Chapter 18

Chapter

Eighteen

Staying Within Parameters: When Love Is a Literal Battlefield

From A Beginner's Guide to Berserker Bliss

Author Unknown

I allowed Mirren to lead me out of the dining room. Purpose gave my steps some pep. Hardly bothered me at all when Buzz and Ponytail showed up to trail us. If they protested our destination, so what?

We made it to a ballroom on the bottom floor when I spotted several maids gathered near Mackenzie, who held a smart device and read aloud a story revolving around the collapse of a mountain. Like, the whole thing had come down? Normally I would've marched over there to learn what happened. Must be big, for all of them to crowd together, duties forgotten.

We continued past the back door and through a well-kept garden outside the maze. A soft, warm breeze scented with heather swirled leaves as we maneuvered around bushes. Black birds took flight, and sheep baaed in the distance.

We approached the thirty-foot stone wall. Two burly men with swords waited in front of a wooden door.

"We're goin' up," Mirren announced without preamble. "You gotta move, 'cause I said so."

I don't know what I expected to happen. Unquestioned acceptance wasn't it, yet that's what we got. The pair stepped aside, and the door automatically parted. Well, well. I might be the teacher, but I'd just gotten schooled. In the world of berserkers, be confident of your place and exert your authority without wavering.

Before someone had a change of heart, I rushed the little girl through the opening. We entered an astonishingly wide hallway dimly lit by hanging LEDs. Unfortunately, Buzz and Ponytail stuck with us.

Mirren and I scaled a staircase, remaining hand in hand. Oh wow. There were multiple floors inside the wall. One contained barracks, another housed a training facility, and the third offered a common area where bare-chested men practiced their fighting stances.

When we reached the top, bright sunlight and a stronger breeze greeted us, whipping our hair about. Mirren released me to run ahead. Clutching her doll, she attempted to climb the railing. I gave chase, then lifted the girl and anchored her against my hip. She accepted my handling without protest, extending her toy in the air.

"Do you think the treatment is working?" she asked.

"Definitely." I used my most serious tone. "Skye is breathing much better now. Look at the color in her cheeks."

"Oh, yes, much better," Mirren echoed, just as serious, and I almost laughed .

Soldiers bowed their heads in deference as they marched past us. A stark contrast to the treatment I was accustomed to receiving.

I scanned the land below, my mind whirling. How to get from here to there without being spotted? The guards had a perfect view of absolutely everything. Each opening and window, and the entire courtyard. There was no path to evade their notice.

Okay. So. This wasn't what I'd hoped to find, but it was good to know. Unless a series of catacombs led underneath the wall, I'd have to leave the property with Callen's knowledge, minus his presence.Or hidden in the back of a vehicle.

The underground channel had the highest likelihood of success. From my memory of history class, most castles possessed escape routes. Secret passages. Tonight I would slip my security detail and launch a search to see what I could find.

"My da is doin' an excellent job of protectin' us," Mirren informed me.

"He is indeed," I said, and carried her to the other side of the wall. A hilly forest and pasture stretched for miles. No buildings in sight. Hmm. Once I got past the barrier, I'd have a long trek to civilization. I would need provision.

Warm prickles danced over my nerve endings, and I frowned. Trouble itself seemed to waft through the air.

"All right," I said, a tremor in my words. "Let's head back."

"Why?" a male voice asked behind me. "Are you afraid of being found out by your husband?"

I stiffened, my heart trading places with my stomach. No, no, no. I did not just hear Callen. Nope. He wasn't here, witnessing my supposed crime .

Mirren gasped and squirmed to her feet. "Da! You're alive, and so is Skye! I saved her!"

As she rushed off, I slowly pivoted. Yep. I'd heard him. He caught the little girl in his arms and lifted her to his chest.

"I'm so glad," he said, kissing her temple while staring at me. Heat invaded every inch of me.

" You saved her?" I said to Mirren, needing a moment to center before I focused on our intruder.

"I hired you to doctor her." The child shrugged, unconcerned, a mini-Callen in the making. "My decision, my victory."

"Well, I can't fault your logic." My attention finally slid to the king. A conflicting rush of emotions hit me. Relief. He lived! Happiness! He was home! Frustration. There went my plans to look for secret passages and grill Mackenzie, Ponytail and Buzz for answers. Comfort. Only two days ago, this powerful man had kept me safe while a battle raged around us. Attraction. Hello, gorgeous.

Sunlight bathed him, highlighting dirt-streaked bronzed skin and wind-whipped hair. He wore a tank and gray sweatpants with narrow cuffs that stopped above his ankles. Practically male lingerie. Something August had refused to wear.

My heart thudded. How did Callen grime-up so good?

He continued to study me. "Hello, wife," he said, his tone gruff.

"Hello." I did my best to mask a cringe over my breathlessness. "You're home early."

"Aye." His blank expression gave nothing away. No messing with his ring. Although, I sensed no annoyance or irritation. No anger, either. And he had called me "wife." Something he'd only done during rare moments of camaraderie. Maybe he wasn't upset about my visit to the wall?

"Things went well?" I wrung my fingers together.

"Yes," he repeated, "things went well." He gave Mirren's temple another kiss, set her down, and let her walk Skye across the rail.

"What happened with Tavish?" Was he dead or not?

"I made my point." Relish bubbled in a tone tinged with madness.

I gulped. "Did he survive your point?" If Tavish had died, so had my best opportunity to be myself again.

Aggression pulsed from Callen. "I'll learn the answer to that as soon as my men finish going through the mountain rubble."

