by Lee Savino
“She used to,” one of my sisters told him. Muriel, perhaps. “When her throat first healed, she could still make sounds, just not words. Fleur and I remember. The villagers mocked her sounds and called her an animal. So she stopped.”
“I knew she was mute but I thought it was because of the scars.”
“The worst scars are more than skin deep,” Yseult said. “Now go. Your woman is strong. The pain she feels will take her to the crossroads of life and death, where she will pull life through.”
“If she dies, witch, there is nothing on heaven and earth that will stop me from killing you,” Samuel said.
“I know,” Yseult replied. “Now go.” My men shuffled out before I could apologize, explain why I did not let them hear my voice.
“More cooling cloths,” someone murmured at my ear, and draped something cold and delicious on my forehead. I was so warm.
A cramp seized my body, pain beyond pain, and my cry sounded through the room, a horrible, guttural sound more animal than human. It filled me with shame.
“That’s it, let go,” Sabine murmured. “The baby is coming. Soon you will be able to feel the head. May I touch you now? I want to massage you with oil so your tissues will stretch and not tear.” She waited until I gave permission to rub the oil between my legs.
Minutes passed and I though I felt cramps, none were as great as the one that made me cry out for the first time since a rabid wolf ripped out my throat.
“Let go, Brenna.” Sabine urged. “The baby will come, as soon as you allow it.”
“Let’s move you into a new position. On your back now, with your knees tucked up as high as they can go.”
Somehow I ended up on my back, with Fleur laying fresh cooling cloths on my head, while Sabine and Muriel helped me hold up my legs. The giant cramp came again, squeezing out my very soul. I grunted and growled like a raging Berserker.
When the pain left, I curled into a ball.
“Come on,” the women coaxed me to my back, knees in the air again.
I started sobbing.
Brenna, A voice in my head, but not my beloveds’. Sharp and cold. The witch. Can you hear me?
Yes.
You heard what I told your mates? Every woman in labor goes to the crossroads of life or death, where they must choose. You are strong enough to turn your back on death. You will pull life through. Her voice bit into me like long nails.
I can’t do it.
You are doing it.
The pain came again, and broke the bond between us. I floated for a moment, dipping into my men’s heads. Daegan kept watch while the rest of the pack helped Sabine’s Alphas ply Samuel with more drink. My blond had a horn in two hands and his arm around Ragnvald’s neck. They were bellowing a song about rowing dragon headed boats to the ends of the earth.
They’re fine. A woman’s voice, strong and yet gentle, came to me. I had a vision of a lady walking towards me, long, dark hair fluttering on the breeze. Her face held a gentle smile, and her arms wrapped around a bundle. Your mates will be good fathers.
They are protective.
As they should be. The lady laughed softly. She was beautiful, regal, and I ached to stare at her, but my eyes went to the cloth swathed burden in her arms.
What is that?
A gift for you. But you must return and get it.
I could hear myself grunting and crying in the chamber, shameful sounds. I do not want to go.
I know. And yet, you must. Or I will keep this one for myself. She turned with a toss of her hair.
No, wait. Rushing forward, I gripped her cloak and forced her to face me. Her brown eyes met mine, and it struck me, then, how much the goddess looked like me.
This one is mine. I told her. She nodded and I knew she would send the babe to earth. I dove back into the chamber filled with watching women and my moans. Into my body, wracked with bone-jarring pain.
“That’s it, Brenna, push,” Sabine ordered, and, I bore down as hard as I could.
“The head,” Yseult said. The witch now sat watching from across the room.
There’s a lot of power in birth, she whispered to me. But I will keep myself from tasting it, out of respect for you and your mates. Noting how her eyes glittered, I was grateful that only my sisters touched me.
“Feel it, Brenna,” Sabine guided my hand between my legs and I touched my child’s hairy head.
“A few more good pushes and you will hold your babe in your arms.”
I nodded, and sipped at the horn Muriel held for me. Fleur dabbed my forehead and I motioned for her to press it to my fevered skin. My sisters buzzed around me in their white shifts, like priestesses around an altar.
“Birth is the most sacred ritual of them all,” Yseult said and practically licked her lips. Except for sacrifice.
Birth is sacrifice, I said, and from the glimmer of surprise on her face, I knew she hadn’t mean me to hear the last part.
Taking a deep breath, I gripped Sabine’s hands. A contraction was coming. I nodded at her, she nodded back. This time, I growled and grunted all I wanted, and felt no shame. Cramps warred with my body, threatening to tear it apart.
You will not break. The pain is right, it moves the baby along. The voice came from Yseult, or the goddess, or perhaps from me.
