Going Berserk

Evernight Publishing

www.evernightpublishing.com

ISBN:

978-1-927368-61-9

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Kimberly Bowman

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or
reproduced electronically or in print without written permission,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are
fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

GOING BERSERK

A Berserker Mate’s Story

Alexandra O'Hurley

Jakob looked out over the ocean from his stance on the

boardwalk as a blast of cold air hit him in the face. Fiery fingers of
light spread up into the heavens, as if the setting sun held on to the
sky, fighting its demise for the night. A stray gull’s squawk was a
distant murmur, barely heard as the raging waves crashed against the
nearly deserted sands.

Looking down the beach, he saw the shapes of two lovers

braving the cold autumn night, bodies clasped against the chill,
enduring it to witness the sunset. Jakob knew they probably saw it as
romantic, a stranded beach near nightfall, the pounding surf and the
setting sun, but he knew better.

His chest ached as he thought of all the empty sexual

encounters he’d experienced over his long lifetime, trying to sate the
need that raged within him, never finding true release, never finding
true completion, knowing his seed would never find a home within
the nameless, faceless women he used. He was cursed to live a
loveless, empty life.

The space between Midgard and Helheim would shorten in

two days, opening up the possibility of a rive between the two worlds.
The Celts had been closest to the truth, understanding the door to the
otherworld weakened, and their Samhain rituals helped protect their
people from evil. These Americans called the day Halloween, a day
their children donned costumes and went door to door asking for
candy. If their parents knew what happened around them, they’d lock
their families in their houses, as they should.

Battles between good and evil happened each year during

Samhain. Weary of being caught between the two, on neither side, but
used nonetheless, he was tired of the wars waged. Going into hiding,
he had left his brothers in arms and walked away from his entire life.
But true evil wanted him for their own, knowing his power to be
great, and they chased him wherever he went.

The evil Swartska were coming to this place, where he’d

finally found peace, and mixing in with the freaks and tourists. Now
that summer was over, the masses no longer hid his location. Jakob
sensed their approach and found himself no longer wanting to run
from them. The number that would come in this wave was no match
for him.

If he shifted.
But he couldn’t stomach that part of him, the animal that

craved the hunt and the bloody end, and his enemy knew he fought
becoming the one thing he hated.

Without shifting, he was no match for them all. But cornered

at the edge of the Earth, the great Atlantic before him with no forest at
his back to run and hide, perhaps he would have to let loose the beast.

****
Kara pulled her hoodie on, the arctic blasts from the surf

nearly freezing her. Thankfully the antique car show had partitions up
and that held some of the cold at bay. Why she’d ever agreed to come
with her best friend, Dia, and Dia’s carburetor headed husband to the
beach at the end of October she’d never know. Perhaps it was the free
trip and hotel room. Somehow, spending a long weekend at the beach
had sounded so much more romantic when they’d pitched it to her.

Dia had wanted a friend to come with her, claiming these

shows were boring and that they could sneak away and see the sites
along the boardwalk. Too bad Dia was a newlywed and regardless of
boredom, seemed glued to her husband’s every word regarding the
1969 GTO convertible no one was ever allowed to touch. Ever. She’d
made the mistake earlier in the day of leaning on the thing in utter
boredom to nearly have her head taken off.

A parade of old men and meatheads dragging a bunch of

equally bored women behind them strolled through the space, and
Kara huddled in a corner, waiting for Dia to come to her senses and
leave the man and his car behind for the day so they could explore
and sightsee. Except she wasn’t sure that was going to happen.

“Dia, you ready to go? I am fuh-reezing and would like to

move around so my extremities don’t get frostbite. A cup of coffee
and some of those hot boardwalk fries sound heavenly.”

A glazed-over look was returned to her. “Kara, I can’t leave

him right now, there are a lot more people here than either of us
expected.”

Kara grunted inwardly, trying to make the sound show on her

face as she smiled at her best friend. When had Dia become so stuck
to her man that she couldn’t unglue herself? “Okay, so be it, but I’m
not standing here one minute longer. I need hot food and hot drink.
I’m heading down the boardwalk.”

“Have fun. You know where we’ll be!”
Yeah, I know where you’ll be. Stuck up your husband’s ass.

Why had she even been invited? The luster had definitely not been
rubbed off the pair’s recent nuptials, and Kara should have realized it
before she said yes to coming on the trip. So be it. She’d go and
explore on her own; she was a big girl.

First stop, a large steaming cup of java to thaw out her insides.

The planks of the boardwalk creaked under her quick steps, and after
a couple of blocks, she was so happy to find an ice cream joint that
apparently doubled as a coffee shop in the off-season. Slipping into
the front door, she was also glad to get away from the frosty October
air. She took in a deep breath and let the scent of freshly ground beans
soak into her as she waited her turn.

As she cast a glance around the shop, Kara saw a table full of

children all dressed in Halloween costumes painting small pumpkins
in the back of the space. Their giggles and chatter brought the shop to
life, the sounds bouncing off the walls almost as quickly as their little
feet bounced on the floor, and after grabbing her coffee, she sat down
at a table close by to watch them work. Kara loved the energy being
surrounded by children gave her. As a recent graduate with her
Doctorate in Elementary Education, she always seemed to gravitate
toward youth in almost everything she did.

Or perhaps it was her inability to have offspring that drew her

closer to that energy. A wave of melancholy hit her full on as her
doctor’s words hit her again. Her yearly physical had lead to a batch
of tests to explain a few anomalies.

“Your uterine lining doesn’t thicken as it should, so an egg

wouldn’t have a place to implant. And it appears you don’t ovulate at
all. Pregnancy won’t be an option for you.”

