Dreams of a Dark Warrior

you, Wóden, thank you, thank you …
    Chase murmured, “An immortal berserker.”
    Brandr punched him in the arm. Hard. “Took you long enough.”
    Regin asked Nïx, “Why didn’t he turn into Aidan?”
    “Chase is too strong. Always will be. And he wants you too badly to ever slink into the background.”
    Chase frowned at Nïx. “Why did you … why would you vouch for me?”
    “I’ve been looking out for you since you were a boy.” Imitating an Oirish accent, she said, “Want yer fortune told, me boy? A medallion for luck?”
    “
You
gave the charm to me.”
    “Yes. And before you ask me why I would let everything else happen to you, know this. That misery hardened you, made you grow strong. Without it, your life would’ve faded to a whisper in Aidan’s mind. And Declan Chase suits my sister better.” She patted Regin on the head. “Regin doesn’t do perfect.”
    Chase was quiet for long moments, then his lips curled into a breathtaking smile that made Regin’s heart flutter. “Then I’m her man.”
    ***
    Mourne Mountains
    One month later
    A crackling fire cast light over the cabin’s rough-hewn interior. A tray of oyster shells and an empty can of Guinness sat on the table.
    Declan and Regin lazed in a big tub before the fireplace, her back to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
    As promised, he’d made love to her more times than she could count. And as she’d told him, they’d been through too much together to ever hold back from one another.
    Her tone utterly relaxed, she asked, “So what mayhem are we going to get up to today?”
    “Lady’s choice. I’m game for anything. But after the mayhem, we should start markin’ things off our list. Get married, house-hunt, shop for the new swords I’m keen to buy you. …”
    Content merely to celebrate a future together, they’d accomplished little. Though before leaving for Ireland, they had gotten Thad and his family settled in New Orleans—into the newly established Lore Relocation Program.
    Regin and Nïx had decided the boy should be moved close by so that the Valkyrie could keep him and his family safe from the Order, and to guide him into immortality.
    Turned out that young Thad was half vampire, half phantom—one of the rarest Lore mixes ever to live. He’d grow to be a powerful hybrid, with untold abilities. Definitely a key player to have on Team Vertas.
    So the Declan Chase Restitution Fund had purchased a
quaint
little mansion in the Garden District for the Brayden family. Regin hadn’t quite gotten around to informing Declan that he’d bought it before Thad had loped up to him and walloped him on the back. “DC, I’m really glad you pulled through. And thanks big-time for moving Mom and Gram to New Orleans.”
    Declan had raised his brows at Regin. “Did I move Mom and Gram to New Orleans?”
    Regin had nodded up at him. “The Brayden women about fell out when they saw pics of the place. We’re telling them you’re a long-lost uncle from the Emerald Isle. …”
    Unfortunately, some beings couldn’t be bought off by the restitution fund. Like Uilleam MacRieve, who’d been out for blood—and nothing less would do.
    Anticipating Lucia’s interference, the werewolf had come a’calling at Val Hall, but Nïx had taken care of him. As she’d informed Regin, “I simply told Uilleam that one of your offspring was a mate to one of his. He’d never deprive one of his offspring of a mate!”
    Regin had been dubious. “Is that even true?”
    “Surely? It sounds reasonable. And I didn’t specify how many generations.”
    Still, Lucia’s upcoming royal wedding was gonna be
tense
. And Regin and Nïx’s bridesmaids’ dresses? Hid-e-ous.
    When Natalya saw Regin in it, the fey would never let her live it down. Nat and Brandr were both attending. Not together, though. They’d given it one more shotbetween them, but both zigged again or something, so now they were just friends.
    Declan began tracing the backs of his fingers up and down her arm. “What did you and Nïx talk about today?”
    “I again tried to get her to explain Lothaire’s ‘unbreakable ties’ comment. But she gave me nothing.” Regin hadn’t paid much attention to the vamp when he’d warned her of a connection between him and Declan. Now, she was jonesing to know the fine print.
    And both she and Declan wondered what Lothaire’s open-ended vow would entail.
    “I don’t feel tied to him,” he said. “If I did I might be able