He pulled my clothes off of me and then shed his own. He picked me up and I wrapped my body around his. I tried to get down when he approached the ladder, but he pulled me closer to him and climbed it with ease. He pressed my body down into the hay and lay on top of me. I closed my eyes and thought of the little boy standing on the river and how he'd disappeared when I tried to touch him. Kerr kissed me softly and I opened my eyes. His long hair looked brown when it was wet and he had tiny drops of water on his eyelashes still. I shivered slightly as I smiled up at him.

He rubbed my arms with his hands and looked a little concerned. "We need to get you warmed up, or else you'll catch the fever, and I donna want to lose you to sickness."

He was right. We would both end up sick like this. I hated to use my magic too much because it left me weak, and being weak around demons wasn't a good thing. Kerr kissed my cheek and put his ear next to mine. "We are safe until sunset, use what magic you must."

I was getting used to him being able to read my mind. I touched his cheek. "I need to open a portal and get you back to Valhalla with me. If I do this, then I won't be able to open it today, and one more night could cost you your life."

Kerr's mouth came down on mine and I felt how cold his lips were now. I knew that he'd be sick sooner than me and that if he wasn't on the grounds of Valhalla then he could die. I pulled him closer and let my magic rise up. It danced just under the surface of my skin, waiting for permission to be let out. Kerr pulled back from me slightly and ran his fingers over my shoulders.

"I can feel it," he said, smiling down at me.

I reached up into his damp hair and pulled his face close to me. "Make love to me, please."

He laughed slightly. "Aye, it would be my pleasure."

He pushed his c.o.c.k into me fast, and it took my body a second to adjust to how cool his body was. I unleashed my magic and let it roll over Kerr's body too. His hair lifted up as warm air pushed all around us. Kerr's body moved in and out of mine and each stroke seemed to coincide with a blast of my magic.

I cried out as my channel tightened around him, milking him. My o.r.g.a.s.m ripped through me, and left me breathless and burning as Kerr's body continued to press deep into mine. He let out a moan and I felt his hot seed soaking my womb.I held him to me when he was done and listened to his heart beating fast. He laughed softly. "I do not think that you should do that too often when we're together, or I'll not be able to control myself, and it'll be short lived for you. I'll finish before you every time."

"You didn't finish before me, you finished with me," I said running my fingers down the backs of his arms. "Are you warm enough now?"

"Aye, and I'm tired again."

I kissed his cheek. "You're tired because you stayed up all night watching over me." My stomach growled slightly. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

Kerr got up and I pulled him back to me. "You need to eat."

The mention of food made my stomach twist into a knot. "No," I said shaking my head lightly. "My stomach is upset. I'm not sure what's wrong with it. Must be from all the excitement."

"Aye, must be," he said smiling wide.

Kerr ran his hand down to my stomach and touched it lightly. He left it there for a minute before moving it up and over my breast.

I winced a little as pain shot through my nipple. Kerr's lips curved into a smile and he leaned down and kissed my nipple gently.

"Too much excitement, aye, that's it."

"You need to get some rest."

He moved back down on me and laughed softly. "I'll get some rest in a minute. Right now I'd like to take you again." And, with that he pushed himself deep within me. "Yer mine now, Valkyrie, and you will be my wife."

Chapter 6.

I woke to find that it was dark out and that Kerr was nowhere to be found. I searched around the barn that we'd stayed in, but found no sign of him. I immediately feared the worst and started off in search of him. I knew that he was upset with me. Before we'd fallen asleep he'd asked me to be his wife again, and I had refused. It wasn't because I didn't want to, because I did want to say yes to him and spend the rest of my life by his side. But I wasn't a mortal woman, and there was no way the elders would ever allow a marriage between Kerr and I to exist.

I found my way to the edge of the river and decided that I would follow it back to the spot where the portal had opened. I was a little uneasy being close to the water again, after the incident with the little boy, but I needed to find Kerr before Corbin did. As a last resort I'd try to do a locating spell, but I didn't want the vampires in the area to sense my magic.

My stomach twisted in a knot and I felt like I was going to be sick everywhere. I had been queasy for the last day, and wasn't sure why. I needed a drink, but didn't really want to go any closer to the water than I had to. When my nostrils began to flare in an attempt at keeping the vomit down, I gave in and dropped to my knees. I bent down over the rivers edge and cupped my hands in the cool running water. I brought the water to my mouth, and let it run down my throat.

