Page 113 of Blood Red Rage

Her eyes dropped to my abdomen; the wound was closing but not fast enough. There was still far too much blood. Her mouth opened, the colour completely drained from her face. No sound came at first, then my name tore out of her.

“VIKING!” Pure fear, raw, broken. The bond slammed open, her terror hit me harder than the fucking demon blade. No. Her hand flew to her mouth, tears filled her eyes.

I tried to sit up. “Bryn.” The room spun.

Dragan shoved me back. “Don't move.”

“Get the fuck off me.”

“Viking!”

She tried to reach me but Roman caught her gently.

“Let me go!”

“Bryn, he's healing.”

“LET ME GO!”

Her scream tore straight through me. Rage erupted, not at her, never her, but at myself. At Ceasar, at the demons, at the fucking world for making her look at me like that. She was fucking pregnant, she should have been sleeping, laughing, arguing with me about guards or eating whatever bizarre thing she'd decided she could tolerate that morning. Not standing in a room soaked with my blood.

“Bryn.” Her eyes found mine, I forced everything I had into the bond. Love, safety. “Baby.” My voice barely worked. She broke free from Roman her fingers reached mine. The second she touched me; the berserker went silent. Completely.

I gripped her hand or tried. I couldn't feel my fucking fingers anymore. “You came home,” she sobbed. I looked at her. My mate, my child beneath her hand. My entire reason for breathing.

“Told you.” Her face crumpled, anger tore through me at the sight of her pain. Not fucking fair. I needed to fix it, needed to hold her to tell her I was fine to wipe those tears away. “Don't cry.”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”

A weak smile pulled at my mouth. “There she is.”

“Don't you dare joke.” Her fingers tightened around mine. “You scared me.”

“I know.”

“I felt you getting weaker.”

“I know.”

“I thought...” She couldn't finish.

“No.” I pulled desperately at her through the bond. “No, Bryn.”

The darkness was coming, I could feel it, heavy, warm and unavoidable. Fuck, not yet. I needed another minute. One fucking minute.

“Viking?” Fear sharpened her voice.

I tried to squeeze her hand. “I'm here.”

My eyes closed. “Viking!”

I fought them open but her face blurred. “Baby's safe?” I whispered.

She stared at me like I'd lost my mind. “Yes.”

“Good.”

“Viking, stay awake.” I wanted to, fuck, I really wanted to. “Stay with me.” Always. I tried to say it but nothing came. Instead, the darkness pulled harder. The last thing I heard was Bryn screaming my name. The last thing I felt was her fear ripping through our bond, and as consciousness finally slipped away, fury followed me into the dark.