CHAPTER TEN-A VISIT FROM HALDIR

“Pap!” Seeing Haldir coming through the entrance of the Great Hall, Gretchen skipped down the stairs and jumped up into his waiting arms.

Finally seeing her and knowing she was safe, Haldir kissed Gretchen’s cheek and rocked her in his embrace. “There’s my girl.” The guilt of yet another vision come too late, Haldir’s voice faltered as he tried to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Gretch, I didn't see it coming.”

Pulling away from Haldir, Gretchen chuckled to herself as she wiped the tears from his cheek. For an ancient old Viking, he was more than just a little emotional when it came to his family. “It’s ok pap. It’s not your fault. How are my parents? Are they ok? And my brothers?”

“Well, they’re kind of a mess. I promised them I’d come find you. How are you getting along here?” asked Haldir as he brought her into his side and walked with her back to Tessa’s home.

Noticing Agamori was following along the hill above them,

Haldir raised his chin to acknowledge his old friend.

“It’s different. Thank God I found Tessa, Logan and Jacob. I don’t know how I would’ve made it without them,” said Gretchen as she squeezed his waist tight in her hold.

Wondering why Agi was so interested in one of his family members, Haldir looked at Gretchen with furrowed brows. “Was it a difficult journey?”

“Ugh! You have no idea,” said Gretchen.

“Tell me all about it, Gretchen,” said Haldir.

Pointing at her pale shadow on the hill, Gretchen said, “I was doing great until I passed into the Darke Kingdom.”

Haldir looked back to his friend and the pieces began to fall in place. “Say no more. They’re… interesting people. Did they bother you much?”

“Just the son, Damien. He and his cousins or whatever they are took me prisoner, even threatened to throw me in the goddamn dungeons,” said Gretchen.

Haldir’s heart sank as he feared the worst. Although he was a welcomed presence in their kingdom, The Darke’s weren’t the kind of people who just forgave their grudges. Whatever happened was far from over. “Jesus, I’m so sorry. How’d you get away?”

“I ran away one night, and he followed me all the way here. I had to literally beg him to leave me alone, and then his mother came to visit me,” said Gretchen. “I mean, look at that prick up the hill following me everywhere. They’re all crazy, Haldir.”

“What did Rosemary say to you?” he asked.

“She asked me to come stay with them for a while. Told me that I misinterpreted Damien’s behavior and blah, blah, blah,” she explained.

“Are you? Going to visit them, I mean.” Haldir sensed there were elements of the story that he was missing. If they wanted her dead, she would be. If they wanted something else, they’d just take it. They didn’t allow strangers into their kingdom, so the request was eerily confusing.

Gretchen chuckled at his question. “No, absolutely not. I’ve heard all the stories about these people, and you know me, I can’t keep my mouth shut. Daniel would burn me alive after about five minutes of my ass being there.”

Haldir laughed because he knew the truth about Daniel. As scary and intimidating as he was, he held women in the highest regard and worked hard to protect them. But until he knew what they wanted, keeping their distance was probably in everyone’s best interest. “Yes, you’re probably better off staying away from the Darke’s for now.”

When they got back to Tessa’s, Gretchen went to help her with the housework as Haldir went to the kitchen with Logan and Jacob.

Haldir sat a bottle of whiskey on the table, then went to the cupboard for glasses. Haldir wasn’t a fan of either of his son in laws but he did his best to make peace with the mistakes of their past. “There you go boys.”

“Funny how I used to hate seeing your fucking face but now I can’t wait for your visits,” said Logan as he opened the bottle. “Strange how shit turns out, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Haldir dryly as he handed Logan a glass.

“How’s my sister holding up?” asked Jacob.

Haldir shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “A big fucking disaster. It’s just gut wrenching.”

“Shit,” said Jacob as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Did they get the people who did it?” asked Logan as he sat down beside Jacob.

Haldir shook his head as he narrowed his eyes at the light coming through the kitchen window. “They’re still working it out. Teddy, he...he’s gone on a killing spree that makes you and Tessa look like amateurs, Logan. You know, the world is just different. I don’t know...I think it’s time that Teddy and Stella came here before anyone else gets hurt.”

“Who was it?” asked Logan as he stared at his glass.

“The Order. The new one.” Haldir took a sip and sighed away the memory of his old friend. “They killed Billy then the new leadership decided to cleanse the species of all half-bloods and lower. Gretchen...she was at the top of their fucking list. The new warlock in charge is a man by the last name of Nieves, he’s the father of Jake’s first mate.

Logan let out a sigh of regret as he thought back to how Jake followed in his footsteps when he marked his mate without her consent. Tessa always warned him that all their sins would be revisited and as Haldir told his story, Logan started to believe her. Haldir glanced up to Logan. “Jake, he doesn’t ever need to know that little piece of information, but that’s what happened. It was personal against your family, boys. Shit’s just going to get worse, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, we got another little problem Haldir,” said Logan as he sipped from his glass and glared at the young-looking old man.

Haldir put down his glass and licked the last of his drink off his lips. “What’s that?”

Jacob finished Logan’s thoughts, as he often did. “Gretchen. Damien Darke is her mate.”

