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“Can I go to jail for this? Be honest, I can take it,” I turn around to face my therapist-turned-nemesis.

“It isn’t illegal,” the pervy lawyer’s voice pipes in. “These things are uncontrolled.”

“She’ll adapt really quickly, so no worries.”

“Ben!” I shout in frustration at his easy acceptance of one more fucked up thing.

“This is a grand thing,” Patch says with a tiny bit of awe.

“What?!No! How is it good that he’s now saddled with my insanity, Patch? My life is a mess, and it doesn’t look like it will get better, likeever!” I spin back to face the guy and put my hands together pleadingly.

“You could do so much better, man. There are supermodel hot chicks out there waiting for you. You’re young. Go out and be free, frolic, sow berserker seeds willy-nilly.Run for your life. It’s me, not you.”

I desperately make pushing motions as if I’m shooing a child outside.

“How old am I, Svend?” he turns his head to look at the leader guy seriously. I’m ashamed to admit that my knees wobble at his Irish accent, and my brain takes a hard right turn intohey, we could maybe keep himterritory.

“Definitely over a thousand. After that, it’s just guesswork,” he replies, crossing his arms over his chest, looking smug.

“What? I thought berserkers had Human life spans,” I say in confusion.

“A cross-breed,” Ben tilts his head and studies the guy again.

“Demi-god,” Kimi says from behind the berserker. He’s blatantly smelling him, but if the guy notices he doesn’t say anything.

“No, no,no. Our track record for demi anything is not good. Go away,” I demand. “Getting smashed to apulp taught me valuable life lessons I will never forget. No more demi-GVs.”

Kimi can tell that just from smelling him? Do demi-gods stink or something? I don’t want to know.

“You were crushed?” Svend asks in shock, looking me over as if he doesn’t believe me.

“Wouldn’t he be a demi-GC?” Ben chuckles, and I reach back to smack his thigh.

“Who?” The berserker leans down as he growls in my face.

“She’s dead, no worries,” Ben shrugs loosely. No worries, it should be his theme song at this point.

Let's sweep a little murder under the rug because she can’t cause any more problems. Ben’s outlook on life and death needs a little work.

“Good,” the guy leans back and takes a deep breath, relaxing his fists to lie flat against his thighs.

Maybeeveryone’soutlook on life and death needs work.

“Dude. You don’t even know me. What if she was perfectly innocent?”

“I do know you. Probably better than anyone here,” he says grimly.

“The bond doesn’t equal knowing someone, you jerk,” I could come up with a lot of insulting words for this guy, but he did defend me, so I don’t want to be too rude.

Plus, he’s hot.

He studies me closely with a frown. “You don’t remember me.” He sounds like he’s torn between being relieved and being pissed at the thought.

“From five minutes ago when we met without introducing ourselves? Yes, I do.”

He takes off his glasses to peer directly into my eyes.

The pupils are normal, round, and black. The iris is a sea of red with darker rust tones around the edges.

These eyes, like Kimi’s tail, are very familiar. There’s anger inside them, but it’s banked for the moment. The last time I saw them, they were filled with unstoppable rage.

This is the berserker from the labs.

The one who left me.