Viking Claim (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors Book 2) (23 page)

He wished he could use his dragon magic to show her. But he could not. Would not. Still, she exhaled and squeezed his hand as though she could see through his eyes nonetheless.

The seers’ heads whipped back, their eyes glowed at the sky and their mouths fell open. Naðr and Raknar instantly covered Veronica and Megan’s ears moments before the seers released a loud, mournful wail that could have very likely caused their women to go deaf.

Raknar closed his eyes and ground his teeth as a loud roar filled his ears. His eyes snapped open the second he knew Yrsa’s did. The call from her sisters was unavoidable and though she tried to fight it, she had no choice.

Yrsa was coming.

Quickly.

Raknar and his brothers stepped away from the women and drew their weapons. Helga and her sister stepped back from the ledge and turned toward one another, holding hands.

They would fight with magic alone.

Naðr came close and though he didn’t look at him, his words were clear enough. “I'm sorry for my anger, brother. You did what I should have.” Then his eyes went to Raknar’s, hard though his voice remained soft. “And I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you in the past. I never meant any harm, only resolution.”

It was difficult but also freeing to hear such words. Though he’d harbored anger at his brother for so long because of Yrsa, knowing Veronica had made all of that seem trivial. What mattered so much a fortnight ago didn’t matter in the least now.

Though Raknar knew he would embrace the dragon again if put in such a position, he wanted to give his brother something in return for his honesty... his own apology.

“And I'm sorry for letting you down, brother.”

“No.” Naðr shook his head. “If you hadn’t acted to protect our women and Heidrek, you would have let me down and I should have seen it sooner. I just…”

Before Naðr could finish, a loud whoosh sounded overhead and wind whipped wildly. Clouds merged harshly from below and above, twirling around the seers in heavy gusts that had everyone lowering to the ground.

Raknar and Naðr peered at their women, but Megan and Veronica were holding their own, braced back and covering one another against the wind. A thunderous crash echoed as Thor slammed his hammer against the mountain. The rock underfoot continued to rumble as the seers kept their heads down, wind swirling around them.

The sky opened up. Air twisted so sharply and became so blindingly bright that they had to shield their eyes. When he looked back, Veronica and Megan had their hoods covering their faces and their eyes turned away.

Smart women.

When the light faded and the wind died down, Yrsa stood between them all, her narrowed eyes on her sisters, voice sputtering, “You dare!”

“Yes, sister. We dare.” Helga flung out her hands.

Whatever hit Yrsa had her staggering back a few feet. Blade swinging, Kol roared forward. Eyes never leaving Helga’s, Yrsa flung up her hand and he flew back, slamming into the rock.

When Raknar started forward, Naðr grabbed his wrist and shook his head. “Wait.”

The king’s eyes shot to Kol. Though bruised, he was all right. Naðr put a finger to his lips and urged Raknar to remain crouched by his side.

Naðr might respond with anger and distrust behind closed doors but when they were confronted with true harm, he became deadly calm and protected wisely. This was why his brother was king…because he found patience when his brothers only saw pure fury.

“Go around to the left,” he murmured to Raknar then met Kol’s eyes and pointed to the right.

Raknar and Kol moved.

But not Yrsa.

Instead, her eyes tracked the brothers before swinging back to her sisters, voice low, collected and far too calm. “So you have summoned me. What now then?”

Helga and the Unnamed One kept their heads bent as Helga chanted. Her words seemed to summon energy that continued to whip around Yrsa. His former wife flung her head back, lethal eyes roaming her surroundings before finally locking on Raknar.

“My love,” she purred. “What
are
you part of here?”

Blade held in front of him, Raknar’s voice was just as cordial. “I am set to kill you, Yrsa.”

“Are you really?” She chuckled and walked toward him, hips swaying, confidence unending. Air seemed to thicken as she drew closer, but he kept his sword raised. By the time she stood before him, movement had become impossible. Yrsa ran her finger along his blade then licked its blunt edge, eyes sultry, before she brought her face within a fraction of his.

Caught in Yrsa's immense magic, he was powerless to stop her when her tongue flicked along his jawline then her mouth hovered over his. Her words were whisper soft when she grabbed his cock. “I’ll always love you, Raknar.” Then, as if to contradict herself, she shoved a dagger up against his balls, lips brushing his. “But do you still love me?”

