Page 7 of The Stolen Bride (Kings of Fury #2)

Chapter

Seven

When Your Shelter From the Storm is a Walking Tempest

–HOW TO TRAIN YOUR BERSERKER

By Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy-Bruce

I slept nestled in Viktor’s arms.

It happened by accident, but also on purpose. After his shocking yet not even the tiniest bit surprising announcement that I’d be bunking up with him, I sputtered out a breath, producing plenty of sounds but zero words. Eventually, I stopped clutching my invisible pearls while preparing to demand he use his payment in order to gain my cooperation, and sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” First, he could force me to sleep outside. Second, he sought to protect me. Third, keeping him close wasn’t a terrible idea. “But no making a move. I’m issuing a preemptive refusal.”

“I thought we had this conversation already,” he said with a humph. “If I want sex, I can get it elsewhere.”

“Not with that attitude you can’t.”

He opened and closed his mouth, as if trying to say a thousand things at once.

More than a little irritated with him for reasons that definitely had nothing to do with his love life, I patted his cheek. “You don’t know this about me, but you’re about to learn the hard way. I value my beauty Zs as much as my meals. Precious seconds I can spend in bed are ticking by while you try to do the impossible and think of a comeback that can clean up the damage caused by my truth bomb.”

He gripped my wrist and lowered my hand, as if he didn’t wish to be touched. Except, instead of releasing me, he dragged his thumb across my palm, sending tingles rushing up my arm.

“Soft,” he muttered.

Goose bumps broke out. Okay, we needed to veer to a new track. “Feel free to take the first shift and stand guard.”

“We don’t require a guard tonight.” Wind kicked up, whistling. “A storm comes. Turul-shifters prefer not to fight in torrential rain. They are at a disadvantage. We are not.”

To punctuate his words, lightning flashed overhead, and thunder rumbled in a rolling wave.

Ugh. I hated storms. I had lived in tornado alley for years. Losing half my roof was what prompted me to move to Aurelian Hills. “What about the horses?” I’d grown fond of Fekete Ló.

“They’ll be in tents with my men.”

Another crack of thunder boomed, louder than the first. Tightness spread through my chest. “That’s my cue. Get moving or get left behind.”

He stood, tugging me up with him, and ushered me to the tent. An astonishingly cozy space with a full-size pallet of blankets that offered a soft cushion far better than the hard ground. The violin waited in the corner .

But. Um. Only one bed, not separate sleeping bags? I might as well be the heroine in a fated mates, enemies to lovers romance novel. “Remember our golden rules,” I said. “No falling in love with me or making a move.” I toed off my boots. “I’ll stay on my side. You stay on yours.” I didn’t want to play right now. Or talk. I just wanted to sleep. But new cracks of thunder caused even the ground to vibrate, and I swiped out my arm at record speed to link my fingers with his. “For your peace of mind, we’ll hold hands so you can be sure I’m not running away.” Nervous laugh. “You gotta be well rested for our journey and the battle with Deco, amirite.”

Gold rings flickered in Viktor’s eyes. He yanked me against him and enfolded me in an almost crushing but amazing embrace. “You’ll face down a camp of berserkers without flinching, but a little rain makes you tremble? You know I’m here, ja? I will allow nothing untoward to happen to you.”

Okay, so, his incredulity wasn’t my favorite. “You might be immortal, but you can’t control the weather.” Raindrops hit the tent, sounding like pops of gunfire, and I squeaked. “If you’ve never seen a semi-truck being spun in a dark, twisting funnel of chaos, you don’t get to judge my overreaction. By the way, I’m not afraid of anything. I don’t do fear. This is…reluctance. There’s a difference.”

Brighter flashes of lightning electrified the air, raising the fine hairs on my body as he positioned me on the pallet. He stretched out beside me, slid an arm under my neck, and crooked his fingers under my chin to lift my face. “I will hold you like this all night long, making sure you don’t fly away, but I, too, insist you make no moves.”

I snorted internally, which jostled sore muscles. There was no stopping my outer wince .

“Is that a hint for another massage?” he asked, his tone conversational, even pleasant.

