Chapter 19

Chapter

Nineteen

Berserker Booty: Some Presents Pack a Punch

From A Beginner's Guide to Berserker Bliss

Author Unknown

I fought for calm as I descended the staircase with Callen, our hands still tucked together. The most delicious heat radiated from his muscular body. Every nuance of movement brushed his scar against my sensitive palm, and every breath I took infused my cells with his rich scent. Hot shivers rained over me, decadent desires dawned, and new aches bloomed.

When we reached the bottom of the steps, I expected him to whisk me to the car. Rather, he steered me toward the ballroom where I'd first met the staff.

My brow furrowed. "What are we doing?"

"Detouring to glimpse your gifts from Malachi."

Oh, yeah! Look at me, crossing an item off my To-Do list without even trying.

With his free hand, Callen opened the door to the ballroom. We swept inside. No servants milled about. No guards, either. We stood alone in the mirrored room with the vaulted ceiling, and I gasped. Piles and piles of stuff stacked high in every direction. Crates filled with spices lined the walls, cinnamon and saffron scenting the air. Barrels overflowed with rich silks and velvets in varying shades of blue. Bottles of oil and perfume abounded.

I floundered, overwhelmed. I, the woman who thrilled at receiving glue sticks and construction paper on Back To School Night, now stared at open chests displaying an assortment of precious gems and a boatload of gold coins. More than enough to finance my trip home.

"Malachi sends his utmost respects." Amusement bubbled in Callen's voice. "Gifts from the other kings will arrive within the week."

"There's more coming?" I squeaked.

"Much more. Also, the twenty-five thousand pounds you requested."

My head spun. Another goal met. "Do you think me greedy?" I bit my bottom lip and toed a gold coin.

"I think…" Callen reached for a diamond and pearl tiara that probably cost more than my projected lifetime income. He gently lowered the beauty on my head, tucking strands of red hair behind my ears."You were made for queenly adornments."

I bloomed under his attention, his stare. His praise. Even this Oklahoma girl had played princess as a child. Peering at him through the shield of my lashes, I quipped, "But only your queen, yes?"

"Only my queen," he agreed with a husky tone.

Heart a jackhammer, I reached for an exquisite gold pin of a wolf in profile. Delicate filigree adorned the edges, and a single sapphire sparkled in the animal's eye. With flourish, I attached the pin to Callen's shirt directly above his heart. "I formally decree this royal crest belongs to you."

His rough chuckle teased my ears. "What did I do to earn a portion of your catch?"

"To start, you saved my life from the shifters."

"As your king, husband, and protector, saving your life is my duty."

"Yes, but not everyone does their duty with such enthusiasm and skill. Take the compliment, darling."

He snorted at my use of the endearment, and our gazes met. Held.

Breathless, I fought the urge to flatten my palms against his chest. "Thank you, Callen. For everything."

In his usually icy blues, hot desire flared. His focus cut to my mouth. "As long as we're acting as we're supposed tae…"

I licked suddenly dry lips. Did he intend to kiss me? "Yes?"

"We're in a ballroom. We should dance."

Only a smidge disappointed, I lifted my ear and tilted my head. "There's no music," I pointed out. "But I can fix that." I clapped twice. Exaggerated a frown. Clapped twice. Again, no soft melody filled the airways.

"What are you doing, lass?" he asked with an equal amount of curiosity and amusement.

"Well, I'm living in a fairy tale with berserkers, shifting wolves, immortals, and enchanted castle." I wrinkled my nose. "Music should play at my command."

His shoulders shook the slightest bit. He trailed his knuckles across my cheek. "Unfortunately, the castle is missing the enchantment."

"There goes my Beauty and the Beast dreams." This man, this amazing king, was a fairy tale fantasy come to life. A wish so close and yet entirely out of reach.

"We don't need music." He drew me into his arms, urging me to rest my cheek against his chest.

Mmm. He wasn't wrong. Here, wrapped in the strength of his arms, swaying to a rhythm created by the beat of his heart, I needed only him.

"This is nice," I admitted.

He gently pinched my chin, lifted my face, and smoldered at me. "This is how it can always be. Neither of us wanted this marriage, but I have no desire for strife in my home. I get enough of that outside of these walls."

Was I getting a peek at the real Callen? Not the legendary king or the fierce berserker, but the man willing to reveal his vulnerability to me and me alone.

Parts of me constricted. "What are you wanting then?"

"A truce," he suggested.

"A truce I can do." I'd just have to be careful. Guard my secrets.

Grinning, he tugged me toward an open chest filled with gems. "Pick your favorites, and I'll commission a necklace to commemorate this night."

If only I'd get to keep it! Both excited and resigned, I dipped my hand inside the chest and let cold, hard diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires slip through my fingers. The amount of sparkle baffled my mind. So many precious gems. Enough to fund a thousand trips home.

Closer to escape than ever!

Ignore the spark of regret . It meant nothing. Less than nothing. "How can I choose until I've bathed in them?" I said, attempting a light tone as I pivoted to face him.

