Page 51 of Blood Red Rage

Nico grinned slightly. “Noted.”

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

I flexed my fingers carefully. “Sore. But alive.”

“That’s a good start,” he said.

They stepped aside immediately, flanking me without crowding. I noticed it then, the way they positioned themselves subtly, eyes scanning, bodies relaxed but alert.

Viking hadn’t been exaggerating. This life was dangerous and maybe… maybe he’d been right to insist on protection. They guided me through the mansion, quiet and vast in the daylight, until we reached the kitchen. Warm light streamed in through tall windows. The smell of coffee and food grounded me in a way I hadn’t expected.

And then I saw them. Three women stood around the island, talking and laughing softly. One turned first, tall, striking, with honey gold hair pulled into a loose braid and eyes that missed nothing. Strength radiated from her in a quiet, unshakeable way.

“This must be Bryn,” she said, smiling. “I’m Runa, Volken’s mate.”

Before I could respond, another woman appeared beside her, red-haired and sharp-eyed, energy crackling around her like static. “I’m Sorcha. Lucien’s.”

A third smiled warmly from across the counter, softer but no less commanding. Calm. Grounded. Powerful in a way that felt ancient. “Layla,” she said. “I’m Roman’s mate.”

Something in my chest loosened. They welcomed me without hesitation, pulling out a chair, offering coffee, food, gentle questions about my arm. There was no judgment, no suspicion. Just… acceptance.

“You scared us last night,” Runa said gently. “But you did well.”

“Viking nearly tore the mansion apart,” Sorcha added with a grin. “Lucien was still sporting a few bruises when he came to bed.”

I swallowed. “He scared me.”

Layla nodded knowingly. “He would have, because Berserker rage is not something to witness lightly.”

“But it’s also not something they choose,” Runa said. “When their mate is hurt… there’s no stopping it.”

Sorcha leaned closer. “And just so you know, they’re all like that. Viking more than the others because of his passionate temperament.”

“All… what?” I asked.

“Possessive,” Sorcha said cheerfully. “Protective. Absolutely unhinged if another man so much as breathes in our direction.”

Runa smiled faintly. “They don’t share; they definitely don’t forgive. And they don’t accept rivals.”

Layla’s gaze softened. “But they love deeply and completely, you will always feel loved.”

I wrapped my fingers around my mug, absorbing that. For the first time since this all began, I didn’t feel alone. Overwhelming, yes, but surrounded by women who understood what it meant to love monsters and still choose them.

As Luka and Nico took up their positions nearby, silent and watchful, I glanced back down the hall toward the bedroom where Viking slept. I felt the bond tug gently, steady and sure. I had stepped into a dangerous life, but I wondered if it might also be a life where I belonged.

Runa followed my gaze. “He hasn’t let you out of his sight since you arrived,” she said softly. “Even when he’s unconscious, he’s tracking you.”

Sorcha snorted. “Our men have a tendency to be possessive,” looking at the others she said, “Remember when Lucien tore a door off its hinges because I closed it between us.”

I blinked. “He… what?”

Sorcha grinned. “I was changing.”

“That was a bad day,” Runa added dryly.

Layla smiled over her tea. “Roman locked down an entire city block because someone brushed my arm in a market.”

I stared at them. “You’re joking.”