Prisoner Read online

  Prisoner

  The Fenrir Series

  Karla Rose

  Copyright

  Prisoner - Copyright © 2020 Karla Rose

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  KDP ISBN: 9781794123083

  ISBN: 9780473526573

  ISBN: 9780473526580

  Cover design by: Karla Rose

  Dedication

  For Estelle, whose bright personality, fun, and positive attitude have turned many a bad day on its head.

  For my Beta readers Rebecca Frost, Sheryl Wilson, Brittany of @tinyhouselibrary.

  and for God who puts all the right people into my life.

  Contents

  Prisoner

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Coughee. It cures what ails you

  Flowers and phone calls

  Under a spell

  The dungeon

  They were never myths

  Unsettled

  The truth comes out

  A great escape

  Lady Lofn

  Travelling

  At the base of the mountain

  Heimdell’s castle

  Guess who’s back

  Prophecy, plans, and proposals

  About the Author

  A message from the Author

  Coughee. It cures what ails you

  The strong scent of coffee was a constant companion in Coughee the cafe that declared their coffee would 'cure what ails you'. Of course in Jem's opinion it was a gimmick, but try telling that to her boss Jenny, or the customers who swore by it. Coughee was a small, intimate according to Jenny, cafe that was always packed with people. Wrought iron tables overflowed from the shop into a long front courtyard and out onto the footpath until they sat in front of Mrs. Grover's Flower shop. Which of course the elderly business owner did not appreciate, and which in turn had led to Jem's foul mood. Apparently Mrs. Grover thought she should yell at Jem until Jem moved the tables instead of taking her complaints to Jenny the cafe owner.

  Jem dragged each of the three incredibly heavy tables from in front of the florist back closer to the cafe. People could be so disgusting, Jem hated working here sometimes. Okay most of the time. Honestly, why would someone screw up their sugar sachet and their dirty rotten snot rag and jam them inside of their coffee cup? Surely they knew Jem was going to have to get it out, and it wasn’t like Jenny gave the staff gloves.

  One of the cups on the table Jem was moving was lined in coffee foam and lipstick. Lipstick that incidentally had been at least two shades too dark for the woman wearing it. Naturally the cup slipped forward on the table as Jem moved it, tipping just enough of the leftover coffee out from under the revolting tissue to slop down the front of Jem’s apron.

  That was great, just great. Now Jem was all sticky, and the tepid coffee was running down her chest and soaking into her clothing.

  She ground her teeth. Why would anyone order a large coffee if they weren't going to drink the darn thing?! There was probably three dollars worth of coffee just in what had gone down the front of Jem’s shirt.

  Sighing Jem acknowledged that maybe she should have cleared the tables first. Then she wouldn't be wearing some customers’ coffee. Of course, if Jem had done that she could pretty much guarantee someone would have sat down at the table so she couldn't move it. Then she would have had that nasty old bat, Mrs. Grover, from the florist yelling at her again. Honestly. Weren’t old ladies meant to be kind? Obviously Mrs. Grover had missed that memo.

  Jem forced her body upright and felt the muscles in her back protesting sharply. Her whole body hurt thanks to the never-ending barrage of dishes. She’d been hunched over the sink out back for far too long, and once again she’d missed out on her morning tea and lunch breaks.

  She was so freaking hungry that her tummy was growling impatiently, it was only being made worse by the sweet scent of pastries, and the aroma of sandwiches that kept wafting from the plates of customers.

  After a little manoeuvring, Jem finally managed to clear the cups and get them out to the kitchen, then she went back out into the courtyard to drag the last of the heavy tables from in front of the florist. She could really have used a second person to help her shift them. Either that or Jenny should consider putting the monstrously heavy things on wheels. That would have made it easier if nothing else.

  Jem placed her hands absently onto the last table and prepared to move it, only to find another cup. She could have sworn she’d cleared the table. The table had definitely been clear when she looked two seconds ago, she was sure of it.