He stood with his hands linked over his sporran, so sexy I almost lost my train of thought. "A bath in jewels, hmm?" His pupils enlarged, spreading over glittering irises. "That's somethin' I'd like to see." As my cheeks flushed, he chuckled and took my hand. "Until then, let's continue our day of fun."

A huge, beautiful chestnut horse, saddled and ready, waited for us in the backyard. Callen gripped my waist and set me on the mount, then climbed up behind me.

Awe consumed me. "Are you serious? I get to ride?"

"You do."

Grinning big, I leaned against him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

For the next twenty minutes, he trotted me around, sharing fascinating details about his life. "I used to race here as a boy." "I plucked those flowers for my tutor, not knowing they were poison." "This is where I fell off my first horse."

"I can see it. You hit the ground, silent and stoic, then jumped to your feet and got right back on."

"Almost. I screamed in pain when the horse stomped on my ankle, breaking it. Then I jumped up and got right back on."

"Ouch. Even your animals throw temper tantrums."

He chuckled softly. "I suppose so."

"Is that why you refused to take me riding before? You expected a tantrum?"

His next exhalation tormented my nape in the best way. "I refused because I knew I'd like it."

Oh. Oooh. Because he liked me ?

All too soon, the ride ended. I thought we would return to the castle after we dismounted, but he led the stallion to the entrance of the garden maze and tied his reins to a hidden post.

"There's more?" Already this was the best date—day! not date, day!—of my life.

"There's more," he confirmed.

Needing a moment to calm my heartbeat, I cooed to the sweet beauty.

Callen took my hand and led me toward the winding hedges. Lush greenery rustled in the crisp Scottish mid-morning breeze. My hand trembled within his. The first time I ventured inside this viney terror, a wolf had howled as if it waited for an opportunity to strike. The second time, when I'd decided to face my fear, I broke my foot.

"I feel your apprehension," he told me. "You doubt my protection as both your king and husband." Dropping my hand near the towering entrance stones, he faced me. Determination emanated from him. "It's an insult to me."

I could tell he wasn't upset. Hmm, maybe just a little. He was a berserker, after all. Mostly, I sensed…kindness? "Well, then. No more apprehension. But I expect you to act as my meat shield in the event of trouble."

"Consider it done." The corner of his lip quirked. "Come on. We're going through Briarwrath together. I'll teach you the secrets of the maze, and you'll never again get lost inside."

"You named it Briarwrath? No wonder the place attacked me twice."

He snorted again and oh, how I adored the sound. "The name is supposed to embolden young children."

"Embolden them? Lesson plan objective unachieved." I shook my head, my every educator's instinct balking at the idea of children in danger within these twisting walkways. "I'd think it would frighten and deter them."

"Ah, but fear conquered is strength activated. So yes, embolden." Lines crossed his forehead. "Children of berserkers often grow up with uncertainty, knowing they are different. Dangerous. As they master this maze and its intricate design, they learn to face an unknown future with confidence. The rage of those who died in battles is said to imbue these thorny vines and enchanted pathways."

"The castle isn't enchanted, but the maze is?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Legends have a way of becoming distorted over the centuries." He crooked his elbow in my direction. "In any case, it's time to conquer your fear."

Grateful, I tucked my arm through his, once again relishing his intoxicating scent. "I'm ready to emerge on the other side with confidence," I told him with a firm nod.

As one, we crossed the grassy entrance of the maze. At least I understood the foreboding I'd felt the first two times I entered. But how had I missed those ominous runes carved into stone, weathered by elements and time?

No wolves howled in the distance, and yet, I sensed a simmering rage as the grass flattened beneath our footsteps. Goose bumps formed along my arms.

"Do the children venture through this thing alone?" I asked.

He shook his head. "They go in groups of three."

"Ah yes, that makes sense. Scouts go in groups of three, too, so one girl can stay with the injured while the other searches for help."

"For sentinels in battle, the triangle formation maximizes the ability to protect your back and cover each other's blind spots while maintaining offensive capabilities. "

"So exactly the same," I replied, and he laughed outright. His amusement didn't last long, but it thrilled me.

Eyes wide as we motored on, he admitted, "I never laugh."

But he did with me. I rested my head on his shoulder before I realized I'd moved. "Will Mirren get to conquer the maze?"

"At some point." He sighed. "A few months ago, she accompanied me to a celebration ceremony. Afterward, she told me she was born to be a queen of sentinels and she would prove her strength by conquering the maze faster than any others."

"Tell me more about this celebration ceremony."

"As king, it's my duty to greet those who make it to the exit. They receive top honors when they begin their combat training."

I heard the pride in his voice, his joy in their accomplishments. "You care about them as if they're your own."

"Because they are. I'm their sovereign, responsible for their continued wellbeing."

Did he more than like me? Did he, perhaps, care about me, too?

A lump clogged my throat. Don't fall for him. Not him.

"It's more than a responsibility to you." I admired this about him. Greatly. "You want each individual to do well for their own sake, not just because of the clan thing. You lead by example, always tell the truth, even when it hurts, and don't do what's easy but what's right. You're a good king."

He opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head. "You said scouts, not guides."

I allowed the subject change without comment. "I did, yes. "

"Since you insist on using that American accent and way of speaking, let's test your knowledge of the country."

He hoped to trip me up and force me to admit I was Scottish. A game more fun than dangerous, considering his motive. Rubbing mental hands together with glee, I replied, "Bring it on, berserker boy."

"What year was the US Constitution written?"

"1787." Thank you, Mrs. Hayes, for making your fifth-grade students memorize a poem about our great land.

In seventeen eighty-seven, our nation's fate was spun,

A Constitution born, the work of many, not of one.

Disappointment flashed over Callen's handsome face, and I inwardly chuckled.

We passed a shadowy alcove nestled within foliage. A statue of a fearsome warrior clutching a sword pulsed with an almost otherworldly force.

"Where was the first capital?" he asked.

"New York City." Bam! I'd aced high school history class, too. I smiled up at him sweetly, only to go breathless when I spied a tinge of admiration in his eyes. I think he liked my ability to surprise him.

"Name a war fought in the 1800s."

Of course the warrior king would ask that question. "Surprise, surprise, the War of 1812." Battles had never really interested me, but hey, it wasn't my fault he'd chosen a century and there just happened to be a war with the year in its title.

"I should have stipulated any war but that one," he groused. "How many versions of the US flag have there been?"

Uh, color me stumped! I skidded to a halt, grousing, "No one is gonna know that."

He smirked at me. "The correct answer is twenty-seven."

I lifted a brow. "You looked up the answer before you asked me, admit it."

"It's possible," he allowed, and I snorted.

Dang, I liked this man.

In the distance came the sound of babbling water. I'd never made it this far into the maze and couldn't stop the added spring in my step. The compacted earth gave way to ancient cobblestones ending at a weathered cistern, with moss covering the smooth sides. Clear water trickled gently into the basin from a fountain in the shape of a wolf, carved from a dark gray granite, its jaws wide, frozen mid-roar. Despite its imposing appearance, the statue evoked a sense of awe.

"If the ancient carvings and alcoves we've already passed are meant to intimidate," I said, "what purpose does the water serve?"

"Legend claims Truthwell Fount reflect who you truly are." Callen waved his arm, inviting me to try it. "I concur. As a child, I looked and saw myself as king."

My footsteps stalled. Gazing into truth water could spell trouble for me. What if my own face stared back at me? He would know a soul switch had occurred. But I also couldn't come up with a plausible explanation to resist such an innocent activity.

C'mon, it's not like this fountain will actually unlock genuine secrets. Despite Callen's experience.

"You stay here," I commanded. Just in case. "One step closer, and I'll put you in time out. Five minutes without my delightful company."

"As if I could survive such cruelty," he responded, seeming to tease me, mean it, and adorably man-pout all at the same time.

Swallowing the world's dreamiest sigh, I approached the well. Halfway, a primordial force took hold, drawing me closer faster. Once still air stirred, rattling leaves and limbs. My pulse quickened. Every muscle tensed as I leaned forward and gazed at the water...

An ethereal glow grew brighter and brighter, and I shivered. Then, I saw it. Me. My reflection. My own dark hair and brown irises, not a freckle to be found. And though Callen wasn't beside me, I saw him too. Reflection me peered at him with untold longing. He peered back with the same.

I gasped. The fountain had revealed the truth, all right. I cut a panicked glance over my shoulder. My companion stared at me, the longing I'd seen in the water shining on his real-life face now .

He wanted me, and he was done hiding it.

The air thickened. Some untamed power brewed between us, so real I felt as if I could reach out and grab it.

Once again, a force drew me. This time I approached him, closing the distance. Anticipation cascaded through me.

"Elle," he rasped, caressing my cheek.

I leaned into his touch, and tremors invaded my limbs. Did I, Elizabeth Darcy, belong in Scotland with his man? Or was the fountain instead issuing a warning? If not careful, I would fall for Callen Bruce.

And lose everything.

Fear gripped me, squeezing my lungs. "Where's the exit?" I turned from him, desperate to escape. The green maze walls closed in and blood screamed in my ears.

His expression blanked. He pointed to an archway mere steps past the wolf statue and fountain.

How had I missed it? My rushed steps ate up the distance.

Callen caught my wrist just as I exited the maze and tugged me around to face him. Tension returned to his features. "I will never harm you, Elle. Give me a chance to prove it. To show you the depth of my commitment to you. Tonight is a month. Let me give you my mark."

Sickness churned in my stomach. "Let's wait." Surely in another thirty days or so, he'd be with Isobel and I'd be…alone.

"Verra well. I'll nae force you to take it." Any emotion had leached from his voice, yet I felt the hurt simmering in every accented syllable. He released me and stepped back.

Guilt sliced at me, but I was fully immersed in self-preservation mode. He just…he didn't understand. Didn't know the truth.

"If you change your mind," he said, raising his chin, "I'll be in our bedroom. All you must do is come to me." With those words ringing in my mind, he stalked off.

Date over.