Although far from ready to be a mother, she had been struck

by those words, and her life had become grayer. Perhaps her body had
innately known and had propelled her to work toward her field,
knowing it would fill her world with children since her body couldn’t.
But student teaching a couple of months later had been nearly
disastrous, as the news had still been too new, and she found herself
staring at the room full of fresh faces and toothless grins, her chest
aching with the need to hold them close. Once one degree was done,
she just kept on with her education, afraid to get into the classroom,
bond with those little bodies, and weep when they moved on to the
next year.

Sighing into her cup of coffee, she reeled as the realization

that she had in fact been hiding smacked her in the face. Deep down,
Kara had known she was, but to finally admit it to herself was freeing
in some way, as if a door to a room closed too long had opened,
bringing in fresh air and sunshine. She smiled as the little Picassos
finished up and then decided to, once again, brave the chilled ocean
breezes.

After pushing open the shop’s glass door, Kara moved to the

railing and inhaled deeply, the clean crisp air whipping through her.
As she watched, the late afternoon sun began its slow descent to the
edge of the world. The show would be closed soon, and the
newlyweds might be ready to soak in the sights with her in a little
while. She needed to start moving back to the inlet and the bevy of
antique cars.

Slowly walking the boards, she loved the zigzag pattern the

makers of the walkway had made. It was in the old style, like the
original boardwalks of the 1930s and 40s, and the beauty of the
craftsmanship wasn’t lost on her. Kara wondered if any of these
boards had been around when this was brand new, knowing that age,
sun, and sand had probably destroyed any older pieces by now. She
wondered if the likes of a Lucky Luciano had ever traveled further
south than Atlantic City. Imagining he’d stepped on the same planks
of wood gave Kara a thrill.

Kara looked down at her feet to see a glimmer of blue smoke

twirling around her shoes. Rubbing her eyes, she was sure she saw the

mass twinkle as it filled out further and began wrapping around her in
earnest. Inhaling, she caught the scent of…chocolate. Brownies? If
someone is cooking brownies, I am so there. I need something to go
with my mochachino. But what gives with the smoke?

Following the scent, she navigated another block south and

around a corner. A slim paved path led to a screened-in door where
the aroma was emanating. As if propelled by an inner force that
wasn’t of her own making, Kara followed her nose, inwardly aware
that the smell could be coming from someone’s private home. She
told her feet to stop, but they ignored her plea and kept moving to the
door.

More smoke billowed around her, and the weight of it felt like

soft tendrils wrapping around her body, helping to pull her forward.
Once she reached the door, she sensed her hand rise to the handle,
turning it even though she didn’t want to, and she floated into the
room. Darkness ensued, and it took a few minutes for her eyes to
acclimate to the space.

Seating herself at a table in the middle of the room, the

darkness prevented her from seeing much, although the smoke was
light in the room, odd considering how thick it had been on the other
side of the door. Kara could no longer smell the scent of chocolate.
The haziness leeched from her, and she wondered what the hell she
was doing sitting in the middle of some random room in the dark.

“You wonder how you got here and why you remain sitting

even now.”

Duh. “Who are you?”
A small woman entered the room, and an ominous sensation

drifted through Kara. The chocolate scent strengthened, but was soon
forgotten when Kara noted the twinkle of a crystal ball in her hand.
She had no time for charlatans and fortune-tellers. Rising from the
chair, Kara chuckled. “Nevermind. I’m not sure how I ended up here,
but I know for quite certain it’s time to go. Interesting tactic to get
people into your parlor, though. How did you get the smoke to smell
like brownies?”

“The scent becomes whatever it needs to in order to get you

where you need to be. You have a sweet tooth, so it took advantage of
your weakness and brought you to me.”

“Ahh, yeah, the smoke is a living entity that knows my

weakness is chocolate brownies. Now you know my Achilles heel.”

Kara kept an eye on the woman as she backed toward the door. “You
have a great day. I have people waiting for me.”

“Dia is so enraptured with her new husband she doesn’t even

realize you’re gone, my dear. So why not sit down a moment and I’ll
read your future.”

What? “Who are you? And how the hell do you know about

Dia?”

“I know a lot of things about a lot of people. If you sit down, I

can share some of that with you. My name is Madame Swartska,
Kara, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Motioning to the chair across
from her, the woman’s face became visible as several candles roared
to life like unseen hands had lit them all at once.

An ominous weight pressed against Kara as she blinked in the

brightening room, and she let her eyes roam over the old woman. She
was the traditionally cheesy version of a fortuneteller from the plum-
colored, faux diamond jeweled turban and gypsy shawl covered body
to the long wrinkled fingers encrusted with gold jewelry. Kara wanted
to flee the place, but curiosity won out and made her press forward,
seating herself back in the chair. As Madame Swartska moved to the
table, she placed her crystal ball in the center, and a strong white light
blasted from it, reaching for the ceiling.

As the older woman began to chant softly, she ran her hands

over the ball, mumbling words Kara had never heard before. She
looked around, seeing the room for the first time now that the
candlelight flickered. Heavy, golden, velvet drapes hung from the two
windows at either side, standing sentinel beside rich burgundy
brocade wallpaper. There was no other furniture in the space, just the
round table and two high back chairs, but even those were tightly
cramped in the limited space.

Claustrophobia set in as Kara felt the tugging pull of the

incoherent words from Madame Swartska. Closing her eyes, she let
the language lull her into a relaxed state of some sort, making her
muscles fade and her body go limp.

“Now let me gaze into my ball and see where your future

lies.” Madame Swartska’s hand swelled over the rounded curves of
the glass and then looked deeply into the light that burst forth. Kara
felt drunk, as if she weren’t in complete control.

“Ahh, you are special, my dear, the gods have marked you

such. You will soon find your equal, your love, and bear him many
children.”

Wrong, not happening. Next?
“Your love is coming for you and knows not that you are here.

He will be your everything, and you his. He would lay his life down
for you.”

