Page 15 of Berserkr
Steff sighed. She sounded like an exasperated mother. "Rune, why didn't you tell her?"
Rune had the decency to look guilty. "It's not important."
The other Viking's expression was icy. "The fýst may be a natural part of every male Vikingr's life, but it cannot be underestimated, especially for berserkir. Laurel, hello, I'm Njal, the Captain of these ships. Rune is suffering from the fýst, a strong desire for his mate. It will only get stronger and since it's different for each Vikingr, we don't know how long he has until he starts acting out. Some males go crazy permanently. The fýst is serious, no matter what Rune may make you believe."
"Is there a cure?" I asked, suddenly filled with concern for this alien stranger.
"You have to complete the mating."
As in... have sex? With Rune?
Steff shot me a sympathetic smile. "My mate makes it sound like an order, but it's not. It still is your choice, Laurel. Nobody is forcing you. If you want, you can be taken to the Valkyr and stay with the other women until you're ready."
"And what if I'm never ready?"
Njal opened his mouth to say something, but Steff was faster. "Then that is your choice. We were very clear with the Vikingar about that from the start. Our women only agree to stay here for a month, nothing more, nothing less. They choose whether they want to engage in a relationship with their chosen match. So far, every woman has decided to do so, but we'd never force you if you didn't want to. Do you feel attracted to Rune?"
Did I? Physically, yes, fuck yes. I'd been ignoring the throbbing in my core while he'd carried me here, but my wet panties were clear evidence that he was affecting me. How could anyone not be attracted to this hulking god of sexiness?
But I wasn't here for love, not even for sex. I was here for a story. Of course, I couldn't tell them that.
"I don't want to answer that," I said in a small voice.
Rune sucked in a breath, his grip tightening around me. Yes, he was still carrying me. I should ask him to set me down.
"You don't have to," Steff said gently, once again silencing her mate with a sharp look. She really had him wrapped around her fingers. She was tiny compared to him, but it was clear who was in charge in their relationship. "Would it help if the two of us had a chat without the guys?"
"Yes." Not because I wanted to be talked into sleeping with an alien, but because she might give me more information for my article. I felt a little bad for using her like that, but it was business. This story was going to be my break through. Journalists had to be a little cut-throat, I'd learned that from the start. There was no space for emotion and compassion if you wanted to rise to the top. So I pushed away that spark of desire I felt for Rune and nodded at Steff. "Yes, I'd like to meet you in person. Without the men."
Rune's grip was so tight I was struggling to breathe. "You're crushing me," I gasped.
He let go of me immediately. Unfortunately, he didn't consider that there was nothing else holding me in the air.
I fell.
10
Rune
Iknew I'd made a mistake right away, but it was too late. I moved, lunging for my mate, but she'd already hit the floor. The momentum was too much, I lost my balance, landing on top of her. I barely managed to keep my weight from crushing her.
I rolled to the side immediately, an instinctual move ingrained by decades of warrior training. I was on my feet again in an instant, ready to witness the damage I'd wrought. Laurel looked shocked, but she didn't seem injured. No blood, in any case.
"What's happening over there?" Njal's voice came from the speakers. "Do I need to send Klav?"
"Are you injured?" I asked my mate, ignoring the Captain.
She winced and rubbed her thighs. "Ouch. I might end up with a bruise on my bum. You can't just drop me like that."
A bruise. I wouldn't have that. I'd take her to the medpod and get it to fix her. Again. Why did my mate keep getting injured? Maybe Njal and Steff were right. Maybe it wasn't safe for me to be around her.
I reached down to scoop her up again, but she held out her arms in protest. "No. I can walk myself."
Yes, she could, but why would she want to when she had a mate who could carry her?
Unless she was afraid of me. I'd dropped her. That was unforgivable. And now that she knew about the fýst, she had to be scared that I might hurt her further. They'd made it sound like I was about to go on a crazy rampage any click now. Was I? Could I guarantee that she was safe with me? I wanted to believe that I'd never hurt her, but I'd seen how Njal had acted when he'd been in the grip of the fýst. He'd blindly swung his axe, not caring who he'd hit with it. He could have easily injured his mate, if the rest of us hadn't restrained him.
And I was stronger than Njal.
