Mated to the Berserkers: A Menage Shifter Romance (2 page)

I remembered the nights when the beast howled for blood…

Tell me what happened,
Samuel said finally.
How did you regain control?

I caught our beloved’s scent.

Just as the runes foretold. She soothes the beast.

I reached out and ran a finger over our beloved’s smooth cheek. Her skin was so soft, so sweetly scented. Tonight she smelled like moonlight on the snow, and secrets kept deep in the earth…things no man had words for, things that only a wolf would understand.  

My hand closed around her neck.  Her pulse beat against my palm.

Both Samuel and I feared the day she’d wake and discover who we truly were. Not just werewolves, but Berserkers, cursed with tainted magic. We told Brenna not to fear the wolf, but never mentioned what she truly should fear: the beast.

She’d seen us in wolf form, but she hadn’t seen the beast. Not even close.

Did she know when we took her, hard and fast, without thought, what monster lurked in our minds? Did she sense how much the beast wanted to hurt her?

My fingers closed over her throat. Once I had almost lost control. It could never happen again.

We cannot keep hiding the beast from her,
Samuel’s thought echoed across the bond. I snatched my hand away guiltily. 
She will meet it, one way or another. 

Nay, it’s too dangerous.  This was why we’d spent centuries alone.

If she is to be our mate, she needs to meet the pack, learn our ways. We can’t keep her inside forever.

But,
I struggled to put my feelings into words.
What if she meets the beast, and can no longer love us?

Can she truly love us, if she doesn’t know what we are?

The beast does not love. It will try to destroy her.

I held my breath until Samuel answered,
Pray that it does not succeed.

*

Restless, I left Brenna sleeping alone and went to find food. I stood at the mouth of the cave, blinking in the sunlight. Wulfgar crouched in man form beside the fire, roasting the meat.

“What news?” I asked.

“The Red Pack sends word. The full moon after next they gather for the Thing. They requested our emissary.”

I frowned. “Odd request.” There weren’t many wolf packs on the island, and the one closest to us, the Red Moon Pack, regarded us as mortal enemies. The last time one of our pack encountered them, he’d been beaten and would’ve been killed, had Samuel not shown up in time.

It was the second time my Alpha had saved my life.

Wulfgar grunted. He knew the Red Pack hated us. “Hunters encroaching closer, and they want to do something about it.”

“Meaning they want us to do something about it,” I corrected. “Verrae well. Send word that I will attend.”

I smelled his hesitation. “They want Samuel.”

“They get me,” I snarled. This time, my old pack wouldn’t find me so easily bested.

Wulfgar bowed his head.

“Besides,” I said in a lighter tone. “They dinnae call me Daegan Silvertongue for naught.” I was more adept at the finesse of politics than our strong Alpha. Besides, someone had to remain on the mountain, with Brenna. She was a secret we could not afford to reveal.

Wulfgar’s head dipped a little lower, even though he was a head taller than me and any other pack member, he took a deferential pose in respect of my dominance.

We waited for the meat to finish cooking. Most wolves ate their catch raw, but cooking meat satisfied the man, and allowed us to feel civilized again. Besides, we had to cook it for Brenna.

Berserkers lounged about the clearing, some as wolves and others in warrior form. Since Brenna’s arrival, the pack was healthier, the bloodlust muted. The peace that flowed from our beloved to Samuel and I reached the pack through the Alpha bond.

I prayed the peace would last. The beast had been restless these past few days. One wrong word, or move, and it might break free, and everything we dreaded would come to pass. The beast loved breaking beautiful things.

To wash away my fear, I turned my thoughts to Brenna. My body stirred merely at the thought of her, her flawless skin and tempting curves, her shining hair spilling over the pelts. I could eat and drink of her day and night and never get enough.

I could almost smell her perfect scent even over the smoke and fire. I half closed my eyes and inhaled.

My eyes snapped open when I realized I wasn’t imagining her scent. My beloved stood at the entrance of the cave, barefoot and clad in a simple shift we’d provided for her.

Her eyes widened as she took in the rocky clearing full of warriors and wolves.

“Brenna,” I snapped, rising. Every wolf in the clearing swung his head towards her, their faces full of one dangerous emotion: desire.

Brenna sensed it.  In an instant she did the worst thing she could’ve done. She took a step backwards. Retreat, and a wolf knows you’re weak.

I launched myself across the clearing, but not before a young red haired warrior darted to her side. Fergus was the smallest of us, but he had the strength to lift a buck thrice his size and carry it up the mountain. He would break our beloved and not even realize he’d tried.

A second after I realized I would not reach Brenna in time, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped onto the youth’s shoulder. “Change,” Wulfgar ordered, and Fergus’ body obeyed. The young man turned into wolf, following the command of the third most dominant in the pack. A few other warriors winced as the order blew through them like a cold wind, almost forcing their own Change.

I bowled past the two of them, grabbed Brenna and hoisted her over my shoulder.

“You’re in trouble now, lass.”

She squirmed and I backed up my words with a sharp swat on her backside as I strode down the cave hall to our rooms carved out of the mountain.

“We told ye not to leave our quarters, lass. What were ye thinking?” Real fear rose in me, and I pushed it down, turning to anger instead.

I heard a grunt behind me and I whirled, snarling. A blond warrior had followed us, unable to resist the siren scent of our woman.

He growled a challenge.

“Mine,” I snarled back. I shrugged Brenna off my shoulder and pushed her towards our quarters, at the same time stepping between her and the would-be attacker.  “Back off, Siebold.”

The warrior crouched in preparation to fight, a wild light in his gold eyes. His shoulders hunched as he roared in challenge. 