Come, my child, I urged. I want to see you.
“I can help you,” Sabine said. I bobbed my head as hard as I could.
Muriel and Fleur stood on either side as she knelt between my legs.
“I’m going to touch you now, and ease the babe’s passage.” A twinge of pain. “My fingers are holding you open. The next contraction and your child will be born.”
Another cramp started. I felt it grow like a giant ocean wave, ready to toss me like jetsam to the shore. I screamed then, for it would suck me under and I would drown.
A flurry of motion happened around me. Sabine shouted, and Muriel hurried down to kneel beside her. Fleur hovered.
“You’re all right, Brenna,” Sabine almost shouted over my cries. “Just one more push.”
It couldn’t happen again. It would break me.
Cold hands cradled my skull, and Yseult bent over me. “Your son is born,” she said. “Hear him wailing? He lives..but there is another.”
Another?
“Twins,” Sabine said. “Brenna, the next contraction, I need you to push with all your might. This one must come out soon.”
The cramp hit me almost as soon as she stopped speaking. My screech rang in my ears long after the cries of my babies filled the rooms.
“Cut the cord--it’s tangled--there--hold him face down, let the fluids drain--he is alive, but barely--bring me more cloths--”
What is happening? I motioned. Sabine and the others stood in the corner, fussing over my babies. They couldn’t see my fluttering hands.
I had a short, terrifying vision of the lady walking away with the bundle in her arms. No. I screamed in my mind, and rushed after the goddess even as she disappeared into shadow. Reaching out, I pushed my long arms into a tear in the darkness, and pulled out my sons.
“Brenna,” Fleur stood at my side. The smallest twin, she looked frail and was often sickly, but tonight her hands were strong as they steadied my body.
My sons, where are they? My body kept jerking, moving.
“Sabine and Muriel are swaddling them while your body expels the afterbirth. There.” Fleur set aside a bowl and lifted clean cloths to wrap me in.
I want my babies. I grunted and growled to get all my sister’s attention, not ashamed of any of my noises now. Bring me my babies. I shivered, suddenly freezing.
“Here,” Muriel laid a baby on my breast, and tucked a robe around us both. I relaxed, staring at the little red thing. Dark hair matted its head and its plaintive cry sounded so beautiful to my ears.
“A son. A dark-haired child of Alba, by the looks,” Yseult said. “Daegan’s.”
“And the other,” Sabine approached with a small, silent bundl
e. “A son as well.”
I motioned for her to give him to me.
“Brenna, he is much smaller, perhaps we should send for a wet nurse…” her voice died away. Some women nursed only one babe, saving all their milk for the strongest one and leaving the younger, sickly twin out to die.
I motioned again, more savagely. Fleur took the bundle from Sabine. “Of course she will nurse him herself,” my youngest sister said. “There is enough milk for him. Your mates will slay everything in the forest to feed you enough meat, if they have to.”
She placed my small son so his mouth brushed my breast. His brother had found my other one and was suckling with greedy, contented sounds.
“He came out gripping his brother’s heel,” Fleur told me. “He’s small, but a fighter.”
“Samuel will want to name him Jacob,” Yseult said. “He will be pleased. I will go and tell them.”
I had eyes only for my babies. With a little coaxing, the littlest one took my nipple and sucked hard. He fed long after his dark-haired brother fell asleep, and I knew he would be fine.
My sisters gave me tea and honey cakes, and moved about the chamber cleaning away all signs of suffering. At last they came and kissed me.
“We will stay close, if you need us,” Muriel said. Sabine looked tired.
“Thank you,” I signed. They left me in the warm darkness, drowsy with my children in my arms.
I knew the moment my men entered the chamber. Samuel and Daegan didn’t speak, but stood in awe at the foot of the bed until I bid them move forward. They lay on either side side of me.
Here. Hold them. I handed each their son, and almost laughed at their shoulders tensed. For all their brute strength, they were frightened of holding a baby.
“They’re so fragile,” Samuel defended himself.
They’re stronger than they look. Although, if I catch you making games of testing their strength, I will kill you.”
“This one,” Daegan touched his son’s dark hair. “He looks like me.”
“I think his face looks mushed. Must be from when I broke your nose.”
“Yours looks so small, his father could be a rabbit.”
Hush. You’ll wake the babies. I lay back with a smile on my face.
Two sons to keep your men busy. You did well, Berserker wife. Yseult’s sharp voice probed my mind.
Thank you. I am grateful to you and the goddess. I told her of my vision.
Yseult was silent a long time.
I've heard of such a thing. It is a great honor to see the lady of the crossroads. Perhaps your magic runs deeper than you think.
