by Lee Savino
With a sigh, he fell to hands and knees and rutted hard. I hung on, enjoying the feel of him inside me. My own pleasure was a bare flame, and it would take time to stoke it into the inferno that would consume me. Besides, my mind was fractured, savoring the fierce concentration on Daegan’s face, and aching as I reached for Samuel.
Daegan grunted and finished just as baby babble filled the hall outside our chambers.
Daegan. They’re coming.
My black haired mate moved swiftly, grabbing a robe and helping me wrap in it. His body was bare but for a leather cloth around his hips. As we rose to greet our guests, I couldn’t help admiring the flex of his great muscles, the dark hairs on his powerful chest.
Berserkers age very slowly. If the witch was right, my own life span will match my mates. But I could spend a century drinking in Daegan’s masculine beauty, and he’ll never fail to stir my secret lust.
Not so secret. He caught my gaze with a grin. I’m in your mind.
I touched his lip long enough for him to nip my finger with his teeth, and then our sons arrived.
Sabine and Maddox entered with a baby each. The twins were born in winter time, and it was now almost fall, but I still thought of them as babes.
My sister came to me straight away, holding Euan. I held out my arms for my dark-haired son, cooing to him as he turned wide, silent eyes to mine. His brother Jacob cried and thrashed in Maddox’s arms, demanding milk as soon as he saw me.
“Give me this lad,” Daegan took his fussing son from Maddox, and tossed the boy in the air. I turned away, carrying Euan to my nursing couch as Jacob’s screams became delighted shrieks.
Sabine followed me. “They just woke. Maddox and I kept the braziers burning hot. I think the warmth helped them sleep.”
I nodded to her. She had her hands on her hips, frowning at Daegan’s rough treatment of his pudgy son.
“Jacob’s fine.” Maddox came to her side.
Sabine shrugged off his touch, sniffing. “I’m just glad you are not holding Euan. You might be tempted to start a baby tossing contest.”
“I’d win, too. Euan isn’t as heavy as his brother.”
Sabine scowled. Maddox reached for her again. When she poked him, he grabbed and turned her, holding her back to his front. Brawny arms covered with tattoos wrapped around her slender body, keeping her captive. For all her protests, Sabine didn’t struggle very hard to free herself.
I half listened to their bickering from my seat by the wall. My mates made me this private corner, well-lit and warmed by the fire. There I tucked Euan against me and opened my robe. He latched quickly, little fist pressing against my breastbone as he ate with intent. He was smaller than his brother, and less likely to cry when he was wet or hungry, so I took care to feed and check him first. Jacob was loud, but easily distracted.
My sons shared features and characteristics with both my mates. Euan had thick dark hair like Daegan, but was quiet and serious. Jacob was the opposite, happy and wild, and what little hair on his head was fair. Only the goddess knew their true sire. I did not care. They have two fathers. Daegan and Samuel laid claim to them both in equal measure.
As they did me.
“Och, you’re a fast bairn.” Daegan was down on the floor with Jacob, lying on a rug to encourage the baby’s intent crawling.
“He’ll be walking sooner than you think,” Sabine said.
“He’s already trying.” Daegan’s hands hovered alongside Jacob’s body as the little one pulled himself up to his feet using a pelt hanging over the dais. Jacob took tentative steps around the dais, gripping the edge for balance. “He hates to be still.”
“I noticed,” Maddox chuckled. “He barely let me hold him.”
“Where is Ragnvald?” Daegan asked without taking his eyes from his son.
“Meeting with those who returned from the pack. Any more news from Samuel? Has he found the missing?” Maddox glanced at me hopefully, and I shook my head.
“He spends day and night atop the mountain, searching for them. The Corpse King’s magic disrupts the bonds,” Daegan said.
“Is it wise for Samuel to fight him alone?” my sister asked.
“He is not alone,” Maddox’s arms flexed around his mate. “He has us.”
Together, Daegan and I reach out with our minds, but Samuel was silent. He placed a wall between us, shunning our support.
