Page 21 of Berserker Devotion
“Sounds like fun,” he said as he stopped and pulled on her hand so she fell against him. “I’ll put up with anything to have you by my side, in combat and in bed.” He claimed her lips in another deep kiss.
She sighed contently as she relaxed against his body, her heart felt thousands of pounds lighter than it had been just a few moments ago.
This is where she belonged, here with this man.
Mine, her wolf whispered in her mine.
Ours, she told it.
Ulf’s chest vibrated against hers as his berserker growled its agreement.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed reading Nora and Ulf’s story as much as I did writing it. Next up in the Norse Warrior Protectors series is where Bolt meets his match in Wolf Promise. Keep reading for a preview.
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Thank you for reading my books! I appreciate you!
-Asa
The full Norse Warrior Protectors series is listed here: https://www.asamariabradley.com/norsewarriorprotectors/.
WOLF PROMISE PREVIEW
Chapter 1
Eight years ago.
Dusk fell as Regie’s feet pounded the cross-country trail. She matched her breathing to the rhythm of her pace. Normally, she didn’t run this late in the evening, but her chemistry final had run over, and this was the only way she knew how to deal with her anxiety. The teacher had allowed the class extra time, and of course, Regie took advantage. She wished she could get rid of the compulsion to double and triple-check everything, but if she hadn’t, she’d not be able to sleep that night. She’d always needed to understand everything she studied within a larger context but also down to every minute detail. And she had to review and recalculate every answer to every question on every assignment before she could let it turn it in.
After the exam, the restlessness that had been building through the week peaked. She’d neglected her exercise routine the last few days to study for the final exams, so she’d expected the familiar anxiety creeping up on her. But it was worse than usual. Her skin felt too tight, and her stomach cramped. The pressure building inside her had demanded an outlet
She’d gone to the gym first. When she found it filled to the brim with students who shouted to be heard over the loud music, she immediately knew it was the worst possible environment in which to decompress and find her mental balance. And she had to find her equilibrium. If she didn’t, unpredictable things happened. Bad things.
Things she couldn’t explain.
And so here she was, running in the wooded area on the outskirts of campus, despite the late hour.
The slight incline that marked the final spurt of the trail loomed ahead, and Regie quickened her pace, pumping her arms to exert more power. She wished there was someone she could talk to about the weird dark tension trapped inside her. The college mental health counselor she’d visited had suggested anti-anxiety medication, but those made Regie more restless and out of control. And if her grandfather ever found out she had mental health issues, he’d blow a casket. In their family, appearances were everything, and the image her family had taught her at an early age to portray was one of perfection. She hadn’t even been allowed to show her grief when she lost her parents at the age of eight. Any tears, or heaven forbid, tantrums, resulted in her being sent to her room and kept there until she was calm again.
She crested the small hill and saw the lights from the trailhead parking lot. Sweat poured down her face. She struggled to keep her breathing even, and yet she pushed harder, sprinting the last quarter of a mile. Finally, she reached the first tall lamppost on the edge of the parking lot and leaned against it until her breathing slowed down. As she counted her inhales and exhales, making each one deeper and slower until her heart rate calmed, she thought about her grandfather again. She knew he loved her, even if he never said the words. He took her in after her parents died and showered her with gifts. Emotions, however, Grandfather did not know how to handle. She didn’t mind, though. Thanks to her dad’s disastrous screwup, she owned him so much—much more than she could ever repay.
Regie fished her key fob out of the hidden pocket in the back of her shorts and hit the unlock button. Her car beeped and flashed its lights in response. She walked over, popped the trunk open, and retrieved her stainless-steel water bottle. She’d put some ice in the bottle before filling it and now appreciated the chilled liquid as it flowed down her parched throat. The cool evening temperature dried the sweat on her skin as she drank gulp after gulp of water, draining the bottle completely. Although calmer than she’d been before her run, she still felt jittery.
Suddenly, a man stepped out from behind the only other car in the lot, startling her. She yelped
“Whoa,” he said, holding out his hands, palms facing her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He grinned and walked toward her. “I think you’re in my chem class.”
Regie didn’t recognize him, but there were over two hundred people in the class that met in a vast auditorium. She studied his tall, lean build and curly black hair, but he didn’t look familiar. He also seemed older than most college students. “Did you do okay on today’s final?” she asked.
He frowned briefly, but then smiled and nodded. “Right, the final. I probably passed.” Unease trickled down Regie’s spine as he took a few steps closer and lowered his voice. “I bet you got a high score, though.”
Careful not to turn her back on him, she stepped to the side of the car, threw her water bottle into the trunk, and closed it. She placed her finger on the alarm button of the key fob. “Well, I better get going. I’m meeting someone for dinner.”
“No, you’re not,” he said. “You’re a loner, Regie. I’ve been watching you for weeks. You rarely see friends. I don’t think you even have any.”
The unease flared to full-on high alert, and she twisted around to open her car door quickly. Before she could grip the handle, the man grabbed the wrist in which she held the key fob and squeezed so hard she dropped it. He pulled her toward him, looping an arm around her neck, pushing down and covering her mouth with his hand.