Oh sure.
“I cannot see his face. It is unclear to me, but is beginning to

clear. Yes, he is dark of hair and eyes. Tall and muscular.”

Sounds good to me.
“But, there is something about this man. He is…” Madame

Swartska’s eyes widened until they spread to unnatural size as she
lifted her gaze to Kara. A shiver of fear ran down Kara’s spine as she
was captured the woman’s glare. “You! You are one of their kind.”
Madame Swartska stood and quickly left the room.

Kara tried to raise her arms and legs to move. She was no

longer interested in what the woman had to say, but her body
wouldn’t cooperate. Kara sat languishing in the chair. She willed her
hand up, lifting it a few inches as two tall, smarmy men entered the
tiny space, sucking the air from room.

Madame S followed close behind them. “Bind her hands and

put her in the extra room. She will make excellent bait.”

****
Jakob saw the blue smoke billowing from the boardwalk as he

neared the inlet, as if the Swartska had laid out a welcome mat.
Carefully moving to the lane beside the house, he walked down the
length to the alley parallel to the boardwalk, hoping to come in from
the other side and surprise the group. Striding toward the old
dilapidated Georgian home, he noted all the windows were covered,
but the scent of evil he gathered on his nose was enough for him to
know that they were inside.

Inching closer, he pressed against a first story window. White

paint peeled from the exterior and flecked onto his clothes. A small
gap in the heavy curtains was visible, and Jakob moved his face
against the grimy glass, hoping he’d see anything that would tip him
off to the group’s size.

The room was dark, but his vision didn’t need light to see. His

eyes scoured over the old buckled floorboards, landing on a small

foot. Gliding up the leg it was attached to, he saw it belonged to a
woman, who was bound and tied. She was delicate, her golden hair
flowing down her shoulders. He couldn’t see her eyes as they were
covered by a strip of fabric, and she was gagged as well. Jakob’s
insides churned with a sudden desire as if she was calling out to him
and his gut twisted in need to free her.

Perhaps it was a trap.
Regardless if it was or not, the need growing inside him to

take her away from this place overrode all other thoughts, instincts,
and emotions. He pushed against the edge of the window and found it
was sealed. But the old Georgian locks weren’t meant to be high
security devices, and with a few careful pushes, the old mechanism
loosened. Trying to quietly jimmy the window when all he really
wanted to do was burst through the glass and scoop the woman up
was enough for him to break out into a sweat, his body quivered as he
battled his animal instinct.

One last shake and the lock gave. Jakob pushed it open and

leapt to the sill, slowly placing one booted foot on the floor, testing it.
The house was in quite disrepair, and he could imagine his bulk
dropping through rotted floorboards like a stone. He eased his way to
where the woman sat, crouched in front of her, and frozen. Her scent
permeated his nose and swam through his veins, starting a fire within
him along the way.

Through the window, he’d wanted to save her. Now, sitting

beside her, he wanted more. He needed to claim her.

Lifting the blindfold, more so he could see her eyes than

anything else, he watched as her pupils were so dilated that the black
encompassed nearly her entire iris. So much so that he was still
unsure of her eye color. But even so, they were lovely, and he could
sit and watch her all night long. He removed her gag next, wanting to
see her lips and imagine them pressed against his own.

“Who’s there?” Her voice was like a melody to his ears. He

watched as she swallowed and her heart rate increased, her whole
body trembling. She seemed deathly afraid. And apparently, she
couldn’t see him, considering her question.

“I’m Jakob, and I’m going to get you out of this house.”
The woman released a sigh and her body relaxed a bit. He

caught her scent once more. As it slid over him, he instinctually

growled deep in his throat. Bad idea. She stiffened beside him, and
moved closer to the wall if that was possible.

“What was that? Is there an animal in the room?”
Yeah, me. “It was nothing. Let me untie your hands and we’re

going to step through the window straight ahead of you.”

“No, Jakob, you won’t.” Lights blazed on in the room as

Madame Swartska entered the space. “Neither of you will be going
anywhere.”

Six Swartska males rushed into the room, going into attack

mode immediately. Jakob crouched low, a deep animalistic growl rent
from his throat. He heard the female’s gasp, but had no time to check
her response, his eyes on the large men before him. They approached
in pairs, and the first set raced toward him, cornering him near the
window.

Jakob felt the beast demand to get out, to be unrestrained. For

years he’d kept his monster at bay, refusing the change. But tonight,
his tightly reigned in control was as thin as his skin, and as fragile.
Perhaps it was the effects of the woman in the room and his need to
protect her, to remove her from this place.

Feeling the change begin, he knew he couldn’t stop the

runaway train, and as his bones creaked and twisted, he felt the
bloodlust fill him as well. Pain wracked his body as he shifted, and
having been so long since his last metamorphosis, he’d forgotten just
how bad the hurt truly was. Before he had completely altered, one of
the Swartskas grasped him around the ribcage, trying to muscle him
down to the floor.

Bad choice. Jakob’s jaw clasped around the man’s neck,

ripping the flesh, and blood burst from the man like a spigot, the dark
crimson oozing all over the front of Jakob’s fur. He pushed the man’s
lifeless body from atop him, and as he stood on his four legs and
shook his body, the animal part of him relishing his freedom at last.

Eying the other men, they backed up slightly, as if they were

afraid of tangling with the beast. In a flash of teeth and claws, Jakob
made quick work of the final five as another four entered the room.
The Swartskas circled him in the bloodied room, the second set
clasping knives to their sides, better prepared than the first had been.
The men attempted to attack from all four sides at once, and Jakob
felt one of their blades puncture his ribs before he brought them all
down one by one.

After the last one fell, Jakob heard quiet, no others were on

their way, and the house was completely silent. Turning, he realized
the woman had been taken from the room. Madame Swartska. Jakob
let his body relax and shifted back into human form. Naked, he pulled
some of the least tattered clothes and boots from the bodies
surrounding him, running from the room as he finished.

