Chapter 28

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Check-Up and Chainmail: When To Consult the Official Berserker Rule Book

From A Beginner's Guide to Berserker Bliss

Author Unknown

I agonized over the path to take right up to the midnight deadline. When the time came, however, I made the decision as easily as breathing.

If I wanted a different life, I had to do something different. Wasn't that what I'd told Isobel? What Mom had always told me? Rather than running from problems, as I'd done with August and my parents, and so many other things throughout my life, it was time to fight back. The outcome mattered.

With a firm plan of action, I shed my agony and buckled down, pouring through the berserker books of lore and legend. There must be a loophole I'd missed.

When sunlight filtered through the windows of my chamber, illuminating the dust motes dancing through the air, I rubbed tired, burning eyes. Morning had officially arrived—and I had failed. Legally, the berserkers had sealed off every gap. If you tried to kill a king's fated, you died. Period.

Because Callen hadn't rendered a judgment against me, his queen had the right to demand justice from his peers. If I spoke the truth, I died. But so would she, if anyone believed me. Did I want to be responsible for the second death of Mirren's mother?

I showered and dressed in the clothes left for me. A solemn dark skirt and sweater. Far from the fancy dresses I'd been expected to wear as Mrs. Bruce, Queen to Callen, the berserker king. Any minute, someone would arrive to fetch me and escort me to the trial. My guess? It would be held at the stones. The only neutral ground for the other kings.

I waited in the center of my bedchamber, too nervous to sit. Hingessqueaked as the door swung open. I held my breath, my mind erasing.

Ponytail entered, spotted me, and narrowed his eyes. "Come." He waved me over.

Showtime.

Head high, I marched into the hallway, where Buzz waited. Ponytail followed me out, leaving no avenue of escape.

Buzz led me through the castle, and I did my best to tamp down my nerves.

The entire castle had been emptied of any other living beings. There was no movement. No sound other than the thumping boot steps of my companions. A heartbeat that gave new life to my confidence. I could win this. I possessed what Sorcha didn't. Love and truth.Both were powerful advocates in my corner .

We exited the home. As usual, a car waited for us. We climbed inside, and yes, we drove to the stones in terse silence.

The car slowed, signaling our arrival, and I notched my chin. Fog shrouded the area, hiding everything but a stretch of green.My guards and I emerged, and they flanked me as we trudgedtoward the circle. I could almost imagine bagpipes sounding in the background, escorting me to my fate, but thankfully, their forlorn melody never broke the air.

Tremors invaded my limbs when I stepped past the rocks and the fog thinned. A cool breeze whipped locks of my hair in front of my face.

My guards hung back, remaining outside the circle. Eight men and a lone woman stood with the stones, each between a pair. The kings and a queen?

They were fierce and commanding, their attention glued to me. No one spoke. Not even Malachi, whose studied me with a confused frown. Did he see the mark?

One of the most muscular kings gripped his stones, his claws digging so deep he'd caused cracks to spread. He breathed so hard, his nostrils flared. Over and over he swiped his foot through the dirt, reminding me of a bull soon to charge. Dark hair stuck out in spikes. Glittering gold rings flashed in his irises. He appeared a hundred percent feral. An animal trapped in human skin.But which animal?

Trepidation spun through me. I focused on the degree of power now filling the air. The monarchs reflected the lands they called home in dress and appearance, but all the males were muscular and rugged, while the sole woman was toned to perfection.

My heart nearly stopped when I spotted Callen. He strode to the circle's center, clad in a perfectly tailored suit, not a strand of hair out of place. His gorgeous features appeared chiseled from granite, and his hands remained fisted at his sides. Barely banked rage burned beneath his skin.

He'd expected me to abandon ship. Too bad. Up went my chin a little higher. Sorcha as fake Isobel stood near him, wearing an exquisite, tailored navy dress, polished stilettos and a string of pearls I recognized as a gift from King Malachi.

She glared at me, as rigid as a board. My knees knocked but I squared my shoulders. Let the case of the master manipulator versus the plucky heroine commence.

Callen didn't move. He simply stated, "You called this hearing to order, Mrs. Bruce. Begin."

