Morgan's Fate

Chapter Eight

“Damn it, it doesn’t work!”

Skye flinched as Magnus punched the wall, rattling the entire condo in his rage. How he didn’t put a hole in the drywall was beyond her. Perhaps Logan had done more than just ward the brothers’ condo. Outside, lighting flashed from cloud to cloud as the son of Thor lost his temper. They’d had the pendant for a week, and nothing, absolutely nothing had happened.

“Magnus, calm down.” Morgan’s gaze wasn’t on his twin, but on her. “You’re scaring Skye.”

Magnus snarled and held up the silver pendant. “Are you fucking kidding me? Who cares about Skye?” He ignored Morgan’s answering growl and shook the pendant. “Mjolnir is fucking broken.”

“It is not.” Morgan moved until he stood between her and his brother. She didn’t doubt for one single second that Magnus Grimm—no, Tate now—would cut off his own arm rather than hurt her or his brother, but Morgan didn’t appear to be taking any chances. “We just haven’t figured out how to activate it yet.”

Skye had an idea or two, if only the stubborn brothers would stop yelling at each other and start listening. “Um, could I—”

“It’s ours now. It should be working fine. But no, we’re stuck with a piece of fucking campy jewelry. When Odin comes for us we can bat our lashes and flash our bling. Who knows, maybe we’ll blind him!” Magnus tossed the pendant toward the fireplace, ignoring the crash as the silvery, opalescent glass tiles shattered. Damn. It was one of the nicest fireplaces she’d seen in a while too.

Who’d have thought that Morgan and Magnus Gri—Tate would have modern tastes? The clean lines of the tan sectional sofa were offset by the focus wall of polished wood. Orange curtains and pillows were the only pops of color. Even the end tables were boxy, gleaming wood that matched the wood wall the sofa was against.

The fireplace jutted out slightly into the room, and the brothers had painted it the same orange tone as the curtains and pillows, while the mantelpiece and surround matched the wood tones of the accent wall. The rest of the walls were pale beige. The wooden floors were a lighter color than the focal wall and the end tables, contrasting them and picking up the orange tones scattered throughout the room. It was sleek and modern, yet warm at the same time.

She was certain it was far more Magnus’s taste than Morgan’s. She wondered how hard he’d argued with his brother for the orange colors that permeated the condo.

“Great. Just great. Now Logan’s gonna get on my case too.” Magnus ran his hands through his hair. “Shit.”

Morgan sighed. “Brother, it’s not that bad.”

Magnus snarled again and began pacing. “If we can’t make it work, we can’t protect anyone, especially her.” He waved his hand at Skye. “You know that.”

“I do, but flinging Mjolnir around and yelling isn’t going to solve the problem.”

Magnus threw his arms up in the air. “It worked for Dad!”

Morgan was silent for a moment. “We’re not Dad.”

Skye cleared her throat. That was the whole point, the one both men were missing. “I think you should—”

“I know that.” Skye flinched as lightning flashed across the sky once more, but Magnus was on a tear now and there would be no stopping him. “I know! But you finally got—” His gaze darted to Skye, and with that single worried glance she understood just how long Morgan had wanted her and how far Magnus was willing to go in order for his brother to keep her. “And now she’s in danger and the fucking thing is nothing more than a trinket.”

As flattering as that was, without Morgan’s help Magnus would never get Mjolnir to work.

“In the gods’ home Vithar

and Vali shall dwell,

When the fires of Surt have sunk;

Modi and Magni

shall Mjolnir have

When Vingnir falls in fight.”

“She’s right. Modi and Magni, brother. Both of us are necessary to make it work.”

Magnus rolled his eyes and began pacing again. “Wonderful. We’re joined at the hammer.” Morgan snorted out a laugh, but Magnus ignored him. “And when it comes time to fight, Morgan? What then? Let’s say we finally figure out how to get Mjolnir from limp to legendary.” Skye giggled, cutting it off when Magnus glared at her. He really needed to calm down before Morgan smacked him one. “What then? We play monkey in the middle?”

Skye held up her hand. “I vote for Grimm as the monkey.”

Magnus just stared at her for a moment. “Can’t you go make sandwiches or something?”

“Magnus.”

Morgan’s low, warning tone should have clued his brother in on how upset he was getting, but Magnus seemed to ignore the tone. “No offense, but unless you can tell me how to make Mjolnir work I think you should stay out of this.”

Skye shrugged. “I just did.”

