Page 19 of The Blood Wolf

"You look like someone has punched you in the balls. Did Nicola get a bit rough with you?" Bjorn asked with a shit-eating grin.

"No. This mating bond is messing with me," Thor replied and drained half the blood in one gulp. It calmed the gnawing hunger in his guts but didn't do much to help his hurting heart.

"You are the first to go through this. It is natural to feel unsteady," Astrid replied. She topped up his mug. "Do you want to talk about your feelings?"

"Fuck you," Thor said, unable to help the laughter bubbling out of him.

"You should like your own mate, Thor. We like her too, and I'm sure when the others meet her, they will enjoy her company just as much. She was feral in the fight last night. She is going to fit in just fine." Bjorn's deep voice rumbled. He wasn't lying to Thor just to make him feel better either. If Bjorn didn't like someone, he made it known whether it would hurt anyone’s feelings or not. The bears were all the same that way.

"Nicola needs coffee," Thor said, fighting not to grin like a fool. He entered the large pantry, and Astrid caught him by the back of the shirt.

"Don't you dare! I have just got it in order the way I like it, and if you mess it up, I will hex you so you never get an erection again. Drink your breakfast. I will find the coffee for the princess," she said, pushing him out of the way.

Astrid had made coffee and was cooking a growing pile of bacon when Nicola came into the kitchen. She smiled at the scene before her. "Something smells good," she said.

Thor pulled out the stool beside him at the breakfast bar, and she slid into it. One of her hands moved to his knee and stayed there. It was such an easy touch like she didn't know she was doing it. It made the soft feeling in Thor return. He would do anything to protect her and keep her feeling safe with him.

When Nicola was settled with coffee and food, she asked, "What happened with the wolves last night? Any sign of them this morning?"

"We put the dead bodies on the border with a sign about what their crimes were," Bjorn said and added honey to his mug ofblood. "It will be good for other wolves to know what Kaleb is planning because he will drag them all down with him."

"And I insisted on booby trapping the bodies to explode if anyone tried to move them or the sign," Astrid said.

Nicola choked. "Really? That's diabolical."

Astrid grinned wickedly. "If you play games with Vikings, you should expect to win Viking prizes."

Nicola burst out laughing, the warm sound filling the kitchen. "I don't know if I should be horrified or impressed."

"That explains everyone's reaction to Astrid," Bjorn teased, and Thor laughed along with them.

Under the bar, he wrapped his fingers around Nicola's, hoping she would always feel so happy in his house.

14

Nicola was given one of Astrid's coats and a pair of reindeer fur-lined boots to wear out. Astrid was a bit bigger than her, but Nicola was touched that she would let her borrow them at all.

"We will order more clothes for you today. A delivery will be a good distraction for any wolves that are watching the roads into the territory," Thor said and buttoned her coat. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'm fine, Thor. Don't worry. I'm not a fragile human," Nicola replied with a smile. Seeing the big man fussing was strange, but it showed he cared, making her feel warmer than any coat could.

"I know, but you've also been a prisoner for months, and I don't want you suffering for a moment that you are with me," Thor said and crossed his big arms. "You will tell me if you need anything, and I will make sure you have it."

Nicola reached up and kissed his cheek. "That is all I needed. Now, let's go and see Galen and get the information you need for the vampires."

Thor looked confused for a moment before lifting her up by the lapels of her jacket and kissing her properly. Nicola wrappedher hands around his neck and kissed him back. Her tongue flicked against his lips, and he opened his mouth. She was drowning in his taste, his scent, the thick slabs of muscle she was pressed up against.

"You two need to cut that out, or you will be here all day," Astrid chided.

Nicola nipped Thor's bottom lip before pulling back. "She's right. Galen will be awake and at the club by now, and we are wasting time."

"Kissing my mate is never a waste of time," Thor said and reluctantly lowered her to her feet. "Is the tunnel exit clear?"

Astrid nodded. "I just checked the cameras, and there is no sign of any of the scouts."

"Tunnel?" Nicolas asked.

"Tunnel." Thor grinned and opened the heavy wood door of the hall. "We built it so that we could come and go from the territory with nobody noticing. We didn't trust the peace would last in Inferno and wanted an escape if we needed it. It's come in handy more often than I care to admit."