The mood of the group changed then. Stilled. Even the animals in the woods seemed to sense something and were quiet. Erik offered a confused glance to Gunnar over Sophia’s head. “Love, Gunnar might be a little moody and definitely intimidating, but I swear, he will not harm you.”
She shook her head in refusal. “No. He has you all fooled.”
I stepped in front of Gunnar and stroked over Sophia’s hair. “Look at me, mate.” I waited patiently as she turned her head and her dark, worried gaze met mine.
“Why are you so afraid? I have fought beside Gunnar in many battles, trusted him with my life. He is an honorable warrior and worthy mate. He is strong and will protect you with his life. If he were anything less, King Lev would not allow his mate, the Queen of Viken in his presence. I would not allow you to be near him.”
Gunnar was just as Erik said. Intimidating. Moody as hell. He did not show his emotions, but I knew that Sophia’s rejection of him was taking a toll.
“The man who attacked me had the same tattoo,” she murmured. “He’s a bad guy, working for them. He has you all fooled.”
“Tattoo?” Lev asked.
Leah crossed her arms and scowled in Gunnar’s direction. “A tattoo is an Earth term for a mark permanently etched into the skin with ink,” she clarified. “Sometimes they are a personal choice, body art. Earth soldiers use them to identify with a certain branch of service. But many criminals and gangs use tattoos to identify themselves to one another as well.” Leah looked up at Lev. “Do you use tattoos to indicate military service? Or ranks? Anything like that?”
“No, mate, we do not.” Lev pushed the Queen behind him, protecting her from Gunnar.
The guards who had accompanied the King and Queen closed in on Gunnar, raising their weapons to keep him at bay. I looked at Erik, confused. What the fuck was happening here?
I stepped between Gunnar and the nearest blaster, my hands up in the air. “Look. Everyone calm down until we get this sorted out. I trust Gunnar with my life. There has to be some kind of mistake.”
Gunnar’s hand came to rest on my shoulder and he squeezed in gratitude. “Thank you, Rolf. But I would know what frightens our mate.”
“What tattoo, Sophia? Where is it on Gunnar?” Leah asked.
I stepped out of the way so she could see our friend, her mate. She pointed. “It’s on the inside of his wrist.”
Gunnar looked down, then pushed up his sleeve. “This is the only mark I have.”
Sophia’s eyes widened in obvious fear and distrust. “Yes, that’s it. The three-headed serpent.”
“The man you killed had this mark, Sophia?” Gunnar asked, his voice calm, but with a sharp bite.
She shook her head. “No. Not him. The other one.”
Erik leaned down, his lips close to Sophia’s ear as he held her. “What other one?”
Sophia shoved at Erik’s arms, who finally relented and let her go. She stepped forward. Shaking, she held out her hand to Gunnar. He stared at her for a moment, before lifting the marked wrist to her.
She wrapped her hands around his wrist and turned the mark face up, tracing the outline with her finger.
Gunnar closed his eyes and I witnessed the shudder that passed through his body at her gentle first touch. I understood how he felt.
“The man I killed was a minion, nothing more,” she said. She had all our attentions. The King, the Queen, the guards were all in her thrall. But not for the reason I had once hoped, because we celebrated the arrival of our mate, but because she was speaking of evil. An evil that lurked on Viken that she knew nothing about, but had transported directly into. “The man with this mark was angry, and ordered the transport guy to kill me.”
“Why?” Gunnar asked, his gaze burning into Sophia with raw lust as she continued to hold his wrist. She was completely unaware of his need for her. I tried to step forward, to intervene in the questioning, but Lev held up his hand, stopping me. The royal guards who accompanied the Queen stood around Gunnar in a loose circle, their ion blasters all aimed at Gunnar’s head, waiting for a command.
The danger, and his mate’s touch, seemed to spike Gunnar’s lust. Crazy bastard. Shaking my head, I stepped back to stand next to Erik and watch events unfold. I had no doubt that Gunnar was innocent. He was my brother-in-arms. I’d trusted my life to him on more than one occasion. I would trust our mate with him now.
Sophia’s gaze seemed far away, as if she were going into shock. “He was angry. He wanted the Queen and the baby. Not me. He worked for someone in Central City. Is that a place here? When he realized their mistake, that I was sent by mistake, he ordered his minion to transport him back to the city. Then, kill me.”
“And this man you speak of, had a mark like mine?” Gunnar asked.
She raised her face to meet his gaze. “Yes. What does it mean?”
Lev cleared his throat. “I’d like an answer to that question as well.”
The guards surrounding Gunnar shifted, tightening their ring around my friend.