“And then they left?” I tried to push away the ache of disappointment that came with knowing that I'd missed meeting Trevor.
“Yep,” Ull confirmed. “And Fenrir took Emma with him. He told me to say thank you to you for finding and freeing his mate.”
“His mate?” Thor gaped. “Have they met before?”
“Never.” Ull grinned. “Wild, right? The Great Wolf tamed by a human in two seconds flat. I'm glad I was there to see it; it was historic.”
That's one word for it, Alaric said in a smug tone.
“I would have liked to have seen it too,” Thor agreed. “But I'm happier to have spent the time as I did.”
“Me too,” I lied.
You're getting good at that.
Alaric, tell me about Re.
You're so tenacious. Al sighed. Try remembering for yourself instead of badgering me.
But you do mean the Egyptian?
Is there another Re?
I brought up my one memory of Re; at a party Horus had hosted in his territory. Re was amazingly handsome; too handsome, in my opinion. His skin was dark but there was a golden sheen over it that made it appear fair. He had the kind of face that made women faint and the kind of body that made them shiver. Re was like a statue someone had carved to show humanity what the perfect man should look like; in gold. Even his eyes were a gleaming gold; outlined by thick, ebony lashes. He was the embodiment of sex; every move he made seemed sensual. And I couldn't imagine ever being with him... or him ever wanting to be with me.
Until I saw it.
The memories rose inside me like the sun. I saw Re's golden eyes turn into molten metal as he stared down at me with love and desire. I felt his hands on my skin and his mouth on mine. I shivered as the memory of ecstasy filled me and tightened things low inside me. Re fulfilled every promise that his body made; he was a magnificent and extremely creative lover. But where love was concerned—that of the heart, not just the body—Re was less experienced, and his stumbling—sometimes spectacular and sometimes horrendous—efforts endeared him to me more than his pretty face ever could.
I loved him.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
“What's that?” Thor had started to eat, but he stopped to look over at me.
“Nothing,” I said as I looked up. “I just realized what time it was. We need to get back to the Intare soon.”
“All right,” Thor gave in. “I want to be here when the Squad returns so I'll trust you to fetch the Intare quickly.”
“Thank you,” I said automatically, but part of me was annoyed.
Was it just me, or was Thor a little domineering? I thought back over our marriage and realized that he was. We'd had a few arguments over his attitude, but I'd eventually learned to just let him be possessive. Thor thought he was showing me that he cared, and I'd reasoned that it was the thought that mattered. But now, I was reconsidering. I looked over at Kirill and knew that his love would never be possessive or patronizing. Kirill gave me respect, and I knew that even when he stood up to me, he would do so with that same respect. Thor wasn't faring well by comparison.
But that was unfair. Whatever was going on, I was married to Thor in this life, and I needed to be true to my vows. No more kissing other men.
Sure; no problem, Al scoffed.
I didn't respond, but that in itself felt like an admission of guilt.
Chapter Eighteen
After breakfast, I kissed my husband goodbye and went with Kirill to the tracing room. I took Kirill's hand, smiled up into his amazing eyes, and asked the Aether to take us home. I don't know what I was thinking; the words simply popped out of my mouth. It was stupid; I was already home, and even if I hadn't been, the request was much too general for the Aether. As soon as I uttered the words, I knew that I'd fucked up, but I expected the Aether to take us to my old place in Hawaii if it took us anywhere at all. Where we actually ended up was far more spectacular... and far more frightening.
“Vhere are ve?” Kirill whispered as he looked around.
We stood within an ancient forest. A roundabout dirt road was directly before us, with an offshoot that led to an intersection. The forest pressed in around the pathways; its trees taller and wider than any I'd seen before. Strange sounds came from the lush growth beneath those trees, and the scent of life and death permeated the air. Somehow, both aromas were beautiful; they blended together and became a heady fragrance.
“Are the trees moving?” I asked.
“I zink zey are breathing,” Kirill said with wonder. “Zis is your home?”
“No; I have no idea where we are,” I said.
“You're in the Faerie Realm,” a voice came from behind us.
I spun around to find a man leaning against a tree that even larger than the rest; I think we may have traced through it. He was handsome in the most ethereal and dangerous of ways. His sharp features were accented by a sprinkle of blood red scales at his temples. Those scales matched the straight hair that flowed down to his wide shoulders. He was a touch slimmer than Kirill, but still obviously muscular, and just as tall.