He had to find her.
****
Kara’s arm and wrist burned as the old woman pulled her

down the alley. She was awfully strong for a woman who looked
eighty or ninety. And fast. They were practically sprinting on the
boardwalk, and the old broad wasn’t even winded. Kara sure was. Her
sides were on fire from the lung action.

Still in shock, she wasn’t sure what she’d just witnessed in

that room. An incredibly handsome man, one that was there to help
her, had turned into a…wolf? But not like any wolf she’d seen before.
It had happened so fast, one moment he was human, the next he was
all teeth, glowing eyes, and fur. And claws. Claws that had ripped
through those men like a hot knife through butter.

Kara looked down at her clothes and saw she still had

remnants of those men on her. Part of her wanted to scream and not
stop for hours. Another part of her felt…pride? As if his defense of
her had somehow been a show of force and protection. Proof he was
a…what? Shaking her head, she focused once more on the burn in her
arm, and the dragon lady pulling her onward.

They were traveling away from the inlet. After several blocks,

Kara was dragged toward the beach, and her legs ached as she tried to
run on the loose sand. She fell, landing on her knees, and Madame
Swartska continued to tug. Her arm felt like it might be rent from her
body. Kara lifted her head and saw a large outcropping of rocks
ahead, knowing innately that if she let the old hag get her there, she
was dead.

Refusing to move another step, Kara dug into the sand with

her feet, making it harder for Madame Swartska to budge her. A
resounding slap crossed her face, the sting vibrating like a living
thing.

“Had I known he was this close, I would have brought more

men, been more prepared. Chance put them both in my path, and my

visions didn’t show me. My visions have failed me. All the time
searching, laying in wait. For naught.”

Kara realized Madame Swartska wasn’t talking to her, but to

the Heavens above. The moonlight made the outlines of her face
sharp, glaring, and the older woman looked lost for a moment before
her face hardened.

She turned to face Kara. “But if I can’t kill him, I’ll kill you.

He’ll wish he were dead.”

“You’ll have to go through me to get her, witch.”
Kara looked over her shoulder. The man stood just a few feet

from them, the bright moonlight lighting his face.

“I already have her, Berserker.” Grabbing a handful of Kara’s

hair, the woman drew her closer. Kara squealed in pain, feeling as if
her hair was being pulled out of her scalp.

A low growl came from the man…what had she called him,

Berserker? Kara looked up at him from her position on the sands at
Madame Swartska’s feet. She saw the bones of his face contort. Panic
rose in her gut as she watched him transform, this time into a seven-
foot black bear.

Madame Swartska lifted her effortlessly, putting her arm

around Kara’s throat, pressing the edge of the blade into her skin. A
thick drop of warmth rolled down her chest and Kara knew the blade
had dug into her. A wave of nausea rolled through her, but she pushed
it aside, knowing she needed to focus on staying alive.

“You fool! I can have her throat slit in the blink of an eye. Do

you really think your animal form will be able to do anything to save
her? Brute strength may work on my men, but you need more than
your snarling maw and your vicious claws to win this game.”
Madame Swartska laughed manically, her yellowed teeth and
withered mouth envisioned in Kara’s head. A shiver trembled through
Kara, knowing that the old hag had her life in her hands.

The Berserker changed back into human form, nude, his

clothes having ripped from his body in the transformation. Kara
looked down his body, the light of the full moon leaving little to her
imagination. He was all heavy muscle, lean waist, and hips, his
chiseled body a work of art. Fire raged through her, her nipples
lengthening and hardening, her pussy swelled, coating itself with her
juices, readying her for his cock. His very impressive cock. Oh my
God. Here I am about to die, a wacko holding a knife to my throat,

and all I can think about is having sex with a complete stranger. A
very hot stranger, but stranger nonetheless.

Feeling another drop of blood glide down her neck, Kara

started to recite the Lord’s Prayer in hopes it would stop the lustful
thoughts running through her mind. It might also buy them both some
time before the blade sliced through her jugular. “Our Father, who art
in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

“Your God won’t help you now,” the old hag whispered into

her ear.

“Thy kingdom come.” The blade slice deeper and Kara froze,

unable to complete the prayer. She heard the growl coming from
across her, and the sound vibrated through her entire body, heat
blossoming inside her at the noise. Another snarl echoed his, and to
her utter amazement, she realized it was coming from inside her.

****
Jakob heard the woman’s growl answering his and froze. She

was a Berserker mate. He’d waited a thousand years to find one. And
now she was in the arms of his enemy, her neck bloodied, and he had
no idea how to disentangle her. Circling the Swartska witch, he
watched as the old woman turned with him, dragging his mate with
her as she moved. But he wanted the moon behind him so his eyes
would be in the shadow.

The snarl deepened, and the smell of the salty ocean air

blasted into him just before the scent of her arousal slapped him in the
face. The woman was going into heat, as all Berserker mates did
when they were near a male on All Hallows Eve. It was the one day a
year she could conceive, and the longer she was near him, the worse
her need would become.

His cock thickened as her desire became a tangible thing,

reaching out to his body and clasping him in her grip. Much longer
and the animal inside him would take over and fulfill her longings the
only way he knew how. With his fingers, his tongue, and his cock.
Her scent hit him again, coming in waves, crashing against him,
harder and more ferocious than the ocean at his back.

He saw her fingernails lengthen into claws and was glad he’d

moved. His eyes would have given them both away had he still been
facing the light of the moon. Before he could stop her, she plunged a
hand into the old crone’s knife hand, the other plowing into her
midsection.

Madame Swartska’s scream of pain and release on the

woman’s neck was enough for him to pounce. Shifting as he leapt
through the air, he slammed into her chest, a thick pop sounding as
the two landed on the damp sands. In the blink of an eye, his jaw
slammed onto the witch’s throat, biting and pulling until her blood
spilled around him.

