Thor

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

“Looking a little rough.” Nate entered the main living area of the labyrinthine cave deep inside the mountain. Nature hollowed out the path millions of years earlier. Though she’d had some help along the way.

Thor eyed him flatly. “Gee. Thanks.” He sat down on his haunches, having just transformed from human into his winged lion form at the first indication that Nate had crossed the magical barrier shielding the cave from almost everyone. He’d preferred to remain as he was, but the presence of company dictated otherwise.

The scent of freshly cooked steak wafted to his nose. Normally, he’d be drooling by now. Today, though, he scrunched his nose in lack of interest.

Nate studied him with a tilt of his head. Knowledge and understanding appeared in Nate’s brown eyes along with a hint of concern. “I brought you dinner.”

“Thank you.” Despite how he felt, Thor appreciated Nate’s gesture. His friend. The one and only. Weary, he gestured toward the small kitchen. “If you don’t mind putting it in the refrigerator, I’ll eat it later.”

Nate did as instructed, though worry reflected in his face. “You’re barely eating. You coat is growing dull and you look battered.”

Nate hadn’t said anything Thor didn’t already know. His energy levels slipped more and more each day. Every flight, every use of magic, sapped him further. He was fully aware of his situation and understood the road he traveled. Too bad he didn’t have a way of recharging, like a cell phone battery. Just plug him in for a few minutes and he’d be good to go for another decade or three. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way. “I’ll be fine.”

Nate blew out a breath and sat down in a nearby captain’s chair. “Listen up, buddy. It’s me you’re talking to. I know better.”

Thor cut him a glance but didn’t say more.

“You can’t keep going at this rate,” Nate advised.

“The repairs from the floods are ongoing. I have to oversee those. There are a couple of potential new guests that should arrive sooner rather than later, I need to check them out. The budget—”

“Is fine. Damn it, Thor. I’m way ahead of you on that and getting the preserve back into shape. You shouldn’t be wasting your time and energy trying to monitor every little detail. Meet and greet is more than enough right now.” He rubbed his hands on his pants legs as if in frustration.

Thor arched an eyebrow. “When did you turn into a mother hen?”

“When you started failing.” Nate stood and took a couple of steps closer. “This place depends on you. Without you, we don’t have a preserve.”

Bored with the discussion, Thor flicked his tail in annoyance.

Nate didn’t take the hint. “If you fall, this whole place collapses.”

Agitated, Thor stood and spun, placing his back to Nate. “Is that why you called Zach?”

“I didn’t call him and you know it.” The bitten off words carried leashed anger—controlled, yet still deep-seated anger.

Thor didn’t bother to ask why. He already knew the answer.

“As much as I hate that bastard for what he did, maybe he can at least get through that thick skull of yours. My words seem to be falling on deaf ears.”

Thor heard the emotion behind those words and slowly turned back around. “Nate.” He paused, pondering what to say. They’d been friends since the beginning. He’d have to be without any senses at all to miss Nate’s interest. The hints. The nudges. The offerings. Over time, they lessened as Nate realized the truth. Still, Thor knew how much he’d hurt his best friend and wished it were otherwise. The truth was, if his heart could be persuaded, he’d accept him in a heartbeat. But, it didn’t. Instead, it held out for another man. One that nearly drove him insane and probably still would if he decided to stick around for long. “I’m sorry.” The apology seemed too little. Too weak. Too cliché.

Nate’s face pinched for a fleeting moment. “Past history, Thor.”

Thor lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. Regrets and doubts resurfaced in his mind. He’d been selfish, afraid, and stubborn. While he could live with all that, he couldn’t forgive himself for hurting others. “You’re already running the place. And, doing a fine job of it, I must say. You don’t need me for that.”

Nate shook his head. “There are things I can’t do. No one else can, either. We need you for those.”

Fatigue warred with Thor’s determination. He held his chin up with willpower alone. Never show weakness. That philosophy had been beaten into him at a young age. He’d never forgotten it. No matter what, he’d put on a great show. “I’ll make it. Just like always.”

Nate’s expression didn’t convey faith or belief. “This time is different and you know it.”

