Meeting The Beast
Frida
It is a quiet night in Valhalla. As quiet as a night in Valhalla can be. I am here every night so I should know. There is nowhere for me to go, I got no other place to be. And I am glad Valhalla exists. It is safe here. It is safe and has free food for girls like me. No one asks questions and more or less men here tend to be respectful. I am told that this was not the way but after King Tor took over and more Valkyries flooded in, things changed.
I am lucky in a way to have found this haven that accepts me. It was so bad out on the streets. Even that was better than my home, though. Hell itself is better than my home.
“Hey, Frida!” Jackie comes to me.
Thank the gods for her. She is one of the few friends I have and I owe her. She brought me in and vouched for me. It hasn’t been long and still is the best period of my life. Which is super pathetic but I tend to find that being found raped with my throat sliced is higher up on the pathetic-ness scale. So bigger picture here.
“Jackie! I thought you weren’t in.” I hug her.
She smiles and turns to one of the hang-arounds. He winks at her and she wiggles her fingers at him.
“I see.”
“What? He has potential. He is Wood’s trusted man. He will get the cut one day.”
I shake my head. Jackie dreams of what most of the girls here dream: to be a Valkyrie. They dream of bearing the tatt with the Valkyrie astride. They dream of the stability and protection of a Rider. They dream of love and respect. And great sex as the rumor goes.
They all think they got a chance. Iris was a cleaning lady basically before Rage claimed her. Tamie was a slave sex worker. Magda was captured as the enemy of the Riders. That to them means that they could be next. I am no fool. I also see that Lysa is a Rider princess, Ava a Russian mafia queen, Chiara a renowned reporter, and Iman a fucking millionaire.
I also see another detail that seems to escape those that scheme on how to entangle a Rider between their legs. There are a lot of things that the Valkyries are – including a dude – and one thing that none of the Valkyries are: a rotter. Rumor has it that the former Queen was a rotter before she was elevated to her regal status, but rumor also has it that she was a maniacal bitch so…
As for me, I know my place and I do not foster such stupid dreams. I am content to be safe, with shelter and food. For free. OK, not exactly for free. Maybe the occasional blowjob. I have had worst. Way, way worst.
“Good luck then,” I say to my friend.
I am not going to spoil her mood. A girl can dream, right? Not me but any other girl is free to have a notepad filled with the word “Rider” over and over again.
“How about you?”
“What about me?” I frown.
“Got your eyes set on anyone? Not many Riders are single. I mean Tor is the absolute goal, but I don’t think that handsome motherfucker will ever get a Valkyrie. Then there’s Tar but he is rarely in taking care of other businesses of the Riders. And then…”
As if conjured, the last eligible bachelor of the Riders walks in. The bar goes quiet. He is the only one wearing the cut present at the moment and respect needs to be shown. Especially to him. I swallow.
“Then there’s this fucker,” Jackie whispers.
The Rider walks in and heads to the bar. When he lifts his chin, the bar breathes and the usual chatter begins again. The hang-around manning the bar rushes to hand him a beer and he grabs it before he turns to take a look around. He scans the room and I shiver, waiting for his inspection.
“Not me, not me, not me,” Jackie prays and looks away from him.
I am mesmerized though terrified. I was told that he had another nickname when he got the cut. The gossip between rotters tells me that he used to go by Jab. I am new here so I only know him like this, I know him as Odin.
Odin.
His one, single, blue eye passes over Jackie and me and I hold my breath. As he looks at me with that one flaming eye, the other hidden by a black leather patch, I know his new name is fitting. I mean, too much on the nose and quite obvious but so fucking fitting.
I can’t help but look at him. Just gawking like a deer caught in lights even if it means being run over. There is no avoiding that. A man like him can’t go unnoticed.
I study him. He is built and everyone says he trains for hours every day. I can see that. Thick arms pour down through the sleeves of his t-shirt. I am imagining his t-shirts share the same sentiment as Jackie. They must be whispering “not me, not me” cause this man’s build is seriously testing the seams. I feel flushed so I dare not look further down. It is almost a sin.
Then it’s his face that draws everyone’s attention. Crowned by his scruffy light brown mane that falls on his shoulders, he looks… dangerous.
Of course, it’s the eye patch over his left eye. Then there are those scars that come out from under that patch that mark his face. His other eye is a striking blue that reminds me of the ocean. But I see more. I almost lean in with interest to-
“Thank Tyr,” Jackie sighs.
I realize that while I was thinking of him, Odin has left.
“He wasn’t in the mood today too,” another girl comes to our booth. “We might have to make a roster call to be sure to distribute the burden if he ever goes back to his usual appetite.”
“Good idea, Anne,” Jackie claps. “Well, there is enough of us here to make the rounds to be with him once in a while.”
“That would mean there would be enough volunteers.”
“We would all have to take one for the team. Keep the Beast sated.”
I frown to hear them talk about him like that. He is not a beast. He is… Well, he is a beast alright but I know it. I feel it. There is more underneath.
And the capital idea is to let it stay there.
“Hey, girls,” one of the hang-arounds comes up to us three. “Anyone up for a dance?”
“Sure thing, Hoff,” Anne volunteers cheerfully.
He smiles his big smile at her and she wraps herself around him.
“Well, good for Anne. Hoff is a decent guy and word is, Daniel is looking at him to be his replacement when he retires,” Jackie somehow knows all the gossip. “You should follow our lead, Frida. Look for a man to take care of you. Gods know there are many takers.”
“What I need,” I sigh, “is to start taking care of myself. I wish I only knew where to start.”
Jackie takes me in her arms and squeezes me. I was telling the truth. I need to start looking out for myself.
