Chapter Two

Brodi - present day

Brodi stood on the ridge with Finn, his closest advisor, and surveyed the landscape. He felt he could breathe when up high over his pack lands watching the sun sinking toward the trees in the valley below, the stress of leadership melted away, if only for a few minutes.

"There, Brand's truck." Finn pointed to the small road at the head of the valley that led into their compound set deep into the National Forest. When they had arrived in the late 1800s, Bridger had been just acres and acres of wilderness. They had slowly purchased as much as they could, working as loggers and opening one of the few sawmills in the back country. When the government had bought up the land to create the National Forest, Brodi had refused to sell, and they had been grandfathered in. Now they were surrounded by government forest. The forest service kept the area pristine, and left them alone for the most part, so Brodi couldn't complain. It gave them plenty of room and privacy to run - two of the main things Brodi required to keep his pack intact and their nature hidden over the human generations.

"They're late." Brodi crossed his arms across his wide chest. His long braids danced around his shoulders and face. The wind that had started gusting at that elevation.

Finn grinned. "He probably tried to boss Asta again. You know how your sister likes to devil Brand."

"He'll be in a foul mood then." Brodi's lips quirked. He shouldn't enjoy his baby sister's antics so much. She was willful and stubborn and fought pack rules tooth and nail. She would be the death of him, but he admired her spunk and her sassy mouth. No one else would take on Brand with such disregard to their safety. He worked hard to not show his favoritism, but he knew Finn was well aware of how he felt.

"Fouler than normal?" the smaller man quipped. Finn was not only his advisor but his closest friend. Closer to him than even his brothers, Brand and Gunnar. With Finn, he could just be Brodi, not only Alpha. Finn was a slight man when compared with most of the rest in the pack. He was barely 6 feet tall with the lean muscles of a runner, not the bulky frame of Brodi, his brothers and most of his cousins. He made up for his lack of brawn, however, with a brain honed sharp as a steel Viking sword and eyes that took in everything and everyone. There were no secrets from Finn. Brodi sighed deeply. He wished he didn't have such a difficult relationship with Brand. They always seemed to be at odds over one thing or another. After all these centuries together, they had forged only a fragile detent. He was afraid Brand would always chafe under his leadership. Always be someone he had to watch his back around.

"We'd better get back down to the house." Brodi clapped the smaller man on the shoulder.

Finn gave him an evil grin, "Race you, Alpha." Before Brodi could respond, Finn had transformed into a large black wolf with gray markings on his muzzle and ears. Brodi barked a laugh as he let his wolf overtake him. They ran through the trees and down the mountain, their yips and barks of pure joy following in their wake.

 

***

As Brodi and Finn strode across the clearing toward the main cabins, Brand came storming toward them.

"You have to do something with Asta," he demanded, his voice booming. "She is...." His feet stopped suddenly as he felt the Alpha power radiate off of Brodi. Brodi had stopped and taken a dominant stance, his hulking arms crossed across his heavily tattooed chest. Brand stumbled backwards as his brother's ice blue eyes speared into him. Finally, he lowered his gaze and bowed over one knee though he continued to try to fight the dominance compelling him.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," he said through gritted teeth, his tone quieter but still rough. He forced his head partially up to attempt to meet his brother's eyes through the fall of blonde hair that had covered his forehead when he had been forced to bow before his brother's power. "I meant I would like to speak with you regarding our sister."

Brodi uncrossed his arms and silently held out a hand for Finn to pass him the clothes they hadn't had the chance to don before his brother had come at him making demands. He slowly pulled on the jeans and thermal t shirt while Brand remained on one knee in front of him, making the man wait further to punish his continued insolence.

"You may meet me in my office," Brodi told Brand as he released his brother. "I will be there directly."

Brand regained his feet and nodded curtly once before turning toward the main cabin where Brodi lived, and the pack's business was run as well.

"I'm afraid he's building up to cause trouble again," Finn said solemnly. "You'd think after all these years, he would accept you wholeheartedly as Alpha. You have earned the title by birthright and by might, Brodolf. Your pack is behind you."

Brodi stared off toward the mountains they had just come from. "It may make no difference soon. We've traveled such a distance, even through time, and still we have not found her. Kelda swears she is in this general time, but it's already been centuries...."

"I have faith that the gods will not allow you to succumb to the Curse," Finn said, taking a firm grip of the man's bulky shoulder. "You must have faith as well."

Brodi continued staring. He didn't want to remind his friend that a god had placed this curse on his family and his faith was long used up. He feared for his people. "Go find Asta and tell her I want to speak with her this evening. I'm going to deal with Brand."

