I waited until she’d finished breakfast and left the kitchen. There were too many blades and pointed objects. She was pulling on her jacket when I decided to follow her outside.
What was she going to do—whip me with a branch?
Sá er eigi heill í hug, Fenrir grumbled in Old Norse.
One who is not whole in the mind.
He only slipped into his old language when he was extremely tense.
You’d let her whip you, wouldn’t you?I smirked, picking up my pace when I saw she was heading for the beach.
I’d let her whip you.
You have let her beat me, you arsehole.
I felt his satisfaction. He’d do it again.
Traitor.
The beach was safe. There was only sand and water.
Chapter 38
Lielit
Every so often, a light breeze wafted his scent toward me. I didn’t need to look back to know he was following us. My plan to try and swim off the island in the summer was dead. I couldn’t risk anything happening to the twins. And I doubted he was worried we might actually swim away into the open ocean.
Maybe he needs the exercise?Bouda said, clearly amused that he was trailing behind us.
His presence didn’t bother me. The sun was shining, and my babies were healthy. Maybe Bouda could drag him into the water and drown him—but either way, I was soaking up the beautiful energy around me. It made Bouda itch to run.
It wasn’t until I reached the beach and watched the soft waves brush the sand—only to retreat again—that I lifted my gaze to the horizon.
The vast ocean of nothingness stretched endlessly before me.
My pretty prison.
The bastard cleared his throat behind me.
“Just get Fenrir here. I don’t want you near me,” I said—loud enough to carry over the rush of the waves, calm enough not to invite confrontation.
“I come in peace.”
The human side needs a muzzle, Bouda said.
I turned on my heels to face him. His hands were tucked into his pockets, posture loose, eyes sharp and unreadable. The wind tugged at his hair, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re violating my peace,” I said as he stepped closer, sand shifting beneath his boots.
“Don’t you want to go home?” he drawled, halting at arm’s length.
Ooooooh, Bouda said, sitting upright.A power play.
“In exchange for?”
His lips twitched.
“You’ll live with me, and we’ll raise our children together as a family.”
