A move she would have never made five or six years ago. But lately she’d been feeling restless and tense, she just didn’t know why. Like she was waiting for something.
Clearly what she needed more than anything…a solid slap to the back of the head like the nuns used to give her.
And what made all of this even worse…she still wanted him. Nice-‐guy Yager. She had no idea what to do with a nice guy. She definitely wasn’t a nice person. Far from it. Forget her first-‐life, Crows were simply not nice beings. When you did hits for gods, the last thing you could afford to be was nice. She learned that early on from her mentor Lorraine. She still had the scar from the ceremonial dagger shoved in her back, just missing her kidney. Her mentor saw it coming and didn’t stop it because she knew she needed to teach Neecy a lesson. And it was a lesson she never forgot—being nice gets you shived.
So she protected her own, trusted in her goddess, and went on about her day.
But Yager…Yager confused her. He’d been confusing her for a year now and the time she spent with him sure as hell didn’t help. The whole time she was with him, he’d treated her better than anyone had ever treated her and they never left his apartment.
“Are you just going to stand there or what?”
Neecy looked over at Janelle. “Shut up.”
“Yo, Neece.” Janelle tugged at her turtleneck sweater that still smelled of Yager.
“Are those hickies? Ow!” Janelle grabbed her nose, which Neecy had happily slammed with the DVDs. “What the fuck was that for?”
“For asking too many goddamn questions.”
Neecy stopped. Her entire body tensing. Someone was watching her. She spun around, her eyes searching every corner of the small store.
“You feel it, J?”
“Yeah.”
Janelle turned and stared off at the back entrance. But Neecy saw something out of the corner of her eye at the front of the store. A man, shorter than her. Grey hair. Enormous muscles over his entire body. She looked in the direction where she knew he stood, but she saw nothing. Still, she wouldn’t turn away. She kept staring at the same spot until finally she knew he’d gone. Afraid she could see him, probably.
“He’s gone.”
“He?”
“I think I saw him. I’m not sure.”
“What do ya wanna do?”
She shrugged. “Rent these movies, then go home, and tell Didi.”
Janelle glanced at the movie cases Neecy had in her hand. “No way, Neece. No way! We are not watching goddamn “Evil Dead” again!”
“Oh, get the fuck over it.”
Yager snuggled down deeper into his covers and smiled. Half asleep and half awake, he’d been thinking about Neecy Lawrence’s cranky, evil ass all night. He dreamed about her. Thought about her. He thought about her naked body pressed against his, her hard brown nipples burrowing into his chest. That soft little panting noise she made every time he entered her.
He wanted Neecy. All the time in every way possible.
“Having sweet dreams, baby doll?”
That deep male voice rumbled through Yager’s consciousness and he leaped out of bed, his fists up and ready, his back slamming up against the far wall.
“Jesus, Odin! I hate when you do that shit!”
Odin, the All-‐Father of Norse gods laughed as he stared at one of his Raven leaders. His back against the headboard, his long legs reaching to the end of Yager’s enormous bed, his big hands comfortably folded over his stomach. Christ, is the man wearing Armani?
“Sorry. Did I interrupt passionate dreams of Ms. Lawrence?”
Yager’s eyes narrowed as he relaxed his stance, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What do you want?”
“Is that anyway to greet your god and leader?”
“It’s the best you’ll get at three in the morning and when you mention Neecy to me.”
“You know you can do…”
“If you say I can do better, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“I think you already have.” Odin gave that indulgent smile he gave all humans.
“Foolish boy. Crows are not to be trifled with. They protect their own. If they think for a moment you’re merely toying with that girl…”
“But you know I’m not. That’s why you’re here. Afraid I’ll muddy up your Viking gene pool with our kids?”
One pale blue eye turned his way. Odin had given up his other eye centuries ago…eeesh. There had to be an easier way to gain wisdom. Yager found reading quite beneficial.
“I have nothing against the Crows, per se.”
“But…”
“But they’re not one of us. They’re not Vikings. They’re mutts. Skuld with her damn sense of humor.”
“They’re more Viking than any Valkyrie you’ve brought in here the last five years. Speaking of which…Morgan says she’s been trying to get in touch with you. She says you’re avoiding her.” Morgan was one of the older Valkyries. Very old school and very dear to Yager. She was the mother he never had once the Raven elders took him from his own family. It’s not that his family cut him off, Yager simply couldn’t deal with the fear in their eyes. Having a son with wings must be a little overwhelming. Well, that, and he just kept growing until he was about twenty-‐one.
“She’ll simply complain again.”
“You better pray she doesn’t call to the Original Seven.” Yager smiled. “You know they’ll make your life hell.”
“The pain a father has to go through.” Odin easily pulled himself off the bed and stood. There were not many men in the universe who were taller than Yager.
The few who were normally where in carnival sideshows or played starting center for the NBA. But at seven-‐eight, Odin made Yager feel downright tiny.
“I want all of you to live your life. But don’t forget who you are and what you represent.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything. And Neecy Lawrence is mine. So you might as well deal with it.” Yager grinned. “And if I were you…I wouldn’t just show up in our bed once she moves in. I can tell she’d hate that.”
Odin growled. “I blame Skuld for this,” he muttered as he headed toward the door. He passed by Yager and did what he always did. He playfully slammed Yager’s shoulder with his own. The first blow, like always, knocked Yager’s shoulder out of joint. But slamming into the wall quickly popped it back into place.
Yager knew one day the bones in his poor shoulder would be nothing but shattered pieces.
“By the way, I’ve heard rumors that Hunting Season has begun again. A new Hunter this time.”
Yager’s head snapped around to nail Odin to the spot. “What? I haven’t heard anything from the guys.”
“You’re not the only one with wings…”
Rage. Pure, simple, and white hot welled up in him. He didn’t move. He simply stared at Odin.
Odin shook his head. “Try and protect the Crows and they’ll crush you. I’m only telling you about this because once they start with Crows, they usually move on to the Ravens…if they can get past the Crows that is. And that’s a big if.”
Yager didn’t respond. Actually, he was unable to respond. He’d clenched his jaw way too hard.
“Foolish boy,” Odin muttered again. “Never get between a Crow and her prey. I just hope you know what you’re doing, Yager. Sometimes you’re way to nice.”
The god who could simply leave the room with a mere thought decided to use the door. As he pulled it open, he said, “Neecy Lawrence isn’t anything like she seems.”
Chapter Nine
Doctor Denise Lawrence, PhD, scooted back on her desk and looked out over her small room of graduate students. They’d stop giving her any undergrad students who were merely trying to fulfill credits, especially freshman, almost seven years ago. Although her teacher evaluations received high marks from the serious students, the others absolutely hated her. So, the university, at the insistence of one of their most important board members—who just happened to be a Raven elder—gave her only the graduate and senior undergrad classes. They had no real problems after that.