Haldir chuckled at the Fates often cruel treatment of his family. “Oh fuck! Does she know? She didn’t tell me.”

Biting his lip as he shook his head, Logan said, “No, that shit must run in the women in your family or something. She didn’t feel it, but he sure as hell did.”

“I guess that explains why Agi’s been following her around.” Haldir trilled his lips and then laughed. “Well, she seems to hate Damien’s guts, so I’d say this IS a problem.”

Logan took a sip and said, “ For once you and I agree, old man. I know when I found Tessa, no fucking living soul would’ve kept me from her. I’d say this is going to get pretty fucking ugly anytime now if Gretchen doesn’t start making nice with their boy.”

“Dammit.” Haldir rubbed his temples. Traveling back and forth a few times a day was wearing him down, but he promised he would return as soon as he found Gretchen. “I got to get back and get word to Teddy and Stella. When I come back, I’ll go see Rosemary and Daniel and try to smooth this whole thing out. I can’t believe this shit though. I think this family of ours was born under a bad fucking sign or something.”

Jacob laughed because it was true. Their lives had been plagued by terrible tragedies for decades. “So, what do we do in the meantime? We just keep this from her? I mean, we can’t keep them apart forever. Fate will just keep throwing them back together. Why don’t we just tell her and let her decide for herself?”

Haldir shook his head as he remembered how they twins trapped Tessa into being with them. It was a funny thing that now they were interested in free will. “For now, I think it’s best to bury this. If it comes out, then it does, but I don’t want to fuck up Gretchen’s life any more than it already has been. Damien can wait. Gretchen just needs to heal now.”

Logan scoffed at Haldir; he knew what he said was a veiled dig at him. “What if she never does? What if Damien is the cure and she never gets better unless she accepts him?”

Haldir blew out through his mouth and said, “Well, then, I’d say we’re all in a world of shit. Daniel would do anything for his family. Anything. Don’t think he’s not going to come here and press the issue boys.” Haldir blew a frustrated breath out through his mouth. “We’ll figure it out when I get back. I can’t wrap my mind around it right now.”

Gretchen and Tessa came back to the kitchen and Gretchen wrapped her arms around Haldir’s neck from behind. “I’m going to write my parents a letter. You tell them I’m happy. Ok? I don’t want them to worry about me.”

“I will, Gretch,” he said as he rubbed her arm. “Don’t you worry about them, either. You just take care of you right now.”

As Haldir left the cottage and started down the narrow path, he saw a Raven sitting on the branch before him. He’d known him long enough to see the man behind the dark eyes. “Hello your Majesty.”

The Raven dropped from the tree and Daniel Darke stood from the spot it landed on. His black hair floated in the wind and his dark eyes pierced through Haldir.

“Haldir,” said Daniel as he clasped his hands behind his back. “It seems like we need to have a talk about that granddaughter of yours.”

“Agreed, but it’s going to have to wait. I need to get word back to her parents that she’s here and that she’s alright. When I get back, I’ll come to the castle and we can hammer all this out.” Haldir hoped that offering would be enough to placate his king.

Raising his eyebrow and smirking at Haldir, Daniel nodded towards the city. “And is she doing alright? She wasn’t very forthcoming to Rosemary.”

Haldir shrugged and twisted his lips. “As well as can be expected for someone who was just murdered. And Damien? How’s he holding up?”

Daniel leaned forward slightly and turned his face to the side. “As well as can be expected for a man who just had his heart shattered into a million pieces.”

Haldir sighed as he tried to think of words that could make Daniel feel better. Below the dark and mysterious man was a father who loved his children desperately. “We’ll get them sorted out Daniel. Gretchen she’s...she’s angry right now. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

Daniel sighed through his nose as he clenched his jaw. “You know, seeing my wife and children in pain, it makes me very angry too. This…this attitude, I won’t stand for it. I’ve been quite patient, I think.”

Haldir’s heart sank to his stomach. He wasn’t afraid of many men, but Daniel wasn’t your ordinary warlock. He’d seen enough of what Daniel was capable of to know he would be a terrible enemy to have. “She just lost everything Daniel. Everything. She needs time to deal with it all.”

Daniel smirked as he remembered his father in laws words. “That’s what people used to say to me when I met Rosemary. It was ridiculous advice then and it hasn’t gotten any better with age.”

Not wanting to spend any more time arguing with a man who would never be beaten, Haldir decided to just end it and get back to his son. “Daniel, she doesn’t even realize he’s her mate. She wouldn’t think twice about rejecting him outright. Neither of us wants that. When I get back, we’ll deal with all this together. Her family back on Earth is dealing with her death and there's a whole goddamn war going on because of it. They need me and I need to know that Gretchen will be safe here until I get back.”

A smirk curled up on Daniel's lips. He didn’t allow many people to speak with him so openly, but Haldir was special. There was little he could ever say or do that would ever be denied by Daniel. “There's no safer person in all the North Woods, I promise you. I’ll see you when you return, old friend.”

With those words, Daniel misted away into the darkness that he sprang forth from.

Haldir blew out though his mouth then looked up to the sky. “Really? Why can’t you just cut this family a fucking break?”