As he stepped back, he looked into her glassy eyes that were

staring straight ahead but unseeing. Shifting back into human form, he
turned to the female and growled.

****
Kara stood motionless staring at the lump of lifeless flesh

huddled in the sand. She turned to the male as he transitioned back to
human form. The need ripped through her once more and a growl
escaped her lips. He was nude, gorgeous, a beautiful specimen of
masculinity, and her mind screamed at her to jump on top of him and
rut like a beast.

She felt animal, visceral, and alive for the first time in her life.

Her blood beat a staccato in her ears, the rushing sound feeding the
need gripping her. Kara sensed her body was stronger somehow, and
she wasn’t even sure she wanted to think about where those claws of
hers had come from, but at the same time, needed some answers.

“What am I?”
His face was still in the shadows, and she couldn’t read his

expression. “You’re a Berserker mate.”

Sighing, she knew each question would open up to more. “I

don’t know what a Berserker is. I assumed that was your name when
the old hag called you that.”

“My name is Jakob. And yours?”
“Kara.”
He pulled her into his arms and swiped his calloused hand

across her face, rubbing a thick thumb across her bottom lip. “Sweet,
sweet Kara. You’re a Favored, a Berserker mate. But I think we need
to get off this beach before I tell you more. I have a safe place.”

Trembling at his touch, Kara knew she’d go anywhere with

this man, her mind and body demanded his hands on her body, her
need overrode any possible anxiety she had.

“I feel you tremble. You need not fear me. I would never hurt

you.”

“I…I don’t think you would.”

“Good.”
“What are we going to do with her?” Kara looked back at the

sands, only to inhale a deep breath. “Where is she?”

Jakob looked over at the spot where the old witch had died. Or

had she? Either way, the desire to leave was immense. Clasping her
hand in his, she looked down at him and realized they’d have to go
wherever they were going with him nude. She pulled off her hoodie
and handed it to him. “It’ll be too small, but perhaps you can wrap it
around your waist.”

Laughing, he smiled at her. “We won’t need that.” He lifted

her in his arms and raced away from the beach. Everything around her
was a blur. He moved with superhuman speed, the light swirling into
trails as they passed, the glowing lines creating a beautiful canvas.
After a couple of minutes, they stopped on a wide wooden porch
attached to a grand old Victorian manor. Jakob opened the knob on a
door with exquisite stained glass insets, lowered her, and pressed her
inside. Kara swallowed, realizing she was closed within the space
with him. Alone.

An overhead light flared to life, illuminating him and her

unease vanished. His body entranced her, and she was unable to lift
her eyes from his male beauty. Desire rose inside her again, and she
heard the deep animal growls issue from him. Juices coated her pussy,
and her body ripened further, her fingernails slicing into her palms to
prevent her from tackling him to the floor of the foyer.

She eyed the antique walnut bench across from the inlaid entry

table, wondering which piece of furniture she wanted him to fuck her
on. Kara noted the large oval mirror above the table, her lust-fevered
mind telling her she could watch as he pounded into her from behind.
Another wave of desire hit her, and she dropped her hoodie on the
floor, knowing she needed to remove more clothing because she was
suffocating, burning alive.

Stepping on the first tread of the stairs to their left, he cleared

his throat. “I need to get dressed. So we can…talk.”

“Why bother, they won’t be on long.” Kara clamped a hand

over her mouth, horrified she’d let the thought slip from her mouth.
She turned her wide eyes away from his handsome gaze, her face
burning in humiliation.

“You’re feeling the effects of your body reacting to having a

male Berserker.”

Turning toward him, she paused a moment as his words

bounced in her head. “You mean I’ll react to a male of your kind like
this every time I meet one?”

“Well, you will if you meet one near the rive.”
Exhaustion and need combined, along with the shock of all

she’d seen through the evening catching up to her, and she was
feeling on edge. “Can you please stop answering my questions with
riddles? I don’t know any more right now than I did on the beach, and
now I have more holes than answers.”

Jakob’s face tightened and he moved up the stairs.
“Where are you going? I need information.”
A growl spread out from him, and it made her insides tremble.

“I’m going to get dressed. Then I’ll give you the answers you need.”

****
Jakob stepped off the stairs and scented the air, looking for

Kara. Her need was great, and he knew there was no way he’d be able
to give her the answers she deserved unless he had a layer of clothing
to protect himself. He wasn’t sure whom he needed protection from,
himself or her, but the craving to press his cock into her seemed
subdued with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt on after a quick
shower.

He held a warm cloth in one hand and a fresh t-shirt for her in

the other. He found her sound asleep on the couch in his study. Jakob
dropped to his knees beside her and used the warm cloth to wipe away
the small trickles of blood, bending to lick her neck to help it heal
faster. As he finished laving her, he lifted his face and was
magnetically pulled to her azure eyes. Her open azure eyes. Jakob saw
the fires within her gaze rise and smelled her need grow. Too much
longer and neither of them would be able to prevent what would in
fact be.

Handing her the t-shirt, he smiled, breaking the tension. “I

thought this might be more comfortable.” He ached to see her lift her
shirt from her body, but turned to give her privacy, needing her to
trust him. He’d play the gentleman act now, because before this night
was over, he was going to be inside her. “Go ahead and change, I’ll
keep my back turned.”

His thoughts made him feel like such an ass. Tonight was both

of their shared destinies, whether she understood that or not. She’d
had no time to acclimate to what he was about to tell her and that

bothered him. But he knew the animal instincts within them would
take over and they’d have no recourse. He could walk away from her,
wait out the night, and find her in a few days. But what if he lost her?
What if something happened to her?

