All Chapters of Berserker: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Later, after the evening meal, Brand managed to slip his friendly guard and sit on a bench outside the longhouse alone. Oh, he was sure someone was aware that he had left, and it would not be long before his reprieve would be over, but he would take what he could get. Though he had felt too closely controlled by his brother at home, he wasn't watched twenty-four-seven. Brand felt the weight of it like a heavy shroud over his shoulders.He closed his eyes and breathed in the sharp night air appreciating the smells and sounds of the sea. His family had been land locked in Wyoming for centuries now, living in the middle of a large national forest area. He hadn't realized how much he had missed the ocean. The familiar, briny scent. The soothing sound of the waves hitting the shore. The occasional sea bird calling overhead. Ah, small things to be thankful for in this time he was stuck in. "Don't react, Brandur the Destroyer." Every muscle tensed as he heard the whispered words behind him.

The hair on Ulfhild's neck prickled as she followed along in the dance. She'd been participating in this moon rite for so long, her body knew the steps without conscious thought, giving her the ability to sense something else. Someone else. Someone was watching her. She knew it as sure as she felt the sand under her feet. But who would dare? The wood and this area of the beach where the sacred circle stood were enchanted. No one could find them. Unless that someone had magicks as well. Her eyes darted to the nearby trees as she danced by, trying to find the cause of the sudden anxiety twisting in her gut. All she could see were the glowing eyes of some woodland creature. Her breathing came faster as the dance continued, and the patterns became more intricate. A familiar scent wafted faintly from the trees. What was it?She almost tripped when the answer came to her. It was the scent she associated with the stranger, Brandur. But his being here was impossible. He was locked up and gua

Chest heaving, Brand skidded to an abrupt stop, his paws no longer encountering the resistance of pine needles and leaves, but instead sinking into the soft sand and tendrils of seaweed. He was standing on a narrow slice of beach. Looking over his shoulder, Brand could barely make out the wood where he had been talking to Ulfhild and Astrid only moments before. His only thought had been to escape, and he had run with no thought to where he was going other than away. Witches! By all the gods, why did it have to be witches?As he panted, he tried to take in his surroundings and figure out exactly where he was. White cliffs rose behind him. The roll and crash of the sea thundered in his ears where he had only been able to hear his heartbeat moments before. The white foam of waves swirled around his feet, rising farther up his legs with every return. The tide was coming in. He needed to get off this beach and find shelter, but he couldn't move. His gut twisted as he tried to forget the t

His heart lurched as he watched Ulfhild leave the training field. Her shoulders straight. Her strides purposeful, despite the demeaning words her father had spat at her in front of her fellow warriors. Brand had expected her to be formidable, but he had not expected to feel the way he had – fascinated, awed by her ferocity and strength. He had thought to hold back at first, to give her a chance to show off her skills, but as soon as their blades crossed, he realized his mistake. She was coming at him fast, eyes blazing, muscles flexing like a predator, giving no quarter. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he blocked her strikes, giving as good as he got. When their blades had crossed and he had pulled her into him, it was all Brand could do not to throw down his sword, grab her around the waist, and take her mouth right there and then. Magnus' coming had been well-timed.Brand scented the air around him and fought a shudder of desire. Ulfhild's delectable, one-of-a-kind scent suffused t

The roar of the water was the first clue that they were getting close. As they followed the path around a large boulder, he saw them. The falls Ulfhild had spoken about."What are they called?" Brand asked, coming to stand beside Ulfhild as she looked out over the water spilling over the side of a high promontory he couldn't remember seeing from the village. Magnus' lands were featureless and flat except for the small rise where Ulfhild watched he and his fellow warriors in the mornings. More magicks then. He suppressed a shudder."The Hvergelmir Dewfalls," Ulfhild answered, her voice pitched louder to overcome the resounding rush of the water. "They are said to be the source of all the water in all the rivers. Very powerful magicks are manifested here."Brand's jaw tightened at the confirmation of his thoughts. Talk of magicks made his skin crawl but he was determined to ignore the feeling and try to relieve his mate's distress. A flash of red in the trees past the rushing waters of