Ivar had known Ruby ever since he could remember. She’d been a constant presence in his life, not quite as close as the elevated status that Floki had when he’d become an honorary uncle, but she was a close confidant to the boy. And perhaps his only friend.

The changes had been painful and frightening for a young boy to deal with. Ragnar had done his best but his father had only been there for brief moments before he’d disappeared entirely from Ivar’s life. Ivar had relied on his rage and anger to sustain him in both human and wolf forms. By the time he’d become king, he’d mastered them both.

Now that his wife was pregnant, he felt like he had everything he’d ever wanted. But still….the old fears remained. So he went to Ruby, returning her smile with one of his own. “Hello, Ruby. Do you have a moment?”