Rollo watched as the wolf was chained to the pillar in his room, as she would be every night. The Frankish guards bowing to the Northman, before leaving the room. More days had passed since (Y/n) had sat herself on this desk and raised her skirts, pleasuring herself as he watched; only to have the moment snatched away from him by not only the wolf, but his own guards. Since then, (Y/n) had said nothing to him; she had barely even looked at him. The wolf doing what she was told, allowing herself to be dragged by the Franks on whatever errand the duke had sent her on, without a care. And with each passing day, Rollo lost more and more of his mind. None of this was how he had expected things to happen when she had been captured. But he knew that he should have known better. He should have known that instead of being his slave, he would become hers. The younger son of Sigurd slowly getting to his feet and making his way over to the shackled wolf. (Y/n) not even bothering to look up, as he dropped to his knees next to her.

"He left you on purpose, didn't he..........?" The duke questioned, glaring at the woman that still refused to look at him.

"You are my brother's revenge. He knew that I would not allow you to be killed when you were captured. He knew that I would bring you here. He knew that you would torture me......." Rollo continued, slowly taking a dagger from his belt and placing it at her throat.

"Your obsession, your jealousy of Ragnar......it really does eat away at you, doesn't it........" (Y/n) replied, as she finally looked up at him.

"This.......all this, has nothing to do with your brother; it was my idea. He tried to talk me out of it, tried to persuade me to go with him; but I insisted. I knew that I could make you suffer, and I have. Look at you. You barely sleep, barley eat. You spend all your time drowning yourself in that wine of yours. While I........I watch as you slowly break..........." Rollo lunging forward at her words. The tip of his dagger pushing into her flesh. The wolf not flinching, not making a sound, as the blood tricked down her neck.

"If you are going to kill me, Rollo, then get on with it. If not, then leave me alone. I for one would like to sleep..........."

"Or maybe I should do what I should have done from the beginning, and take what I want........." The face of the duke moving closer. The dagger moving deeper into her neck. Rollo growling menacingly, as (Y/n) began to laugh.

"You haven't got the balls. If you had, you would have done it that first night. No, you are a pathetic coward. A spineless, dickless worm, that had to betray his people in order to feel like any kind of man. But even after everything you have done; even wrapped in fine clothes and even finer furs, you will only always be a shadow of what Ragnar is........." (Y/n)'s head suddenly snapping sideways as Rollo slapped her hard across the face. The wolf smiling, as she tasted the blood in her mouth. The duke slapping her again, as she spat in his face.

"If that is the best you can do, traitor; then I do not think I have anything to worry about.........." The pair falling silent, as they stared at one another.

"Why.......?" Rollo finally asked, breaking the heavy atmosphere, as he dropped to his backside and took a seat next to her.

"Why do you love him.......? Why did you never love me..........?" (Y/n) scoffing at his question, as she wiped the blood from her mouth on the back of her sleeve.

"I have told you before, Rollo, love is not all I feel for Ragnar. What I feel for him is so much more than just that. He could have left me to die when I was a child, but he didn't; he saved me, cared for me. Showed me what it was to be a Viking.....what it was to be me. He is more than a father; more than anything I could have hoped for, and for those reasons, he has my loyalty and devotion. And if it means that I must give my life for him, then I will happily go to my death. As for you, who said that I could not.......did not love you. Your brother has never been my lover, nor will he ever be; but you.......I wanted you to be that, I wanted you to fill that gap in my life. I would have happily been your lover, your wife, your anything. I could see myself as Ragnar's wolf and Rollo's woman; stood on the battlefield between the two sons of Sigurd, with pride. Watching as our enemies pissed themselves as we ran into battle. But it was not to be, for that day, you didn't just betray your brother, you betrayed me; and whatever there may have been between us..........." (Y/n) allowing her head to fall back to the wall behind her.

"Now you are no longer Rollo, for the Rollo I knew, the Rollo I wanted, died that day. Now you are the Duke of Normandy, and I..........I am nothing but a filthy pagan. A creature to be reviled and spat at, by all those that preach love for their fellow man. So, why do you not just end me now, and I will find the true Rollo in Valhalla........." The wolf continued. Not bothering to open her eyes, a part of her not caring what he did next. Yet instead of feeling another blow; instead of feeling the blade once more being forced into her flesh, she felt the man by her side move, and then a weight being placed in her lap. Her fingers tentatively reaching out, until they settled on hair.

"Go to sleep, wolf........." Rollo simply said. (Y/n) smiling to herself, as she allowed her fingers to gently comb through his hair. Only stopping when she heard a soft snore come from him, then she too, join him in sleep.