Prepare thyselves for the inevitable demise of the wicked. Hunt down and steal as many wenches from the perverse Outsiders as need be for the continuity of our line. To prevail, we must breed women and bear much fruit.

‘Tis not I, a humble servant of the gods, who decree this, but the gods themselves:

Go forth and hunt, men.

- Viking Legend

Chapter 1

Alaska

Thirty-two year old Sofia Rowley sat in the back of the taxi, gazing out the window but seeing nothing. Leaving Fairbanks today was out of the question—it would be another couple of hours before they even reached the city. She’d just have to stay in a motel near the airport and catch the first flight back that she could tomorrow.

She welcomed the thought of the sun beating down on her face when the plane landed in warm Tampa. Alaska in the summer was cold; Alaska in February was bone-chillingly frigid.

This is where Sam died, she thought, absorbing the treacherous, icy terrain all around her. Snow-capped mountains thrust up everywhere, creating a picturesque but deadly panorama. She didn’t know how the cabbie was plowing through this stuff so doggedly. Experience, she supposed—and strong chains on his tires.

Tired from a mixture of jetlag, grief, and lack of sleep, Sofia raked her crimson fingernails through her long, blonde hair and sighed. She itched to tie the wild mane of curls back into a ponytail, but she’d forgotten to bring some scrunchies with her.

I don’t know what to do, Sam. I don’t know how to go on without you.

Her life, once driven and purposeful, suddenly felt lackluster and unfocused. Rowley Travel no longer held any allure. Her brother’s death had forced her into recognizing that work and Sam had been her sole sustenance.

It was time to start anew, to live instead of exist. Sofia realized as much, she just didn’t know how long it would take for the interchanging numbness and grief to wear off to an acceptable level, permitting her to get on with living.

Sam would have demanded no less. Indeed, her brother had been harping on her for years to go out and enjoy herself more often. She recalled a conversation they’d had just a few short months ago.

“You’re beautiful,” Sam told her. “I’ve always seen the way guys look at you. And while it kinda grosses me out—I mean you are my sister after all—I know why they look at you the way they do. You’re the type of woman every man wants for his own—smart, kind, hard-working, gorgeous, and as much as I hate to say this out loud, you’ve got a killer body.”

Sofia chuckled into the phone. “I think you’re being generous. The looks in the family all landed on you, kiddo.”

“No they didn’t. That’s a bunch of bullshit and we both know it.”

No, she didn’t know it. “Oh? Then how come men rarely ask me out?”

“Because all you put out are those you-don’t-stand-a-chance-with-me vibes. Men are basically pathetic and insecure. Trust me on that one, Sof.”

She shook her head and grinned. “Am I really that bad? I don’t mean to be.”

Sam’s voice lowered, growing serious. “You took care of me all those years and I can never thank you enough for it—”

“Sam, you don’t need to—”

“—But I’m grown up now and you deserve to find your happy ending. Don’t waste your life hiding behind a desk, sis.”

Sofia smiled sadly. Her brother had been her best friend, her only real friend. His death had left a gaping hole in her heart and her life that she wasn’t altogether certain could ever be mended.

Fatigue overwhelming her, Sofia’s eyelids slowly closed, thick black lashes fanning down. The pain inside was raw and powerful; she welcomed the respite a short nap would bring.

I miss you, Sam. No matter how old I live to be, I will carry you in my heart and memories forever.

* * * * *

Sofia’s eyelids slowly batted open. She stretched and yawned, feeling a bit more refreshed. Wondering how long she’d been asleep, she glanced at her wristwatch. She stilled.

Four hours.

They should have reached Fairbanks by now.

Her gaze darted outside the taxi. Sofia’s pulse soared when she realized that nothing looked familiar. It was dark and dreary outside, but she was able to make out enough of her surroundings to ascertain that they were not as they were supposed to be.

The terrain had become impossibly harsher and more mountainous. The road—were they even on a road? Sofia’s eyes widened. She didn’t think they were.

“Sir,” she called out to the back of the taxi driver’s bald head. “I don’t think you’re going the right way. I wanted to go to Fairbanks,” she reminded him.

He said nothing. Her heartbeat picked up as an ominous feeling stole over her.

“Sir!” Sofia yelled, her voice sounding hysterical even to her own ears. “Where are you going?”

Their gazes locked through the rearview mirror. Again, the cabbie said nothing. His driving increased in speed, and true panic set in.

He was kidnapping her. The thought was stunning, numbing. A sense of surreality set in. This just couldn’t be happening. She had to be dreaming!

A thick, opaque barrier of glass kept Sofia from lunging at him. Thinking quickly, she fumbled for the door handles, preparing to jump out of the taxi. If the fall killed her, it didn’t matter. She’d rather jump to her own death than be raped and murdered by that swarthy, grotesque, little bastard.

The door handles wouldn’t budge. Her throat issuing terrified, gurgling sounds, Sofia rattled the handles until they all but broke off. Nothing worked. The driver must possess a mechanism that kept backseat passengers from opening the doors until they paid their fares.

Oh no.

God, help me!

Mouth dry and eyes bulging, Sofia kicked against the door with all of her might. “Let me out!” she screamed, her heart hammering loudly in her ears. Her fists pounded against the glass divide that separated them. “Open the fucking door!”

The cabbie didn’t even acknowledge that she’d spoken. His silence was more frightening than any words he could have spat back at her.

She was going to die. Perhaps slow and torturously.

Her heart slamming against her breasts, Sofia began to scream.