He did, but he didn’t need to verbalize it to Nate. The man had more than enough on his plate right now. “Thank you, Nate. You’ve done more for me than I can ever repay.”

“I can get Calix.”

Thor shook his head. Calix, despite his remarkable skills and abilities as a physician, wasn’t the answer. This was out of his hands. Out of everyone’s hands, except his. “It’ll be fine, Nate. Just leave it alone. Please. Besides, I know you have many more important things to do than to hang around here.”

“Nothing is more important.” Nate frowned.

“Yes, it is and you know it.” Thor rose to all four feet once again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to attend to.”

Nate’s eyes narrowed. “Thor—”

“No. Enough said. Please go on about your day and leave me to mine,” Thor added, command in his tone.

After eyeing him for a couple of seconds, Nate threw up his arms, and stormed out, aggravation apparent in each step.

Thor watched him go with a sense of guilt. “I’m sorry, Nate. You’re a good man and deserve better.” The whispered words didn’t leave the room and wouldn’t carry to Nate’s ears. Too little, too late. The story of my life in many ways.

Certain he was finally alone, Thor shifted back to his human form. The minor use of magic cost him in energy and strength. He slowly walked to the bathroom, splashed some water on his face, and studied himself in the mirror. Scars, multitudes of them, stared back. Each one had a story and there wasn’t enough time in a month to tell them all. Once, he’d borne them proudly. Now, he saw the disfigurement they caused. Centuries of battles took a toll on him. Sure, he still lived to tell the tale. How much longer though, he couldn’t say.

Life is a cycle.

You’re an exception. His beast spouted out words of wisdom. Too bad he didn’t need or want to hear them.

I can’t and you know it. Thor dropped his head again, away from the horrors he saw in the mirror. He knew others would be disgusted and appalled if they saw the marks. There was a reason he remained in his beast form—to spare them. Call him vain, but if he glimpsed revulsion in any of their faces, he didn’t know how he’d manage to keep plodding along. He’d been a proud man, still was. Perhaps it was that pride that kept him going this long.

“Warrior of old, maybe it’s time to retire your sword,” Thor whispered to himself.

“Now, that’s damn maudlin.”

Thor cursed himself and Zach’s stealth at the same time. He didn’t bother to do more than peer into the mirror at the man who’d invaded his home. If it had been anyone else, he’d been furious at the unannounced visit and being caught in his human form. With Zach, he didn’t even rise to the point of annoyance. Well, maybe a little annoyance. “What? You forgot how to knock?” The magic ward on the cave’s entrance prevented nearly everyone from even noticing the opening. A select few were immune to the illusion—namely Zach. Nate, too, though Thor had to add a special exception for him.

Zach glanced around the room, chose the large recliner in the corner, and parked himself after dropping a suitcase on the floor next to him. He tossed a piece of candy up in the air and caught it in his mouth before chewing.

Thor nearly smirked at that. Zach has never been uptight or concerned about petty things like privacy when it came to Thor and his home. “Still eating those chocolate covered peanuts, I see.”

“Nope. Retired those. Getting on in years and have to work a little harder to stay in shape.” He patted his stomach, tossed another up in the air, and ate it before answering. “Yogurt covered almonds.”

Like he’d ever be out of shape. Despite ten years going by, Thor would bet his mountain home that Zach didn’t carry an ounce of fat. Likely, he never would. “How do they taste?”

“Like plain yogurt on an almond.” Zach rested one ankle on his opposite knee, appearing casual and comfortable. “Sorta like tofu. And nothing close to yummy.” He ate another while appraising Thor. “You look like crap.”

Thor rolled his eyes. “Thanks.” He didn’t bother to clothe himself magically, his energy levels were too low to even try. Instead, he walked into his bedroom, opened a drawer, and found a pair of jeans. Those, he pulled on, not from embarrassment, but to help deflect any ideas of what might happen in his home. Nudity, in his book, was an invitation to trouble—something he planned on avoiding at all costs. “Enough with the small talk. Why are you here?”

For a long moment, Zach sat quiet. “Oh, I think you know.”

Well, s**t.