that might put you in danger. You are his mate.”
“I- I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered,
unable to look away from her growling berserker.
“Did he claim you, woman? Did he kiss you on the
mouth?” His fingers tightened painfully. “Have you already seen him like
this?”
Unable to speak, she nodded her head.
“His berserker has chosen you as its mate. Had
he not, you would have been instantly killed.” His dark chuckle repulsed her,
“I can smell his stench all over you...”
Dumbfounded, she stared into Roderick’s onyx eyes
and saw the stark anguish of the man inside.
Her…mate?
Oh God! She hadn’t known what she was asking when
she’d begged for his kiss, hadn’t understood the significance of his tenderness
when controlled by his berserker. How perfect. This extraordinary man would have embraced her own unnatural ability, would have allowed her to be herself
and never exploited her. This she knew. Tears welled as the knowledge
that she could love him overwhelmed her. She’d never known anything like that
before. Not about her own future.
“I want you to understand, the name of your mate
is now Alrik the Blue, should my berserker accept you, of course.” His sword flashed
as he nicked her arm, drawing a tiny bit of blood. She whimpered before she
could stop herself.
Roaring, Roderick drew his own blade. Desperate
sounds burst from him now. He stalked them, seeking access to Alrik who kept
her firmly between them no matter how she struggled.
“I possess his voice. I never thought he would be
able to find a mate without it. Look at him. Roderick the Black,” he spat the
title as if it tasted sour on his tongue. “Too young to even control the blood-rage.
Wields only fledgling magic. Pathetic!”
Evelyn remembered the night before, the candles
extinguishing by themselves. A cry burst from her as he punctuated with
another slash of his sword across her skin, this time a deep gash opened on her
thigh, drawing an alarming well of blood.
Roderick’s unholy scream terrified her. He lashed
out. The older berserker dodged and thrust her in front of the blow, pulling Roderick
up short.
“He is favored by Freya, even after I cursed him!
And now, the first among what remains of us to find a mate, which will increase
his power tenfold.”
Evelyn’s teeth clattered together as he shook her
for emphasis.
“I am the oldest and most potent of Freya’s
Warriors. I wear the color of the Goddess. There is no way that a Celt ,
the latest born of the Berserkers is going to rival me! I challenge you,
Gael, for your chosen mate and don’t think for a second that she won’t
accept me.”
“ Never.” she vowed. “And you’re a coward
for holding a woman as a shield. You shame your warrior Goddess!”
He didn’t strike her as she feared. His lips drew
sickeningly close to her ear. Serpentine fingers of evil caused her blood to
run cold as his breath brushed her neck. “There are things I could do to you
that would ensure your acceptance and, mark me, I would enjoy every moment.”
She shuddered, forcing her mind away from the
frightening images he conjured. “What does my acceptance have to do with any of
this?”
After a shocked pause, Roderick moaned and Alrik
burst into laughter. “You haven’t accepted him? Of course! How could
he have told you?” He vibrated with mirth. “You simple tavern slut. I’m
going to enjoy making you—”
“Yes, I do!” She cut him off, unwilling to hear
his threats. “I accept Roderick MacLauchlan as my…uh… mate.” There. That
ought to accomplish something.
Both men gaped.
“It doesn’t matter.” Alrik recovered first. “I can
still challenge for you.”
Evelyn’s breath slowed as she met the swirling
eyes of her mate and witnessed the power flow through him. Her energy fused
with his and a bond of celestial
“I- I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered,
unable to look away from her growling berserker.
“Did he claim you, woman? Did he kiss you on the
mouth?” His fingers tightened painfully. “Have you already seen him like
this?”
Unable to speak, she nodded her head.
“His berserker has chosen you as its mate. Had
he not, you would have been instantly killed.” His dark chuckle repulsed her,
“I can smell his stench all over you...”
Dumbfounded, she stared into Roderick’s onyx eyes
and saw the stark anguish of the man inside.
Her…mate?
Oh God! She hadn’t known what she was asking when
she’d begged for his kiss, hadn’t understood the significance of his tenderness
when controlled by his berserker. How perfect. This extraordinary man would have embraced her own unnatural ability, would have allowed her to be herself
and never exploited her. This she knew. Tears welled as the knowledge
that she could love him overwhelmed her. She’d never known anything like that
before. Not about her own future.
“I want you to understand, the name of your mate
is now Alrik the Blue, should my berserker accept you, of course.” His sword flashed
as he nicked her arm, drawing a tiny bit of blood. She whimpered before she
could stop herself.
Roaring, Roderick drew his own blade. Desperate
sounds burst from him now. He stalked them, seeking access to Alrik who kept
her firmly between them no matter how she struggled.
“I possess his voice. I never thought he would be
able to find a mate without it. Look at him. Roderick the Black,” he spat the
title as if it tasted sour on his tongue. “Too young to even control the blood-rage.
Wields only fledgling magic. Pathetic!”
Evelyn remembered the night before, the candles
extinguishing by themselves. A cry burst from her as he punctuated with
another slash of his sword across her skin, this time a deep gash opened on her
thigh, drawing an alarming well of blood.
Roderick’s unholy scream terrified her. He lashed
out. The older berserker dodged and thrust her in front of the blow, pulling Roderick
up short.
“He is favored by Freya, even after I cursed him!
And now, the first among what remains of us to find a mate, which will increase
his power tenfold.”
Evelyn’s teeth clattered together as he shook her
for emphasis.
“I am the oldest and most potent of Freya’s
Warriors. I wear the color of the Goddess. There is no way that a Celt ,
the latest born of the Berserkers is going to rival me! I challenge you,
Gael, for your chosen mate and don’t think for a second that she won’t
accept me.”
“ Never.” she vowed. “And you’re a coward
for holding a woman as a shield. You shame your warrior Goddess!”
He didn’t strike her as she feared. His lips drew
sickeningly close to her ear. Serpentine fingers of evil caused her blood to
run cold as his breath brushed her neck. “There are things I could do to you
that would ensure your acceptance and, mark me, I would enjoy every moment.”
She shuddered, forcing her mind away from the
frightening images he conjured. “What does my acceptance have to do with any of
this?”
After a shocked pause, Roderick moaned and Alrik
burst into laughter. “You haven’t accepted him? Of course! How could
he have told you?” He vibrated with mirth. “You simple tavern slut. I’m
going to enjoy making you—”
“Yes, I do!” She cut him off, unwilling to hear
his threats. “I accept Roderick MacLauchlan as my…uh… mate.” There. That
ought to accomplish something.
Both men gaped.
“It doesn’t matter.” Alrik recovered first. “I can
still challenge for you.”
Evelyn’s breath slowed as she met the swirling
eyes of her mate and witnessed the power flow through him. Her energy fused
with his and a bond of celestial
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