"Yes, Alpha," Finn nodded, and grinning, ran off to find Asta. He always enjoyed hearing about what she had done to set off her brother. He wasn't worthy of her. He wasn't ancient Norse royalty like the Skölls, but he had worshipped her from afar since they were children. No other woman had ever turned his head as Asta did.

For centuries now, he had contented himself to bask in her presence as her friend and no more. He didn't know what he would do when some other man caught her attention. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stand it. So far, Asta hadn't found anyone that interested her for more than a few tumbles in the woods at extended pack gatherings before she turned them aside. And those were only held a couple of times a year. He knew that couldn't last forever, though. He would somehow have to find the courage to declare himself.

Finn caught up with her in the meadow behind the big house throwing axes at the large wooden targets set up for practice. He admired the lean muscles of her back and arms as she threw the weapons unerringly at the center of the bullseye. This one is a shieldmaiden, through and through.

Before her next throw, he called to her. "Asta! Brodi would like to see you."

Asta turned a sardonic smile his way as she shouldered the ax she had been about to throw. "Brand has been tattling on me already, has he?"

"You know he has," Finn laughed. "I don't know why you devil him so. You know it only gets him riled up and then he goes to Brodi and they end up arguing. Why put Brodi through that?"

She had the good grace to look just a little bit ashamed. "Aye, I know, Finn, but I can't seem to help myself. He tries to lord his size over me all the time and tell me what to do. He's only a few years older than me. I'm not a child."

Finn could see all too well that she was no child and hadn't been for years. As long lived as they were, they were considered children long after they looked like adult humans. While Asta was young for their kind, she was still all woman.

"You're going to have to be the bigger person, woman," Finn admonished her gently. "Brand is never going to be able to control that temper of his. It's why everyone is so worried about something happening to Brodi." He couldn't bring himself to actually bring up the curse that menacingly floated like one of Asta's axes over all their heads.

"You're right as always, friend," she acquiesced, bowing her head slightly. "I'll try harder. Now let's go see what my brother has in mind for my punishment this time. I have some news to tell him as well."

 

***

 

As she knocked on the door to her brother's study, she hoped the news she had to share would distract him from pronouncing some horribly boring punishment on her for winding up Brand again. She opened the door at her brother's gruff acknowledgement of the knock and quickly shut it behind her.

"Brother! I'm so glad you called for me," she declared, coming in and taking her usual seat across from his desk.

Brodi raised a sardonic eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"Yes! You'll never believe who I met at the store today. Who, by the way, I wouldn't have met if I'd let Brand drag me out of there like the caveman he is."

"Asta.." Brodi started to growl at her.

"Yes, I know. Stop deviling your brother. But it's so easy! Anyway..." she continued before Brodi could chastise her. "I met a woman, and you'll never guess what her name was. Go ahead, try!" Asta sat back in her chair with her arms folded, grinning at her brother.

He shook his head wonderingly at her impertinence but caved as he always did in the face of her effervescence. "I have no idea. Tell me before you bust."

"Her name was Liv. Liv Fenrir."

Brodi's eyes shot to his hairline in astonishment. "Fenrir? Are you certain? Maybe you misheard her?"

"No, brother. She was very clear. Aaand, she's a wildlife biologist here to study the wolves in the National Forest." Asta sat back with a smug smile. Take that Brand!

Her gloating soon faded, however, when she saw the expression on her brother's face. He looked like she had just punched him in the gut. She thought this was good news, would have given him the hope that she was afraid he had started to lose. Instead, he just looked shellshocked.

Brodi's ice blue eyes locked onto her own matching ones. She had never seen such intensity in them. "Where? Where was she going to be looking for the wolves?"

"I, I'm not sure, brother," Asta stuttered. "I didn't think to ask. She was asking about my hair and then she started talking about her job and that was it." She bowed her head, ashamed now that all she had been thinking about was how to get back at Brand and get out of trouble herself when Brodi's life, and that of the entire clan, was in peril. "I'm sorry, Brodi. I should have gotten more information." Suddenly, her head popped up. "I did get her number though. She wanted to see if Ursula would braid her hair for her. I told her I'd call her once I'd talked to her."

Brodi's gaze relaxed slightly. "I need you to contact her, Asta. Find out more about her. Meet her somewhere. I don't want her near the compound yet. Not until I know more." Brodi ran a hand across his jaw. "But I must know more," he mumbled softly to himself.

When he didn't give her further instruction, the young woman took it as her sign to go. "Yes, Alpha," she said respectfully. "I'll find out more as soon as possible."