Valkyrie Heat Read Online Free PDF Page A

For just
    once, couldn’t it be about someone other than himself? She took a step
    back from him in her annoyance and noticed his clothes. Sky
    cleared her thoughts and studied, really studied, the man before
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    Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

    her. His pants were leather hide with fur at the sides. What on earth
    is he wearing? He had a strap at his chest and she could see the hilt of
    a sword behind his shoulder. When did he find that? Had it been near
    the skeleton too? How did his hair get so long? He kept it neat and short
    around his ears, now his hair hung almost to his shoulders. He also
    had a few days’ beard growth. What is up with that? Colleen liked
    him clean-shaven. Ceaselessly, she complained he chafed her
    tender skin with stubble.
    “Brody, what’s going on?” Sky asked, her confusion rising. He
    was also in leather moccasins; they were strapped up almost under
    his knees. They were almost flat to the ground and yet he appeared
    taller than normal.
    He pointed to himself and said, “Brandr.”
    “Brandr?” she whispered. What game is he playing at now?
    He looked her over from head to toe as though he didn’t
    know who she was. His assessment was almost critical in her
    opinion. Finally, his eyes narrowed and he thrust her from him and
    he pulled his sword. The weapon was massive.
    Sky’s eyes widened fearfully. She hastened an unsteady step
    back.
    “Brody?”
    “Brandr!” he shouted.
    He reached over to grab her hair and pull her head back. The
    image of the woman with the slit throat came to mind and she
    howled in terror. This isn’t Brody. He looked identical to him but
    her Brody had never harmed her the way this man was. Brody liked
    to tease, but he never got physical with her. Her hands splayed
    across his chest and she pushed at him weakly.
    “Stop,” she cried.
    To her horror another man appeared, then another. They
    were as powerfully built as this man; both were blond and bare-
    chested. They were also armed with huge swords.
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    Viking Warriors Book 3: Valkyrie Heat

    All three began speaking in a strange language. The argument
    became heated. The one who claimed to be Brandr gripped her
    throat in one huge hand, lifting her to her tiptoes effortlessly and
    said something. Her hands, hidden in the cuffs, gripped his
    powerful forearm. The other men seemed to think, then smiled,
    the oldest of the three chuckled and nodded. Brandr clutched her
    sleeve from his arm, releasing her throat and she settled back onto
    her feet. Next he shook her arm up and down like a limp piece of
    spaghetti. That had both of the men laughing and slapping their
    thighs with amusement.
    Sky realized they were making fun of her size. Always touchy
    about her small stature, she stopped being afraid and struck at
    Brandr’s chest with a semiclosed fist in outrage. She hit as hard as
    she could with her material-covered palm against solid muscle. Sky
    had never in her life struck anyone in anger. It hurt her hand, and
    sent a wave of shock through her body and she winced.
    Brandr was no longer laughing. He handed his sword to
    another man and he gripped both of her arms and shook her until
    her teeth rattled. Her entire body was jerked back and forth with
    awesome pressure.
    “Stop, please,” she cried out in new terror.
    Her eyes squeezed shut and she cried out again begging him to
    listen. He was hurting her. Why would he hurt her? She was no
    threat to him or the others. When he released her, she slumped to
    the ground, sobbing. The men were laughing again. Brandr knelt
    before her, scowling. His next words and tone were a definite
    warning. Her fear was overwhelming. She ached from head to toe.
    She crawled into his arms wanting to hide. Brandr picked her up
    and slung her over his shoulder with ease. He retrieved his sword
    and began walking.

    * * * *
    For the rest of the day Sky gathered armloads of sticks and
    twigs for the large fire at the men’s small campsite. She had a
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    Viking