Page 8 of The Stolen Bride

“Good boy,” I rasped, reaching out to pet Viktor’s chest awkwardly. Oh, wow. Amazing how hard muscles could feel so soft, covered by such smooth skin. What I couldn’t do? Look away.

He glanced at my fingers, then my face, then my fingers, then my face, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

I couldn’t either! Had I really just admired him?Pethim? I snatched back my hand. To my surprise, he didn’t issue a rebuke, but calmed. Seconds bled together, his breathing evening out. Good, that was good. He “shrank” to his regular massive size, his features projecting confusion rather than anger. The golden rings faded from his irises, and his pearly whites returned to normal.

Thank goodness. Danger averted. Except, I must be in the middle of an adrenaline crash. A cold sweat chilled my skin, and my teeth chattered.

“We should take a time-out.” I needed to sit and work on drawing in a deep, calming breath. Needed to think. Organize the thousands of queries swirling inside my head and forcibly bottle my emotions.

But mmm, what was that amazing smell? I darted my gaze and noticed a picnic setup at the edge of his camp, beyond a fallen log, with food spread out over a blanket. A feast fit for a king. My bottomless stomach rumbled.

“Or a meal break,” I suggested with hope.

“Eat,” my companion snapped. “My men will be grateful someone has finally enjoyed their efforts.”

Don’t mind if I do.I shuffled over and settled at the edge of the blanket, where I filled the only waiting plate with fresh fruit, slices of rustic rye bread, smoked cheeses and meat crepes topped with paprika sauce.“So you have men.”Good to know. “Where are they?” I’d seen no evidence of others.

“They aren’t here.”

I rolled my eyes and popped a crepe into my mouth. Oh wow! The delicious blend of flavors exploded on my tongue. After I swallowed, I said, “Well, they know how to feed a girl right, that’s for sure.”

One of those little snarls left Viktor. He stomped over, plopped onto the other side of the blanket, and reached over to snatch a grape from my plate. After giving another of those little huffs, he ate the green goodness. His brows drew together, and he snagged an entire sprig.

I shouldn’t notice the fluid precision of his movements. Nope, I shouldn’t. “So. Who’s Deco?” Might as well learn the players in this…game? War? “You keep mentioning him, but you’ve never explained.”

Viktor pursed his mouth. “Deco is king of the turul-shifters. My enemy. I hate him with every fiber of my being.” His shoulders rolled in. “But I love him, too. We were friends once.” He froze with another bite halfway to his lips, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he’d just admitted.

Compassion unfurled deep in my chest. “Perhaps he feels the same about you. Torn.”

Viktor straightened with a jolt, then glided his tongue over those straight, white teeth. “Do not speak of matters you don’t comprehend, and do not mention Deco again unless you wish to lose your head. And do not ask my men about my association with him. If they tell you anything, they will die screaming.” He offered the words with great ease, then ate more grapes, all casual-like. “Understand?”

“Yes.” Message received. Truly. I even held up my palms in a gesture of innocence. But, um, what did his men knowthat Viktor didn’t want me learning? And why did it matter? “Can we talk about berserkers in general? I only just found out they–you–are real, and I have questions.” I reached for the only beverage currently available: a bottle withBrennivinemblazoned on the label and the wordsThe Black Deathprinted below it. Considering there were no other options… Down the hatch.

Yikes! Awful idea. Just terrible. Lava in a glass. The burn! Far worse than my grandma’s vodka. I sputtered and coughed as fire scorched my throat.

Seconds later, warmth spread through me. Mmm. Very nice. I even poured a little alcohol over the cut on my palm, thinking to clean it. “Ow, ow, ow!” I blew on the gash.

“You may eat in silence.” Viktor snatched the bottle from my hand and drained the contents. He made a ‘not bad’ face, and dang it, it was kind of enchanting. Not exactly an appropriate term for a berserker. “I’m busy deciding your fate. I’ve been told you serve a purpose. For now.”

I forgot my pain and how to breathe but not how to eat. I shoveled in another bite. “Told by whom? And any interest in soliciting advice from an outside party before you render your final verdict?” Okay, so, maybe crumbs fell from the corners of my mouth as I spoke.

“I should interrogate you,” he said, still so casual-like. “I’ve found doing so with knives usually elicits the best results.”

TheBrennivinwhispered,He’s only teasing. I chuckled. “You’re hilarious.”

He narrowed his eyes. “The greater good matters, but you are clearly bait meant to lure me into some sort of trap. You invaded my private land without permission. And your hair.” He waved in my direction. “It’s too soft.”

“I’ll have you know I paid good money for this blowout.” I spoke between inhaling bites, just in case he decided I’d had enough. “But what do my gorgeous polished mahogany tresses have to do with anything?” Man, this food was tasty! So much better than the cheap cheese and stale crackers I’d never gotten to eat after working twelve hours straight and defending my very life from two immortal kings. “And what do you mean, the greater good? Be specific. Please! Someone should tell mesomething.”

“But,” he added, ignoring my questions and request yet again.

I waited for him to say more, still eating. He didn’t. “But you’re going a different route?” I asked, hopeful. Again, crumbs might have fallen from my mouth. “You’ve realized I’m an innocent bystander thrust into a terrible situation through no fault of my own?”

“But. The fog in my head continues to thin, and I’m thinking more clearly than I have in years.”

If this was clear-thinking for him, I shuddered to imagine his mud-caked musings. Oh! Was that some kind of chicken and rice dish hidden behind the ball of honey glazed goat cheese?

He rose to his feet with eerie grace. “For the time being, I can use you to my advantage.”

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