“No, of course not.” But another massage did sound amazing. “Yes. No,” I repeated and heaved a second sigh. “Your question borders on a move.” And I wasn’t exactly unwelcoming at the moment, truth be told. He just, he felt so good, pressed so close. And he hadn’t retreated into madness a single time during this conversation. Or mentioned Valkara.

“I won’t allow you to keep your emotions at bay, so I’m not your type. I get it.” His dry tone grated my every nerve. “You’re not my type, either.”

Ouch. That stung, considering I was perhaps, maybe, possibly, the tiniest little bit attracted to him. But it was purely physical, so no big deal. “Just out of curiosity, because I’m nosy, what is the Valkara like? Since she is your type.”

“She’s exceptional.”

I waited, but he offered nothing more. “That’s it? All you’ve got?” I winced for him. “Your passion for her is extreme.”

A scowl darkened his countenance. “Do you want the massage or not? Because if you prefer to suffer during tomorrow’s ride, I’ll let you.”

“Let’s say I agree.” We’d been side by side for roughly two weeks, and he’d never harmed me. Today, we’d ridden and rubbed together for hours, and he hadn’t touched anything he shouldn’t. Part of me might…trust him. Ugh. What a terrible realization. “Will you take it as a sign that I’m falling for your charms?”

“I have charms?” He toyed with the ends of my hair, an absent-minded action I enjoyed a little too much. “In return for my extreme generosity, you will play me three songs tomorrow. One to pay for today, one to pay for tomorrow, and one to pay for my efforts.”

Of course he demanded another song. “Fine. Deal,” I grumbled, rolling to my side to give him better access to my back.

With a quick, smooth motion, he rolled me the rest of the way, onto my stomach.

My insides performed somersaults. Relying on him to rescue my sister and protect me from the storm must be doing strange things to my brain; I should have said no to this. But. Come on! Clearly, he wanted this more than I did. So. You’re welcome.

With a nudge of his knees, he parted my legs. My breath caught. Too intimate? He crouched between the V he’d created. Even more intimate! My lips formed an O, a protest brewing…until his fingers pressed into the backs of my thighs.

He worked his magic, the ensuing pleasure-pain wrenching groans of surrender from the deepest parts of my being. Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes. That was good. Magnificent!

“I will play you the best song ever,” I vowed.

Once he’d kneaded my thighs into pudding, he shifted his sublime efforts to my calves. My feet. Then my back. My hips. I forgot all about the storm that raged outside, whipping against our tent.

Problem was, I considered things I shouldn’t.

How good his touch felt.

Other places on my body he might explore.

Ways to assuage the ache growing inside me.

“You like this.” The guttural thickness of his voice registered, and I shivered. “You like me .”

I did. Far more than I should. A fleeting sentiment based on our circumstances, but oh. Oh! He worked out a knot. “In my defense, this is so, so good.” Tension drained from muscles that had been overworked for years.

“I know,” he rasped, both words containing thousands of nuances, sending new shivers racing down my spine.

“Why do you care if I like you or not?” He must like me too.

“I merely made an observation. Now prepare yourself. I’m about to ask the next question in my queue of seven.”

“Five,” I corrected.

“Ja. I was testing your counting ability.”

I snorted. “Whatever, Curious.”

He ended the massage and moved to stretch beside me again.

No! There might be another knot somewhere. “I’ll give you a sixth question, if you add ten minutes to the massage clock.”

“Done,” he replied as pleased as punch. He returned to his ministrations and switched to a neutral tone, giving no hints of his inner thoughts. “What’s your plan once we have Juniper in our possession?”

Easy. “Hug her. Learn about her life. Hug her again. Sob like a baby. Go home. Hug her some more.”

His fingers dug into a knot in my backside, and I groaned. See! “The two of you are on Deco’s radar now. The shifter will forever hunt you, whether you are in this world or another. Unless something is done, neither of you will ever be safe again.”

Tension resurged, flooding my limbs. “Guess I’ll have to do something then.”

“You’ll require a big, strong, powerful berserker to protect you,” Viktor said.

Aaah. “Okay. I see what you’re doing here. Trying to scare me straight, get me desperate for your safekeeping, so I’ll stick around.” Never mind our attraction to each other, the firebrand possibility, and the fog stuff. He must want free concerts. “Admit it.”

“You are already sticking around. I’m keeping you, remember. And that wasn’t a question, but a command.”