He would never tell her what she wanted to hear…and it wasn’t that he loved her. No, she wanted to see him relent, weaken, give in. She wanted to own him.

The dragon reared up.

A red haze pulsed in his vision.

“Ah.” Her eyes widened and she licked her tongue along the seam of his mouth. “
There
is my dragon.” She pulled back, eyes narrowing as the magic her sisters threw at her swarmed around them both. “It was so good to see
you
again on the dock yesterday.”

“And it was good to remember once more who
you
had become,” he bit out.

“Mmm.” She tightened the blade against his balls. “But still the mother of your child.”

Raknar didn’t care if she stripped him of his manhood, he thrust his dagger.

But she was pulled away too fast.

Sucked, caught in magic, she was thrust onto her back. Yrsa didn’t squirm but only smiled as her sisters stood over her.

“Why have you done this?” Helga asked.

Yrsa shrugged, struggling against their magic before she responded. “Because it feels
so
good.”

Raknar pulled his axe free and met first Naðr’s then Kol’s eyes. His former wife was insane, drenched in evil, and they were ready to fight her. He nodded at his brothers and they knew what he meant.

Attack while the seers have her.

Yet it wasn’t quite fast enough.

Naðr went in first, sword swinging. When he sliced down, Yrsa rolled away, chuckling. Kol came in just as quickly, swinging his axe. But she had already leaped to her feet and dodged away. So Raknar gripped his blade and swiped. She ducked and evaded, laughing the whole time.

Wind rushed around them as her sisters’ magic flung her back so hard she slammed against the wall. Taking advantage, Kol attacked, whipping dagger after dagger. Yrsa shimmered away then reappeared next to Raknar.

“Hello love,” she murmured and yanked a dagger from his waist.

Naðr ducked fast when she thrust.

Meanwhile, Raknar swung his axe at her but she vanished.

Only to reappear next to her sisters.

The Unnamed One flung her stones to the ground. Yrsa cried out in what must have been magically induced pain before dissipating in smoke only to reappear next to Megan. Eyes furious, the king’s wife drove her fist into the seer’s gut. Yrsa buckled then spun away. Before she could kick Megan, Kol rammed the blunt edge of his blade up against her head.

But even that wasn’t enough.

Yrsa leaped and spun then managed to knick Naðr’s side. Stunned, he jumped back. Enraged, Raknar drove forward and caught her around the waist. They fell hard, the breath knocked from her lungs as her angry eyes met his.

Her magic was building fast.

Raknar braced himself as pure power hit him and he was flung back so hard he crashed against the side of the mountain. The dragon tried to roar forward, but he kept it at bay…for Naðr. He might have made a promise to the seers, but his brothers meant more.

He would not let them down again.

The minute his feet hit the ground, he pulled free two daggers and raced toward her. Meanwhile, Kol had already swung his blade and been tossed aside by the flick of her hand. So Raknar came in low and fast, whipping his blades at her torso and leg.

She deflected both.

Naðr spun then swiped his sword. She ducked. So Raknar scooped up his axe and swiped hard. Yrsa leaped over it then turned quickly. He ducked when she drove her fist at him. Veronica managed to trip her in time for Kol to come in fast from the left and drive his fist into her stomach. 

Yrsa staggered, caught off guard.

And the seers took advantage.

They whipped magic, seen only in the discoloring of the air. Though it swamped Yrsa, she managed to deflect it and plow on with a sword in hand. She crossed blades with Kol first. His brother moved with admirable speed, but she had the power of magic behind her and soon overwhelmed.

Until Naðr intercepted.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

They moved against each other viciously before Raknar jumped between them and drove her back until she stumbled. Then, as if his worst nightmare materialized right in front of his eyes, a blade came against her neck.

Obviously having grabbed it off the ground, Veronica held the dagger tight.

Yrsa froze, her laughter dying down to a wide smile as she eyed him. “You might want to tell your whore to step away from me.”

Raknar’s furious eyes met Veronica’s. She might have learned to fight in the twenty-first century, but nothing she was taught could prepare her for the repercussions of holding a blade against the throat of a powerful seer. His woman was too stubborn and ignorantly brave for her own good. Just like he knew she would be. Even so, her actions filled him with a crippling fear.

