"ESMUND," Elsie screamed.
Loose gravel and dirt sprayed into his face as she slid to a stop at his side. An agonized groan escaped his split and bleeding lips when her knees jabbed into his broken ribs. His heavy lids fluttered open long enough to catch a glimpse of her tear-streaked face seconds before unconsciousness took hold once more.
When next Esmund awoke, Ulric was muttering, "...Damn berries!"
"Why on earth," Elsie cried, "would you want to eat berries when your brother is practically dead at our feet?"
A droplet of moisture plopped onto Esmund's cheek as he struggled to open his eyes and failed.
"I don't want to eat the damn things, woman," Ulric growled, "I need them to save his life."
"What?" Both Piper and Elsie gasped in unison.
"How is it possible neither of you knows anything about Berserkers?" Ulric heaved a heavy sigh, "The berries we take to release our berserkers also heal our bodies—wait, Elsie, where are you going? There aren't any berry bushes around here." Ulric paused and muttered, "Where'd she run off to?"
"I have no clue," Piper said, "this isn't like her at all."
Ulric shook Esmund's shoulder, "Stay awake, damnit."
"You really shouldn't shake him; you don't know what damage-"
"I FOUND THEM!" Elsie shouted, interrupting whatever else Piper was about to say.
Rocks crashed and rolled against each other until she dropped beside Esmund. "I can explain..."
There was a brief silence before Ulric spoke with an air of reverence, "Where did you find them?"
Metallic objects clinked together squeaked open, and snapped shut. Esmund tried to open his eyes, but the effort proved too exhausting to give more than a pitiful attempt.
"Well," Elsie hesitated for a moment. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"
"Quite clearly, as though it was yesterday."
Ulric forced Esmund's mouth open and placed four berries on his tongue. A strangled moan of pain escaped him as he crushed them between his cracked teeth and waited for the juice to work its healing magic on his broken body.
"Hold on, little brother," Ulric murmured. "For crying out loud, ladies, would you move back a little, give him some air..."
Rocks scraped and rolled underfoot before Elsie continued, "What you might not have known is after I witnessed you two Berserk, I had the silliest notion take hold."
Ulric sighed. "Would this have been before or after you died?"
There was a drawn-out pause before Elsie answered him. "It would have been before because I saw you two Berserk and shortly after that was dead, but what I'm trying to say is...I-I found these and then decided it would be better for all of us if they remained in my possession until you rescued Piper."
"Do you have any idea of the trouble your misinformed decision has caused?"
"Well, to be fair," Elsie huffed, "I wasn't thinking very clearly since those ruffians had just shot me, and I was dying."
Five seconds passed before Piper said with false brightness, "The good news is, she's admitted her error, and now you can save your brother."
Ulric grunted and grumbled, "Where did you find them anyway?"
"In both your pockets," Elsie mumbled. "You see, I'm quite proficient at picking pockets—a skill my uncle taught me, and you two were so focused on my wound and telling the story your friend told you. It was rather easy. And I knew if I didn't take them, there was a very real chance you'd destroy Piper in your attempt to save her, so I took them and pleaded ignorance to their disappearance."
"You stole them?"
"I prefer to think of it as temporarily reassigning ownership."
"I can see now why your uncle-"
"Will we be in danger when he berserks, like before with you?" Piper interrupted.
"No," Ulric paused, pressing two fingers under Esmund's jaw. "Why isn't it working? He should be up by now."
Bitter juice burned down Esmund's throat, unlocking each muscle with care and knitting each broken bone and torn ligament back together in their proper place. The berry restored and heightened his muted senses, and numb limbs suddenly had a fierce, tingling sensation returned.
Muscles swelled and bulged with enhanced strength as he opened his eyes to a gray world—except for the brown of Elsie's eyes. From deep within his chest came a rumbling purr so low and strong it vibrated and electrified his body.
One thought raced within his brain until he was on his feet and had Elsie trapped between him and a boulder. Here was the woman meant to be his true mate. Esmund held still as though she was a frightened animal and any sudden movement would scare her away.
His nostrils flared with rapid, uneven breaths, and every muscle through his body bunched and quivered with barely restrained power.
"I never thought I'd have the chance to say this," Elsie gasped, her eyes wide with shock, "but I'm quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place...is he preparing to kill me?"
"No," Ulric said, "if he meant to kill you, you'd already be dead."
"You don't sound too sure about that," Piper whispered. "If he isn't going to kill her, what's he doing? I thought you said he'd be able to control himself."
"She's still alive, isn't she?" Ulric grumbled, unconcerned.
"I feel as though I should do something...do I play dead? I've certainly had enough experience to make it believable." Elsie stared at Esmund, "What do I do, Ulric?"
There was a brief pause before Ulric murmured, "Just wait."
The rumbling purr grew louder, filling Esmund's ears when Elsie reached up and wiped blood from his forehead. Her brow creased in a frown, but before she could say a word, his lips were upon hers in a heated kiss. Strange sensations, the likes of which he'd never known, flooded his entire body.
She clutched at his shoulders, but whether she meant to pull him closer or push him away was unclear until her hands trailed up his neck, threaded through his hair, and brought his mouth more firmly against hers.
The effects of the berry began to wear off, and his muscles returned to their normal state and size, but the desire to keep her in his arms only intensified with the change, so he deepened the kiss and growled in approval when she responded in like manner.
Their lips met in a desperate frenzy as though the gods had offered him and Elsie the sweetest ambrosia, and they were loathe to part until they'd sated their hunger.
