Which made her bristle. She was always the center of attention. Silent, lethal Lucia had once told her that she loved how Regin always stole the show-because that meant Lucia could go unnoticed in the shadows.
It felt bizarre to be ignored in general, much less by an embodiment of Aidan-who used to stare at her so hard that he'd run into trees.
Answering in the same, Regin said, "How should I know why Chase acts the way he does?"
"Uh-huh." Natalya clearly sensed that there was more to this than Regin was letting on. "You wouldn't have noticed, of course, since you're busy checking out all of him, right down to his tightly muscled backside."
"You take that back, fairy."
"Ah, look at the magister's hand. He just clenched and unclenched a fist. I wonder why."
"As if I care." finally a reaction!
Christ, I can feel her gaze boring into my back.
Awareness of the Valkyrie made him ... restless. He had difficulty concentrating on anything Dixon was saying.
Just to add to his frustration, the fey and the Valkyrie had begun speaking that language, the one he'd failed to get translated. Yet he knew they were talking about him.
When he and the doctor moved on, the Valkyrie cal ed out in English, "Yo, Dekko, who do I gotta blow around here to get a shower?"
His shoulders stiffened, and he almost answered, "Fegley," but somehow he stifled the retort and continued on-another victory for his iron will .
But once clear of the Valkyrie's cel , Declan found himself still preoccupied. With a feigned glance at his watch, he told the doctor, "We'l review the rest of the prisoners later. Your appointment begins soon."
"They still need to transfer and prep the patient. Besides, we haven't even gotten to the berserker yet."
"Berserker?" She'd piqued his curiosity. The Valkyrie and her sister had spoken of one that first night.
The Order had little intel on the berserkers, because they were exceedingly rare and most were mortal.
"Apparently, he was captured in the presence of other miscreats. He's as strong as any of the prime males in the Lore, and he tests out as deathless."
"An immortal? Then he's an anomaly. Let's see him."
As they approached another crowded cel , one inmate caught his attention, a big bastard who stood apart from the others.
When he met Declan's gaze, his jaw slackened and his green irises flickered, as though a flashlight shone behind them.
Why does he look at me like he knows me? The second prisoner to do so.
And more, this male seemed familiar to him.
No, no, Declan would never forget one of these beings. His heart began to pound-that wasn't entirely true. Had this one been there the night Declan had been tortured? Come into his parents' living room when he'd been unconscious?
Dixon frowned at the tension between them. "This is the berserker, Brandr."
"You don't recognize me, do you?" the male asked. "Good. That means we still have time." His phrasings were modern, but his accent had an odd resonance.
"What are you talking about?"
"If you've captured a Valkyrie named Regin, you must stay away from her." His eyes flickered even more. This was obviously very important to him.
So Brandr and the Valkyrie knew each other? Since berserkers were so rare, he might be the very one that Regin and Nix had spoken of.
The berserker Regin had longed for. Declan clenched his fists. "You think to order me?"
"Heed my warning, Aidan."
Declan tensed at that name. "What did you cal me?"
"Your name, brother."
Declan turned to the wide-eyed doctor. "Put him in the schedule, Dixon. He's a level-four candidate."
She gave him a surprised look. That meant a round of their harshest experiments, including vivisection.
Brandr noticed the look. "What the hel are you doing, Aidan?"
"Schedule it now. " When she scurried away, Declan approached the glass. "I've encountered many of your kind, and one thing remains the same, no matter what species or faction or breed. Deceit. You live
and breathe trickery. I don't know your aim-"
"My aim is to escape this place with you and that glowing Valkyrie in tow."
"You think to take me as your hostage?"
Shoulders back, the male said, "I think to take you as my kinsman."
"What the hel are you talking about-"
"Fight!" someone down the ward yel ed. Other inmates joined in, "Fight, fight!"
Chapter ELEVEN
One minute, Regin had been bathing at the sink; the next, she'd been abetting an escape attempt.
She'd glanced up to see two guards dragging Uil eam MacRieve past their cel . The werewolf was supposed to be drugged, but he didn't seem completely subdued. His head lol ed, but not with each step.
Her ears had twitched, and she'd known something was up.
Straightaway, she'd cal ed to the guards, "Oh, boys?" She'd sauntered to the glass in only her black lace bra and panties. "I need some assistance." When they slowed, agog, she'd purred, "Can one of you help me find my orgasm?" Then she'd pivoted, presenting her admittedly mind-blowing ass. "Oh, look, clumsy me, I dropped something." She bent over from the waist.
With the guards distracted, MacRieve had shoved them away, hopping his cuffs to bring his bound hands in front of his body. Claws and fangs bared, he'd attacked.
"Fight! Fight!" the inmates began yel ing.
Prisoners all along the ward banged on the glass wal s, their shouts echoing down the corridor.
"Zing! Kick their mortal asses, Scot!" Regin cried along with the rest of them. "Fuck 'em up!"
Behind her, the kid banged his head faster, faster. Natalya leapt up to hold him still .
With a howl, MacRieve slashed one guard's jugular, then bit at the throat of the second one, blood dripping from his fangs.
Suddenly, Chase stormed into the fray, bel owing as he tackled MacRieve. They wrestled over the floor, trading vicious blows.
Normal y the werewolf would thrash him-the Lykae were among the most powerful of all the sentient creatures-but MacRieve had been weakened by his torque.
Stil , Chase shouldn't be winning that handily. He wasn't merely subduing the wolf, he was beating the living hel out of him.
Fighting like a berserker. A lean bear in winter.
The way he moved ...
Right before her eyes, his muscles began to tighten and expand, his body growing larger, stretching his layers of black clothing taut. His massive gloved fists cracked bone each time they connected.
When more guards arrived, they had to peel a bludgeoned MacRieve away from the magister's assault.