“We need to—” Daegan began, but his son’s happy shrieking interrupted. Jacob stood clutching the pelts on the dais. His crow of triumph ended when the furs shifted under his weight. He lost his hold and landed hard on the floor.
“Och, lad, you’re all right,” Daegan propped the baby up and tugged at the cloth wrapped around Jacob’s bottom, grimacing at the contents. “I thought I smelled something.”
“Time for us to leave,” Maddox tugged Sabine out the door as Daegan carried Jacob to the corner to change his soiled wraps.
“We’ll be back with food,” Sabine called from the hall.
Jacob screamed as his father changed him.
“Oh hush, ye wee scunner.” Daegan wrapped him back up quickly, and blew raspberries on his feet to distract him.
In my lap, Euan finished nursing and pulled himself up to survey the room. His little body relaxed when he saw his brother.
“Here he comes,” Daegan warned as Jacob sighted me and crawled towards my couch. I set Euan down, my own hands hovered as the brothers approached one another. They touched each other’s faces, as if reassuring themselves. Then Jacob howled with hunger. I scooped him up and set him at my breast, leaving Euan to crawl to his father.
“Jacob has a good battle cry,” Maddox remarked as he and Sabine entered with plates of food. My stomach growled. Sabine set the meat beside me and I nodded in thanks. My larger son will eat until my milk is gone, and scream for more.
“I have some meat broth ready.” Sabine sat next to me. “And fennel tea, for you.” She eyed Jacob as he snorted and snuffled at my breast, his hands grasped my robe as if afraid I’d pull away. “Soon he’ll be old enough to eat a little. I’ll start gathering roots. We can cook them until they soften. Carrots, potatoes, those would be best.”
“Carrots?” Daegan looked horrified. “My son needs meat.”
Maddox snorted.
“He’s a baby.” Sabine shook her head.
A cold wind gusted through the room as Ragnvald entered. The tall Berserker narrowed his eyes, adjusting to the low light of the braziers.
Maddox rose. “News?”
“Thorbjorn and Rolf have returned.”
We breathed a collective sigh.
“Do they know of the others who were lost?” Daegan asked.
“No.” Ragnvald fell into a chair. Sabine brought him a horn of mead, and he gulped before continuing. “They consulted a witch and hid from the Corpse King in another world. Their tale is a fantastic one.”
“That is strange.” Maddox’s brow wrinkled.
“There are many worlds connected by Yggdrasil,” Ragnvald said.
“This is good news. If they were delayed, but still returned. I assume they were safe and whole?” Sabine raised a brow. She is often called to provide healing to any of the pack. Broken bones, large gashes that need cleaning—anything the Berserker magic is slow to fix.
“Safe, whole, and even better.” Ragnvald allowed himself a smile. “They have a mate. She is bonded to them.”
“So soon?” Sabine asked. She didn’t protest as Ragnvald reached for her and pulled her into his lap.
“They were caught for some time in the other world. But still. These abbey women are prime and ready for mates.”
“Spaewives, all of them?” Daegan asked.
“All but a few of the holy women who guarded them,” Ragnvald nodded.
“One of the holy women is a spaewife,” Maddox corrected. “She even went into heat. She remains cloistered away, watching the youngest of the abbey women, the one’s too young to mate.”
“Juliet,” Sabine said
. “Her name is Juliet. She has taken vows. She is celibate.”
“She will not remain so for long,” Ragnvald muttered. Sabine smacked him lightly with the back of hand. Ragnvald caught her wrist, his eyes flared gold at her challenge.
“You decreed that none of the women would be forced to mate,” my sister argued.
“The decree stands. But like a Berserker, a spaewife becomes a slave to her desires. The heat is strong, and few are able to withstand it.” Ragnvald smiled broader as Sabine scowled, and pressed a kiss to her palm.
So Juliet will not be forced to mate? I asked.
Daegan nodded. “The holy woman remains with the youngest of the rescued women. No Berserker will go near their lodge. Not until the young ones come into their heat.”
“Then what?” Sabine asked.
Maddox shrugged. “We will hold another round of Games. Not to award the winners, but for the spaewives to see the men compete. Perhaps they will naturally seek their mates.”
