Ain't Myth-Behaving Read online

  “I’d live with you in a shoebox if I had to,” I answered. “Alrik, I know we both went into this marriage simply because of the curse, but—”

  He pulled back a little. “You insult me again?”

  “No, I’m simply pointing out that we didn’t get married for the usual reasons, and that you might feel you need to carry on with it because of the oath you made Momo Hildi—”

  His lips were forceful, demanding. I didn’t argue, just accepted the happiness he brought me.

  “I wed you because I wanted to, not because I was forced to. We will remain wed for the same reason,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

  “Say it!” I demanded.

  He gave a mock sigh, his hands warm on my behind. “Very well, but I do it only because I wish to foreplay you in such a way that will make you mindless with pleasure, thus forgetting that I have given in to your demands.

  “I love you, Brynna. I will love you until the day I breathe my last. You belong to me, and I will make you the happiest of women. Now take off all your clothes, and pretend that you are a Celtic princess about to be marauded by an incredibly virile Viking studmuffin.”

  I looked up into his glorious, wonderfully changeable eyes, eyes that shone bright with love.

  “That works for me,” I said, and flung myself on him.

  Epilogue

  To: [email protected]

  From: [email protected]

  Subject: Happy New Year

  New Year wishes from the sunny Bahamas! As you can see by the picture on the e-postcard, the new Asgard is pretty spiffy, although Odin still has his panties in a bunch over having to move. Evidently he can’t get the same cable reception here that he had in Sweden. He gave Frigga hell about that for a while, until she whapped him upside the head with a swim fin. He stayed in his room pouting for a couple of weeks, but Alrik and I gave him a karaoke machine for Christmas, and he’s spent every spare moment since then singing in Valhalla. He’s got the warriors doing a cappella versions of Queen songs, which they seem to like.

  The cabana on the far, far left in the picture is ours. Bardi and his wife are in the one next to us—he had to do some fast talking to get her out of Niflheim, where she was pretty happy teaching a class on henna tattooing, but even she now admits that oceanfront property is worth leaving Niflheim for. Torsten has fallen in love with another Valkyrie but she is giving him a bit of a chase. Jon and Grim spend most of their time in Valhalla, hacking away at each other during the day and boozing it up at night. They keep trying to get Alrik to join them, but he has other interests, cough, cough.

  Did I mention that Gudrun has decided she needs to keep an eye on us until we produce a grandchild for her? She took a bungalow down the beach, and used to pop in unexpectedly to ask if I was pregnant yet until the day she caught Alrik and me pleasurably engaged. Alrik pointed out there would be no grandchildren if she kept interrupting, so ever since then, she calls instead of stopping by.

  Alrik himself is just fine; thanks for asking. He sends his love, as do I. We used up our monthly visit to the mortal world today by going to Nassau for shopping, but we will come up to Sweden for a visit next month. And no, I’m still not smoking. Alrik manages to distract me every time the cravings get too much for me.

  My new job is going well. I didn’t know that Valkyries get to go into Valhalla, but evidently they can hang out with the warriors when they like. The Valkyries themselves are a bit intimidating—they bring new meaning to the word “intense”—but there’s another new girl who evidently inherited the job from her great-times-however-many grandmother, too, so I’m not the only new kid on the block. I’ve only had to bring one warrior in so far, but it seems pretty simple work, all in all.

  Oh! Did I mention I saw Momo Hildi? She’s still in her young form, gorgeous as ever but raising hell (ha!) in Niflheim. It seems she didn’t go to the good part, like Alrik’s mom and sister. She went to Hel, and was assigned as Hel’s personal assistant (that’s the woman Hel, who runs the place, not Hel itself…oh, you know what I mean). Anyway, she’s Hel’s PA, and Momo Hildi is trying to get Hel ousted and herself put in charge. My money is on her.

  Anyway, that’s all the news from us. I’ve got to run—Alrik is waiting for me in our own private little cove. The man has discovered the joy of nude snorkeling in balmy Caribbean water, and I have to admit, his new hobby gets no complaints from me.

  Hugs to Maja, and have a fabulous new year!

  Love,

  Brynna