Page 47 of The Stolen Bride

“Four minutes and twenty-two seconds remain,” the shifter king called from somewhere near my sister.

Juniper scowled at the sound of his smug, condescending voice. “He is literally the worst.”

“What happens when I refuse to sneak away?” I asked, understanding his game. Imprison or kill us both, sending Viktor into a wild rage.

“Deco will probably spend another couple of hours describing all the terrible things he hopes to do to me when the time is right, trying to scare me but failing.” The picture of stubbornness, she made an obscene gesture at someone beyond the hologram.

Inside I cheered.That’s my twin!I adored her so much already, but the need to be with her sharpened. “I’m coming for you,” I vowed. “On my terms, not Deco’s. Nothing will stop me.”

“Be careful,” she warned, worried again. “He’s got traps everywhere. All he’s done is brag about them. I’ve never, in all my days, met anyone more annoying.”

“Tell her about the one with the bugs,” Deco called, notthe least bit upset by Juniper’s revelation. “They eat everything in their path, even flesh.”

Disgust and horror delivered a one, two punch.

“Tell her I’ve thought of everything,” he added. “Tell her there’s nothing she and her band of merry sentinels can do to win.”

Oh, how I despised this shifter. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting the two of you in person, but for vastly different reasons.”

The barest hint of a smile teased a corner of my sister’s mouth. “I’m excited to meet you, too. I didn’t know I had a sister, much less a twin. I just knew…” She trailed off, her cheeks pinkening with embarrassment.

“Something was missing,” I finished for her.

An enthusiastic nod met my words. “Did you have any idea berserkers and shifters existed?”

“No!” Not in real life. “Did you?”

She shook her head. “Not even a blip. Although there were dreams… Then suddenly Malachi Cromwell showed up at my home. You know, that sporty movie star guy? He told me to ensure King Viktor joins Team Evil for the greater good, then knocked me out. I woke up in a strange forest, and within minutes, Deco had me in his custody.”

So the griffin king had known we were twins, and he’d sent us both to do the same job for this mysterious greater good of the berserker world. “He did the exact same thing to me.” Questions barreled over my tongue. “This may not be the time or place, but where do you live? What do you do for a living? Are you married? Have any kids? What kind of dreams?”

“Okay, let’s see if I can do this in order. Oklahoma. I’m a vet and divorced. No kids. And weird dreams about what I now know is a berserker. What about you?”

That we’d both chosen a field with animals sparked a little laugh from me. “I live in Georgia, I own a pet grooming business, and I’ve never been married. I don’t have kids, either.” But I wanted them. One day. “My dreams feature a berserker, too. He has a sword…”

“Yes!” she cried.

Deco must have said something over the phone, because Juniper’s gaze jumped over me again. Her lips parted. “There’s another woman here,” she blurted and jutted her chin.

“You shouldn’t have done that, nyuszi,” he said and tsked.

He’d called her ‘bunny’. Seriously?

“Fine!” she spat. “As agreed, I’ll say nothing else about my cellmate. Whose name is Valkara.”

“The Valkara,” I automatically corrected in unison with Deco. So. The guardian of the Starfire was real. The woman who whispered in Viktor’s mind, advising him to kill me, was being held captive by the shifter king.

I needed to tell Viktor right away. But how would he react? Rage and rush to the shifter, risking an encounter with flesh-eating bugs?

“Do not trust the Val–” The connection cut off before I could finish my warning. I shouted a short, sharp denial. “Come back,” I pleaded, shaking the ring. “Juniper!”

A commotion drew my attention to the entrance of the “room.” Viktor burst inside a split second later, a dagger in each hand. Huffing and puffing his breaths, he scanned the space. Glowing golden rings filled his irises. Dirt streaked his sweat-glazed body, already double the usual size.

I had never seen a sexier view.

When he ceased his search and settled his gaze on me, Ibarely stopped myself from closing the distance and wrapping my arms around him to offer comfort.

He fisted his hands. “No trouble?” he demanded, confusion woven into his guttural tone.

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