The Last One

twenty-three

He shrugged. "I just don't think she's 'The One' you know?"

I nodded. I guess that's fair, but she was so pretty and seemed to really be into him. "So you are going to break it off?"

He nodded again. "Aye."

I sighed and shook my head. "Why? She seemed so into you."

He frowned, and his cheeks turned slightly pink as he looked at me. "Well, she's not -"

The door to the tavern opened, letting in the soft morning light. Sihtric and Uhtred strolled in chuckling amongst themselves loudly and drawing our attention to them rather than our own conversation.

Sihtric went to the bar, and Uhtred walked over to us. He sagged against the table when he sat next to Finan and pressed his head against the cool grain. "Finan, you must make me stop drinking like this," he chuckled weakly.

"Ah, Lord, but then what would we do together?" Finan laughed.

Sihtric slid a bowl of oatmeal in front of the puddle of man that was our Lord, then sat next to me with his own bowl of oats. He smiled at me. "Good morning."

I couldn't help but feel on display, and all he had said was 'good morning'. This was going to be so new and weird.

"Good morning," I repeated the words and my face felt like it was on fire.

Uhtred chuckled as he looked at us, and I felt like I was literally inside of an oven. "You two do make a nice couple," he said this with a hint of amusement.

I covered my face with my hands. Why did I feel so embarrassed? Wasn't this what we wanted? Everyone was taking it so well, and even still, I felt like I was the butt end of some sour joke.

"You okay?" Sihtric whispered into my ear, and I felt a jolt shoot through my body. I was okay. I was so okay. Everything was going to be okay. Right?

I dropped my hands and nodded. "I'm just not used to so much attention."

He took a bite of oatmeal and eyed me. A spark of longing was within his pupils. I recognized it well. "Well, I'm not sure how that's possible."

"What?" I looked at him with an expression of curiosity?

"You are like the sun."

My breath hitched in my chest. What did that mean? I'm like the sun? "How so?"

"You are impossible not to notice."

"So if I'm the sun.. What does that make you?" I smiled playfully.

He grinned and leaned closer again. He whispered to me again, his breath hot in my ear. "Sköll."

The wolf that eats the sun? My eyebrows stitched together for a second or two in confusion before my brain caught up, and I giggled at his innuendo. Heat rose inside of me. He sure was feeling bold today, and I was feeling lost, but he had that way of distracting me from my problems and my thoughts of being trapped here.

"Oh?" I bit my lip to keep from grinning like an idiot. He smirked and didn't respond. I glanced to Finan and Uhtred. They were absorbed in their own conversation, so I felt a little more at ease. I leaned closer to him again, I felt so nervous, but his boldness always rubbed off on me in the worst ways.

"And are you going to eat me, Mister Wolf?" My voice came out as a soft whisper, and I felt him stiffen in response.

He pressed his lips against my cheek, sending lightening bolts streaking across my skin. "No," his voice puffed against my skin like a new strike of lightening with each word he spoke, "I'm going to devour you."