“I remember you made such an outlandish claim, yes. Doesn’t mean it’ll work out for you if I’m unwilling to do any sticking.”

He ended the massage again, and this time I didn’t let myself request more. I maneuvered to my side, facing him as he stretched out beside me again, linked his hands behind his head, and peered up at the ceiling.

Brighter lightning flashed, momentarily bathing him in a golden halo. With his hair in disarray and his features soft, he appeared sleepy, relaxed, and totally at ease. A good look for him. Very good. My heart actually skipped a beat.

“How do I get you willing?” he demanded with a hint of temper, belying his ease.

I almost smiled. “Is that your next question?” If so, only four remained.

“Ja. And since I just answered another of your questions, it cancels out this go round. You must answer my last question and five others.”

Dang. He was quick-witted, too. I tried not to be impressed. “I don’t know how you can get me willing to stick with you, but I’m happy to offer suggestions.” Would I bargain away my freedom for my sister? Yes. There was no way I could defeat a flight of turul-shifters on my own. But that would only gain my outward surrender. I wouldn’t be willing on the inside. “I’m really into good moods, being a man’s one and only, kindness, meals, and rescuing twin sisters. ”

“We shall see,” he said, sounding as if he were already plotting my downfall.

“And with that, the conversation ends. Goodnight, Viktor,” I rasped, turning from him.

“Cuddle me like you’ve done every other night.” He rolled into me and dragged me against his chest, the big spoon to my little spoon. His arm remained a strong band, keeping me locked in place. Not that I was the teeniest bit tempted to break away. “Better.”

Much. “I knew you’d been sneaking into bed with me,” I muttered.

“Only because you demanded it.”

“Oh, that’s what happened, is it?” Other cracks of thunder ebbed and flowed, parts of the tent flapping with the wind, but I didn’t care. The rest of the world had ceased to matter. I closed my eyes, breathing deep, trying to forget the residual aches from his ministrations which had yet to fade. What would he do if I twisted around and kissed him?

I’d told him not to make a move. He’d said the same to me. I shouldn’t do it. I couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

But I wanted to.

It was almost a relief when the trials of the day caught up to me. Wrapped in Viktor’s heat and scent, I let the sea of nothingness sweep me away. Awareness dulled…

The dream never came.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a faint noise woke me. Blinking open my eyes, I tuned my ears.

“Find, destroy, happy. Find, destroy, happy.”

Thoughts flickered to life, reminding me of my situation. I stiffened, gaze darting. Viktor. The tent. The storm. It still raged, rain pummeling the cloth walls. Since none leaked inside, I figured the material was waterproof .

“Find, destroy, happy.”

I repositioned to take stock. Viktor stretched out on his back, fast asleep. Light glowed from a lantern he must have lit at some point, giving me a full wattage glimpse of his eyes rolling behind his lids and jerking body. Was he trapped inside a nightmare?

My chest constricted. Poor berserker. “Hey, hey,” I said, gently patting his cheek. “Wake up for me, Snarls.”

He caught my wrist as his eyelids popped open. “Clove. Clovie. Lovie.”

Working out nicknames? “Whatever you call me, your treasured firebrand is here,” I responded, trying not to adore the final selection but failing. More proof something was wrong with me.

His lips folded in between his teeth. “I dreamed of the Valkara.”

I stiffened, not quite as nonchalant about her as usual for some strange, unknown reason I couldn’t begin to fathom. “I’m listening.”

“The key must be found.” He scrubbed a palm over his face.

Or what? He’d be miffed? Total world annihilation would come? “Tell me about it.”

“Nem.”

I didn’t press. Yet. “Tell me about your friendship with Deco then.” Maybe I’d glean details about the shifter I could use to my advantage.

Fine! I was simply curious.

“You wish to know more about me, hmm?”

I didn’t think I appreciated Viktor’s smugness. “Why wouldn’t I? Knowledge is power.” The best response I could manage.

“I will be kind and tell you how we met.” Viktor relaxed into the blankets, toying with the ends of my hair again. “ Deco was a royal, while I hailed from a court courtesan. We shouldn’t have crossed paths, but I snuck into his classroom to learn from his tutors. He spotted me, insisted I join him, and we soon grew as close as brothers.”

