Page 21 of Valhalla is Full of Hunks
“Do you want me to email my bosses?” I suggested, before grimacing. From what I’d seen of Jör, he probably hadn’t handled my luggage with care during his delivery. “Assuming my laptop made it here in one piece… or my phone.”
Do they even have Wi-Fi on this island?
Talk about a vacation off-the-grid…
Fen’s gaze flickered past me again. “Your phone is in Surt’s care, along with your laptop. We would also prefer no one knows you’re here with us—for now. Not until we’re ready to strike.”
My eyes narrowed. It was one thing to liberate monsters from their unwanted human forms or help them break into Valhalla through the back door. But this was sounding suspiciously like they planned to take a few choice individuals with them.
I wouldn’t say I wasclosewith my bosses—and Leia was obviously their favorite, big surprise—but they’d been generous to offer me an employment opportunity at all.
Probably to make up for my shit hand in life.
“You do realize you can’tkillthe Fates, right?” I carefully replied. “Or the gods. Like, it’s not physically possible for you to accomplish.”
Maybe in your true form…
But we’ll keep that to ourselves.
A slow smile crept over his face, including a hint of fang that was decidedlyunfriendly. “Of course not,” he replied so coldly, I shivered. “But we still want to reclaim what’s rightfully ours. And you’re going to help us do that.”
This conversation felt like it was going in circles, which tracked for anyone trying to communicate with a mythological creature.
“But how?” I threw my hands into the air in exasperation. “You don’t want me to contact the Fates on your behalf, but you clearly believe my very valuable and extremely unique abilities are just what you need. So. Tell me, Fen. How am I going to help you guys get into Valhalla? Please enlighten me, because I’m at a loss here.”
The wolf in man’s clothing leaned across the kitchen island, and I instinctively met him halfway. “You’re going to use those prophetesspowers of yours to spy on the future for us, and once we know the Fate’s plan for our path, we can work on diverting it.”
My brow furrowed, incredibly confused how he thought this was possible. “You can’t change the fate that’s been woven for you…”
He chuckled low, and I couldn’t stop my gaze from dropping to his mouth as my intuition buzzed again. “Do you truly believe that, Iola?” he whispered, his voice seductively coiling around me, drawing me in. “Look at how your life turned out—so exhausted in the daytime that you drown your sorrows at night. Do you believethatis all that’s meant for you?”
Godsdammnit.
The man did his research.
Or I’m a sad office worker stereotype…
Yes, Iwasthankful for the opportunity I’d been given at Ancient Olive—and it sure beat my bike messenger job back in New York. But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t shuddered at the thought ofthiscorporate mundanity being my future.
So why not see if I can change my fate as well?
My lips were centimeters away from Fen’s, and I was extremely disappointed in myself for suddenly having standards that includednotmaking out with the guy who kidnapped me against my will.
Cockblocking myself.
“Ooh! Is playtime starting?”
I smiled and turned to face the insatiable sea snake. Jör was freshly showered and dressed in nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants, with tufts of brown hair adorably sticking out from underneath his hot pink hat. Since he was shirtless, I noticed he also had a tribal-style tattoo like Fen. His covered his left pectoral—over his heart—with a bold “X” in the center of the design.
Another rune?
He chewed his plump lower lip, shifting on his bare feet while eyeing the tiny space separating me and Fen like he was seriously considering muscling his way into it.
Typical monster.
Zero refractory period.
“No,beibe,”Fen chuckled—the spell between us broken as he straightened. “Iola and I were simply coming to an understanding. Now it’s time to work.”
