Mated To The Vikens (Interstellar Brides Book 8)(19)

First, I had to see her safe. Usually everyone else took care of the big problems. I was the lighthearted one. Joking, inserting humor into desolate situations. Of course I wasn't always so upbeat. Hell, that fun banter hid the fucking hurt I carried around. But this, Sophia, was bigger than stupid hurt from my past. Bigger than my mother and my brother, the pain they'd caused me. What I hid behind a quick smile and a joke.

But our mate had been forced to defend herself, in the wilds. She hid from us as if we were a danger to her. And now, I used my quick smile and soft tone not to hide anything, but to relieve her worries. I was showing her the real me, because hell, she was mine.

I asked her to shift close enough that I could scoop her up into my arms. She was soft and warm and so tiny I didn’t want to let her go. But I couldn’t jump from this height holding her, so I had to set her on her feet beside me. I moved down branch by branch, holding her hand as she followed.

Erik stepped up and he held out his hands. “Jump, Sophia. I’ll catch you.”

She was directly above him, not more than a few feet. She reached her hands out and put them in his, then jumped. He caught her easily and she was in his tight hold. Erik would not let her go.

I lowered myself down to the soft forest floor and sighed, relieved to know we had our mate once and for all. Sophia buried her face in Erik’s neck, all but burrowing in. He reveled in the embrace, squeezing her as tightly as he could without hurting her, then kissing the top of her head.

“Welcome to Viken, Sophia,” Leah said.

Our mate turned her head and offered the Queen a small smile. “Yeah, well, it sucks so far,” she muttered. “And I thought New York was bad.”

Leah laughed. “I’m sure your mates will more than make it up to you.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Sophia, who blushed a pretty shade of pink. Confused, I tilted my head at our Queen, unsure if I’d understood her suggestive tone.

“Leah, behave yourself,” Lev commanded his mate, but the Queen threw back her head and laughed, the sound full of contagious happiness. Sophia’s smile was genuine now. Even Lev, our stern-faced King, grinned at his joyful little mate.

But when Gunnar stepped close, Sophia’s eyes widened and she pushed away, trying to escape Erik’s arms. When he refused to let her go, she turned away, hiding her face. “No. Not him. If you’re my mate, then don’t let him touch me. I…don’t trust him. You can’t trust him.”

The mood of the group changed then. Stilled. Even the animals in the woods seemed to sense something and were quiet. Erik offered a confused glance to Gunnar over Sophia’s head. “Love, Gunnar might be a little moody and definitely intimidating, but I swear, he will not harm you.”

She shook her head in refusal. “No. He has you all fooled.”

I stepped in front of Gunnar and stroked over Sophia’s hair. “Look at me, mate.” I waited patiently as she turned her head and her dark, worried gaze met mine.

“Why are you so afraid? I have fought beside Gunnar in many battles, trusted him with my life. He is an honorable warrior and worthy mate. He is strong and will protect you with his life. If he were anything less, King Lev would not allow his mate, the Queen of Viken in his presence. I would not allow you to be near him.”

Gunnar was just as Erik said. Intimidating. Moody as hell. He did not show his emotions, but I knew that Sophia’s rejection of him was taking a toll.

“The man who attacked me had the same tattoo,” she murmured. “He’s a bad guy, working for them. He has you all fooled.”

“Tattoo?” Lev asked.

Leah crossed her arms and scowled in Gunnar’s direction. “A tattoo is an Earth term for a mark permanently etched into the skin with ink,” she clarified. “Sometimes they are a personal choice, body art. Earth soldiers use them to identify with a certain branch of service. But many criminals and gangs use tattoos to identify themselves to one another as well.” Leah looked up at Lev. “Do you use tattoos to indicate military service? Or ranks? Anything like that?”

“No, mate, we do not.” Lev pushed the Queen behind him, protecting her from Gunnar.

The guards who had accompanied the King and Queen closed in on Gunnar, raising their weapons to keep him at bay. I looked at Erik, confused. What the fuck was happening here?

I stepped between Gunnar and the nearest blaster, my hands up in the air. “Look. Everyone calm down until we get this sorted out. I trust Gunnar with my life. There has to be some kind of mistake.”

Gunnar’s hand came to rest on my shoulder and he squeezed in gratitude. “Thank you, Rolf. But I would know what frightens our mate.”