Her eyes are heavy, blinking repeatedly. Then they fall shut. I lie beside her, cover us both with the big bear skin, and enclose her in my arms. She feels good, my little deer, as she softens and melts into me, warm and naked, chest moving slowly with her deep breaths.
I still can’t believe I finally have her—that she’s mine. That she submitted and said yes after everything.
Staying away for four weeks was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And I’ve been through some grueling things. Marching hundreds of miles through the untamed Arctic wilderness, working twelve-hour shifts in screaming wind and salty spray for weeks, fighting against time to shut down a gas leakage that could take the lives of my men.
I was terrified that Elina would move on and that the deep connection we had would turn out to be just a flimsy flicker of infatuation, after all.
For weeks, I stayed in the shadows, watching her from a distance—hiking in the woods, going about daily errands, and interacting with people at the farm. All I had to go by were those small glimpses and the updates I got from Asbjörn. Seeing and hearing that she was doing well was as much a relief as fodder for my fear. I’ve never felt as anxious as when I decided to show myself to her. It was a spontaneous decision, born from the agonizing need for resolve.
But the moment I lowered the hood on my sweater, stepped into her line of sight, and she saw me, I knew my instincts were right. Her reaction to me was so intense and spontaneous that there was no doubt left in my mind. It was pure, deep instinct that drew her to me, just the same way I was drawn to her. It was a natural reaction that couldn’t be contested with words or action.
It took everything I had not to run after her when she dropped her basket and bolted out of the store. But it wasn’t the right moment to claim her. I wanted to do it the right way. I wanted her to say yes to me beneath the open sky, between the swaying trees, on sacred ground. I wanted her response to be as natural as the weather. A response from deep within her beatingheart—no thoughts or logic interfering. Just her most natural self and her deepest desires.
Part of me worried that she’d reject me—that she would want time, or maybe even choose the safe option. Asbjörn. The man who doesn’t bring her whole world into spinning storms of yearning. But it was just the human fear in my mind speaking. Deep down, I knew I was on the right path, and she was too.
And how beautifully she proved me right. That moment when she dropped to her knees before me and said she belonged to me took my breath away.
Now she’s finally mine, and I intend to do everything in my power—right or wrong—to keep it that way.
25
Elina
I wake to sunlight kissing my skin, soft strokes caressing my cheeks. Blinking against the light, I greet the sun through a big opening in what appears to be a forest shelter. Trees and blue skies adorn the space around the bright orb. But something draws my attention more than the beautiful sight. Turning my gaze to my left, I come face-to-face with Ulf’s hard expression. Except, it’s just the lines and the icy blue of his gaze that are severe today. The look in his eyes is soft, full of affection, as he keeps caressing me, head propped on his elbow.
“Am I dreaming?” I whisper.
He slowly shakes his head.
Remembering myself, I lift a hand to my mouth. “Sorry,” I mutter.
A flash of uncertainty makes me look away. I have no idea how to navigate this new situation. I barely have any idea where we are and what we are. I remember the vows I made—the vows he made.Follow and obey.Protect, guide, and take care of.I remember the drums, the crowd, the whip, and Ulf’s carnal possession. And I remember vague glimpses of being carried up the mountain and placed on this cot. At the time, it all somehow made sense, but now, in the light of day, I can’t seem to make heads and tails of it.
“It’s okay. Unless I explicitly tell you not to speak, you may address me however and whenever you like. The barrier has been dissolved now that you belong to me.”
“Oh, okay,” I simply say, drawing a steadying breath as I glance at him and away again. Being close to him now is as overwhelming as ever. If not even more, remembering all the things he did to me and the way I gave in to him last night.
“Are you okay?” he asks, a flicker of concern tightening his brow when I turn my gaze to him again.
“Um. Yeah. I think so. Just… confused.”
Curving his hand around my cheek, he coaxes my attention to stay on him. “Elina, everything that happened last night was real,” he explains with grave earnestness. “You’re mine now. The bond has been forged. Only a decision made by the group can break it.”
“What—” I stop myself, not used to talking to him—not knowing how to phrase the many questions whirring in my mind.
“Ask your question,” he beckons. “I know you have many, and I’ll be happy to answer them all.”
“What does it mean? Are we… Is it like a ma—”Marriage, I want to say, but it seems absurd. I don’t even know this man. The idea that I’m sort of married to him now is… I can’t even put it into words. My brain fires off in ten different directions—concern and fear, but also desire and hope.
Understanding my direction perfectly, he says, “Yes, it’s the same as marriage.”
My eyes go wide. “But—” I glance between his eyes, and although familiarity and a sense of safety pull at me, he’s also a stranger. Someone who belongs to a dream. It’s surreal. “I don’t know you.”
“Don’t let the fear control you,” Ulf reminds me, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. “Last night, you were reduced toyour truest self. You left all your fears and preconceptions on the mountain—all your overthinking and ideas of what you’re supposed to be. It’s not easy to connect to your true self and know what you truly want, but you did that. Your response was open and straightforward—more certain than anything I’ve ever heard. Deep down, you know that you belong with me, just like I know I belong with you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
A smile curves his lips. “I knew the moment I let you see me in that store—your reaction was pure and instinctive. I was so worried our connection had just been a powerful surge of desire that would die out with time. But it wasn’t. I gave us both time to see clearly and let that initial infatuation die down. And that deep pull was still there when we saw each other again.”
