Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 103370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“And she has neither for you?”
“I don’t believe so,” Wolf said with a scrunch of his brow.
“It sounds like you aren’t sure,” Brother Noble said.
Wolf shook his head. “I don’t know what to make of her sometimes.”
“If you don’t know what to make of her, how then do you feel about her?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted as if the answer surprised him. “I’d been angry with her for foiling my plans, though angrier at myself that a young woman could do what powerful men failed to do… defeat me. There are few who can claim victory over me and that she has done so with nothing more than a band of common thieves was a solid blow to my reputation. And—”
“Something more, you hesitate to admit?” Brother Noble asked after Wolf abruptly stopped speaking.
Wolf ran his fingers through his dark hair, pulling it away from his face and turning his head for a moment as if he wasn’t sure if he should answer the leper.
“Tell me what troubles you, my son,” Brother Noble encouraged, his voice raspier than before.
Wolf didn’t hesitate this time. He felt the need to rid himself of the frustration. “She is a beautiful, appealing woman, and I find I desire her far too much.”
“Is it that you desire her that troubles you or is it that you find yourself feeling something for her that presents the problem?”
Wolf thought a moment. “As usual, you’ve given me something to think about.”
“It is good to allow things to ponder in your thoughts when possible. It often lets you see things more clearly and make wiser decisions.”
A soulful blare of a horn echoed through the woods and had Wolf bolting to his feet.
“What is that?” Brother Noble asked.
“Someone from my homeland arrives. I must go,” Wolf said. “You are welcome to remain here as long as you wish. Shelter will be provided for you.”
“I am grateful for your generosity, but I have a mission for the monastery I must see to.”
“Until next you visit, travel safe, Brother Noble,” Wolf said, letting the leper know he looked forward to seeing him again.
“God go with you, my son, and may patience be your friend when dealing with your wife.”
Wolf shook his head. “There is not enough patience in the land to deal with Raven.”
Chapter 9
Wolf was surprised to see Lars entering the village along with six Northmen from his tribe. Lars was like a brother to his father and the one man his father depended on most, trusted the most, and he wondered why his father had sent him.
Wolf braced himself when Lars drew near. He was a man of generous girth, with the strength of three men, and his hug could crush a man. His long hair burned as bright as the sun and flames combined and was braided in several places, and his thick beard was braided in two places and reached past his chest. He was draped in leathers and furs with a battle-axe hanging from the belt at his thick waist, his favorite weapon and one he wielded with extreme skill.
“WOLF!” Lars cried out and grabbed him in a hug that lifted him clear off the ground.
After Wolf was back on his feet, he offered, “Drink to quench that thirst your journey has cost you and food enough to fill your belly.”
Lars slapped his sizeable stomach and laughed. “An offer I can’t refuse.”
Wolf spotted his wife as they got near the longhouse. She was with Iver and from the look of them both, dirt clinging to their garments and pine needles poking out of her hair, they’d been in the woods.
“Raven!” he called out and when she turned his way, she smiled and it was like a touch of sunshine on an overcast day. He felt a catch in his chest and silently berated himself for letting her smile affect him. But if he was honest, it wasn’t only her smile that played havoc with his heart and tormented his loins. It was her beauty that shined through the smudges of dirt and the way she held herself erect with such confidence.
“She’s a beauty even though she’s a bit messy,” Lars said as she approached them. “You and she will make fine looking babies together.”
A reminder that it was not yet a possibility poked at him annoyingly. He had wanted a marriage with little angst, the main reason he had agreed to wed Eria. She was sweet and kind and would have made a good, obedient wife. She was the complete opposite of Raven.
“And who is this giant of a man?” Raven asked when she stopped beside her husband.
Lars stepped forward, his arms reaching out to grab Raven in a hug.
“Stop right there, giant,” she ordered, her knife in her hand, warning him off.
Wolf glared at the knife. How did she do that? The knife was suddenly there in her hand. He hadn’t even seen her reach for it and he was right beside her.