“Change,” I barked, and put the power of the Alpha behind it.

Siebold fell onto hands and knees, fur appearing along the ridge of his spine. His bones snapped and crackled as his wolf took over. “Stay.” I ordered smugly, and left him in the hallway, howling in defeat.

I paused on the threshold and took a deep breath, fighting to control my feelings before I entered our room.

Brenna waited with arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t look afraid. She looked incensed.

She met my gaze boldly, but when I prowled up to her she had the good sense to back away.

My hand went around her neck, collaring her. My skin burned when it touched the silver torc we’d given her to wear.

My own beast was close to breaking free.

I forced it back.

With effort, I removed my hand from around her throat. With both hands, I wrenched the torc open and removed it. I dangled the bent metal in front of her face.

“Ye agreed to wear this, aye?”

She nodded.

“Knowing what it would mean? Knowing that ye would have to live among the pack, and obey us?”

She nodded again. I threw the torc on the floor. She flinched as silver struck stone, but her eyes never left mine.

“You agreed to live among us, to obey Samuel and I and follow our rules? Rules that protect ye? Rules that keep ye safe?

Her forehead furrowed, but she still nodded. She knew where I was going and didn’t like it.

“Ye are a woman of honor, Brenna, I knew it from the first. Were ye trying to leave? To go back on yer word?”

She shook her head.

“Ye broke a rule, Brenna. We left ye alone, but I was soon to return with food. We will never leave you alone for long.  That is the reason Samuel and I claimed ye together. If one of us falls, the other will provide for ye.” I dragged a frustrated hand through my hair. My wolf was howling for me to throw her to the floor and take her now, mark her with my seed, so she and any other wolf knew who she belonged to.

The beast also lurked, ready to pounce the minute I lost control. Like the wolf, it wanted to claim our beloved, but it also craved blood, and pain.

I dragged in a breath and tried to stay calm. “We care for ye. But we need ye to follow the rules. Understand?”

She nodded, the anger had left her face. She wasn’t yet contrite, but close enough.

I pointed to the torc on the floor. “So choose again, Brenna. Will ye stay? Knowing ye must submit to our rules?” My heart quivered a little. She could say no. Was I really allowing her to choose again whether she would leave us? Would return her to her family if she refused to pick up the torc? In my heart of hearts I knew I would. It would mean death for me and Samuel, and possibly the entire pack, but I would do it.

The knowledge should’ve frightened me. Instead, I felt stronger. “Do ye choose us?”

She nodded. Inside, I rejoiced, but kept my voice stern. Brenna could’ve died today, torn apart by wolves in rut. I had to make her understand.

“Then ye deliberately disobeyed us and must face the consequences.” I pointed to the floor.

Uncertainty crossed her face.

I snapped my fingers in her face. “Submit. Now, lass. I’m not in the mood to be trifled with.”

She stiffened, but she sank down.

At the sign of her submission, my anger receded.

“Pick up the torc.”

She did so. Her usually graceful fingers trembled, but not with fear. With need. My eyes widened as I realized my dominance excited her. As I watched the pulse flutter in her throat, my own body quickened at the scent of her desire.

“Offer it to me.” Instinct kicked in and she kept her eyes lowered as she offered up the circlet. I felt more powerful in this moment that in a lifetime of conquering others on the battlefield.

“Good lass.” I accepted the torc and moved behind her, keeping my voice gentle. “Lift yer hair.”

She obeyed and I felt my body tighten further at her submission. I replaced it around her slender neck.

“Rise, Brenna.”

My hand cupped her neck again, pulling her close. “Look at me,” I encouraged, and she did.

“Ye belong to us. Forever.” My thumb played over her lips. Eyes on mine, she opened her mouth, and bit the tip of my finger.

My control snapped.

I pushed forward, half lifting her and carrying her to the nearest surface to rut. The dais was too far away, but I made it to the wall, pressing my beloved against the hard surface. Her head hit the stone but the lust in her face told me she didn’t care. Her hands roved over my arms and shoulders. Her nails dug into the taut muscle as I held her aloft.

“Ye don’t leave the cave without permission,” I growled. She deserved punishment, but I was too angry to mete it out. I was too angry to do anything but fuck her.

She glared at me and tugged at my shoulders, pressing her lower half closer to mine. My hands found the top of her shift and rent it in two, baring her body to me. The desire to bite into her shoulder, to make her bleed, to hold her by the scruff of the neck and shake her was almost overpowering. But she wasn’t a female wolf who could handle such rough punishment. I would have to settle for fucking our naughty human against the wall, hard. 

I hitched one leg up around my hip and thrust inside her.

Her whole body rocked backwards. Her mouth opened in a perfect circle of satisfaction.

I drove into her again and again, steadying her so her head didn’t slam against the wall, but otherwise not holding back. She gripped my forearms and tilted her hips, accepting the punishing thrusts, welcoming them.

“I can barely control myself around ye,” I told her. “You think the pack will hold back? You’d be lucky to survive.”

My hand collared her neck, pressing into the torc, feeling the reassuring coolness of the silver against my palm. She could’ve died today at the hands of the pack. The beast within didn’t know love or gentleness. Even now, I wanted to whip and fuck her into submission.

I’d settle on the latter until I was under control.

I let go of her neck and braced one hand against the wall. The other cradled her head while my hips snapped forward. “Ye will remember who owns you. We are yer masters. And ye will obey us so ye do not come to harm.”

She panted in my ear.

She was enjoying it. Good. I wasn’t going to stop until I’d marked her with my seed. I couldn’t go outside and tear out the eyes of every wolf that’d beheld her, but I could mark her as mine.