Something large struck me in the back of the head and seized hold of my hair. My face broke the surface of the water first, followed close by my head. The icy water filled my lungs. I grabbed at the arm that held my head under and clawed at it. It refused to let go of me. It did yank me out of the water just when I thought I could take no more-hardly heroic.

I drew in a deep breath of air and coughed hard.

"Where is he, wh.o.r.e?" My head was turned quickly and I found myself staring into Corbin's face. His black eyes tried to look through to my soul, but I kept it locked away from him. "Where is Bhreac? I know he's with you."

He didn't give me a chance to answer him. He dunked my head back into the river. It wasn't like I'd have told him anything anyway. He pulled me back up and yanked me to my feet. He bent my head back and let his fangs show. I think he expected me to faint or at the very least spill all the information on Kerr that I had. I didn't. I reached down and drew my dagger from my side and drove it hard into him. He laughed and let go of me. I pushed the soaking wet veil of black hair out of my eyes and glared at him.

"You don't really think that your little knife will hurt me, do you? I'm already dead." He let out an eerie laugh and locked eyes with me. "You are a stupid wh.o.r.e. I have no doubt that you will not understand this, but I am im-mor-tal." He sounded it out for me- just in case.

I spun around and caught his chin with the side of my foot, and sent him flying to the ground. Reaching down, I yanked my dagger out of his side. He let out a moan and tried to grab my leg. I brought my dagger out and across his face, watching as his cheek ripped open. He grabbed it and began to laugh. "I already told you wench, I'm immortal." He made a lunge for me and I jumped over his body faster than any human ever could. He spun around and looked at me.

Corbin lunged at me again. I sidestepped him just in time for one of his buddies to slam his body into me. I fell forward and rolled to avoid stabbing myself with my own dagger. I took the other guard with me, and on my third time rolling over him, I thrust my dagger deep into his chest and leapt off of him.

I turned to find Corbin standing there. He brought his hand out and caught me across the face. The impact of his. .h.i.t sent me flying backwards. I hit the ground and went to roll away. I wasn't fast enough. Corbin appeared above me with his sword drawn. He drove it down and into the pit of my stomach. Words failed to come to me. I had trouble even getting the tiniest of noises out. He backed up and laughed.

"I will enjoy f.u.c.king you, even if you are dead. Maybe, I will bring you over too. It would be fun to have you around forever to torture."

I reached down and wrapped my hands around the sword. I concentrated on the cool metal and cried the word "abire" out. The sword shook for a moment before moving up and out of my body of its own free will. I looked over at the vampire standing next to Corbin and I flicked my wrist in his general direction. The sword flew into the vamp's chest and pierced its heart. I sat up slowly and looked at Corbin. His eyes widened.

"What are you?"

"Im-mor-tal, and a Val-ky-rie" I said, slowly just to be sure he got my point.

I waited for him to attack me again. He didn't, instead he turned to his men and in an instant, they were fleeing. I knew that they'd be reporting back to whatever evildoer gave them their orders this week. I also knew that they'd be back with reinforcements soon. Now that they knew that our side had one here, they'd show no mercy.

I made my way to the rivers edge and tried to clean the wound in my stomach. It wouldn't kill me, but it would come close if infection set in. I needed to clean it and get somewhere safe to rest, or I'd pa.s.s out and be left to the elements. It wouldn't matter how immortal I was if I was eaten alive by wild animals or froze to death.

I did my best to clean it out, but the wound went all the way through me. Being immortal didn't give me any less pain than mortals-it only gave me a better chance of surviving injuries. Every step I took felt like someone jabbed me with metal p.r.o.ngs. I made it a mile or so before I realized that I'd gone in the wrong direction. I fell down onto my knees and looked around at the darkened countryside. I could go no further, I had to rest. I did a silent prayer to the elders that I'd awaken whole and laid my head down onto the hard ground.

Chapter 7.

"You've got to quiet down now, William, you'll wake the dead with that voice."