  She grabbed the cup in frustration and her hand came into contact with something warm. Jem lifted her eyes to really look at the cup and a pair of hands came into view. Then a pair of arms. The empty cup was actually full and attached to someone. No, not just someone. The hottest man Jem had ever seen.

  Hot as in looks like his should be illegal. It was safe to say he made tall, dark, and handsome look short, pale, and grotesque. So hot.

  He had long strong legs, clad in faded blue jeans showing off muscles that would no doubt ripple as he walked. Muscular arms, and a chest wrapped in a soft brown leather jacket. His hair was shoulder length and black. He had aristocratic features with just a hint of feral masculinity. Jen was particularly fond of the light stubble, leading into a small brush of hair at his chin, which joined the hair above his lip, and his dark green eyes that appeared to somehow fade to yellow near the iris. Then he smiled at her and all Jem could see were lips and teeth. She dropped the cup, shocked at the inexplicable fear and attraction that rocked her, sending hot coffee slopping over the rim of the cup and nearly landing straight on his lap.

  Dan shot nimbly to his feet. He was, yet again, thankful for his wolf reflexes. They were the only reason he managed to avoid hot coffee scolding his crotch.

  He’d obviously been expecting a woman when his Dad and eldest brother Thomas had sent him out to find the next Valkyrie. After all, Valkyrie were exclusively women. They knew Freya was going to claim her for her cause. She always did. The Valkyrie were Freya’s private army. What Dan hadn’t been expecting was her.

  At all of five foot four, the woman just barely came to his chin. Mousy blonde hair and built like he thought a woman should be, all soft curves and lush lips. His eyes couldn’t help but be drawn up and down her curvy frame.

  Her name badge clearly stated her name was 'Jem'. But from the moment he caught her sweet blossom fragrance the only word that entered his mind was MINE. His wolf wanted to claim her as its mate right then and there.

  She hadn’t realised he’d sat down at the table. He’d watched her scowl as a cup of coffee tipped down her front. Then he’d watched her sigh, clean the table, rush the dishes into the shop and then move towards him completely unaware of his presence. She was shooting nervous glances over at the florist, and he couldn’t help but wonder why she was so worried? Was it the elderly lady bustling around inside that concerned her?

  He felt his wolf growl in male satisfaction when Jem’s eyes finally met his. Her pupils dilated minutely and he knew the gold of his wolf was showing in his eyes. He smiled his ‘two hundred and fifty-kilowatt lady killer’ smile, as his brothers, the twins, had dubbed it, and was shocked when she practically leapt out of her skin dropping his coffee cup.

  He moved out of the path of the steaming hot coffee, while his wolf lunged at the reins desperate to
protect her from the unknown threat. At least until Dan realised he was the threat she was reacting too.

  Rolling his eyes internally at his ridiculously territorial wolf, Dan drank in her sweet scent. Was this what all male Fenrir went through when they came across a compatible female? No wonder the guys all seemed so out of control when the females hit their heat. The pull this little female had over him was intense, and she wasn’t even Fenrir, she was Valkyrie. Though at this stage it seemed as though she was completely unaware of what she was. But whether she knew it or not she was dangerous. For all Dan knew, everything he was experiencing could be some kind of trick to lure him in. Maybe Freya had created a new ploy to destroy his people. Maybe this Valkyrie was already Freya’s and she had some magic over her to make her smell so appealing.

  “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry!” Jem said panicking as she attempted to lap up the spilt coffee on the table with the cloth she had tucked into her apron.

  She surveyed his clothes for wet patches while wiping frantically at the coffee that had spilt all over the table.

  She was so cute when she panicked. Surely she couldn’t be Freya’s yet?

  Dan almost wished he’d gotten some of the coffee on himself, having Jem’s hands on him seemed like it could be a very good thing.

