Valkyrie's Claim (Academy of Immortals 2)

I step through the doorway and close the door, locking it behind me. I take my first real breath since entering that closet. I wince in pain, gripping the leather chair by the fireplace, willing my cock to behave.

I’ve been on a hair trigger with that woman for weeks, my body reacting despite all efforts of control. I manage it okay. Doing my best to ignore her in those tiny skirts made for children. The tight blouse. It was a relief when she stopped wearing them all the time. It sent my body—and mind—on overdrive.

Never have I been attracted to someone like Hildi.

And never have I known so deeply that I can’t have her.

I walk to the cabinet next to the fireplace and open the door, grabbing a bottle from inside. I don’t look for a glass, just uncorking the top and tipping it back. I swallow two mouthfuls and take a seat in the chair.

It was bad enough before we got here. Just her smell was enough to drive me wild, but I wasn’t in the place to think about women as anything other than objects. When Dylan told us she was going to lead us on this mission, I’d accepted it. I’d seen her fight, and I knew we weren’t completely cohesive after going through so much. Yeah, we’re brothers, from one life to the next, one shitty situation after the other, but leadership? None of us wanted to take that role. She could have it.

I was too fucking angry to care.

But after the night everything went to hell, after I watched her walk into the abyss, my body frozen—useless, things changed. She stepped up. She killed Garland. She held the key.

I’ve never been so terrified.

That’s not true.

Seeing Roland, that scared me. Not for my life, but for hers. Because he’s vindictive and petty. Sadistic and careless. He’s evil and I can see the glint in his eye. He wants to hurt us for betraying him and he’ll needle into each of us until he finds out what we treasure the most.

I already know it’s her.

But he doesn’t.

I look at the book I took from Christensen’s office, and I take another swig from the bottle, the alcohol burning on the way down. Roland won’t ever find out about my real feelings for Hildi, but he’s also not going to stop me from winning this battle.

I just have to be careful.

We all do.

10

Hildi

I head back to my room. I’m exhausted from the night before. Either that was the most vivid dream ever, or it really happened. Add confronting Rupert that morning and I’m ready for a nap.

I wonder briefly if Armin is in his room. He really is the best nap-partner.

My mind starts to wander, thinking about Armin and his body, his presence and the way we’ve become more connected. As crazy as this idea of a bond is, the two of us are proof of something greater. That night out on the ledge, he’d been strong and quick to save me. I’d been terrified, but…not completely. I felt safe with him and ultimately, he’d sacrificed his own body to get me back over the wall.

All of this runs through my head as I climb the back staircase to the dormitory. It’s the reason I don’t see the shadow to my left or process the soft footsteps just ahead.

It’s not until I’m slammed against the wall, hands holding me in place, that I realize I’m in trouble.

“What do you want?” I ask, feeling the hands roaming over my body. I’m in tight athletic pants and a sweatshirt, both damp from my workout. I manage to twist my neck, but just see masked faces. Two, no, three.

I shudder. I really hate masks.

“Where’s the key?” a voice asks. It’s muffled. Who is this? Luke? Roland? Marielle?

“It’s gone,” I reply.

“Liar.” The body leaning into me is hard. Masculine. “It’s on the grounds. I can sense it.”

My cheek presses into the stone wall, scraping against the rock. I grimace and say, “You’ll never find it.”

“No?” the person laughs. A numbing sensation rolls over me, then a fain