I opened my eyes to the sound of a high-pitched female voice and wanted to beg to differ with her, she had a voice that could wake the dead, not William. I turned my head, expecting to see the river, and found myself staring into the face of a pudgy woman who didn't look much older than twenty. A head of unruly blonde curls framed her round face. She looked down and saw me looking at her and let out a shriek. "She's alive! Quick, William, go get your father, and uncle Kerr."

She moved closer to me and reached out for my hand. "There now, don't ya' go worryin' none, I'm Darcy, yer sister-in-law."

The confusion must have shown on my face because Darcy smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, not officially yet, but I will be. I never thought Kerr would take a wife, he was always goin' on about some woman who'd fall from the sky, Val-halia-said she was the one meant to be his wife, and no other. He's been goin' on about that since he was a young lad. I don't think ye fell from the sky, but I'm happy all the same that Kerr's found someone."

My eyes widened. Kerr had known that I'd come, and he'd known how, and from where? It was glaringly apparent that reading minds wasn't the only supernatural gift that he possessed. The door to the room opened and I saw Kerr's head of red hair come rushing in. His blue eyes fixed on me and he ran to my side. Darcy stepped out of his way and barked orders at everyone in the house to give us some privacy.

Kerr grabbed my hand and dropped to his knees. He put his head down on my shoulder and began to cry. I reached up and stroked his cheek. He turned his face so that I wouldn't see his tears.

"It's okay, I'm okay," I panted.

He regained his composure and looked at me. His blue eyes looked even more vibrant now that his eyes were red from crying. "I did not mean to look like less than a man in front of ye, I just thought that ... I wasn't sure ye'd make it. What in h.e.l.l happened to ye? I left ye to say my good-byes to Cian and Darcy, and when I returned I found ye bleedin' to death on the ground, miles from where I'd left ye." He looked like he was on the verge of losing it again. I hated to see a man as strong as Kerr in this much pain. I kissed his forehead lightly.

"Kerr, I'm immortal. It takes a h.e.l.l of a lot more to kill me then just running a sword through my gut."

His head popped up. "Who ran a sword through you?"

"I'm fine Kerr, I promise." I reached down and lifted the fabric of a white night gown that I now wore and sat up to look at my stomach. A large pink scar covered my lower abdomen. I wasn't worried about it-it would be gone in a week, tops. I reached for Kerr's hand and ran his fingers over it. "See, I'm alive, this couldn't kill me."

"Aye, I see that, I don't really believe it, but I see, but Valkyrie, it did manage to kill someone else."

"Kerr...."

He interrupted me. "The sword killed the child you were carryin', my child, our child." I looked down at my stomach and thought about what he'd said to me after we had first made love. He'd said that he'd given me a gift and I'd return it to him soon. A baby, he knew that his seed had been planted in me and that he'd be a father soon. I brought my hand to my mouth and fought back the vomit that threatened to surface. Kerr moved up and onto the bed with me. He wrapped his large arms around me and held me tight as I took my turn crying. I touched him softly.

"Oh G.o.d, the boy by the river, he called me mother, and the blood came up ... it was a sign, of what was to come."

"Aye," Kerr said.

"I didn't know that I carried a child, our child. I would have never fought back, I would have just run."

Kerr's body tightened and pulled me closer to him. "Tell me who did this to you, to us."

I instantly blocked my mind of any thoughts of how I'd come to be impaled by Corbin's sword. I could feel the hate burning through Kerr's veins and I knew that he'd stop at nothing to have revenge. I also knew that these weren't the types of things that he needed to be chasing down. "Don't protect him, Valkyrie."

"I'm not protecting him, Kerr, I'm protecting you."

He pulled away, but I held tight to him. "Don't go, please don't leave me."

Kerr's leg moved over mine, and left my body fully engulfed by his own and I loved it. "I will kill the person who did this, mark my words, Valkyrie." I knew that he would most likely die trying and I couldn't let that happen.

"Kerr, leave with me tonight ... come back to Valhalla with me."

"Not until whoever has done this to you pays."

I couldn't let anything happen to him. I was desperate because I knew that I couldn't live without him. "Kerr, come with me and I'll marry you." I shocked even myself with that one.

He moved his head back and looked into my eyes. "Tell me again, I want to see into yer jeweled eyes and know that yer serious, Valkyrie." Each time he called me this, it sounded more and more like Valerie. I smiled and looked at him. "Tell me, Valkyrie, tell me that you love me and mean it."