  He drank in her every feature. There was no way he could kidnap her now, and he certainly wouldn’t be using her as bait to draw out the rest of the Valkyrie. Even if it were to find out if the rumours of Freya amassing an army were true. This little Valkyrie was the only female his wolf had ever reacted to, and if there was even a chance that she was his mate he wasn’t going to do anything to endanger that. There had to be another way to do this. Mates weren’t that common, you couldn’t just throw one away if you came across them, and Dan wanted her as his mate, not as his prisoner. Dad and Thomas would understand. He wasn’t just going to grab her, not until he knew for sure. Not even if snatching her would help them draw out Freya and her cronies. There had to be another way. Dan was going to have to call them. Jem’s scent changed everything and nothing. If it were true and Freya was gathering up the descendants of Valkyrie and convincing them to join her army then he needed to stop it. But kidnapping Jem or any of the other women just wasn’t going to cut it. As far as Dan was concerned this woman may as well have been his mate, at least until she flat out turned him down, and until then he couldn’t do anything less than protect her. The problem was if he didn’t figure out what to do to get her to join the Fenrir against Freya, she was also quite likely to be one of the tools used to destroy the Fenrir the next time Freya attacked. If that happened, loyalty to pack would come first for him, just like it came first for any wolf who wasn’t mated. Even for mated Fenrir, the safety of the entire pack was of paramount importance, often having to come before the life of any single individual.

  The thing was protecting Jem had suddenly become of paramount importance to Dan, but if his Dad gave him an Alpha command Dan would have had no choice but to do whatever his Father wanted. Whether he wanted to do it or not. That was just how it worked when you were part of a pack, and although he was an Alpha in his own right, and part of the Alpha family. He wasn’t ‘The’ Alpha in control of the den.

  Dan caught Jem’s hand and stilled her frantic wiping “Calm down little dove it’s only spilt coffee. I didn’t even get any on me.” He said.

  He was impressed, he'd actually managed to hide the note of disappointment from his voice. Her touching him was definitely not something he was likely to complain about.

  Jem ignored him. “I’ll get you another.” she said, then spun around, attempting to go back into the shop, only to suddenly realise he still had hold of her hand. Dan smiled.

  Jem felt her heart skip a beat as the guy smiled at her. He’d called her little dove, and it was kind of nice. Even if he was a perfect stranger. Not many people knew, but Jem was short for Jemima, and Jemima meant dove. Jem had a thing about names and their meanings. So she had obviously found out what hers meant. Maybe this guy was interested in the meaning of names too?

  The guy’s thumb started to trace a lazy trail along the back of Jem’s hand, and suddenly all her senses were on high alert. Her skin was tingling, and he just seemed to be standing there with a satisfied smile plastered on his face.

  Cocky guys usually made Jem angry, but with this guy, her heart was beating double time. Her hearing and sense of smell started going crazy. It was as though she could smell everything, and he smelt divine. Like sandalwood and a strong musk that made her feel like a swooning teenage girl. Her face flushed in embarrassment and she saw his nose twitch just slightly. He seemed to draw in a deep breath, and she could have sworn she’d even heard a low growl coming from his direction. She offered again to replace his coffee.

  “Don’t worry about it.” he said pulling her in closer.

  He was so tall and cute, and it was taking everything in her to fight the sudden urge to do something completely out of character, like give him a quick kiss. Heat rose to her cheeks and she dropped her head in embarrassment, realising she was considering kissing a perfect stranger in front of a cafe full of people. A stranger who was undoubtedly out of her league.

  “Jemima Andrews!” Mrs. Grover admonished. “How crass! I thought you were moving these tables from in front of my store, not throwing yourself at your customers. If you’re going to behave like a little harlot I’ll have to speak with your employer. Maybe you’d find working in a brothel a more appropriate occupation.”

  Jem was so shocked at the accusation she didn't know what to say, then she felt the guy’s body tense noticeable against hers. It was almost as though he were preparing to pounce. His grip tightened on Jem’s hand and he spun around to face Mrs. Grover, pulling Jem behind him in an almost protective manner.

