Chapter 4

Aurora knew better; she should never have sat at the table with the other young women. Unfortunately, the more she listened to them, the more she discovered there was nothing nice or fun about the group. They were all backstabbing, vicious gossips who came from privilege and had no fear of consequences. Back home, if someone said half what these women had, they’d get punched in the mouth.

Then the conversation turned to the previous night. Aurora could see in their eyes that they wanted the details about her time with Brodie. Instinctively, she knew they’d use it against her if she shared too much. B turned their attention to Aurora, signaling the inquisition was about to begin.

“When we were younger, Brodie would get invited to spend the summer with the other future clan leaders,” B began.

“How old was he?” one of the girls asked.

Aurora hadn’t been listening when everyone introduced themselves because she’d received a message saying she and her dad would be training later. Bjorn had hired them to share Goth battle tactics.

“Brodie was probably eight when he started coming,” Elle said. “We’d all met him at formal functions, and he seemed to be such a serious young man.”

“You’ve all met Freya. Tell me the poor boy wasn’t afraid for his life if he misbehaved,” B said with a chuckle.

Elle had a slight grin as she remembered young Brodie.

“None of us were prepared for the real Brodie,” B added.

“You soon forgot he was four to six years younger than the rest of us. He must have spent too much time in the servant quarters because the boy had a mouth on him. I remember one time when Karl teased him, and Brodie told him to F-off,” Elle said.

“He wasn’t afraid to play rough with any of us. I swear he’s made of rubber because he’d get knocked down and immediately be up and coming at you,” B said.

“I think he must have been eleven when we were all the age when hormones took over. Given who we were, spending time with people below our station was frowned upon,” Elle said.

Aurora bit the inside of her cheek to keep from commenting on how pretentious that last comment made Elle sound.

“I was the rebel and had made out with one of the cook’s assistants,” B shared.

Elle’s smile got bigger.

“Thank goodness she did because when we got together that summer, we made her teach us how to kiss.

“Karl and Johan were eager to learn, so we didn’t notice Brodie being left out. It never crossed my mind that he might want to learn. Most boys that age aren’t too sure about girls, let alone kissing stuff,” Elle said.

“He was always fun, and we loved to tease him. So, I offered to kiss him,” B said.

“Did he run off, claiming girls were weird or something?” Aurora asked.

“No. Brodie must have been watching closely because he kissed me like a man would.”

“Don’t ever tell him this, but at eleven, he was a better kisser than Karl or Johan,” Elle shared.

“Wait a minute. How old is Brodie?” Aurora asked.

“Twenty,” Elle said.

Aurora’s stomach clenched because she was twenty-seven. She’d robbed the cradle.

“I would bet he was a virgin before last night,” B said, which made Aurora feel worse.

The look on her face must have been priceless because all the girls giggled.

Freya waited outside the dining room and grabbed Aurora’s arm as she came out.

“We need to talk.”

She led the girl to her home office. The room’s walls were paneled with wormwood, which looked like dark boreholes had been exposed to create an intricate random design. She sat at her desk, and Aurora took the chair across from her.

Freya gave the girl a look that had been perfected in raising Brodie. It communicated that lying was futile and that it would be best for the recipient to tell her everything.

“I had no idea he was so young,” Aurora said. “If I’d known...”

“Did I ask you that?”

Aurora looked off-balance and unsure of what to say. Freya let her stew, wondering what was to come.

“Was Brodie a good lover?”

Aurora’s mouth fell open in stunned silence.

“It’s a mother’s job to ensure her son has a complete education. Now that he’s sexually active, I’m asking if he’s deficient. Since you were his first, it’s important we fix any issues before they become bad habits,” Freya said with a firm look.

“I ... uh ... mean ... Brodie did fine. I had no idea I was his first,” Aurora stammered.

“I need to know stuff like whether he was confident, attended to your needs, took his time, and didn’t rush. I think you get my meaning.”

Aurora looked to regain her voice.

“He was one of the better lovers I’ve been with.”

“Do you plan to sleep with my son again?” Freya asked.

Aurora’s face flushed before she answered.

“That’s between us.”

Freya narrowed her eyes before finally smiling.

“Good. You’re not a gossip. I just ask that if you do, teach my son to loosen up and maybe push his boundaries.”

“Like I said, that’s between us,” Aurora declared, then stood up. “I have to get going. I have a class to teach.”

Freya had been prepared to not like the Goth girl, but Aurora had something more than just a pretty face. In fact, she just might be the perfect match for her son. Plus, having a Goth as a daughter-in-law could help build an important alliance.

The Erikson military base had been built on the other side of town from the starport. Their clan was in charge of the planetary government, including security; the other clans provided manpower in times of crisis. Their troops all fell under the command of their jarl, but if war were ever declared, Brodie would be the field commander.

The bottom line was the Eriksons were responsible for protecting the planet, and they may or may not get help if something terrible happened. Brodie decided to ignore the other clans and focus on ensuring Norse’s safety.

After lunch, his father took him to the base, where he found Aurora and Carmichael instructing his men on security. Brodie and his father slipped in and sat in the back.

Aurora was running the presentation equipment as her father spoke. They had a three-D hologram that displayed a grid of different colored lights surrounding the planet.