Out of nowhere, a heavy object crashed down against his left shoulder, and a second glancing blow had him spinning on his heel, ready to face his attacker. However, his brow lowered in a frown when he saw Piper attempting to jerk a thick stick out of Ulric's grasp.
Esmund relaxed his stance and rubbed his aching shoulder, "What was that for?"
Piper growled and released the stick before facing Esmund. She smoothed a hand over her shirt and rested her fists on her hips, "I thought you were killing her and was simply trying to protect her from you."
Ulric rested the stick over his shoulder and quirked a brow at Piper, "Are you serious? If you thought he was trying to kill her, why didn't you just conjure one of those fireballs you're so fond of?"
Her lip curled in a snarl. "Believe me, I tried—it didn't work."
Elsie avoided looking at Esmund as she stepped around him and smoothed a hand over her hair, "Well, as you can see, no damage done." She cleared her throat, "I'm alive and well and still in one piece."
A slight catch to her voice betrayed the outward calmness she tried to exhibit. Her hands trembled as she lifted them to smooth wisps of hair off her forehead and out of her eyes, but when she finally turned, Esmund came face to face with the realization of what had just occurred between them, and his stomach lurched.
He'd claimed her. Whether she wanted him or not, she would be the only woman for him. His life as he knew it was over.
Did she understand what had just happened? He studied her face and eyes and couldn't find the answer. What was he supposed to do now? Did Gunnar have the same experience with Nora? He'd have to ask when they returned home...provided the anxiety didn't drive him insane before then.
A mutual understanding of claiming and what it entailed would be welcome in this situation. Esmund knew enough on the topic to fill a thimble, and judging by the chaotic emotions swirling in Elsie's eyes, she had no understanding of it whatsoever.
"How are you feeling?" Ulric asked, stepping forward and holding out a berry tin.
Esmund rolled his shoulder, winced, and shoved the tin in his pocket, "Other than a little sore, I'm good, I think."
Piper narrowed her eyes, "Just like that, you're alive and well?"
"Were you expecting a sparkling light show or perhaps magical swirls around me?" Esmund smirked, "I've always thought it's not nearly as outwardly dramatic as it should be."
"Well, no," Piper frowned, "but I didn't think you'd pounce right up and be back to normal so quickly, demanding a kiss from Elsie."
Esmund ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "That makes two of us." Against his will, he caught Elsie's gaze and swallowed. She looked like she was ready to be sick, which was precisely how he felt, and he couldn't even blame the terrible sensation on any lingering effects of his near-death experience. Making it worse was needing to tamp down the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her again.
In need of a distraction, he rubbed his neck and turned away, staring up the side of the mountain until he found the broken trail his body had created.
Ten yards up from where he'd landed, partially hidden behind a pine tree, was a buttery tan hide. Recognition pierced his brain like a hot iron and caused his stomach to lurch seconds before he doubled over and vomited.
Once the dry heaving was under control, Esmund raced over the rocks and debris in his path, praying he was wrong. He slipped twice when the rocks gave way under his weight, but tears already stung his eyes and blurred his vision when he came to where Frisky lay wedged against a massive, aged pine trunk.
A ragged groan escaped him before he could bite it back. Tears rolled freely down his cheeks as he sank to his knees and pressed a hand to Frisky's broken, bloody neck.
Rocks clinked and rolled together, announcing Ulric's presence behind him minutes before his hand came to rest upon Esmund's left shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Esmund cleared his throat, wiped the tears from his face, and stood without taking his eyes off Frisky's mangled body. "He was a good horse."
"And a sore loser," Ulric murmured as he patted Esmund on the shoulder. "I know for a fact every time we raced, he threw a shoe whenever he was losing."
Esmund nodded and gave a teary chuckle, "He was a clever devil." He paused and swallowed the lump of emotion lodging in his throat, "And one hell of a companion."
He wiped away the moisture from his face and raked his hands through his hair. When he pulled his hands away, he stared in confusion at the blood staining his skin. "Did any of the other horses make it?"
"We only found one. Looks like the rope snapped before it could drag her over with the others."
It took several seconds and countless snowflakes to fall and melt on his upturned palms while he stared at them before his grief-stricken mind recognized he was cold. His winter coat, shirt, and trousers were ruined, providing little protection from the frigid environment.
He should have died—would have if not for the berries, and he alone was responsible for Frisky's death. None of this would have happened if he'd left Ulric alone and taken the safer passage back to Buffalo Gulch.
How was it possible that one single decision could so thoroughly change his life? None of this was happening the way it should have. It was supposed to have been a simple rescue mission where the only danger lay in saving Piper. Now, not only was his horse dead, but he'd claimed the one woman in the world he was confident he would never have spared a second glance had they passed ways on the street.
Esmund blew out a trembling breath and fought against the desire to weep as he turned to meet Ulric's gaze, "It's strange, isn't it—how your life can change in a matter of seconds?"
Ulric nodded, "In more ways than one." He rested his hands on his hips and chewed on the inside of his cheek for a few seconds, "Is it worth it trying to scavenge any of your gear? From what I can see, it looks pretty torn up and useless."
He followed Ulric's gaze from his broken saddle halfway up the mountain to scattered bits and pieces of cloth and leather among blood-covered rocks. He shook his head and blew out a breath, "Nope." Esmund glanced down to where Piper and Elsie waited and lowered his voice, "What do I do now?"
"If it were me, I'd pretend it never happened." Ulric shrugged, "It's not as if she understands what happened between you two." He gripped Esmund's shoulder and squeezed as his mouth settled into a firm line, "Worry about that after we take care of Frisky."