Sabine sniffed. “Or they will seek a vow of celibacy.”
“There is no fear of that.” Ragnvald’s grin had a touch of fang. “They will not be able to withstand their nature for long. The mating heat conquers us all.” His gaze swept over us. “How is Samuel?”
“We do not know,” Daegan answered. “He refuses our help. As Alpha, he believes it is his duty to shoulder the burden alone.”
Maddox shook his head. “That is not good. The Corpse King is too powerful. He has scattered some of our best warriors across the land, and still has strength to assault our safeguards.”
“He’s attacking?” Sabine raised her voice. “Here?”
“Almost constantly.” Ragnvald said. “Have you not noticed the cold winds and mist off the mountain?”
“It is almost autumn,” Sabine said uncertainly.
“The weather is too harsh for the season. And, early this morning, two hunters ventured off the mountain and were lost for several hours. They described a thick fog, smelling of poison. They survived to return, as did Rolf and Thorbjorn.”
“We cannot fight the weather,” Maddox grumbled.
“But we must fight the threat behind it. All of us, not just Samuel.” Ragnvald rubbed a hand over his face. “We need to call the witch.”
In my lap, Jacob had fallen asleep, worn from his morning adventures. I tucked him close to my warmth and bowed my head to breath in his baby scent.
Daegan rose and joined me on the couch, Euan peaceful and quiet in his arms. I leaned over and touch my little one’s dark head, mouthing a prayer of protection.
Daegan took my hand. “We will keep you safe,” he promised me, voice thick with emotion.
My vision blurred as I nodded. I said a prayer for Samuel, battling the Corpse King from the high reaches of our mountain. He knew, as Daegan and I did, the cost of losing to the mage.
We had so much to fight for, and so much more to lose.
Muriel
The wind tore at my gown as I braved the mountain path. The lower I descended down the mountain, the colder it grew. The sun was shining when I left the cabin I shared with my mates, but here each gust held a tinge of winter, even a few flurries of snow.
I frowned. It was not even autumn. Why was it so cold?
When I reached the foot of the mountain, a fog, thick and vile-smelling, draped over the path. Shadows grew from the mist and I shrieked, almost dropping my basket.
“Stop.” Two large warriors stepped into my path, blocking it. “What are you doing here?”
I felt their eyes on me as I answered, keeping my gaze on my feet. “I’m here for my mate.”
A long pause passed, but I didn’t raise my eyes.
“Muriel?”
I turned at Wulfgar’s deep voice. My mate hastened up the path, his great brow creased.
My relief at seeing him melted before his hard frown. “You should not be here.”
I raised the basket. “I brought you some food.”
Wulfgar took my offering without looking at it. “Quickly. It’s not safe here.” With a large hand at my back, he hustled me back up the path. When I stumbled, he scooped me up in his arms. His stride barely registered a burden as he put on a burst of Berserker speed. When we broke away from the fog, the sun shone and birds chirped as if nothing was wrong. When we reached a sunny meadow, untouched by the wind or mist, I was shivering.
“You’re cold,” Wulfgar said gruffly as he set me down, and wrapped the pelt he wore around his shoulders around me. “You should not be here. It’s not safe.”
I bowed my head at the anger in his tone. “I’m sorry. I did not know.”
“You should’ve asked before you came.”
The chiding in his tone froze me more than any weather. “I-I tried. It has been over a night and a day, I haven’t heard from you or Fergus—”
He cursed. “The Corpse King breaks the pack bonds.”
My lower lip trembled. Wulfgar cursed again and hugged me to his great body. “Come here, lass. Forgive my rough words. You startled me.”
I clung to him, savoring his hold. It had been days since I’d seen my giant mate, and months since he had held me like this.
All too soon he eased me backwards. His blunt fingers caught my chin gently. “You must stay away from the lower reaches and the boundary of the protection spell. Promise me.”
“I-I promise.”
Fergus! Wulfgar called for my second mate using our shared mind link.
Coming, the bond echoed with Fergus’ faint reply.
“You will stay with Fergus. Do not stray. You must promise me.”