Mountain rubble? Wait. Was he the one who'd caused the collapse Mackenzie and the other housekeepers discussed? My eyes rounded. The power such a feat required…

No, no. No mooning over his strength. Not again. Focus on the important stuff. The chance of acquiring the potion from Tavish might not be zero. That was a reason to celebrate.

"Why didn't you stick around to find out if you succeeded or not?" Walking away before reaching the finish line seemed like a very un-berserkery thing to do.

"I remembered what awaited me at home and delegated."

Parts of me tingled, and I gulped again. He might as well have walked straight out of the pages of my favorite book.

"I'm pleased my two girls got along so well in my absence." He gave me a look I couldn't interpret .

The tingles collected in a single location. His girls? "Well, Mirren is pretty wonderful."

"I am, aren't I?" The little princess performed a twirl.

Callen and I shared a soft smile, and it threw me. I backed up a step.

"I'll get Mirren settled," he said, his tone gentle. "Go to our room, Elle. There's something we're going to do."

My stomach hollowed as I shifted from foot to foot. Like, say, punishment? Or the mark? But I hadn't made a decision!

He motioned to my guards, who stalked my way. One positioned himself in front of me, the other behind.

"You are beyond frustrating." I tossed the words in Callen's direction. Left with no other choice, I followed Buzz out of the wall and inside the castle with Ponytail on my heels. They all but caged me in with their muscles, herding me into Callen's bedroom. It didn't feel like mine. Not while his scent saturated every fabric.

Alone, I threw myself onto the mattress and breathed. Thora no longer lounged on a pillow. Dang. She would've calmed me. My own personal fated one. What was about to happen? What, what?

Minutes bled into another until I feared something had happened to him.

Knock, knock.

My heart skipped a beat as I jolted upright. Eek! He was here already? But why had he knocked and not come right in?

With trembling legs, I crossed the room. My fingers shook as I opened up…

Oh my hotness. Awareness infiltrated every cell in my body. Callen was incredible. He'd changed into a tighter T-shirt and a kilt! Finally. An actual, honest-to-goodness kilt .

My hand fluttered to my mouth. A Highland laird. My high school dream man. Okay, yes, even my adult dream man. Also, the main reason I'd waited tables after school and weekends and saved every extra penny I'd ever earned or been gifted to visit Scotland.

"Am I drooling?" I asked, fanning my overheated cheeks.

The corners of his mouth twitched, and he manipulated his signet ring with his thumb. "Yes. You are."

I hurried to dab at my chin. When I encountered dry skin, I snorted and slapped him on the shoulder. "Will you please be nice to me today? I had a rough start this morning. No sleep and currently fueled by less than half a muffin."

He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest, sliding his gaze over me. Slowly. "I will be verra nice to you."

His gravelly timbre roused a hot flush in my skin. His flirting only added gasoline to the fire. I should protest. Or roll with it.

Ignoring a pulse gone wild, I mimicked his pose. "Be honest. Are you mad at me for visiting the wall and questioning your protective prowess? Which wasn't my intention. If anything, I proved my confidence in your strength. I was certain everyone would be too afraid of you to push me over."

He chuckled warmly, pinched a lock of my hair, and sifted the strands between his fingers, tickling my scalp. "Do I appear upset? I know why you went up top." His voice dipped low and softened.

I pffed a breath. "I'm listening."

"You still hope to leave me," he said, watching me with a near tender expression .

I almost melted into him. What had brought about this astonishing change? Then his last statement registered, and I stiffened. "I'm not saying you're right, but why aren't you furious by the possibility?"

"For the first time in our acquaintance, you are responding to me emotionally and physically." He combed his fingers through my waves and gently tilted my head back. His eyelids hooded. "It scares you, and I understand."

Our gazes locked, and the most delicious aches erupted in a thousand different places. "Go on."

Smoldering at me, he said, "Part of you continues to see me as the enemy. That is my fault. For too long, I played the role well. I laid all the blame squarely at your feet, but my brother made his choices, too, and I have learned…" The muscles along his throat worked.

"Yes?" I rasped.

"I have learned that forgiveness has benefits bitterness can't offer."

My jaw slackened ever so slightly. What was even happening right now? He'd forgiven me? Or rather, Isobel? Because more and more, this was seeming like an all-out declaration to win me over.

He traced his thumb across the ridges of my upper spine, infinitely gentle. "I'll prove I can be good to you. That we can be good together."

I should say no to whatever he had planned. Getting involved with him was a bad idea. The absolute worst. He belonged to the graceful redheaded socialite, his precious firebrand, not the sometimes-awkward schoolteacher. Would he even find the real me attractive? A sobering, sad question.

It was just, he'd bought me books, and it might've compromised my decision making. It had certainly colored my perception of him, and clearly weakened my resolve to resist his rugged appeal while we remained married.

As if sensing victory, he stepped back and offered me his hand. The one with the scar. "Let's enjoy the day together." A soft entreaty. "No expectations. No pressure."

Longing coiled around me, squeezing. He'd just described Heaven on Earth. No expectations, no pressure? Forget backing out. I should go with him. Both of us needed a little joy. And as the saying went, life wasn't about waiting for the storms to pass, but learning to dance in the rain. I could resist him, no matter how much charm he dished.

"You'll find I am a different man now."

"What changed?" I asked.

He paused. "Everything."

I didn't understand, only knew my stomach wouldn't stop fluttering. "Yes," I rasped, slipping my fingers into his. "I will enjoy the day with you."

Satisfaction lit his eyes. "Good. I know just where to start."