Jakob couldn’t live thinking she’d be hurt, found by another of

the Swartska kind, or worse, another Berserker. If another male
attempted to mate her, he’d have to kill him. So there was no other
choice. He’d hold her here, brand her with his scent, his cock, and his
seed.

Hearing her disrobe made his cock swell. Sweatpants had

probably not been the best choice tonight, as there was no way he
could hide his need.

“Okay, you can turn back around, Jakob.”
Kara had taken off her pants as well, but his t-shirt came

nearly to her knees.

“Thank you for the shirt. But I’d appreciate answers more.”

Settling back into the couch, she curled herself into a little ball at one
end and watched as he sat at the other. Her eyes widened as she
looked down at his arousal, although he wasn’t sure why, she had
already seen him naked, and had been feeling the effects of the rive
for nearly an hour now.

Clearing his throat, he wondered where to begin. “Like I said,

you are a Favored, a Berserker mate. And it’s close to the rive, where
you are at your weakest, yet strongest.”

“I don’t know what any of that means. I don’t even know what

a Berserker is.”

“We are now a distant memory held within the Old Norse

traditions and myths. Your modern historians have turned us into
drug-induced warriors who wore animal pelts in battle. But in truth,
we are born of Odin’s lightening, sent to Earth to help humans wage
war. We shift into any animal we choose, but typically find comfort in
the wolf and bear forms.”

“So, what am I to you? I know you say mate, but am I…am I

human?”

He grasped her hands in his as he moved closer to her. “Of

course you are. But as a mate, you’re given special abilities the first
time you go into heat, like being stronger physically.”

“And the crazy fingernail thing?”

Looking down into her bright eyes, he smiled. “Yes, the crazy

fingernail thing.”

“Wait a minute. Did you say ‘go into heat’?”
“Yes, once a year you’ll go into heat, as long as there is a

Berserker male near you.”

“Animals go into heat, not humans.”
“Your body is slightly different in the ways it reproduces, but

that’s what makes you a Favored. You are still human.” Kara rested
her head on her knee. The forlorn look on her face broke his heart.

“What is the reeve, rive, whatever thing you were talking

about.”

“It’s the time when your world and Helheim nearly collide

they come so close in contact. Helheim is what you would consider
your Hell. But it’s a world to itself. The ancient Celts knew of the
spiritual time spawning your Halloween. It can be a dangerous time as
a male must protect his female from the rive and also ensure her needs
are met.”

“Needs?”
“Your desire nearly cripples you now. Don’t act ignorant of

what your body feels. The animal instinct inside you wants what only
I can give you.”

Her eyes rounded. “How egotistical!”
“It isn’t ego. It’s the truth. I’m the only Berserker for miles

and I’m what your body craves. The madness will set in soon, and we
will lie together.”

“The madness?” Her face paled as her eyes danced around the

room.

“The longer you try to stay away from me, the worse it

becomes. Eventually, sexual instinct will overcome any rational
thought, and your body will demand mine.”

****
Sexual was not a term anyone would have ever used in

conjunction with Kara before today, although she wasn’t a virgin
either. Her few times with a man had been awkward at best. She
pulled her arms and legs closer to her body, fighting the need coursing
through her. His words rang true, simply by the craving she felt, the
need to cover him with her body, impale herself on his cock.

Shaking her head, she fought to keep her body from rebelling,

as if someone else had taken control of her. The visions and ideas

flowing through her mind weren’t ones that had ever been there
before; sex acts she hadn’t even known existed. The missionary
position was the only one she’d ever performed, though she was
familiar with the way animals mated, the female on all four, taking
the male from behind. And the need to lower herself to the floor, her
ass high in the air in welcome, practically overcame her as instinct
raged through her.

Or better yet, sitting on his lap as she took control of their

encounter. She closed her eyes as she mentally shoved her fingers
through his hair, pulling his face up for a kiss as he pumped into her.
She felt another wave hit her hard, followed by a growl from the end
of the couch.

Jakob gritted his teeth as if in pain and she watched his

canines lengthen, extending past his lower teeth. He closed his eyes,
and when he reopened them, his dark irises were yellow, reflecting
the light from the room back at her. His growling intensified and he
bit out one word. “Mine.”

That was the last coherent thought she had.
****
Jakob felt the change coming over him and he fought it with

every ounce of his strength. He would frighten her if he came at her as
a beast and knew he must take her in his human form. Clasping the
edges of the leather under him and closing his eyes, he willed himself
to stop the transformation.

As the wave of sexual need lessened slightly, he was able to

recapture a little control. But he knew he was at the end of his rope
and that he’d take her now. He noted she’d left the couch as he
opened his eyes. Looking across the room, he found her on her hands
and knees, his t-shirt puddle below her and her round rear high in the
air. Her pussy was covered with a thin snatch of lace that openly
showed her need for him, her juices coating the edges.

After lowering himself to her, he reached down to press his

lips the soft skin of her bottom as he ripped the thong from her body
with a loud tear. As she looked at him over her shoulder, Jakob saw
her irises had turned completely black and her instincts had taken
over. Kara was ready for her mating. Pushing down the edges of his
pants, he palmed the thick staff in his hand, pumping it a couple of
times before placing the deep purple head against her slit.

This time it was all nature as their combined need prevented

him from giving her the soft slow loving she deserved. Next time, it
would be nurture. He’d lick the golden flesh between her thighs,
languish in the space between her long, elegant legs, worship her
breasts, and bask in the beauty of her body. Next time he’d show her
care, loving her deep into the night.

But now, now he was going to fuck her hard and fast and spill

his seed deep within her channel and hope she didn’t scare at how
rough he could be. Pressing the head into her pussy, he felt the
tightness of her muscles slipping around him like a glove hand-
tailored to his exact dimensions. He pushed the rest of his thick cock
inside her, his hands digging into her hips as he tried to hold on to the
last shred of his control.