“I could kill her in an instant, my love,” Yrsa whispered, eyes locked on his.

She could…should have already. Raknar repressed his emotions and lowered his blade. “Yes you could.”

Then Veronica did something no one could have anticipated.

Utterly silent, she sliced her dagger across Yrsa’s throat.

Stunned, Raknar blinked several times.

The seer’s face registered shock before she grasped her neck and swiped her hand, sending them all flying. Raknar tried to locate Veronica, but ferocious wind swamped him.

Helga continued to chant, her and the Unnamed One’s magic strong as Yrsa stumbled forward and fell to her knees. Naðr slashed his blade at her, but she managed to roll away.

Raknar pursued her when she staggered toward the cliff.

Then something started to happen. Her magic stemmed out toward the mountains as if seeking another’s. Helga chanted louder and wind screeched in wide sweeping circles.

The sun was nearly cresting their mountain.

How was Yrsa still moving?

Trying to keep panic at bay, Raknar leaped and grabbed the back of Yrsa’s tunic. An explosion rent the air and he lost hold. His former wife started to laugh, the sound bubbling and tormented yet righteous and triumphant.

“She’s using the connection she forged with the new king to escape,” Helga warned and flung out her hands.

No matter how powerful the magic might have been it was too little too late. Hand wrapped around her throat, Yrsa turned and released a wicked smile.

“No,” Raknar and his brothers roared as Yrsa’s renewed magic whiplashed violently. It spun around and around her until it suddenly faded. When it did, she had vanished.

She was gone but clearly still alive.

They had failed.

Unparalleled anguish tore through him as he turned and locked eyes on Veronica.

Equally pained, she stared back.

Naðr rushed toward Megan as fast as he did Veronica, but it was far too late.

Raknar watched in horror as both women faded…

Then disappeared altogether.

New York City

One Month Later

Veronica groaned in unabashed pleasure as hands caressed her everywhere. Legs and arms intertwined, sliding off one another. A hot, wet tongue trailed between her breasts. She panted and arched. Strong fingers gripped her hips and she spread her thighs, throbbing in sweet anticipation.

Her body began to tremble, already knowing how good he would make her feel. How harsh, wicked and endless her release would be. She never saw his face, only felt his heat and searing desire as he held her down, forced her to take everything he had to give. Higher and higher he drove her until…

Bleep. Bleep.

Ripped from slumber, the arousal she had found in a dream faded.

Bleep. Bleep.

Text messages.

“Enough,” Veronica mumbled and grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table. She cracked open an eye and clicked into her messages. Two were from Megan. Two from Amber.

“So have you done it yet?” This from Megan.

“How’d it go, Sis?” from Amber.

“Still waiting.” from Megan.

“Dying to know.” Amber.

Groggy, Veronica sat up then promptly flopped back down.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

She put a hand to her forehead. “Ugh.”

A text came through from Megan. “Answer your door.”

With a heavy groan, she whipped aside her blanket and plodded down the hallway. Out of habit, she peered through the peephole then opened the door. Before she could utter a word, her sisters flung their arms around her.

“What are you doing here?” she murmured, surprised by how relieved she was to see them.

“Where else would we be? No need for you to be alone right now.” Megan held her at arm’s length and studied her. “Have you done it yet?”

“You really didn’t need to come.” Veronica swallowed and shook her head. “This has got to be a false alarm.”

“Your cycle’s at least four weeks late and you’ve been sick nearly every day since.” Amber ushered them in and closed the door. “That sounds pretty telling to me.”

“I’ve had a birth control shot.” Veronica blew her bangs out of her eyes and fought yet another wave of nausea. “Besides, I haven’t had sex in…well, far too long.”

Megan frowned. “Not even with this guy Phillip you’ve been seeing?”

“Definitely not,” Veronica assured. “He’s just a friend, really more of an acquaintance now.”

“So no more dreams of becoming a big movie star?” Amber teased with a smile.

“Not at the moment,” Veronica said. “But then I haven’t been feeling up for much lately.”

“That’s why after you take a pregnancy test, I’m forcing you to take another vacation and come up to my place for a few weeks,” Megan said.

“But I was just there in October,” Veronica argued. Yet she did not put up much of a fight when Megan shrugged and said it didn’t matter.