Without hesitation, Sorcha pointed an accusing finger at me. "Elizabeth Darcy works for Tavish the Great. There are undoctored photos to prove it."

My nails cut into my palms.

"She snuck into my home and tried to kill me," Sorcha continued. "According to our law, I'm allowed to decide her end. My husband refuses to do his duty, and I demand satisfaction. Behead her."

Callen stiffened, clearly angry, but she didn't back down.

Inhale. Exhale. She expected me to weave my tale. To accuse her of soul switching. She would then claim I was lying, a last-ditch effort to turn her clan against her and force her death, even if I had to die myself.

I opened my mouth… "I have no desire to argue my case." Fromeverything I'd read, everything I'd witnessed, berserkers responded most to respect. "I won't dishonor my king by lying or harming a member of his clan. I can on ly proclaim my trust in the sentinel who knows me best and place my life in his hands." I knelt and bowed my head. "Do to me what you believe is right, King Callen."

He flinched, stumbling back a step, and Sorcha gaped at me.

"Yes, Callen," she rushed out as soon as she recovered. "Renderjudgment against her or let the others do it for you."

I lifted my head and met his stare, my heart drumming. The moment of truth. Would he judge by head or heart?

He returned to his spot, wonder and fury in his gaze. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you." Truly loved him. And if these were my last minutes on this earth, I wanted them filled with honesty and respect.

"How dare you?" Sorcha hissed. "He is my husband."

He worked his jaw.

"Did anyone bring popcorn?" Malachi asked. "This is better than my soaps."

Snickers abounded among the kings. The lone berserkatrix yawned.

"You heard Queen Isobel. She offered the decision to me, and I'm ready to render it," Callen called to one and all.

Sorcha smirked. I winked at her, if only to throw her off. Which I did. The smirk fell into a scowl.

Callen slid his gaze to the other woman and announced, "Isobel, you betrayed your king with his brother, a crime more grievous than the falsity you've accused Elizabeth Darcy of committing. As the photos you referenced prove, she was once our enemy. Betrayal from her was a given. But not from you, my once trusted companion. Therefore, my marriage to you is null and void. You will be imprisoned until I decide the best place for you. A mercy I suggest you accept."

Shock blasted from Sorcha. And me!

He captured my gaze. A second later, his entire body jerked, as if he'd been rammed with a weapon. His head fell back, his arms spread, and his feet lifted several inches off the ground. Azure light exploded from him, zooming across the land, knocking down everyone in its path. Even I toppled, hit by a force of wind I couldn't resist.

What was that ?

Only Callen remained upright, his big, big body seemingly in the grips of a berserkerage.

The kings and queen jumped to their feet while I climbed to mine.

Sorcha scrambled away, distancing herself from Callen, before standing. "Whatever just happened, I—I'm your firebrand. Don't forget that."

As he floated to the ground, he squared his shoulders. Up went his chin. The same azure light crackled in his irises, making him impossibly beautiful. Pure power radiated from him, now embraced by peace. I pressed my hands against my fluttering belly.

"My firebrand you are not." He even sounded different. Fiercer. So strong and intractable it inspired fear in everyone around him. They muttered their surprise.

Sorcha was right. Something had happened to him. But I wasn't afraid. Not the slightest.

"A mark doesn't fade on a fate, yet you no longer bear mine." He met the gaze of each royal, maintaining contact and daring someone to naysay him. "A judgment has been issued. Your presence is required no more. Go."

"Callen," Sorcha cried. "You canna do this to me. I'm yours! "

"What will you do with the brunette who somehow does bear your mark?" Malachi asked, ignoring the ex.

Callen canted his head to the side. "Elle pledged her services to me, and I accepted. Nothing more concerns you."

"You are correct." The speaker smiled, though it was tight. He knew there'd been a switch, but he wasn't pressing the issue. I didn't have to wonder why. I wouldn't want to go against this unrufflable Callen, either. "Until next time, gentleman."

"So no one is dying today?" another king asked, glancing about.

"Bummer," someone replied.

