Avelynn: The Edge of Faith by Marissa Campbell Read Free Book Online

crimson. She didn’t budge off his lap.
    She smiled. “You must be referring to Eadfrith. I saw the two of you holding hands earlier today. You make a lovely couple.”
    Alrik glared at me. “What is going on?”
    Gil looked between the three of us. “Marared?”
    “Alrik, I’d like a moment to speak with you. Alone.” Propriety be damned.
    “Excuse us.” Alrik slid Marared from her perch.
    “Of course. There’s obviously a great deal you both need to talk about.” Marared flounced with glee.
    We walked side by side under the weak light of a waning gibbous moon. The wind was sharp, and the damp chill from the sea sent shivers down my spine.
    “Who is Eadfrith?”
    “A Saxon priest I met today. He feared for my life upon discovering I traveled with Vikings. He assumed I had been captured and forced into slavery. He offered me his aid.”
    “He had to hold your hands to do this?” His tone was flat.
    “He only wanted to see me safe. It was a kind, selfless gesture. Nothing more.”
    “You are certain.”
    I made to grab his hands, but under the circumstances thought better of it. “I love you, Alrik Ragnarson. As far as I’m concerned, nothing can come between us. I do, however, wonder if you feel the same.”
    “Where is this coming from?”
    I scowled at him, the force of my displeasure obscured by the gloaming light around us. “We are amongst Christians here. Sigy subjected me to three degrees of inquisition as to the specifics of our relationship. It’s clear what Marared’s intent is toward you. The woman can’t keep her hands from you. Today in Sigy’s cottage, in the heat of the moment, I mentioned you and I were promised.” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.
    He roared with laughter. “The vixen is threatened by the mouse!” He reached out and played with a lock of my hair. His fingers brushed the skin above the kirtle’s neckline. “You are mine, Hjartað. My desire for you has not waned.” He lifted my chin. “Passion is a gift from Freya, and we honor her with our joining. You have a hunger in your belly, Seiðkana. I have not had a more lustful woman in my bed. Why would I desire more?”
    “You’re not angry?”
    “I remember a day on the beach in your England when I asked you to come to Gotland and be my wife. From that moment on, I was yours.”
    “Yet you let her pant all over you.”
    He chuckled. “I have known Marared for several years, but it has been some time since I took her to my bed. She will attempt to avert my eye, but you have nothing to fear. My heart belongs to you.”
    “Why?”
    “I do not understand.”
    “Why me? When you met me in England, what drew you back? You were unlike any man I’d met before. You were kind, selfless, brave, and gentle. You took my breath away. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” I played with the hem of my sleeve. “Why did you come back for me?”
    He kissed the top of my forehead. “Fate has driven me far and wide, and I have had many women in my bed. Not one has made me desire more. When I saw you on the beach, I wanted to make you mine, but when Ingolf attacked, I thought only of protecting you. You intrigued me. Whether your goddess cast a spell on me, I will never know, but when we were alone in the forest, your presence gave me peace. I am not about to throw that away.”
    Emboldened by his words and the liberal amounts of wine, I stood on tiptoe and wrapped a hand around his neck. My mouth sought his. I spoke through hungry nips, as my tongue and teeth grazed his lips. “Take me to the ship.” My hand slipped beneath his cloak and wiggled inside his trousers. Finding him hard, I encouraged him to listen.
    He groaned and lifted me, his stride powerful and purposeful.
    Tucked away on Raven’s Blood, he lifted my kirtle. His fingers drew swirling patterns above my ankle. His touch swept higher, enclosing my knee, following the indent of thigh until his attention centered between my legs. He circled the