“You need a break from all this.” Megan glanced out the windows at the city skyline. “Besides, I’m worried about you.”

Right. Because she was mysteriously sick. If, however, she
was
pregnant for some unbelievable reason then Veronica might just agree with her sister. After all, there was no way in hell she could be…unless she was going insane and forgot that she’d slept with a guy. Still, she had called her doctor to make sure she was on target with birth control and she was.

“Where’s the test?” Amber said.

Veronica nibbled the corner of her lip and avoided her sister’s eyes as she offered them some coffee.

Megan leaned her hip against the counter. “You didn’t buy it yet, did you?”

“I was getting around to it,” she defended as she filled three mugs. Then she shot her sister a look. “Trust me, there’s
no
way I can possibly be pregnant.”

“Regardless, you’ve got the same symptoms you had with Matthew,” Amber said softly. She pulled a box out of her purse and handed it over. “We figured you might be dragging your heels so we grabbed a test just in case.”

She should have known. Veronica sighed and set aside the coffee pot. If they were determined, which they so clearly were since they’d come all the way to New York, then she’d better just get it done. Besides, there was no way it could be positive.

So she grabbed the test, did what she had to with it, then set it aside as she sat on the edge of the bathtub and held her head in her hands. Anything to keep the room from tilting so she wouldn’t throw up.

A few minutes passed before Amber and Megan knocked on the bathroom door.

“How’s it going, Sis?” Megan said.

Confident she wasn’t going to be sick, she grabbed the test. She was about to tell her sisters all was well, but the words died on her lips when her eyes locked on the big plus sign in the little plastic window.

Impossible.

When she didn’t respond, they opened the door. Her eyes rose to theirs and she frowned. “This can’t be right.”

Both peered at the test. Amber’s eyes widened and she smiled.

Megan nodded and smiled as well. “I just
knew
it.”

Veronica tried not to panic. That she might be pregnant wasn’t a big deal in itself. The massive problem lay in the fact that there was no possible way that she should be.

“This can’t be right," Veronica repeated. She shook her head, baffled. “It just
can’t
be. It’s got to be a false positive.”

“Maybe,” Megan murmured. “Go get dressed and packed. I’ve booked us a flight to Bangor. It departs at nine.”

“What?” Veronica started, but her sister turned on the shower and nodded at it. “Grab a quick one first. Clear your head a little.”

“But—”

“I’ll get you a change of clothes and start packing,” Amber volunteered, excited. “Save some time.”

When Veronica hesitated, Megan again nodded at the shower. “Hop in, Goddess. We’ve got a flight to catch.”

Startled, they looked at each other and a shiver raced down her spine.

“Why’d you call me that?” she whispered.

Megan shook her head then shrugged. “I have no idea.”

Yet her sister wore a pensive frown as she shut the door. Confused by her sense of familiarity with the nickname, Veronica tore off her sweats and t-shirt then stepped beneath the warm water. This wasn’t the first time she had felt a general sense of being off, as though she forgot something very important…or
someone
.

In fact, the feeling had been getting in the way of her work. And it didn’t pay to be drifty when running a magazine. So maybe a brief vacation wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Luckily she had a good team working with her that could easily run things when she wasn’t around.

As usual, she was overheated so she turned the water to cold and sighed with relief. It might sound crazy for a twenty-eight year old woman, but she’d swear she was suffering from the hot flashes of a woman going through menopause. Though it was the middle of winter, she was always so damn hot lately.

When Amber opened the door, Veronica yelled over the running water. “Sorry, Sis. Can you make sure my shirt is a tank top?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Thanks.”

Veronica wasted little time finishing up then dried off and slid into her jeans. Just over the past few days she'd started to suck in her stomach to button them up which of course had nothing to do with…Oh, what was she thinking? She was
not
pregnant. And if by some miracle of conception she was, it would be far too soon to be showing. Still, though she’d barely eaten, her waistline certainly seemed to have expanded. After she pulled on her tank, she dried her hair and joined her sisters.

“Aren’t you chilly in that?” Megan asked, transferring their coffees to disposable travel mugs.

Veronica clipped up her hair and fanned herself. “Not at all. Hot as hell actually.”

Amber grinned and plunked down a small suitcase. “Hot little bun in the oven already.”

