Tena StetlerAuthor of Paranormal Romance/Suspense & Cozy Mysteries With Magic Spark!

Here’s a snippet from Fury of a Viking:

He had learned an awful lot today and suffered from years of being haunted. Now his son was gone. So she figured if he wasn’t latching on to every little thing she said right away, that was okay. One step at a time. “You should get some rest, Matthew.”

“Yes,” he murmured. Yet the second she went to move, he grabbed her wrist gently. When he spoke, she realized he had, in fact, processed all of what she’d said. More than that, he must be catching glimpses of what she had seen. “There’s more to this. More to Uncle Kjar having my son. Somehow, they’re in that other place. Helheim.” He clenched his jaw as he struggled to come to terms with that. It seemed he had also telepathically caught what she hadn’t told him based on what he said next. “Do not put Emily’s life at risk for this, Shannon.” He shook his head. “And don’t put yours at risk either.”

She could tell by the way he said it, the emotion in his voice, that he fully understood why she held back. More than that, he agreed with her. He didn’t want Emily in harm’s way. Even if she could lead him to his son.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, guilt ridden. But she had to put her daughter first. “I just can’t put my baby in that kind of danger.” Emotion thickened her throat just like it had his. “Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive.” He cupped her cheek. “I would not allow you or Emily to be put in harm’s way. Not for anything, Shannon.”

“But he’s your son,” she managed to say into his mind because her vocal chords refused to work. “How can you…”

The next thing she knew his lips brushed hers. It was brief but so profound she lost her breath as he pulled away just enough that their lips remained centimeters from one another. “One of our children is already in harm’s way. Another will not be added to it.”

Shannon barely processed his words she was so caught up in his taste lingering on her lips. Had he said our children? He had, right? Yet she couldn’t focus on that. All she could do was run her tongue over her lips and relish the flavor. His flavor. It almost felt like she could taste what he was made of. And it wasn’t what she expected.

“You used to laugh and smile all the time,” she whispered before she could stop herself. For a flicker of a moment, she could see his smile. Hear his laughter. Then it faded. Long ago. Shannon closed her eyes and pulled away. He had been taken down a path he didn’t deserve all because there was a glitch in the system. All because…

Her eyes shot open.

The cave was gone. The water at her feet vanished. Now she stood on a shore with hundreds of men and women coming together. Vikings with their blades drawn and fury on their faces. Battle raged. Matthew, Sigrunn, Freydis and so many more, fought, determined to conquer.

This was the infamous battle that took so much from Matthew.

Seconds later he vanished yet the battle raged on.

Yet she knew where he went.

It all made sense now.