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Mom surprised me by smiling kindly at him. “Your mate is that special to you?”
He nodded. “I’ve had a few wives in my time, and there has been no one like Alecia. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Fighting my bear’s desire to rut is near impossible with her, not that I ever really want to. She’s the first wife I’ve had who wasn’t afraid of my nature. Even my first wife, Ingrid, who was no stranger to the existence of Berserkers, was terrified of my bear. Alecia’s acceptance… I’d bond with her in a heartbeat if I could, her mortal status be damned.”
Mom’s smile turned mysterious. “Fate may yet have something in store for you.”
He regarded her for a moment and then turned to me. “Let’s get back to your inner-dragon-finding issue.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. Yeah, that was a bit more pressing, if not still aggravating.
“Tell me, do you understand what you’re looking for?” Bjarke asked. “And I meanreallyunderstand?”
Of course I did. I was looking for a dragon’s presence.But what does that feel like?I worked my jaw. Maybe I didn’t know what I was looking for. It seemed so simple. A powerful creature shouldn’t be that hard to imagine.But imagining and feeling are different, aren’t they?
Bjarke nodded. “That’s what I thought. I was there once, too. I thought I knew what it meant to be a bear Berserker. My father was one. I trained with them. In my mind, I should have automatically been able to find my bear and be in perfect sync with him. But I wasn’t. No matter how hard I tried, I failed to prove myself to my bear. Then my father sat me down and told me what I was failing to see.”
“What was it?”
Bjarke tapped his chest. “It’s me. A deeper, more primal version of me.”
I stared at him, incredulous.It can’t be that simple.
He laughed, as if knowing my thoughts. “I know, I thought it couldn’t be that simple, either. But it is. Though, let’s be honest here, accepting the more primal side of you is not as easy as it sounds. Especially if you lived this type of life.”
“You lived during the Viking age, which meant you had more experience with war.”
He rocked his head back and forth. “Yes, and no. I hadn’t seen battle until I was sixteen. But I was aware of it. I watched my father and Bjorn go off to fight or raid, while I had to stay behind to defend the village. So, my life wasn’t as warlike as many might think.”
And that was why he also struggled to reach his bear. That was why he wanted to help me.
“What should I expect when seeking a primal side of myself?” I asked.
“It’ll be startling. Not sure how else to explain the sensation. You’ll know when you find it, though.”
Oddly, that was reassuring. At least I knew what to expect.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and turned my attention inward. At first, I experienced much of the same as my last attempt. But I didn’t give up. I reached deeper, opening myself to everything I was. And then I felt it.
Something young but ancient.
Something powerful.
Energy rushed through me, and I swore I heard something growl in my ear.
My eyes snapped open. I gasped, my breathing puffing out at the beat of my racing heart.Shit, was that—
Bjarke smacked me hard on the back, making me wince. “That’s it! Nice job.”
Clearly, he saw something. Even my mom’s face beamed with pride. I glanced down at my hands and jerked back. My fingers had elongated into black talons, and black and silver scales patched my arms. The motion of moving messed with my head, and I blinked several times before I realized it was my eyes themselves causing the issue.
Everything was sharper and more vibrant. I’d never seen this clearly before. It was disorienting.
Breathing in deep to calm my racing heart, I instantly regretted it when intense smells assaulted my nose. I complained and rubbed my nose with the back of my hand.
Bjarke barked out a laugh. “First whiff is always the worst.”
I made a face. “Is this permanent?”
“Yes,” Mom said. “Your senses will stay sharpened, even if you stick to a human form. You’ll get used to it soon enough.”
