FOURTEEN
GRIM
I loved her.
Norn-forced or not, I loved her, and it was a dark, hideous, possessive urge so deeply rooted in the most primal parts of my soul it would be impossible to w**d out.
I rubbed absentmindedly at my ribs as I watched Annabel climb over a fallen tree while holding Mimir safely under her left arm. Her backside swayed, drawing my focus from our surroundings. I gritted my teeth, ignoring the stab of desire low in my gut.
Lust. I was starting to understand why the desert religions thought of it as sinful. What my body ached for every time I so much as glanced at my mate was distracting, easily overpowering, and all-consuming. There was nothing good or pure about it, that much was certain. But it wasn’t what had the darkness inside of me swelling.
Love.
I almost la
