Valkyrie's Kiss Read Online Free PDF

Valkyries rarely were."So , what are you planning to do with him? Are
you going to mark him?"
    "Hey,"
Jess said, "would you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" He
had taken a few steps away from us, but he looked more confused than afraid. I
suspected he was beginning to accept our existence. I wasn't sure how to feel
about that. It was a good thing, and yet, it made my position even more
precarious. Not only had I cheated Death, I had revealed myself to a mortal
without marking him, which was also forbidden.
    Gustel turned to him, eyebrows drawn together in irritation. "You'd
do better to keep silent, mortal. I only have so much patience with your
kind."
    But Jess
didn't back down. He put his hands on his hips. The late dawn rose behind him,
casting his face in shadow. "Look, I don't know what's going on here. I
don't know if I'm having some sort of a breakdown or shell shock or what. Maybe
I died back there and this is some kind of purgatory." He was mumbling to
himself now. The pressure was getting to him, after all. I'd seen it before. The
last time I'd marked a warrior, on the island of Peleliu ,
it had taken a full two days to talk the poor soul down.
    Jess
continued. "Not that this is such a bad sort of purgatory," he said,
flicking a look at me. "Parts of it aren't too bad."
    I could see
the lust in his eyes. I blushed, avoiding Gustel's amused gaze.
    "But
never in any fantasy did I picture two bird women bossing me around, so don't
tell me not to speak." He lifted his chin, eyes steady on Gustel . "Whatever is going on, I guess I'm a part of
it. If I want to speak, I'll speak goddammit."
    Gustel returned his gaze, her delicate features contemplative. I
wanted to move closer to Jess, to shield him from Gustel's explosive reply. I knew my sister, and she did not take kindly to mortals
addressing goddesses in such a way.
    "Well," Gustel said, a smile playing across her lips,
"he's no coward, Sabrina. I'll give you that."
    "Is it
true, Gustel ? They know what happened?"
    "Yes," Gustel said, twisting her lips in sympathy, "I'm
afraid so. Death has been talking, I guess."
    I shifted
my feet and released a shaky breath. "What can I do?"
    "You'll
have to mark him, Sabrina. You have no choice."
    "I
can't," I said, my words hushed, barely more than a sigh. I couldn't look
at Jess. "He deserves more."
    "You're
due, you know. How long has it been? Sixty years?" Gustel crossed over to Jess and laid a hand on his shoulder. He flinched under her
grasp. "You have to mark one soon anyway, or you'll be in danger of
reassignment."
    "Not
him," I said, my voice rising. Gustel leaned in
close to him, her lips just inches away from his.
    " Gustel , no!"
    Jesse's
eyes went wide, and he spun away from Gustel . My
sister glanced my way, then threw back her head and laughed.
    He'd scaled
the rocks behind us and was fleeing into the empty desert.
    "Are
you going to go get him, or shall I?" Gustel asked, releasing her wings.
    "I'll
do it. Wait here. ”
    ****
    I extended
my wings, shredding my green tank top in the process, and took flight. I
hovered above him for a moment, watching his legs and arms pumping, muscles
bulging. The muscles in his back stood out against his sweat soaked t-shirt. Delicious .
    I timed my
landing perfectly. He came to a skidding halt, sending tiny grains of sand
flying into my eyes. I blinked them away.
    "Jess,
come back. You won't survive out here on your own."
    He darted
to the right. Of course, it was too easy to step into his path to stop him. He
ducked and weaved like a boxer dodging a blow and took off again, heading west
this time. If I let him go, which I had no intention of doing, he would die of
thirst in three days. He gave me little choice, and I was glad for it. I took
to the sky again, swooped down and snatched him from the sand, clutching him to
my naked breasts.
    He
struggled at first. I held his writhing body against mine, and soon our height
stilled his feeble fighting. He wouldn't want to fall