“Ugh!” Magnus threw his hands in the air. “The only thing you told us was that we’d get Mjolnir when Dad died.”

“You have to work together to get it to work properly.” She took a step toward Magnus, despite Morgan’s scowl. Magnus wouldn’t hurt her no matter how angry he got. “You and your brother are needed. It won’t work with just one of you.”

“Great. Wonderful. So without Morgan I can’t make the hammer big.”

She tried so hard not to laugh. “Um…ew.”

Just for a moment, Magnus’s natural sense of humor almost broke through his anger and frustration. She could see him biting back his laughter, but then Morgan picked Mjolnir up and tossed it at Magnus. “Here, bro.”

Whatever Morgan had planned on wasn’t what happened. Mjolnir hit Magnus with all the force of the hammer of the gods, knocking him off his feet and into the wall.

“Shit, Magnus.” Morgan rushed to his brother’s side, his expression horrified. “I just thought if I tossed it at you that maybe it would work.”

Magnus grunted, the wind obviously knocked out of him.

“I’m sorry.”

Magnus lifted the silver pendant off his chest and dropped it to the floor beside him. He took a deep breath and groaned. “I’m really getting tired of that shit.”

Morgan placed his hand over the place where Mjolnir had struck Magnus and grimaced. “We can make this work, Magnus. Give it time.”

Skye nodded, even though neither brother was paying any attention to her. “Both you of you, put your hands on Mjolnir.”

The brothers looked over at her. Morgan was still crouched by his brother’s side, his hand still on Magnus’s chest. Morgan turned back to his brother, and Magnus cocked an eyebrow at him. “It’s worth a shot.”

“What’s the worst that could happen, right?”

Magnus rolled his eyes. “I get tossed across the room again, that’s what.”

“Better you than me.” Morgan laughed as he ducked his brother’s swipe. “Let’s make this thing work.”

Magnus nodded and put his hand on top of the pendant.

Morgan’s hand joined his brother’s.

Nothing happened.

They both turned to Skye once more, Magnus looking annoyed and Morgan looking puzzled. “Now what?”

She shrugged. “Wonder Twin powers, activate?”

Morgan lost it, falling on the floor as he laughed his ass off.

Magnus banged his head repeatedly against the wall. “I hate you all.”

Skye rolled her eyes. “It’s your hammer now. Yours. Stop thinking of it as Thor’s.” She believed that was at least half the problem, the other half being neither of them were listening to their guts. “What are your instincts telling you to do with it?”

Magnus was back to glowering at her. “Shove it up—”

“Magnus.” And Morgan was back to growling at his twin. This was great. At this rate Mjolnir would never respond to them.

“Fine.” Skye headed for the front door. “Refuse to work with one another and the stupid thing will just stay a pretty piece of silver. Grimm wins, the end.”

She was in the air, held in Morgan’s arm, before her hand touched the doorknob. “You’re not going anywhere.”

She blew her hair out of her eyes. “Are you two going to play nice with each other? Or am I going home?”

Morgan freaking growled, and thunder rattled the building.

“Okay then.” She cleared her throat. “Put me down, please?”

“Are you going to leave?”

She stared at him.

“Skye.”

“I’m thinking.”

“Not now, Morgan.” Skye was startled when Magnus put his hand on Morgan’s shoulder. “Kiss the girl later.” Magnus’s expression was apologetic. “She’s right, and I’m sorry I snapped at both of you. The only way we’re going to figure this out and keep Skye safe is if we work together.”

Morgan slowly lowered Skye to her feet. He wasn’t even strained from holding her. It was as if she’d weighed less than nothing to him.

She forgot, looking at him, that he was strength embodied. If he wanted, he could probably take even Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, and tie him in a knot.

Morgan pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

She bit her lip. He was so affectionate toward her. It had been years since someone had just been casually affectionate. None of her boyfriends had absently loved on her the way Morgan did, and it made him all the more attractive. And when they made love, they both knew in their hearts what they’d been unwilling to say.

“Morgan?”

Morgan took a reluctant step away from her, and her skin actually hurt for wanting his touch. He stroked her cheek softly. “Soon.”

Her breath hitched. They’d made love again since that day in the kitchen, but they’d confined themselves to Morgan’s bedroom. “Soon.”

Morgan turned from her back to his brother. “Let’s do this.”

Yes, please. She licked her lips as Morgan walked away from her, his gait strong, sensuous. She was such a goner.