  His jaw tensed angrily, and right when Jem was expecting him to lunge or yell at the unsuspecting Mrs. Grover he started speaking calmly to her.

  “Good Afternoon. You must be Mrs. Grover the owner of the Florist. Jem here was just raving about your work. I understand you put together all the arrangements yourself? You have quite a talent.” he said smiling.

  He was all teeth and charm as he bent down to kiss Mrs. Grover’s hand in a courtly fashion.

  The old lady flushed pink, looking flustered as the incredibly sexy guy started talking to her as though they were close friends.

  “I uh..” Mrs. Grover stuttered.

  “I was actually about to say that it was a brilliant idea to have the cafe put their tables out in front of your store. I imagine a lot of people sit here looking in the window while having their meals then come in and buy your arrangements. I was actually considering purchasing a bouquet myself." He smiled. "How can I resist when they make such a strong statement from your window, and they smell just heavenly. You must have a real nose for scents.” he said cocking his head in an inquisitive, almost animalistic manner.

  Jem stepped away relieved to be out of the arms of this very attractive, cuddly stranger. She slipped her hand out of his and spun around while he spoke flirtatiously with the now blushing Mrs. Grover.

  Goes to show she wasn’t so special after all. If he could speak to Mrs. Grover like that, then he was probably just some skeezy guy trying to cop a feel. Or maybe he simply liked to flirt with everyone. Either way, Jem had better replace his coffee.

  Rushing back inside the cafe, Jem slipped behind the front counter and quickly slid a cup under the coffee machine. Jewel gave her a look that in best friend speak loosely translated to ‘What’s going on? You’re as red as a tomato and rushing around like a headless chicken’.

  “I’ll tell you after.” Jem said rushing back through the crowd of people to the still incredibly sexy guy.

  Apparently she hadn’t been seeing things before. He was most definitely one of the hottest men she’d seen outside of the movies. As she approached she heard Mrs. Grover chatting animatedly to the guy about her great-nieces. Hope and Bree, who sometimes helped wit
h her arrangements, and whom she’d ‘LOVE’ to introduce him to. An angry bubble of jealousy rose at the mention of the two girls, which was weird since Jem was really quite fond of both Hope and Bree, despite their Aunt. For some reason either of the very pretty young women, heck any pretty girl being anywhere near this guy made Jem want to beat someone senseless. She’d only been in the guy’s presence for like two seconds, said about three words to him, and aside from trying to scald him with a boiling hot cup of coffee, barely even interacted with him at all. But for some reason, she was acting as though she owned him. Jem was actually becoming one of those crazy obsessive girls. Jewel was right. Jem had gone too long without a date. The whole waiting for the right guy thing was completely overrated. Was there even such a thing as the ‘right’ guy? Maybe if she was actually getting out and dating she wouldn’t be having to fight to stop herself from jumping this guy right here and now. Jewel was right. Jem needed to take a leaf out of her book, and just find someone to have fun with. Get a little male attention before she turned into a crazy cat lady.

  Jem placed the coffee cup carefully down on the table beside the guy, and then she made a break for it. She needed to get out of there as quickly as possible, before she did something to really embarrass herself. If Jem were honest she knew he was way out of her league. Jem may as well have been a potato for all the romantic appeal she would garner from him.

  Jem swept past the outside tables, clearing them as quickly as humanly possible, and took all the dishes out the back. There was no way she was going back out there to make a fool of herself. If she had to she’d pay one of the others to let her stay out the back until he left.

  “Please tell me you’ll let me take over washing the dishes.” Jem begged Marty as he wiped his sweaty forehead.

  His face lit up. “Are you serious? Yes please! Yes. You’re not messing with me are you Jem?” Then he looked at her downcast face. “What’s wrong?” He demanded.

  Jem forced a smile. “Nothing really. I was just an idiot that’s all. I had a run-in with Mrs. Grover. Then nearly scalded a guy with boiling hot coffee. I just think it’s time to do something out of sight for a bit.”