My brain buzzed. And not only because Viktor was doing this to win me over without trying to hide it. I’d mentioned liking acts of kindness, and now he provided one.

A courtesan mother suggested he might not know the identity of his father. Had he lived his life the way I’d lived mine, always wondering? When the rest of his words registered, I blinked. “I think I misheard you. Did you say he was a royal, not you?” I couldn’t imagine Viktor as anything but a leader. The one dishing the orders.

“Unlike most other sentinels, he and I started as humans. He was my king.”

Wow. So unexpected.

“My mother kept me at court to teach me how to blend with the upper class. From the shadows, I mingled with the sons and daughters of the peerage.”

I sensed sadness in his tone and guessed he’d felt out of place, as if he hadn’t truly belonged. “You never thought of yourself as part of the crowd.” I flattened my palm over his pectoral. His heart pounded hard, greeting me.

He nodded his confirmation. “I spent much time alone at a marble fountain in the royal gardens. I enjoyed it, at least. The sculptures were intricate, each telling a different story of the kingdom’s past.”

I pet him, loving when he released a pff of breath. Something else we had in common—an interest in history that stemmed from the uncertainty of our own. “Tell me more.”

“One day, a group of older boys came up behind me and pushed me into the water. Two held me down.” He puffed his chest, seeming to seek deeper contact with me. “The others cheered them on as I drown.”

I sank my nails into his skin, as if I meant to pull him from the water even now. “They tried to kill you?”

“Probably only to scare me. To remind me of my place,” he said. To my surprise, he clasped my hand, brought it to his mouth, and traced my index finger around his lips. “But as I’ve learned through my beast, feeding an urge like that only strengthens it, especially in the heat of the moment.”

I ached to comfort the boy he’d been and praise the man he’d become. Oh, how I hated our no making a move rule. Because I wanted so badly to replace that finger with my mouth. “Then what happened?” I asked, desperate to know.

“Deco arrived, shoved them off me, and helped me out of the water. That’s how he used to be. A protector. Fair. Noble. A future king his men followed without hesitation. When he was crowned, I was his most loyal soldier. He trusted only me at his back. Together, we conquered kingdoms. Then he sent me to scout out the Starfire to discover why it drew warriors from across the globe. I did so and returned months later as the turul king. Stronger. Volatile. Unstoppable.”

He released my hand and clasped my knee, forcing it higher. Higher still, until I had no doubt he enjoyed this contact as much as I did.

Not attracted to me? Ha! He absolutely was.

I should respond to his words. Say something in turn. Anything. But I could only pant.

“He wanted to be like me, an immortal berserker,” Viktor continued, shifting closer. His gaze met mine, the gold flecks mesmerizing. “The Valkara told me what to do, how to change him, and I did it. It marked the beginning of the end for us. I was created by the Starfire itself. He was not. My authority cannot be surpassed and over time, resentment ruled him.”

“Sweet Viktor,” I rasped. My focus dipped to his lips. Those beautiful, beautiful lips. “Without his best friend.”

Agonizing seconds stretched between us.

“You want my kiss, Clover?” He rasped his words, too.

I did. Very, very much. I’d make him forget all about the Valkara. “Maybe.”

“Ask me for it, and I’ll grant your wish.”

My heart slammed against my ribs. Ask him? Yes. I would. Except. Hmm. Why insist on a plea when he could give… unless he intended to use the request against me, asserting the very authority he’d just celebrated. Do what I tell you, and I’ll give you another .

I stiffened. Was this why he’d offered to share a story from his past? To lead me to this moment?

“You ask me for a kiss, Mr. Only The Valkara Will Do,” I grated.

Viktor narrowed his eyes and returned his stare to the ceiling. The rain tapered to a soft drizzle, then quit. “Sleep more. It’s almost time to rise. We will set out early and reach the traveling stones before nightfall.”

My stomach roiled as I deciphered his meaning. By the end of the day, we would enter turul-shifter territory. A treacherous domain filled with shifters determined to trap and kill us. I needed him in ways he didn’t need me.

But I’d be one step closer to reaching my twin, so that was okay. There was no way I’d turn back. I’d be careful. Would guard Viktor with my life, because Juniper’s depended on his. But I wouldn’t consider kissing him again.

I absolutely, positively would not.