Let’s so do this.

It was late, he was tired, and damn if he didn’t just want to collapse into bed, preferably with a certain blonde tucked tightly by his side. They’d found Mjolnir, but neither Morgan nor Magnus had been able to get it to change size from the tiny silver pendant to the great war hammer their father had wielded. They’d spent hours trying different things to get the damn pendant to change size.

Hell, at one point, when Skye was in the bathroom, Magnus had even chanted that fucking Wonder Twins thing in sheer desperation.

So here they were, sitting in Kir’s living room and listening to the murmur of his family’s voices as they discussed…whatever it was Jamie and Jeff were on about this time. He thought for a fleeting second he’d heard the name Vincente and groaned.

Please, no gold lamé briefs. I’ll be scarred for life.

Skye was still upset over their inability to get Mjolnir to obey them. She’d absently curled up in his lap when he tugged her down, placing her head against his shoulder with an exhausted yawn. The trust she was showing him was devastating. She’d actually listened to him and fallen asleep to the quiet chatter of his family, snug and secure in his arms. Morgan was beyond pleased with that. The only way having Skye in his lap could be better would be if they were both naked. Right where she belonged.

Morgan cuddled her closer, smiling as she sighed, her breath warm against his neck. He caught Fenris’s eye, smiling when the wolf nodded at him. Fenris understood, the wolf’s gaze constantly drawn to his mate, watchful and protective.

Morgan would pull down the moon for Skye.

“Hey.”

Morgan turned to find Kir holding out a key. He took it and stared at the plain M&M embossed on the key ring. “What’s this?”

Kir shrugged, looking embarrassed. “For some reason, I keep thinking you and Magnus aren’t going to be living together for much longer.” His gaze darted to Skye, who was snoring lightly in Morgan’s embrace. Who would have thought a Fate could be so fucking adorable? “Magnus is going to find his own destiny soon, and I think…”

“What?” Morgan kept his voice low. He didn’t want to wake Skye. She’d been through enough traumas for the evening.

“I think…” Kir smiled at where his own lovers sat, talking quietly to one another. Jordan was holding Logan’s hand, and whatever they were discussing had Logan smiling in a way he reserved solely for his lovers. “I think your brother’s fate is going to be more like mine.” He held up two keys, each with a peanut M&M on the key chain.

“Huh.” Now that was a surprise, and yet it wasn’t. Magnus with two lovers? Having two people to tame his rage made perfect sense. He’d seen his brother casting his eye toward both sexes, even if he’d tried to hide that interest from their father and grandfather. “One of them will be male.” Morgan was as certain of that as he was that Skye belonged to him.

Kir shrugged again. “I think so.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t explain how I know, I just do. Like I know Val will also find someone, and that Jörmungandr and Sleipnir will come home, but that Hel is already home and won’t be joining us.” He held up a fourth key with a seashell embossed on the key chain. “And neither Sleipnir nor Jörmungandr will be alone for long.”

“Thank fuck. Any idea how we’re going to get Sleipnir home?” Jordan put her hand over Logan’s.

“Not yet. Val has a few ideas, but mostly they consist of ‘let’s storm the castle.’”

“I like storming the castle. You either get the dragon or the princess. Either way, you win.” Everyone stared at Magnus. “What?”

Morgan chuckled. Magnus was free to pursue his interests just as Morgan was. He wished his brother luck. “Anyone else moving in that we need to worry about?”

Kir sighed. “I’ve made the key, but I don’t know if it will ever get used.” He held up a key that had a shield on it.

A police shield? Morgan squinted, trying to get a clearer look, but Kir tucked it back into his pocket. “Is that for who I think it’s for?”

“If she wants it, yes.”

“Good.” Antonia Morelli was one of them, whether the stubborn human liked it or not. A mortal with the blood of Valkyries in her, she’d used her powers to help Jeff heal after Grimm nearly skinned him alive. They all owed her more than they could ever repay. Fenris had gone so far as to declare her family, and if he knew Logan and Kir it wouldn’t be long before the police detective was sharing blood with them as well.

If Toni moved in with them, Morgan would welcome her with open arms. He glanced down at the top of Skye’s head. Well, as long as he didn’t have an armful of Norn, that was. “I hope she accepts. She belongs with us.”

“She does.” Kir stroked Skye’s hair away from her face, revealing the affection Kir seemed to have for all those he’d chosen to take under his wing. He could see why Jordan had given the blonde her heart. The man had a huge one of his own. “Take her home, Morgan. She needs you more than she needs the rest of us.”

