Dreams of a Dark Warrior

a back examination room.
    As Declan watched from the doorway, the berserker laid her on a metal table, then took off his shirt, balling it under her head. “Regin, when you feel like passing out—just let yourself. This is going to get rough.”
    “You know I can’t … with enemies here. Vampire. Chase.”
    I’m not your enemy. No longer.
    “Just turn off those Valkyrie instincts for once. I’m not going to let anyone harm you. I’ve waited a thousand years to protect you.” He brushed his hand over Regin’s hair. “Let me do it now.” Then he marched to the door.
    Before Brandr slammed it in his face, Declan met eyes with her. He parted his lips to say something—
I’d take this pain for you. No one will ever hurt you again.—
but no words came out.
    Outside the room, Declan began to pace. He hadn’t protected her. He’d gotten her out of the facility, but this had happened when she’d been directly under his watch.
    He’d done nothing except hurt her from their first meeting. When he’d gutted her in a dirty street. When he’d poisoned her.
    And when she needed me most, I was high in my room, failing her.
    Each time Brandr excised a staple, Declan could hear her biting back a cry. The strain was crippling him. But now it was accompanied by the onset of withdrawal symptoms. Teeth-clattering tremors threatened.
    At her first real scream, an answering roar was ripped from his chest. Where was his vaunted willpower now? His lack of emotion?
    How many times had Webb told him, “You’re devoid of emotions like that”?
    I’m not.
That gnawing anxiety overwhelmed him until he nearly doubled over with it.
    Then came another scream, thunder clapping immediately after. Everyone stared at each other, leery.
    The storm intensified, seeming to rock the mountain until even Lothaire raised his brows.
    Regin cried, “No, no, Brandr, now just
wait—”
    When she shrieked, Declan rammed his head against the tiled wall, gritting his teeth.
This is my doing.
    Have to get to her.
He strained against his bindings, his heart beginning to thunder as it pumped blood to his muscles. Coursing, coursing … With another yell, he busted the straps, then charged to the door.
    Natalya planted herself in front of him.
    “Out of my way.” —
Nothing keeps me from her.—
    Just as he raised his hands to toss her to the side, Brandr came out. He had streaks of blood up his bare chest. He barely gave Declan’s freed hands a glance. To the fey, he said, “She won’t pass out, and the next part is going to be bad.”
    Declan snapped, “That
wasn’t
?”
    “What can I say? Your bitch Dr. Dixon did a hack job on her.”
    Because she was in a hurry to finish before I woke from my stupor.
    “The wire got mangled into Regin’s rib cage, and some of the bones have already grown over it.” Brandr looked at Natalya. “I need someone to hold her shoulders down. Either you or the boy.”
    Natalya nodded. “Of course I’ll do it.”
    “Use the restraints,” Declan grated.
    She hissed, “How easily you say that.”
    “I
tried
using them,” Brandr said. “Regin has to be perfectly still or the wire’s going to pierce her heart. I can’t strap down her chest because of the size of the opening.”
    Declan ran his hand over his face. “Neither of them will be strong enough to hold her still.”
    “And you will be, Chase?” Brandr demanded. “It’s clear you’ve begun to think of her as yours—”
    Lothaire guffawed.
    “—so can you watch me slice open your woman?”
    Natalya drew Brandr aside. “You’re not considering this? The fiend looks like he’s about to have a psychotic break.”
    Declan didn’t deny that, just said, “I’m no’ askin’.”
    Brandr studied his expression. “Maybe he
should
see it.”
    When Natalya reluctantly deferred, Brandr turned back to the room.
    Am I ready to see this?
Declan inhaled deeply.
You reap what you sow.
He entered, halting in his tracks at the scene before him.
    Brandr was squeezing her bloody hand in his, and Regin was gazing up at him, crying, shaking her head miserably. “We c-can do … the rest tomorrow.”
    She was bare from the waist up. A line of pitted skin crawled up the middle of her torso, and blood tracked down her sides. Between her breasts, Brandr had sliced the line wide open until her skin gaped over her rib cage. That hideous wire jutted up in the center.
    Declan shoved his fist against his mouth, swallowed back vomit.
    “This will be over