Sweat coated his body as he began to move within her. She

glided with him, slipping forward on his retreat, pounding backwards
on his entry, and the knot grew at the base of his spine, the need to
come immediate. He stopped for a breath, trying to gain the upper
hand on his lust, but she reared back, demanding he continue, a growl
rumbling from her chest.

Jakob held Kara tightly as he began to move again, trying to

control her as she pressed to increase the tempo, her need pushing her
toward completion. Her muscles tightened on his cock, drawing him
deeper inside. Unable to completely pull out of her sheath, he lowered
himself over her body, planting both palms alongside hers on the
floor. Licking his tongue down her shoulder, he found a soft spot and
bit into her with his canines.

Blood pulsed into his mouth, warm and tangy, as she tightened

below him, crying out her release. The burning ripped through him as
he followed behind her, his body shuddering as an orgasm spread
from his spine through the rest of him. Lowering his head to the back
of hers, he pressed a warm kiss to her before rolling onto his side,
taking her with him.

Jakob loved the feel of her rounded cheeks against his groin,

and he pulled her closer as he licked over her shoulder, sealing the
wound with his tongue. Kara stiffened and tried to pull away, only to
be stopped by the fact that they were still connected. Her muscles
hadn’t yet released his softening cock.

“It’s stuck.”

“It isn’t. Give it a couple more minutes and you’ll relax

enough to pull apart.”

“You have got to be kidding me? We had sex like animals and

now you’re stuck inside me like a dog? Get the hell off me!”

****
Pulling her close, he growled into her ear. “Stop or you’ll hurt

us both. Just relax and you can move in a few minutes.”

Kara wanted out of his embrace, out of this house, out of this

place. She wanted to run back home and forget this night had ever
happened. Although not in control of the sex, she’d been aware and
remembered the entire encounter from the humiliation of her putting
her ass in the air, begging him for his cock, to the fast fucking that
happened afterwards, with no preamble, no whispered lies of love, no
romance at all. A slam, bam, thank you, ma’am. But unfortunately,
she couldn’t leave yet; she was tied to the asshole by his cock.

Anger rippled within her, and the more she laid there at his

side, the more it grew. She had been attacked by a witch, watched as
Jakob ripped open a few men in front of her, and then rutted like a
damned beast.

He rubbed his hand against her arm, his warm fingers

kneading into her skin, massaging her muscles as his lips came down
on her neck, nibbling at the flesh. She slapped his face with her open
hand as she turned. “Stop touching me.”

Pushing his not yet flaccid cock deeper inside her, he pulled

her close. “Hard to stop touching you when you have my dick
ensnared in that pussy of yours.”

Anger filled her at his intimate touch, less for the fact that he

did it, more for the point that it made her want to fuck him again. As
heat raced through her body, she wrestled with the response,
desperate to get away from her shame. Strong arms wrapped around
her, and she fought against him. Part of her wanted to let go, allow
him to hold her close and love her, the other part rebelled against the
shocks of the day, needed space to let everything settle in her mind.

The more she fought, the tighter he held on to her, until she

had no more energy to push against the steel embrace that was his
touch. She battled the unmovable mountain and lost. She collapsed,
shuttering, and let him pull her close as the first of her tears slipped
from her eyes, dropping from the curve of her face.

His lips graze the back of her neck. “Don’t cry, Kara. I can’t

stand to feel you so unhappy.”

“So let me go.”
“I can’t. It isn’t possible. You’re mine and could be swelling

even now with my child.”

That thought stopped her cold. “I can’t bear children.”
“Of course you can. If you couldn’t, you wouldn’t be in heat

right now.”

“I’ve been to doctors. They told me I couldn’t.”
“You are Favored. You can only reproduce once a year. If

they examined you outside of this month, you weren’t able then. You
are now. Plus, you can’t bare a human child. You’re not made to mate
with humans.”

Tears sprung to her eyes again. Children. She had ached at the

thought of never being a mother. But what kind of children would
they be? Berserkers like him? “I could be…pregnant?”

“Yes, there is a very good chance.”
“And they would be monsters like you?” As soon as the words

were out of her mouth, she regretted them, and even more so when he
pulled away from her, as much as he could, considering they were
still joined. A couple of minutes later, she felt him slide out and turn
his back to her.

As she sat up, she put on his t-shirt and fumbled to stand on

legs that felt like rubber. Kara couldn’t look in his eyes, wanted to
apologize for her words, but realized it might be the only way she
could get away from him. Grasping her jeans, she tugged them on,
followed by her shoes.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The thunder in his voice

made her quiver. Or perhaps it was the lust still laying barely
dormant.

“This is…too much. I need to clear my head.”
He grasped her arms and pulled her close, biting his fingers

into her flesh, and she knew she’d have marks. “I said you weren’t
going anywhere. If you leave, anything could happen to you. We
don’t know where the Swartska witch has gone, and there are
countless others who would hurt you to get to me.”

Kara thumped her fists on his chest, and he just stood there,

looking as if she were nothing more than the beating of the wind.
“I’ve been kidnapped by a witch, held at knifepoint, nearly killed, and

then abducted by the big bad wolf and forced to humiliate myself as I
was fucked like an animal. I deserve to go home, get into a hot bubble
bath, and scream for about an hour. I don’t think I’m asking for too
much, not at all.”

Lifting her into his arms, he headed for the stairs.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He moved up them quickly, lowering her before a closed door.

As he twisted a crystal doorknob, he spun her so she could see a
heavenly bathroom equipped with a giant claw footed tub straight
ahead. “You can’t leave and I don’t think I can handle screaming for
an hour, but I can supply the bubble bath.”

He reached into the tub to turn on the spigots. The water

quickly heated up and steam rose, dampening the air. Reaching under
a cabinet, he fished inside until he found a bottle of body wash,
uncorked the top, and poured half in. As he turned around, she stood
rooted to the floor, wanting to ease into the warm bath and wash away
the night, but part of her still desired to flee.