“Are you sure?” Hope pounded through him. Was this Kir’s blessing to the union Morgan wanted so desperately with Skye?

“She’s lost everything all over again. The person she was, the person she thought she was. Even though she’s hiding it pretty well she’s got to be torn up inside, and it seems that, other than Val, you’re the one she trusts the most to protect her.”

He would. He would protect her from anything. Even himself. “I would, with my life.”

He tried not to jostle Skye as Jeff slapped him upside the head. “No dying. Geeze, what is it with the Grimm family? One more person declares a death wish, and I’m biting their ass. Hard.”

“We’re not Grimms anymore.”

Morgan held back a sigh. Damn it, Magnus. He’d just gotten cozy, too.

Morgan glanced over at his twin, who shrugged. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted that out.” Magnus batted his lashes. “Forgive me? Pleeeeease?”

Morgan bit back a laugh. “Dickhead.”

Magnus grinned.

“What?” Jamie was glancing back and forth between them, obviously confused.

“Did Logan marry you to someone without telling you first?” Jordan shot Logan an annoyed glance, one he returned with the devilish smirk Morgan was more than familiar with seeing on his face.

“No, Logan didn’t marry us. We…” Magnus turned to Kir, who was smiling and nodding like a proud papa. “We decided we’d rather be Tates.”

Jeff’s startled breath was nearly drowned out by Jamie’s soft “Oh!”

“You’re a Yardley-Rudiger now, sweetheart.”

“And you’re a Saeter, elskede,” Fenris growled softly.

“I know, but I think I want my maiden name to be changed to Tate.”

“I agree. We’re more Kir’s family now than the Old Man’s.”

“You’re Fred’s children.” Morgan followed everyone else’s gaze to see Jeanne Grimm standing in the doorway of the spare bedroom, staring at her children through tear-filled eyes. “Hate Oliver Grimm all you want. Rant and rave, plan to kill him. Hell, I am. But your father was Fred Grimm, a good man with a good heart. Don’t disown your father for the actions of your grandfather.”

“We could make Fred a Tate too, Jeanne.” Logan smiled at Jeanne. “It would mean a lot to Kir to have all of his family back, including you and Fred.”

Kir nodded, but Jeanne shook her head. “No. I’m a Grimm. Oliver isn’t taking that away from me, not now, not ever.” She grimaced. “I can understand the temptation to get Oliver out of every part of your lives, but you can’t. Every family tree has a few rotten nuts. I’m not chopping the whole tree down for that. I’m just going to crush the nuts.”

Morgan resisted the urge to cross his legs the way Logan had. That might wake Skye. “Point taken.”

“We, Morgan and I, have changed our names a number of times over the centuries.” Magnus’s soft words brought Jeanne’s attention back to him. “Sometimes we shared Dad’s last name, sometimes we didn’t. But that never made him any less our father.”

Travis nodded. “And someday, our names will change again.”

“We’ll hide in plain sight, just like we always have.” Kir’s expression was sympathetic. “And when we share blood, and immortality, you’ll do the same.”

Jeanne looked away from Kir, her lip quivering before her chin firmed. “Then maybe I won’t become immortal. Not if it means giving up Fred.”

“Mom?”

Jeff sounded shaken, but he was standing behind Morgan. He couldn’t see his brother.

Jeanne smiled at her son. “Don’t worry, baby boy, I’m not ready to start my bucket list yet.” She winked, but Morgan could tell it was half-hearted at best. “I’ll think about all of this.”

“No matter what you decide, you will always be the wife of Thor.” Kir stepped forward and hugged Jeanne. “You’ll always be my sister-in-law, no matter what.”

Strong, cheerful Jeanne, who had held strong in the face of Frigg, who’d learned only a few short days ago that her husband had been lying to her from the beginning, who’d stood up to Fenrisùlfr and demanded to see her son when he was injured, finally broke down, sobbing on Kir’s shoulder like a woman who had lost her entire world, and her children weren’t far behind her.

“Hey.” He looked up to see Logan cuddling Jordan. “Take Skye home. Make sure she gets some rest, and keep her from leaving this floor unless one of us is with her. For all she’s a Norn, she’s no warrior.”

Morgan was more than aware of that. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”

Skye sighed against his neck and cuddled closer. It took everything Morgan had not to match that contented little sound.