“Bun in the oven?” Veronica mouthed and rolled her eyes.

“Do you need to call work and let them know you’re heading out of town?” Megan asked.

“I will on the way to the airport,” she replied, still not sure how she’d been talked into this so quickly.

But she had and within a few hours was flying out of John F. Kennedy Airport.

“I could’ve driven us,” Veronica said as the plane gained altitude.

Megan sat on one side, Amber the other.

“We wouldn’t have made your appointment on time,” Megan said.

“What appointment?”

“With my OB/GYN later today,” Megan informed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Veronica shook her head and frowned. “When did you make this appointment?”

“Yesterday when I knew you’d be taking a test this morning.”

Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is ridiculous.”

She didn’t need to ask how Megan had landed an appointment so fast. Her older sister had a way of skirting around what normal people had to go through.

Amber kept on grinning. No need to ask why. This gave her the perfect opportunity to see Sean again. Several hours later, all of which she slept, they landed. Speaking of Megan’s best friend and Amber’s part time fling, she wasn’t surprised to see him pull up in his crew cab, extended bed pick-up truck outside of Bangor Airport. Her little sister hopped in the front beside him and she and Megan sat in the back.

“Good to see you again, sweetheart,” he murmured to Amber before his lips locked on hers.

Megan snorted. “We’re in a no parking zone, Sean.”

“Right.” He dragged his lips from Ambers and they were off.

“Hey there, Veronica.” Sean looked in his rearview mirror. “How are you feeling?”

It seemed Megan hadn’t kept quiet about a potential pregnancy. Veronica frowned at her sister but graciously smiled at Sean. “Good enough. Thanks for both your concern and for picking us up.”

“Anytime.”

Amber turned on the radio and cuddled as close to him as she could manage while wearing a seatbelt. Veronica leaned her head back against the seat, closed her eyes and yawned; grateful her nausea had finally subsided.

“Sorry about all this pre-planning without telling you,” Megan murmured as Sean and Amber chatted.

“It's fine, Sis. I know your heart’s in the right place.”

Honestly, she knew where both her sister’s hearts were.

With not only her but her son, Matthew. They were likely concerned about her mental state with another pregnancy looming. In addition, she knew they were concerned that she wasn’t fessing up to exactly how she had become pregnant.

Megan squeezed her hand then tensed.

“What is it?” Veronica said softly.

“I don’t know,” Megan whispered. “I just got the oddest sensation of…”

When she trailed off, Veronica opened her eyes. “What?”

Megan shook her head. “Like I’d forgotten something
really
important.”

Gooseflesh rose on her skin. “I know the feeling.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, it’s been happening a lot.”

“To me too. Just in the past few weeks.”

“Same here,” Veronica said. “Odd.”

Megan said nothing more but appeared to be deep in thought as she stared out the window.

Veronica again closed her eyes. These days, it seemed all she could do when she wasn’t working was sleep. So she wasn’t overly shocked when Megan said, “Veronica, time to wake up sweetie.”

When she pried open her eyes, it was to realize that her head was resting on Megan’s shoulder and they’d just pulled into her driveway.

“Wow, I slept the whole drive?”

Amber grinned over her shoulder. “Yup, out like a light.”

“Just a few more minutes of driving ahead,” Megan said. “We’ll hop in my truck to go to the doctors.”

“Sure.” Veronica got out. “But I need to use the bathroom first.”

Less than an hour later, Veronica’s blood had been drawn and she and her sisters were being ushered into an ultrasound room. That same chill that liked to haunt her lately raced down her spine.

“We shouldn’t be in here,” she murmured when they were left alone.

Megan pressed her lips together, clearly trying to mask how anxious she was.

Amber, however, thought it was wonderful. “There’s only one reason we would’ve been brought here.” She patted Veronica’s stomach gently. “And I can’t wait to hear it confirmed.”

“I still can’t believe our cousin, Dayna became an OB/GYN. When did she find time to do that? And
your
gynecologist at that,” Veronica said to Megan. “I thought you couldn’t stand her since Sean nearly drowned years ago.”

“I’m still not a huge fan but Sean loves her so I guess being her blood relative I’ve got to love her too. Sort of.” She shrugged a shoulder. “And she’s not my gynecologist. But she is the best in the area. And the only one  I could get on such short notice.”