Northman’s Passion
by Kate Hill
Series: Northmen’s Brides
Universe: Pandemonium
Format(s): Ebook
Heat Level: Steamy
Pairing(s): M/F
Genre/Themes: Historical Romance
Length: Novella
Pre-Order Links: Amazon / Apple / Barnes & Noble/ kobo / Smashwords
From the moment Erik Ice Tooth sees Bera, daughter of his king, he wants her as his wife. A man accustomed to getting what he desires, he’s surprised by her adamant refusal of his advances.
Disgusted by the foul brute who demands her company, Bera makes her feelings for Erik clear. She wants nothing to do with him, even if he is one of her father’s favorite warriors and her only other marriage offers are from a pair of loathsome brothers.
Erik abducts Bera with the hope of winning her heart and saving her from marrying one of two evil men, but his rash act will come at a high price.
Excerpt:
Erik Ice Tooth was accustomed to getting what he wanted. Few men matched him in strength and prowess in battle. Those who valued their lives avoided crossing him. Though not a cruel master, his punishments for offenses were swift and harsh. He and his brothers, Sigfred and Grim, were favorites of the King and provided him with a wealth of goods from their raiding and trading.
Erik hadn’t visited the King for almost two years and decided after his most recent voyage he would personally deliver his goods. He had agreed to take along his young cousin, Thorkel. The boy was taller than most men and strong in battle, but his clumsiness caused difficulties. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Thorkel tripped on his way to the King’s house and knocked Erik into a pile of manure.
It took all Erik’s control not to take a sword to Thorkel then and there.
Sigfred, always the mediator, stepped between Erik and his oafish cousin. “Calm yourself. I’m sure it’s not the first time the King has smelled manure and it won’t be the last.”
Grumbling, Erik glared at Thorkel and scraped off as much of the stinking mess as he could. Erik worried less about offending the King, who wasn’t known for his cleanliness, than about spending half the night in filthy clothes.
“Come on,” said Grim. “But keep your distance until you can find a wench to wash your trousers.”
Inside the longhouse, Erik approached the King who sat on his place of honor—a carved bench in the center of the room. Erik’s annoyance was soon forgotten, replaced by the heady lure of desire. Standing near the bearded, leather-skinned ruler was a stunning black-haired beauty. Usually he preferred robust blonds, but the fire in this woman’s dark eyes hinted at a fierce spirit that intrigued Erik.
“It’s been a long time, Erik. Good to see you,” the King said, a rare glint of cheerfulness in his slate-colored eyes. “You have brought me tribute?”
“Furs and other valuables,” Erik replied, tearing his gaze from the woman. “All carried in a fine new ship I had built as a gift for you.”
The King looked pleased, a faint smile tugging at his solemn mouth. If he noticed the smell lingering from the manure, he gave no indication, nor did the woman beside him. Perhaps the stench wasn’t as bad as Erik thought, especially within the smoky confines of the longhouse. Still he would ask one of the serving wenches to wash his clothes and dry them by the fire so they would be clean for the trip home. Later though, when he could lie naked beneath furs to sleep.
“You remember my brothers.” Erik gestured toward Sigfred who stood to his left and Grim to his right. Though Erik was exceptionally tall, both his brothers were also above average height. Sigfred was as dark as Erik and built like a bear in early winter while Grim was rangy and lean with flaming red hair and a fiery beard.
“Yes. You and your men have traveled long. Sit. Eat and drink. Choose women to share your ale.”
Sigfred made a motion to introduce himself to the black-haired lady, but Erik shoved him aside.
“If the King wanted to introduce his new bride, he would have done so.”
The King chuckled, a grating sound, and said, “I didn’t think you were given to flattery, Erik. This isn’t my wife, but my youngest daughter, Bera.”
Bera? Though Erik had never met the girl, he had heard rumors about her and they didn’t match this beauty. He’d heard she was plain and pitifully shy. This woman was far from plain and anyone who met his gaze, unfaltering, could not be shy. Even if she was as ugly as the rumors claimed, a woman with this kind of spirit could excite a man as much as a rousing battle. At the moment all Erik could think about was tangling with her lush body beneath a blanket.
Unless she was already spoken for, he didn’t doubt he would have her before the night was through. He nearly smiled at the thought of her keeping him warm while his freshly washed clothes dried by the fire. The King liked Erik and wouldn’t stand in his way if he wanted the girl.
“Will you drink with me, Bera?” Erik asked without preamble. Then he glanced at the King. “If your father approves?”
“Of course.” The King waved his hand. “Go. Drink. Talk. Enjoy the evening.”
Bera looked sharply at her father. “But I have work to do after supper.”
“Let the other women do it.” The King, tugged her onto the bench near his. “These men are our guests and in need of company. Tonight they are allowed the pleasure of female companionship. Erik, you and your brothers join us at my table.”
Erik nodded, his full attention once again on Bera. When he sat beside her on the bench, she recoiled, stood, and said, “I’ll get you something to drink and eat.”
Erik’s gaze followed her for a moment. She wasn’t especially tall but had full breasts, a narrow waist, and rounded hips that he longed to grasp. He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, momentarily lost in a daydream about him and Bera naked on furs. The King called to him, disturbing his fantasy.
Turning to the King, he engaged in mundane conversation.
The King’s other daughter, Asgerd, approached with food and ale for Grim. She was even older than Bera and still unmarried, though everyone knew that was because the King favored her. She was the image of her late mother—a tall, beautiful blond with curves men dreamed of. She had numerous offers, but all had been refused.
By the way she hovered around Grim, Erik believed at least one offer wouldn’t be refused, but Grim had no interest in marriage.
The men talked of raids, building ships and forthcoming voyages. Some invited women to share their food. Several times Erik motioned for Bera to sit beside him, but she stood nearby, serving ale and stew when his bowl and mug ran low, but she neither ate nor drank. This was the first time in what seemed like ages Erik had to relax. The past few years had been an endless journey of battles, raiding, and trading.
He allowed the woman to continue refilling his mug and soon he became so relaxed from the ale that he forgot about the stench of his clothes or even impressing the King with stories of his latest adventures.
Bera hovered behind the table until Erik finally turned to her and said, “Woman, will you sit and relax?”
The King growled at his daughter, and she dropped onto the bench, her spine stiff and eyes ablaze. He grunted and explained, “She is a strong worker and would make a good wife.”
“I mean no insult, but she is a little beyond the marrying age,” Erik said.
Bera shot him a look of murder, and the King shook his head. “Yes. But she will soon be wed.”
Erik felt a pang of regret. “She is betrothed?”
“Not yet, but we have had offers and will decide soon,” the King replied.
“I see,” Erik said softly, a mad thought turning over in his mind. Bera wasn’t the only one past the traditional marrying age. Erik wasn’t getting any younger himself. Though still powerful in battle and with many productive years ahead of him, he needed to start thinking seriously of taking a wife.
In truth he hadn’t considered settling down until this moment. Something about Bera tugged at his heart as well as his loins. This was the kind of woman he could imagine sharing his duties by day and his bed by night.
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