Jakob moved closer to her and lowered himself to one knee.

Gently, he raised her foot, and she rested her hands on his shoulders
as she watched him remove her shoe, taking the second off as well.
Moving his hands to her jeans, he unsnapped the button, and slid the
zipper down. Easing the heavy denim from her hips, he helped her
step out of the fabric before tossing them aside.

He stood and brought his shirt with him, pulling it over her

head. Jakob captured her in his arms, lifted her easily from the floor,
and moved swiftly to the bath. He eased her into the water, and
reached over to turn off the flow. Grabbing a clean washcloth, he
dropped it into the water, lifted it to her neck, and twisted the cloth,
allowing the water to sluice down her body.

Ever gentle, he swiped her arms and shoulders and then drew

her forward so he could rub the warm suds across her back and neck.
Jakob scrubbed her legs, avoiding her core, moving to her stomach,
and returning to her shoulders. He rose after handing her the
washcloth. “Try to keep the screaming to a minimum.”

Turning, he walked toward the door, giving her some privacy.
“Thank you.”
He paused on his way out, looking over his shoulder with a

tight smile.

“By the way, I don’t think you’re a monster.” The words

rushed out of her. She couldn’t stomach the thought of hurting him
with her statement.

“Are you so sure?” Watching as he closed the door, she felt a

sob rise within her. She screamed instead.

****
Jakob stormed to his bedroom, wanting to slam the door

behind him. He hadn’t felt such anger in years, so used to the
numbness he surrounded himself with. As he’d washed his scent from
her skin, he couldn’t bear to touch her intimately knowing she thought
him a monster. After waiting one thousand years to find happiness, he
thought finding her would change his life for the better, not make it
worse.

But no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t forget the vision

of her relaxed in the tub, the bubbles surrounding her soft, supple
skin. The feel of her strong calves, firm arms, and delicate shoulders
made him crazy to touch her again. He wanted her under him, on top
of him, beside him, in his bed, on the floor, wherever he could hold
on to her and keep her in his arms forever.

Rubbing his face with his hand, he knew she wouldn’t have

him. Even though she’d apologized, she thought him a monster. She
worried about the child that could even now be forming in her womb,
fearing it would be an animal like him.

Perhaps she had a right to be worried. Look at the life he lived,

always fighting or fleeing. It was no way to live, not for him, and
offered him no chance at giving her what she deserved. He needed to
return to his pack. Would she come with him?

****
Kara lounged in the cooling waters of the tub, her body clean

and her mind numb. The desire was peaking again. She wanted Jakob
with a force that had her lifting herself from the tub and planning to
find him so she could slake her lust, using his incredible body,
holding it within her, and never letting him go. It felt different this
time, softer, not the animal lust of before.

Wrapping the bath towel around her, she opened the bathroom

door and looked toward the door she heard close when she was lying
in the water. She turned the knob to the room she guessed was his and
entered and saw his big body spread out across the bed, his arm

resting over his eyes. She strode to the bed, dropped the towel at her
feet, and climbed on top of the coverlet.

Jakob moved his arm away from his eyes, capturing her in his

gaze. “What are you doing here?”

Seating herself across his waist, she settled right on his

thickening cock and rubbed her pelvis across him. “I’d think it was
apparent what I’m doing here.” She slid her hands under his t-shirt
and pushed it closer to his head. He didn’t budge but caught her hands
instead.

“You want to be with a monster?”
She sat up and looked down at him. Rubbing her hand across

his cheek, she held his dark gaze. “I never meant to hurt you with my
words. I’ve been through a lot today, and its amazing I’m not
babbling to myself in a corner somewhere, completely crazy from all
this. It’s a lot to accept in one day. You’re not a monster, but you’re
so different from anything my mind is aware of.”

Jakob closed his eyes as his hands traveled over her thighs.

“Yes, it was more than any one person should be forced to handle.
Your strength amazes me. It proves you’re special and should be
protected. I know you don’t understand our ways, but I can’t let you
walk away.”

“I’m not the same person I was before all this happened. My

eyes have been opened, and I need to know more about what this is
between us. The thought of leaving this house and never coming back
crossed my mind while I sat in the tub, but it made my chest ache.
And then the desire to have you inside me again made me come to
you. How long will this ‘heat’ thing last?”

“You’re no longer in heat. Once filled, you’re released from

the bonds of lust.” Rolling her over onto her back, he moved down
her stomach, searching for her eyes. As he pressed a sweet kiss to her
labia, he smiled. “You came to me because you simply wanted.”

Kara felt his warm tongue slide across her pussy as he lowered

himself between her legs. Feasting on her, he probed her flesh with
his tongue, swiping at her clit as he pressed a broad finger inside her
channel. Her back lifted from the bed, and her head dug into the
pillow as his touched burned a path within her.

As she cried out in release, he rose above her, lowered the

edges of his pants, and allowed his bobbing cock free. Jakob pressed
in slowly as he kissed her lips, holding one of her hands within his

own. This time was so different from their forced, frantic pace, and it
seemed to her it was wiping clean all the hurt the first experience
caused, showing her he could be gentle, loving. Opening her eyes, she
looked into his, saw the animal glowing there and knew he held the
beast at bay.

“Have I told you yet that Berserkers mate for life?”
Looking up into his smiling face, she released her claws and

scratched him across the chest playfully. “You might rethink that after
a few days with me.”

“Never.”

The End

www.alexandraohurley.com

The Berserker Mate’s Series:

Night of the Dragon

Going Berserk (short story)

Beauty and her Beasts

Other Books by Alexandra O'Hurley:

The Lottery

Master of Mine

Night of the Dragon

Being Improper

Midnight Seduction

Beauty and her Beasts