come to pass, whether he liked it or not. So, he might as well go along with the plan and have faith in their wisdom. For they knew what he could not know and saw what he could not see.
“Come.” He offered her his arm. “I shall begin your instruction as we make our way toward your cottage.”
When she took his arm without hesitation, he led her into the woods. At the edge of the millpond, he stopped to admire the moon’s reflection on the water. “To begin at the beginning, the runes are associated with Odin, the principal god of my ancestors. His wisdom and exploits are recorded in the Edda —our equivalent of your Bible, except that it takes the form of an epic poem. According to the Edda , the runes were revealed to Odin after he hung upside down from Yggdrasill for nine days in a mystical trance.” His mouth quirked into a smile. “And before you ask, Yggdrasill is the cosmic tree of the nine worlds comprising creation.”
“Nine days and nine worlds.” Her voice was wistful, her gaze fixed on the pond’s glistening surface. “What significance does the number nine have in your belief system?”
Her picking up on that wee detail told him she was as clever as she was beautiful and powerful. “Nine was a sacred number to my ancestors—perhaps because it took nine months to bring forth a new life.”
In time, he would like to tell her more about his beliefs, but right now, he desired something much more intimate than talking. Stepping between her and the pond, he set two fingers under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “May I kiss you?”
“You may—but before you do, I feel I should warn you about something.”
Alarm flared behind his breastbone. “Warn me about what? Please tell me you have not come to Rosemarkie with a husband.”
“No, though I nearly did. I was supposed to be married yesterday, but broke it off.”
“Did you indeed? May I ask why?”
“Because I had a dream about—well, never mind what it was about. It wasn’t my first premonition, but it was the first time I’d risked telling someone what I’d seen.”
Their gazes collided. The sudden tears in her eyes tightened his chest. Though they had only just met, he felt this woman’s heart more than he had any other’s. “And he rewarded your honesty—and your courage—with condemnation.”
“Yes.” Her voice was choked by emotion. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Axel found the next question surprisingly difficult to ask. “Did you love him?”
“No.”
Her answer gladdened him. He would not feel right bedding a brokenhearted lass—and he very badly wanted to know the friendship of her thighs. Circling back to where this thread had started, he said, very softly, “Is that what you wished to warn me about?”
She swallowed and the corners of her mouth twitched. How he would like to kiss those lovely lips. How he would like to kiss her all over.
Breaking free of his gaze, she looked out toward the pond. “I wanted to warn you that I’ve never been with a man before.”
His heart absorbed the mild shock her confession delivered. She was not a young girl and had been engaged. In his day and age, abstinence would have been expected prior to marriage, but not in these promiscuous times. Maidens sometimes came to the glen for the express purpose of offering him their virtue. They tended to appear on the high Pagan holy days. Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnassadh, and Mabon. On those days, he lifted the enchantment that veiled him from human eyes. On Samhain, he took part in the Wild Ride with the rest of the occupants of the Thitherworld.
“You were not intimate with your betrothed?” he asked her.
“No.”
That she was still a maiden seemed unfathomable—unless she was frigid, and, if that were the case, he would curse Loki for his trickery. “May I ask why you remained chaste?”
“Because my fiancé didn’t want to.”
He arched an eyebrow, unsure he had heard her right. She was
“Come.” He offered her his arm. “I shall begin your instruction as we make our way toward your cottage.”
When she took his arm without hesitation, he led her into the woods. At the edge of the millpond, he stopped to admire the moon’s reflection on the water. “To begin at the beginning, the runes are associated with Odin, the principal god of my ancestors. His wisdom and exploits are recorded in the Edda —our equivalent of your Bible, except that it takes the form of an epic poem. According to the Edda , the runes were revealed to Odin after he hung upside down from Yggdrasill for nine days in a mystical trance.” His mouth quirked into a smile. “And before you ask, Yggdrasill is the cosmic tree of the nine worlds comprising creation.”
“Nine days and nine worlds.” Her voice was wistful, her gaze fixed on the pond’s glistening surface. “What significance does the number nine have in your belief system?”
Her picking up on that wee detail told him she was as clever as she was beautiful and powerful. “Nine was a sacred number to my ancestors—perhaps because it took nine months to bring forth a new life.”
In time, he would like to tell her more about his beliefs, but right now, he desired something much more intimate than talking. Stepping between her and the pond, he set two fingers under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “May I kiss you?”
“You may—but before you do, I feel I should warn you about something.”
Alarm flared behind his breastbone. “Warn me about what? Please tell me you have not come to Rosemarkie with a husband.”
“No, though I nearly did. I was supposed to be married yesterday, but broke it off.”
“Did you indeed? May I ask why?”
“Because I had a dream about—well, never mind what it was about. It wasn’t my first premonition, but it was the first time I’d risked telling someone what I’d seen.”
Their gazes collided. The sudden tears in her eyes tightened his chest. Though they had only just met, he felt this woman’s heart more than he had any other’s. “And he rewarded your honesty—and your courage—with condemnation.”
“Yes.” Her voice was choked by emotion. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Axel found the next question surprisingly difficult to ask. “Did you love him?”
“No.”
Her answer gladdened him. He would not feel right bedding a brokenhearted lass—and he very badly wanted to know the friendship of her thighs. Circling back to where this thread had started, he said, very softly, “Is that what you wished to warn me about?”
She swallowed and the corners of her mouth twitched. How he would like to kiss those lovely lips. How he would like to kiss her all over.
Breaking free of his gaze, she looked out toward the pond. “I wanted to warn you that I’ve never been with a man before.”
His heart absorbed the mild shock her confession delivered. She was not a young girl and had been engaged. In his day and age, abstinence would have been expected prior to marriage, but not in these promiscuous times. Maidens sometimes came to the glen for the express purpose of offering him their virtue. They tended to appear on the high Pagan holy days. Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnassadh, and Mabon. On those days, he lifted the enchantment that veiled him from human eyes. On Samhain, he took part in the Wild Ride with the rest of the occupants of the Thitherworld.
“You were not intimate with your betrothed?” he asked her.
“No.”
That she was still a maiden seemed unfathomable—unless she was frigid, and, if that were the case, he would curse Loki for his trickery. “May I ask why you remained chaste?”
“Because my fiancé didn’t want to.”
He arched an eyebrow, unsure he had heard her right. She was
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