I didn't have to try to believe in loving him, I did. Somehow, I'd fallen for him the moment I'd seen him. "Bhreac Kerr Laochailan, of the clan MacLachlainn, I love you and I'll marry you."

Kerr's lips met mine and I found myself lost in a sea of his warmth. He took great care not to b.u.mp my stomach. I told him I was fine, but he still refused to on the grounds that he didn't want to cause me any more pain. I moved my body over his and laid on top of him. I planted kisses all along his jaw and worked my way down to where his shirt started. His hands inched my nightgown up slowly. His fingers moved to my upper thighs, and he stopped.

"I can't, Valkyrie, I don't want to cause you any pain. It's not been but two days since you lost the.... "He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. I knew that the child was gone, and I also knew that my immortal body had repaired within minutes of losing the baby. I didn't want to think of that now, I couldn't.

I moved my hands down his body and shifted my weight to lift his kilt. I looked down and found his c.o.c.k hard and ready for me.

His mouth told me no, but by the looks of it, his c.o.c.k said yes. I slid my body down and over his thick shaft, slowly at first, unsure if it really would cause me any pain, and then when I felt only the pleasure of having Kerr deep within me I continued. I rode his body until we were sweat soaked and screaming out for one another as our bodies climaxed together.

I collapsed on his chest and let him hold me in his arms. I thought he'd fall asleep. Instead, he moved my body to his side and began spooning me. His hand moved down and over the already fading scar. He caressed it and moved his hand up to cup my breast. He tweaked my nipple lightly as he whispered in my ear. "I will be sharing these soon I see."

I turned my face to meet his. "What?"

"The lil' one will be wantin' these and I'll have to share 'em."

"But, you said that...."

He kissed my lips. "Yer body has accepted my seed again. We are a perfect match, Valkyrie."

Chapter 8.

I dismounted the horse with Kerr trying to help me the entire way down and started over to sit down on a large rock. We'd been traveling for days and I was tired. I was tired all the time as of late. It wasn't safe to try and take Kerr through the portal near his home, the one I'd come through. Corbin and his men knew that I wasn't human now and they'd been scouring the area looking for me. I'd been forced to use a back up portal that was in Inverness. It was really the one I first thought I'd come through, but since Kerr wasn't near there, I got dropped off closer to him. The Inverness portal was a big one and I'd made several trips through it already. The battle of Culloden in 1746 was always good for new recruits. I looked into Kerr's face, he'd be there within a year if he stayed here, and he would most likely perish. His clan was supporters of the rising and that battle ended poorly for them.

I reached down and touched my stomach. I shuddered to think of anything happening to Kerr. He saw me and ran to my side.

"Ye alright?"

"Stop worrying. I'm fine, but you're driving me nuts with the constant obsessing. I'm fine."

"I'm allowed to worry about my wife," he said, kissing my lips softly.

It felt so strange to be called that. Kerr had found a priest, a friend of his family's, and he'd performed a small handfasting ceremony in the kitchen of Kerr's cousin's house. It wasn't a wedding outright, but it was close enough. We promised to love one another for life-that wouldn't be terribly hard to keep.

The setting and the circ.u.mstances of the ceremony weren't what I had dreamed they'd be, but it felt right. I touched Kerr's face and let my finger trace the edge of the tiny white scar on his chin. "Well, husband of mine, stop worrying so much, I'm fine."

"I'll stop worrying when I know yer safe on Valhalla," he said, wrapping his arms around me.

"You mean when we're safe on Valhalla, don't you?"

He nodded slightly, but avoided answering my question. "Are you ready to tell me who attacked you yet? That'd make me feel better too."

"Please, not this again, Kerr."

He winked at me and I knew that was more of a promise to leave it alone just for the moment than a promise to drop it for good, but I took it. I tried to lie back on the large rock, but Kerr pulled me to him. "Come on now, ye said it's up over the second ridge, didn't ye?"

I nodded. The portal back to Valhalla was just ahead a bit. I had wanted to get there just before dark to increase our chances of leaving without interference on the part of Corbin's men, but we'd gotten held up when a pa.s.sing group of real British guards patrolled the area. Now the moon was high and the night was on us. We just had a little bit more to go before we'd be safe from Corbin's men, and under the watchful eye of the elders.