My mind whirled as the audience vanished in succession. Forget Callen's one-man light show. He'd trusted me. Had chosen me. Elizabeth. With zero proof—well, other than my mark and our connection—he'd sided with the woman he'd seen holding a knife over his wife's fallen body.

Grinning ear to ear, I hurried over and threw myself at him. He caught me and wrapped me in his arms, hugging me tight.

Sorcha released a sound of rage and sprinted in our direction. Buzz swooped in and caught her from behind, ending her attack before it started.

"I regret my treatment of you and beg for your forgiveness," Callen rasped, burying his face in my hair. "I was so afraid of making a mistake."

He'd arranged for my escape. Tried to save me. "You're forgiven."

He lowered to his knees and fit his hands on my waist, and my eyes widened. Determination glinted in the depths of his irises. "I love you, Elle. I want you in my life, always. Need you."

I blinked rapidly, one thought tripping over another. "What happened to you?" Seriously. What brought on this change in him?

"I decided to trust my connection to you, and suddenly the calm waters burst from their dam." Awe coated his words. "The waves quieted the constant hum of rage. More power than I've ever experienced now flows within me. I almost canna contain it and yet nothing has felt more natural. For the first time in my life, I know who and what I am. Your man."

Warmth spread through me. Blushing with pleasure, I nibbled on my bottom lip and gazed at him through the shield of my lashes. "Thank you for trusting me."

"I should have trusted you sooner." He stood and cupped my cheeks. "Stay in Scotland. Marry me. Let me make you my queen in every way. Doesn't have to be today. I understand you'll want to get to know me better. So tomorrow." Pure, undiluted yearning consumed his features. "You didn't escape when you had the chance. You stayed and fought for me, and I will do no less for you. I will fight for you every day of my life and find how to cure you of your allergy to dogs. I already have ideas."

"Callen," I rasped, overcome.

"You were always my firebrand , lass."

My breath hitched, and I struggled to process the beauty of his confession. A proposal? From my husband. Who wasn't really my husband. Even though he was. And he had his sights set on forever.

Another screech echoed around us. Sorcha hadn't given up .

Callen ignored her. I did, too. "Yes," I said. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

With another grin, he gifted me with a hard kiss.

"I hate you, Callen," Sorcha screamed, struggling against Buzz's hold. "I hate you with every fiber of my being!"

Callen ended the kiss with a sigh. "Go with your guards," he told me. "I'll see Sorcha to her prison and return to you. We'll start our lives fresh."

Though I didn't want to leave him, I nodded, and all but skipped off tojoin Ponytail and Buzz, who passed his burden to Callen. What a wonderful day this had turned out to be!

"Not a scratch on her. She bears my mark and will be crowned your queen," he called.

The pair didn't say a word as they escorted me to the car. But once seated inside and on the road, Buzz stared at me for a long while, his eyes narrowed. I shifted, growing uncomfortable. What?

Ponytail noticed and nudged him with his elbow. "What's wrong with you?"

"More than you know." Motions swift and fluid, Buzz withdrew a gun and shot him in the heart with multiple rounds.

I gasped, hit by horror as crimson flowed from the wounds, soaking Ponytail's shirt. He tried to speak, but only choking sounds escaped his mouth.

I lunged to catch him as he slumped forward, but Buzz tapped theweapon, shook his head, and tsked, keeping me in place. My knees quaked.

"Hello, darlin'," Buzz said, and I knew. Tavish had soul-switched with him. He rested the gun on his lap, making sure I had a view of it. "To my home," he told Angus, the driver.

"Yes, sir, boss." Angus cackled with laughter and bounced in the seat, nothing like his usual self. He'd been soul-switched, too. But with whom?

No wonder the berserker kings insisted on executing those who participated, willingly or not. The ability left others in constant danger.

"I knew Sorcha would betray me," the wolf said. Though he couldn't wolf-out in the body he currently occupied. Right? Only berserker out. Or would he force the change in the other man? "That's why I merely used her as a distraction."

I should have planned for this. "What's the goal? Lure Callen into atrap and hurt me in front of him?"

"Something like that." Buzz-Tavish gloated a moment. "Callentook my firebrand from me. Soon he will know the suffering I have endured ever since."

Such hate. "Callen isn't responsible for his mother's death."

