
It was the only confirmation he needed, and he looked to the old Jarl, who gave him a slow nod of farewell before Runar turned and left.
How could he compete with all that love, withfamily? He couldn’t.
Chapter Twenty
‘Runar!’ shouted Embla, tripping on her skirts and fur cloak as she raced to catch up with him.
She hadn’t noticed him leaving until after she had stopped hugging her mother. She saw he was gone only when she turned to introduce them to each other.
What a fool she must have seemed!
She’d turned and smiled into an empty space, curious eyes watching with interest as the pain of his loss had slowly built until it cracked her heart in two. He had not even waited a moment to leave her.
So much for wanting her.
He had left without even pausing to say goodbye or wish her well.
What had changed?
She had to know, and with a quick kiss of her mother’s cheek, she said, ‘I... I must thank Runar before he leaves. I won’t be long.’
Then, picking up her skirts, she had hurried from the Hall, trying her best to ignore the whispers that followed her. The gossip weavers would be plucking at the threads of this for weeks. Tempering her emotions, she tried to keep her face light and cheerful as she rushed through the crowd. She would give them no bones to chew on.
Runar’s long legs had carried him a fair distance, and he was already through the gates of Gudvangen. Pushing herself hard, she sprinted to catch up with him.
It wasn’t enough, and she was already so hot and out of breath that she wanted to throw off her fur. Tripping on a rock, she stumbled a few feet, twisting her ankle a little but managing to right herself enough so that she didn’t fall.
‘Damn you, Runar! Stop!’ she screamed, her voice a howling shriek born out of frustration and pain.
To her relief he did stop, and even turned to face her. Sten was barking excitedly, and Runar quietened him with a hissed command. She walked slowly forward to meet him, partly to give herself time to compose herself, but also because she hoped her sore joint wouldn’t be too obvious if she walked slowly.
When she finally stood before him, she sucked in a deep breath and with the palm of her hand she slapped him hard in the centre of his chest, not caring that it probably stung her far more than it did him.
‘Why are you leaving?’ she snapped, struggling to find the words. She wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake him.
How dare he do this to her?
Offer her a partnership one day, and then leave without a backward glance the next. It was confusing, and she had spent her life stepping carefully around the thoughts and feelings of others; she refused to do it any longer.
