Ben shoved past a group of men bearing spears and wearing long fur capes who were using the former to beat back the enthusiastic crowd as a fresh batch of Brunhildes took up the starting line, waiting for the starter to signal the beginning of this heat. Ben paused and pointed. “There. That’s a hotel.”
At his voice, one of the spear bearers turned from where he was poking at a businessman in a three-piece suit and horned helm. “Goddess!”
“Eirik?”
Ben pulled me after him to a red door with a small sign proclaiming it to be a hotel. Unfortunately, it was locked.
“Goddess Fran is here!” I heard Eirik cry over the noise of the cheering throng.
“Christos!” Ben swore, spinning around, his eyes burning with black light as they searched the street. “I am never coming to this town again!”
“Me neither! Ben . . . ,” I whimpered. Just a little whimper, but it was a sign of how overwhelmed I was with his emotions, and my own need to Join with him. “There’s got to be somewhere!”
“What is it you seek?” Eirik asked, looming up with Finnvid and Isleif. Eirik narrowed his eyes at Ben. Ben’s jaw tightened at the sight of Eirik. The two men glared at each other for a minute, then I smacked Ben on the chest.
“A hotel. We want a hotel. Right now! Do you know where there is one that’s not locked up for the race?”
Eirik gave Ben a long look. “You wish to rut with goddess Fran?”
“I wish to Join with her, not that it’s any of your bloody business. Do you know of a hotel or don’t you?”
“Joining is good,” Isleif said, nodding. “Then the Dark One won’t ever be able to leave the goddess. They should Join, Eirik.”
Eirik was silent for a few seconds, then grudgingly nodded. “Aye, they should. But no hotels are open. The ale wench at the café told us that. Everyone is watching the race. We were helping.”
“We were part of the elite Viking Brunhilde guard,” Finnvid clarified.
“I thought you were going to spend the evening with Imogen?” I asked.
He scowled. “I was, but she told me she is having her woman’s time, and unless I brought her sacrifices of chocolate and potato chips, I was not to go near her. I am a Viking! I do not fear a woman in her monthly time! I will spurn her until it is over and she has returned to desiring my rod.”
“You should fear her,” Ben said, momentarily distracted from his frantic search. “Imogen in that mood frightens even me.”
“What are you boys doing here, though? In the parade?”
Eirik gestured toward the other two men. “We were given spears and fur capes, although the spears are not well made at all. The tip of mine fell off when I tried to thrust it through the chest of an interloper.”
A wave of urgency washed over Ben and me. His body trembled as he fought with the hunger that overrode every other emotion. It filled both our minds until I thought I was going to scream.
“We have to find somewhere,” I told the Vikings, clutching Ben. “He needs me.”
“Turtle!” Eirik said decisively.
I gawked. “What?”
“Turtle. We will form a turtle. You will rut with the Dark One and Join. Our turtle will keep others from seeing you.”
Immediately, all three men formed a semicircle around us, facing outward.
“You’re crazy! I’m not going to have sex right here in front of a couple thousand people!”
Eirik glanced over his shoulder at me. “Why not?”
It says a lot about just how great Ben’s need was that for a second I considered it.
“To hell with this,” Ben snarled, and promptly kicked down the hotel door.
Naturally, there was no one in the lobby or at the reception desk. Ben leaned across the reception desk. This hotel’s proprietors evidently favored the old ways, as evinced by the cubbyholes with keys for the rooms. Ben grabbed one of the keys, and with me in tow, hauled me up three flights of narrow stairs.
“Don’t you think we should ask first?” I said as he unlocked the door, pushed me inside it, and locked it again, all without me having time to do more than blink. “What if the room you picked is occupied?”
He let me feel the emotions running rampant in him. His need was so overpowering, my knees buckled. He scooped me up in his arms, almost throwing me on the bed before following me down.
“We can ask later,” I agreed, wrapping my legs around him as I kissed every available bit of exposed skin.
I managed to get his shirt off before a crash sounded at the door.
Ben was off me and at the door in an instant. Eirik stood at the door. “What the hell do you want?” Ben growled.