I nodded against his hand, eager to please my gruff mate. His face softened a touch, and he pulled me forward, kissing my forehead just as Fergus arrived.
“Don’t let her out of your sight,” Wulfgar ordered before striding away.
“Muriel? Why are ye here? And so barely dressed? Ye must be freezing.” Fergus shrugged off the pelt over his shoulders and placed it over the one Wulfgar set on me.
“It is still summer,” I protested.
“The Corpse King has spells to control the weather. His attack on the mountain is constant.” An arm about my shoulders, Fergus led me away. “Why did ye venture so near the foot of the mountain?”
“I did not know. I have not heard from you or Wulfgar. I’m sorry.”
“Och, lass. Ye miss us. ‘Tis no crime.”
“Wulfgar was so angry,” I whispered.
“Not at ye,” Fergus said quickly. “He has been fighting these past few days without rest.”
I bit my lip. It wasn’t only the past few days. For the past few moons, my older mate had withdrawn from me. Fergus was just as loving, but it had been a long time since Wulfgar had shared my bed. Until I felt the chill of his disapproval, I didn’t realize how lonely I was without my second mate.
Fergus must’ve felt my melancholy, for he stopped to hold me close. “It will be all right, lass. The Alphas are calling the witch. We are to watch the bairns while they speak to her.”
“Things are very bad, aren’t they?”
The strain around Fergus’ mouth and his silence told me the answer.
I bit my lip, looking past him down the path. I could not see far past the poisonous fog bathing the base of the mountain, choking out the forest and foothills beyond.
Brenna
The wind blew my hair as I climbed the mountain trail. When the summit came in view, I stopped to catch my breath. Since birthing the twins, my body had become lush and heavy, and less used to exertion. That will change when Euan and Jacob start walking.
I clutched my robe close and grit my teeth against the wind. At this height, it was louder and more terrible, filled with howls and mocking laughter. Another of the Corpse King’s spells, meant to inspire despair.
I hastened my steps, reaching out with my mind for my mate, shuddering at the empty silence where Samuel should be.
The head Alpha was so strong. Too strong. His willingness to bear
the burden of the whole pack was his greatest weakness. He sat on the highest pinnacle, great body still as if carved from stone, the wind tore at his blond hair.
For a moment I feared Samuel was trapped in a prison of his own mind, but he raised his head as I approached.
Brenna?
My knees almost buckled when his voice touched my mind. It had been so long. Teeth chattering against the vicious cold, I answered. It’s almost time to meet with the witch.
With a great sigh, Samuel stretched from his pose.
Our sons?
They are well. I placed a hand on his leg. He was freezing. Muriel and Fergus are here to watch the babes. Come down the mountain. You must eat, and rest.
I must be ready to find the missing.
He’s being stubborn, I linked to Daegan.
Hang on, lass. I sent help.
“Alpha,” Ragnvald’s voice rang up the path before he appeared. “I will take your place.”
Thank you, I mouthed to my sister’s mate. He inclined his regal head, and settled himself on a rock, brow furrowed in concentration.
Samuel moved slowly as an old man. I wrapped my arms around his waist, as if seeking shelter against the wind. His arm slid around my shoulders.
You should not have come.
I could not stay away. I pressed myself to his side. So joined, we walked down the path. I missed my mate.
It’s too cold for you to be about in just a robe. You must take better care of yourself.
You can punish me later.
Silence met my words, and I felt a touch of despair.
Don’t give up on him, Brenna, Daegan encouraged. He’s been too long listening to the Corpse King.
We must remind him of what is good, I agreed. But I didn’t relax until Samuel and I entered the hallway, out of the reaches of the wind.
Here, I led him to our shared chamber. Come and rest.
Very well. Samuel sank into a chair slowly. But only for a little while. There’s much work to be done.
I fetched him mead, but before I could leave to find food, Daegan entered with two plates.
“Meat,” Daegan set the plates near Samuel. “And carrots.” His nose wrinkled in disgust, he headed to where I stood adding wood to the brazier. He caught my hands and chafed them. “Brenna, ye shouldnae leave without an extra wrap.”
