I glanced at Chelsea and we both rolled our eyes.
“Really?” Mum said with a grin. “Yes, babe, of course. They’re always welcome. Okay, see you later.” She hung up and grinned. “All your cousins will be here tonight.”
“Wait, I thought Liam and Phin were in Switzerland,” I said.
Mum nodded. “They’re coming home for the games.”
Gunnach Pharmaceuticals hosted a special charity competition similar to the Highland Games. Every year, some of the world’s strongest men would come to compete in old-world tests of strength and endurance. We’d raise a ton of money for causes like juvenile leukemia research, but I suspected the contestants mostly competed for bragging rights.
Chelsea and I had grown up volunteering at the games, and I always looked forward to them, but this year I was especially excited. For two reasons.
First of all, this would be the inaugural year of the women’s division at the Gunnach Games. Until recently, strongman competitions around the world had been just that. Competitions for strong men. But some event organizers, like the people within my uncle’s organization, felt it was important to open the field of competition to all. Not only to women, but to amateur competitors as well. The Gunnach games were about inclusivity and giving everyone a moment to shine, no matter who they may be. Well, almost everyone.
My uncle had one strict rule when it came to approving competitors. No Cauld Ane allowed. Given our increased strength and ability to heal, it would simply be unfair to compete against humans. My father and uncles screened everyone very thoroughly. Not that it was that difficult a task. Cauld Ane were easy to spot, and by now my family literally knew everyone with a drop of Cauld Ane blood within their family line.
The second reason was a tall, muscular Norseman who made all our hearts flitter.
“Right, the games,” Chelsea breathed out. “That means Thor.”
“Thor.” It came out as more of a whimper, and we both fell onto the bed in laughter.
Thor Olsen was a Nordic god. Literally. He was from Norway and had a huge following on social media. Dark blond hair, clean shaven which showed off his square jaw and blue eyes. He was six-foot-nine and his muscles had muscles, having recently just won a lifting competition by lifting over a thousand pounds. He’d also guest-starred in several episodes of Swords of Fire. The only two episodes I watched. I’m not proud to admit it, but Thor was the other reason I was looking forward to the games.
I was partial to blonds, but the truth was, I might feel differently in a few days. I’d be twenty-five years old. Of binding age and able to recognize my mate. Of course, every Cauld Ane girl fantasizes about having her mate revealed on the day of herár mökunar.Like Cinderella meeting her prince on the night of the ball. But the truth is, it could be years, even decades, before I met him.
For now, though, Thor Olsen was a good fantasy. One I shared with my big sister Chelsea. She and I were close, but we didn’t have a whole lot in common, especially now that she was bound and settled into life with her mate. I was much closer to my cousin, Catriona. We were born two months apart, both surprise babies, and her mother, Payton, was one of my favorite people on earth.
“Okay, you two, I’m going to take this dress and hide it from your father,” Mum said.
I hugged her tight. “Thanks, Mummy.”
“Of course, honey. We’ll go shopping next week and find something else.”
I leaned back to meet her eyes. “You’llgo shopping with me?”
“Well, no. Payton will take you,” Mum retorted, and walked away.
I laughed. This is why Payton is one of my favorite people. Mum hated to shop, but Payton loved it, so she always took us for retail therapy whenever we asked.
I glanced at my phone. “Cat’s joining me for a ride. Do you want to come?”
My sister smiled. “Rain check.”
“Your sister and I have plans, lass,” Henry said, and my sister blushed.
“Okay,” I said, hiding my disappointment, and choosing not to acknowledge his secret meaning, as he and Chelsea left my room. I loved my sister, but I wondered if I’d ever stop being the ‘pest.’ We were ten years apart, but sometimes it felt like a lot more. We had nothing in common. I loved horses and dogs, she loved shopping and anything that didn’t ‘shed’ or ‘smell.’ Hard to escape the muck when your father was a vet. But now she was with Henry and he fulfilled all her wants and needs.
In truth, I’d always been closer to my big brother, Callum, but I suppose that’s not really a surprise. Big brothers and little sisters tended to have tighter bonds.
I shook off my melancholy and changed into my riding gear, then headed down to the barn to meet my cousin. I arrived to find Cat already there, chatting with Ahearn.
“Hi, cuzzie,” she said, hugging me.
“Hi. You got here fast,” I observed.
“A ride with my elusive best friend and cousin? I was motivated,” she retorted.
I grimaced. “I know, I’ve been so busy.”
