Valkyrie's Harem (Academy of Immortals 1)

1

Valkyrie’s Harem follows characters from The Raven Queen’s Harem. The events in this book will make more sense if you’ve read the prior series, although it’s not necessary.

Hildi

The crystal chandelier hangs over the dressing room, casting the room in a warm glow. It’s an obvious attempt by the lingerie boutique owners who want their customers to feel comfortable and attractive in the flattering light. Not that the girl behind the curtain needs help. She’s already glowing.

I sit in the soft, cushiony chair, waiting for Morgan to come out of the dressing room. We’d come to this fancy little shop to get something special for her to wear for her anniversary of meeting the Ravens. If the stack of lingerie is any indication of her mood, the Nead is going to vibrate tonight, which, frankly, is pretty much like almost every other night since they accepted their fate.

I’m about to bust in on her and tell her to hurry when I hear, “Holy cow, I’m huge.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Girl, it’s bad. I mean…well, look for yourself.”

The curtain pulls back.

I feel my eyes pop wide as I take in the tight, sexy, lace nightgown. “Damn.”

Her tits are, uh, huge.

She nods and holds them with her hands like ripe melons. “Can you believe this? I mean, I’m hardly showing, but my boobs are freaking massive.”

I can’t stop looking. I mean, I am bisexual. My last partner, Andi, was a woman. And even though I’m not remotely attracted to Morgan, I can’t help myself.

“Do you think they’ll get bigger the further along you get?”

Her hand rests on her small but growing belly. Morgan is six months married and four months pregnant. Those men couldn’t wait to fill her up with a baby, and she’s never looked happier or more content. Oh, and sexy. Damn, who knew pregnant chicks were so freaking sexy?

She smiles. “I don’t know, but if they do, I’m never getting any sleep. Damien is already obsessed, and—”

I hold up my hand. “Nope. You know part of our friendship deal is I don’t question the fact you married five guys, and you don’t tell me everything you do with them. I mean, I hear a lot of it, and that’s enough. Trust me. Totally enough.”

She walks over and gives me a big hug, squishing those perfect tits against my chest. “You’re an amazing friend, you know that, right?”

“No, you’re amazing.” Seriously, we’re both amazing. “Come on, let's wrap that up so you can go home, and they can undress you all night long.” I imagine it’s a cycle of dressing and undressing and fucking and god, no, see? This is why I can’t go there. It’s never-ending lust and happiness.

And me?

I watch as Morgan vanishes behind the curtain to change. I’ve been alone since losing Andi, and I’m okay with that. I needed time, friendship, and a chance to heal.

Thankfully, my friend has given me all of that and more.

The smell of a delicious dinner hits me the instant I step through the front door. Morgan requested a special meal, a special seven p.m. dinner time for her and her husbands. She’d also given me a specific task.

“I promise I’ll have everyone out of the house by 6:30 and keep them out until after midnight.”

Them is the Legion of Immortals. Six men--no, make that six warriors--that have lived here for the last seven months. The Nead is less house than hostel with so many wayward souls in it. To thank the boys and Morgan, I’ve sort of taken the group under my wing. It’s like being in charge of a fraternity or something. You know, if they had fraternities for the immortally damned hundreds of years ago.

“Thank you, Hildi. You’re the best.” The instant the words leave her mouth, a loud crash echoes up the stairs from the basement.

Davis runs out from the dining room holding a carving knife, looking a little frantic. He’s been on edge since the battle in the Otherside. Even more so since the announcement of Morgan’s pregnancy. “Everything okay? Mrs. Morgan? Miss Axel?”

“We’re fine,” Morgan says.

“Yeah,” I agree. “I’m sure it’s just the guys. Again.”

“Oh,” he replies, voice strained. “Of course.”

“I’ll go wrangle them.” I squeeze Morgan’s hand. “Have a fantastic night.”

“Are you sure you can handle them alone? One time in middle school I had to babysit a group of triplets. They overpowered me and when the parents got home I was tied to a chair, and they had eaten all the ice cream.” She shakes her head at the memory. “This is double that. Six.”

“I know,” I tell her, walking toward the stairs. “But I’m a Valkyrie, not a little girl. Trust me. I’ve got this under control.”

I’ve just turned the corner when I hear her say to Davis, “Thank god she’s got them in line, or they would have destroyed this house months ago.”

2

Hildi

Morgan’s husbands, the legendary Raven Guard, freed the Legion of Immortals from their blood contract with the Shaman. The Guardians needed an army to defeat the Morrigan and keep her from sweeping the apocalypse through this world and wiping out humanity. They knew the best warriors for the job. The Ravens made a bet—one they won—and the Legion fought heroically alongside the rest of us against The Morrigan. Unfortunately, they’d been enslaved for so long they had no idea how to live in the modern world. Dylan opened the doors—well, the basement—of the Nead to them until they acclimate.

I suspect they’ll be down there for another millennia.

The Immortals are warriors from ancient times, brought together by Camulus, the Celtic God of War. The god searched the world for the strongest, most lethal, and often barbaric soldiers. Each of these men were known for heroic last stands, something that caught Camulus’ attention above the millions of other soldiers in history. He collected them right off the battlefield, moments after their death. He blessed them with immortality for a lifetime of service. They fought for the god, doling out a particular sort of bloody warfare that increased their legend. They were soulless, vengeful, and without a trace of mortality.

But there were six that were different from the others. They fought, killed, and pillaged as Camulus directed, but after time they refused to do his bidding any further. They were tired of blood on their hands

and the ash in their lungs. They demanded to be released from their contract and sent to the afterworld.

Legend says he studied these men that had served him so well and considered their demands.

Miya, a Japanese swordsman, killed his first man at the age of five. With a sharpened stick.