Chapter 82

Between one breath and the next, the berserker has me thrown over his massive shoulder and is tearing his way up the mountainside away from the surrounding group of soldiers. The landscape turns blurry around us as he carries me away into mountainous wilderness.

I'm shocked enough, all I can do is try to make sense of our rapidly changing surroundings as the berserker carries me up the steep mountainside. Despite his hurried pace, his breathing stays slow and even- single- minded in his progress

Eventually, the shock wears up enough that I find my voice again, and clear my throat, "Uh, Damion? Where exactly are you taking me?"

The only response I get is a deep rumbling grunt from deep in his chest.

Okay, then.

I don't know how long we go for, but by the time Damion slows his pace, the sun is beginning its decent over the peaks of the mountain. In a single smooth efficient motion, he lifts me back off of his shoulder to set back onto the ground. I suppress a wince at the needles prickling through my feet as the blood begins flowing back through my legs. The muscles in my stomach are slightly sore from the unusual angle I'd been propped over his angled shoulder blade.

I peer around the quickly dimming light to find that he's brought us to the edge of what looks to be a cave hollowed out in the side of a cliff. He levels the piercing glow of his amber eyes down at me and motions for me to stay where I am. Before I can respond, he turns and stalks into the cave. I wait where he tells me to- presumably while he checks out the interior to make sure that it's safe- stretching out my numb legs while I wait for him to come back.

He's gone for less than a minute, and when he returns he leads me inside the lip of the cave with a firm hand on my back.

Trying to remain casual about this trip into the woods with Damion's berserker side, I peer around the dim interior while the berserker watches for my reaction with an intense gaze focused on my face. The cave is larger inside than I'd been expecting, and it looks like he's brushed aside the majority of the rocks lining the ground off to one side.

I run my tongue over my dry lips and can't help but wonder what Damion would say about his berserker's antics in carrying me off into the mountains.

*"My berserker side likes taking care of you,"* Damion had explained to me that night what felt like ages ago, *"it likes being the one to make sure that every last one of your needs is met. It wants you to know that it can provide anything and everything you need so you don't go looking for it elsewhere."*

I force back an amused chuckle at the way I'm now seeing those instincts up close, "It's really nice," I tell Damion's berserker with an encouraging smile, "You found a great spot."

That same rumbling purring he'd been doing earlier starts up again in his chest, like he's pleased by what I've said. And then he's backing me up against the wall of the cave, and pressing on my shoulders firmly until I sit where he's directed me.

He makes the same gesture has he had outside the cave, motioning for me to stay.

"Alright, I'll stay," I tell him with a laugh from my spot on the cave floor, stretching my legs out in front of me, "Where are you going?"

Again, Damion's berserker doesn't say anything, only motions again for me to stay where I am before he disappears out the opening of the cave.

The berserker makes quick work of turning this little cave into something comfortable. The first time he returns, he has what he needs to build a fire. I watch on in fascination as he turns the pile of sticks and rocks he'd brought back into a roaring fire that heats up the cave. I can't help but take in the sight of Damion's strong back and muscled arms flexing and contracting as he works.

With the sun's descent, the mountain air has dropped in temperature significantly and when the flames build up to something he's pleased with, I scoot across the cave floor to sit next to the fire, holding my icy fingertips out to absorb the building heat.

I sigh happily at the warmth, "Ah, that's nice, thank you."

His purring deepens and I smile.

The berserker continues making treks in and out of the cave, each time bringing back something new. He brings back a few mountain pheasants, cleaning them and putting them up on a spit to roast. The next time he brings back his canteen filled with cool water and berries.

After that, I'm shocked when he returns with heavy piles of thickly woven blankets-- but when I ask him where he got them from, he answers with his usual low thundering grumble in his chest and a smirk laden with masculine pride. Alright, then. I can't argue with how warm and comfortable those piles of quilts are when he stacks them into a comfortable nest of sorts near the fire. He wraps one of them around my shoulders, tucking me into the nest-like-bed before turning the meat over the fire.

He pulls the meat off, putting a leaf-full of roasted meat and berries in my lap. The flickering orangey glow of the fire matches the heated glow in his amber eyes as he scoops up a portion of meat between his callused fingers and brings it to my lips. *He's feeding me. Like that night in Damion's bed.*

I wonder if I should feel awkward eating out of his hands with his intense gaze on me. But as I lean forward enough to take the smoky meat into my mouth, I don't feel uncomfortable at all. It feels somewhat *normal*. I don't know what that says about me, but I'm hungry enough that it doesn't even phase me.

The meat is shockingly good. I don't know how he managed it with the surely limited seasonings and the way he cooked it over a *fire* the way that he did, but I hum in appreciation as I chew up the juicy meat. He follows it up with a few berries pressed to my lips. The combined smokey flavor of the meat paired with the sweet juicy tang of the berries is better than I'd thought it would be.

On the next bite, when a small amount of juice trickles from the corner of my mouth, his heated gaze tracks the liquid, wiping it up with a callused finger. Eyes still on me, he brings that finger to his lips, sucking the juices clean. What I don't expect is the lightning bolt of heat that jolts through me, low in my stomach, at the sight.

The berserker's nostrils flare, his pupils dilating, as if he can sense that flash of heat somehow and that low purring in his chest starts up again. He feeds me bite after bite until my stomach feels near bursting before he pulls back, tucking me back into the pile of bedding until I'm comfortable. Now full and warm, my eyelids droop as I watch him make a few more trips in and out of the small cave.

Other than the fact that he startled the hell out of me when he was ripping heads off of the fae without a second thought, and then grabbed hold of me and plunged into the wilderness, Damion's berserker has been really *sweet*. I don't know what I was expecting when he took off with me up the side of the mountain, but in spite of his changed appearance, he's just been spending the evening taking care of me.

I digest that small bit of information as I watch the berserker from my cocoon of blankets, my eyelids growing heavier by the minute. Maybe it's the fact that with Damion, no matter his form, I've always felt safe with him. Even still, I feel a painful tug through my chest as I think of having Damion all the way back. Wondering what he'd say about all of this. I miss *him*. But in spite that and the fact that we're miles from civilization with no indication of when we'll be returning to our friends, I manage to tip out of consciousness and into a deep comfortable sleep.