Hödr ran his fingers over her hand, then bent down and sniffed it. Elle looked at Thor, but Thor just smiled.
Hödr kissed the back of her hand and stopped. He stayed still for a tense moment before straightening. "Even a blind man can see her beauty," said Hödr, letting go of her.
"Th... Thank you," she stammered. Elle swallowed hard. Though his eyes didn't work, she sensed he saw straight through to her soul. The sensation sent a chill down her neck.
"Chow's ready," Odin called.
The group headed out to what Elle had taken for a patio, only to find it was a giant room with a tall ceiling, where white fabric and perfectly round, glowing lights strung across beams created a beautiful, romantic effect. At the far end of the room stood an enormous rustic wooden table that looked like an ancient tree.
Thor walked her over and pulled out a seat for her. Val slid into a chair next to her, her gaze intense. Thor chuckled and sat on Elle’s other side.
For the first time, Val appeared... happy? No. Not happy. Content maybe. And to Elle's surprise, Loki's hand slid onto Val's thigh as he seated himself next to her. Val brushed Loki's hand away. He chuckled before putting his hand right back and winking at Elle. Val didn’t push his hand away again.
Well, that answered that question. There was definitely something between Val and Loki.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The dinner with his family went better than Thor expected. Fenrir didn't try to rip Vidarr apart for the first time. Neither Hödr nor Baldur brought up the fact that it was Loki's fault that Hödr had shot Baldur. Frigg and Odin talked like old friends, not exes. And Hermödr didn't try to reveal any of the family's ancient secret messages. Even his brother Vali didn’t try spouting his peace, yoga, and tea philosophy to everyone. All in all, it was peaceful.
When dessert was served, Thor leaned over to Elle. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
She smiled at him. "I never knew family gatherings could be like this."
"Noisy?"
"Fun. You and your family are... normal. No shouting. No fights. No force watching couples have sex."
"What?" Who would do such a thing?
"Oh, I was never a participant, not that anyone would have wanted me. But I was forced to remain in the room."
Thor gripped the arm of his chair tight enough that he thought it might crack. "I said you didn't need to tell me about your past, but if you do, I can't promise you I won't kill every person who ever hurt you."
She gave him a tight smile.
They finished their dessert, and Elle and Meili began clearing the dishes.
"Let me help." Thor stood, but she took the plate from his hand.
"You sit. I can do this."
"But you're my guest."
"Then, as your guest, I expect you to give me what I want. And what I want is for you to sit while I clear the dishes." She turned on her heels and headed for the kitchen.
Thor watched her go and sipped his ale. He loved the soft way her hips swished as she moved. So graceful. So mesmerizing. And in a red silk dress, it was like watching flames.
Watching her and Meili standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes and talking, she fit in naturally. As if she'd always been there, not meeting most of them for the first time. Better than he’d ever fit in, and he’d had a lot of time to try.
His family moved about the space. Several of his brothers began a game of cards while a few others went to sit around the fire pit outside.
Thor took a swig of ale, watching Elle across the room and wondering how it had taken him so long to find her. A second mug appeared in front of him, and the chair next to him pulled out, as Hödr sat down.
Hödr stared at Thor with his sightless eyes. It still surprised Thor how well his brother had adjusted to losing his sight. He’d worried about Hödr when they’d first moved to Helheim, but he’d become accustomed to it quickly, even taking to opening his own small library of ancient texts from different civilizations, and teaching at a local college in Los Angeles twice a week.
"I'm surprised you came." Hödr swigged his ale.
"It was time." Thor’s gaze travelled back to Elle, who smiled and laughed at something Meili said. Jealousy coursed through him, wanting to be the one who made Elle laugh. The only one.