Tavish reacted without missing a beat, slapping me. Pain exploded in my cheek, and blood trickled over my tongue. Inside, I screamed with fury.

"Say that again, and find out what happens," Tavish bit out.

I looked him straight in the eye, unwavering. "Callen isn't responsible for his mother's death. You are. I'm guessing you didn't perform the ceremony to make her harder to kill."

His second slap sent my body flying to the floor. A good thing. The car jerked to a sudden stop, Angus banging into the steering wheel with such force he was knocked unconscious. The momentum shoved me against the back of his seat while Tavish flew forward, banging his face on the back of the passenger seat. Confused thoughts battled for dominance until a fist punched through a side window, glass shards flinging.

With eyes glowing vivid blue, Callen ripped a door off its hingesand yanked Tavish from the vehicle. I watched, shell-shocked, as the two tore into each other. Well, Tavish tried. Claws extended from his nail beds, but not Callen's. Buzz's teeth lengthened and sharpened, his bones more prominent, baring the true animal nature of his berserkerage. But not Callen. He appeared double the size, yes, but he exhibited no animalistic traits. Once again, pure power pulsed from him.

He easily blocked Tavish's attacks and landed bone-crushing blow after bone-crushing blow.

The switched shifter was losing, his motions slowing. "How are you doing this?"

Ponytail groaned, and I scrambled to check on him. A pulse! I tugged off my sweater to press the material into his wounds, which shrank before my eyes.

He blinked and frowned, confused. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Tavish switched bodies with your pal. Someone switched with Angus, too."

His attention shifted to the snarling, fighting men. Izoomed my attention to the combatants as well. Tavish dodged Callen's next series of strikes, doing his best to lick blood from a gash in his arm. Took me a moment to reason out why. The potion in Buzz's blood. The wolf king was trying to switch souls again. Tavish's body must be nearby.

Fake Buzz went still. Callen landed a punishing blow, shattering the other man's face. If he wasn't stopped, he would kill his soldier and hate himself .

"Callen!" I sprang from the car. Ponytail reached for me, but I avoided him, sprinting over. "Callen," I repeated. "Help me. I need you."

His head whipped in my direction. Utter stillness came over him, different tendons stretched to the max as I approached. I threw myself at him just as before, putting myself between him and his opponent, who collapsed.

"What's wrong?" Callen demanded, his gaze darting. "Threat?"

"Calm down for me," I said, stroking his cheek. "That's what I needyou to do. The danger is gone, Buzz has switched back. I'm all right."

"I've never been calmer." He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. "You are good?"

"Sore in a couple places but otherwise tiptop." I rose to my tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Where's Sorcha?"

"Long gone, I'd bet. I left her as soon as I heard your scream."

No doubt she would return. Like Tavish, she treated her selfish desires as a treasured lover.

"Elle," Callen rasped, bowing his head. "You've been hurt on my watch again and again and again. If you wish to leave me, I understand. I will follow you wherever you go, no matter who I must defy, but I will understand and protect you with my life for the rest of yours."

I poked him in the shoulder. "I'm staying. You are mine, and don't ever forget it."

A smile broke free, lighting his entire being. "I donna deserve you, but I'll cherish you always."

"What will we do about Buzz and Angus? And me! We have an ingredient for the soul switching potion in our blood. "

"I will never harm you," he vowed. "I'll reassign the men, keep them and others safe…and I'll keep you by my side forevermore." He held out his hand to me. "Come, let's go home."

I twined my fingers through his. "Home. Yes."

For now, Tavish was defeated, and Sorcha was out of the picture. Soon, I would marry the billionaire berserker king who'd fallen in love with me. I would build a life here, standing with my husband, making every day better for our people. I'd get to watch Mirren grow up and maybe, just maybe, welcome a few more wee little ones–that's what the Scottish say, right?

Would there be problems? Yes. I doubted Buzz and Angus were the only soldiers Tavish and Sorcha had tainted with the potion. And how many other sentinels also hid potions? How would anyone know who to trust?

Measures must be taken. What, I didn't yet know. But every fiber of my being understood my new life started today. Our forever had just begun.