I caught an impression of where Yseult was--cold air rushing around her body, moonlight on snowy white wings as she wheeled around the mountain.
Death is coming, but not tonight. Rest now, you’ve earned it. I will protect this mountain until dawn. She pushed me out of her mind, and I went gratefully, leaving her to her lonely flight under the icy stares of the stars, and returned to my warm chamber filled with the sounds of a mother humming a lullaby.
The End
The Berserker Saga
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Sold to the Berserkers - nominated “Best Fantasy Romance” by Gravetell Reader’s Choice Awards
Mated to the Berserkers
Bred by the Berserkers (FREE novella only available at www.leesavino.com)
Taken by the Berserkers
Given to the Berserkers
Claimed by the Berserkers
Rescued by the Berserkers (Hazel and Knut’s story) - coming soon
Kidnapped by the Berserkers- coming soon
Captured by the Berserkers- coming soon
...and more!!!
Acknowledgments
Though much of my writing is done alone, in secret, it takes a village to birth a book.
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Special thanks to Renee Rose, primary beta and amazing author friend. To The Brit, for his editing skills and whole-hearted (if whiskey soaked) approval of public punishment scenes. To The Sprinter’s Anonymous for endless support and fun. To Tanya, for her tantalizing teasers and last minute book covers. To Nanette and all the glorious fans in the Goddess Group. To my first great writing teacher, RHW “Wolf” Dillard, who gave me the freedom to write about Viking werewolves for my college senior thesis.. To the ancient poet, Þorbjörn Hornklofi, who wrote the “Raven’s Song” that immortalized King Harald Fairhair and his ‘berserker’ warriors who united Norway.
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Most of all, thanks all the readers and fans who wrote me and told me to continue this series. Because of your encouragement, 2017 will be The Year of the Berserker. :D
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<3
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-Lee
A Note From Lee Savino
Hey there. It’s me, Lee Savino, your fearless author of smexy, smexy romance (smart + sexy). I’m glad you read this book. If you’re like me, you’re wondering what to read next. Let me help you out…
* * *
Take this handy quiz:
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Do you like snarky heroines? If so, read Rescuing Regina OR Devil Dog.
Do you like hot, dominant heroes? If so, READ ANYTHING I'VE EVER WRITTEN. Ahem.
Do you like werewolves? I’m guessing you do, so make sure to read the entire Berserker Saga. Start with "Sold to the Berserkers"
Do you NOT like werewolves? Read the Berserker Saga anyway. Paranormal romance readers and shunners like it equally. :D
Do you like contemporary romance with some comedy and a lotta kink? Again, Rescuing Regina OR Devil Dog. And write to me at [email protected] and tell me to write more, because I have so many ideas for a rom com series.
Do you like 19th century cowboys? If so, read the Rocky Mountain Bride Series OR Pearl's Possession
Do you like menage? If so, read the entire Berserker Saga OR Pearl's Possession. MFM menage = the men make it all about the women.
Do you NOT like menage? If so, why did you read this book? Anyway, read Rescuing Regina OR Devil Dog OR any Rocky Mountain book OR Innocence in the Underworld.
Do you like Mafia Romance? If so, read Innocence in the Underworld: A Mafia Romance Trilogy
Do you like cuddly Scottish Daddy Doms? If so, read Rocky Mountain Wild OR Sold to the Berserkers.
Do you like tattooed heroes? If so, read Devil Dog OR Taken by the Berserkers.
Do you like hot sex? Pick a book of mine. Any book. Read it.
Do you NOT like hot sex? Don't read my books. Take up cycling.
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Still wondering what book of mine to read? Email me at [email protected].
About the Author
Lee Savino is a USA today bestselling author. She’s also a mom and a choco-holic. She’s written a bunch of books—all of them are “smexy” romance. Smexy, as in “smart and sexy.”
She hopes you liked this book.
Find her at:
leesavinoauthor
www.leesavino.com
Also by Lee Savino
The Berserker Saga
Sold to the Berserkers
Mated to the Berserkers
Bred by the Berserkers (FREE novella only available at www.leesavino.com)
Taken by the Berserkers
Given to the Berserkers
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Contemporary Romance
Rescuing Regina
Devil Dog
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Mafia Romance
Innocence in the Underworld: A Mafia Romance Trilogy
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The Rocky Mountain Bride Series (19th century cowboys)
Rocky Mountain Dawn
Rocky Mountain Bride
Rocky Mountain Rose
Rocky Mountain Romp
Rocky Mountain Rogue
Rocky Mountain Wild
Rocky Mountain Ride
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Historical Menage
Pearl's Possession
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Lee Savino, A Berserker Birth
