His face, half hidden in shadow, twisted in rage. Transformed. He roared like an animal.
Elsa cried out.
"Ellie! What's wrong?" Greta flipped on the bedside lamp between the two double beds.
Elsa squinted at the sudden bright light. She could still hear the animal-like roar echoing in her head. A roar very much like the one she'd heard the day Howard had battled the feral pigs.
Greta scrambled out of bed to grab the loaded shotgun she'd left on the desk.
"No!" Elsa sat up. "It was just a dream."
"Are you sure?" Greta strode to the door with the shotgun.
"Greta, please. You're scaring me with that."
"You're scaring me! You screamed."
"It was a bad dream. That's all."
Greta checked the locks on the door, then peeked between the slats of the closed window blinds. "I don't see anything."
Elsa pressed a hand against her pounding heart. She didn't know which was scarier - her nightmare or the fact that Greta and Ula had insisted they take turns sleeping in her room with a loaded weapon.
"Everything's fine," she assured her aunt. "Let's go back to sleep."
"Are you sure?" Greta set the shotgun back down on the desk. "What was your dream?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Or think about it. "Let's go back to sleep." Elsa scooted back under the covers. Aunt Ula had definitely freaked her out with her claim that berserkers actually became animals.
What kind of animals? Elsa had been so shocked by the announcement that she was a so-called guardian that the rest of what she'd heard was all in a daze. Greta had said the Guardian of the Forest took twelve warriors into the forest to live among the wolves and bears . . .
Wolves and bears.
Greta turned the lamp off with a snap, leaving the room shrouded in darkness.
Elsa shuddered and dragged her blanket up to her chin. What was Howard? A wolf or a bear?
Neither. She glared at the ceiling. This was the real world, and Howard was a normal guy. Well, not exactly normal, since he was handsome, huge, and hunky. He could also be hers if she had the courage to claim him.
If she wasn't afraid he'd turn into a beast and kill her.
The next morning, her aunts objected when she tried to catch a ride with Alastair to the gatehouse.
"You have to go with us," Ula insisted in Swedish. "We can't protect you if we're not with you."
Elsa tamped down on her frustration. "I'll be fine. Oskar and the boys will be coming, too, as soon as they're done eating in the diner. There'll be plenty of guys - "
"They don't have weapons like we do," Greta argued. "We're coming."
With an inward groan, Elsa turned to a confused-looking Alastair. "My aunts want to come with me to the gatehouse," she explained in English. "They'll stay outside."
Alastair nodded. "They'll have to. It could be too dangerous inside." He smiled at the older women. "We're delighted you've come to visit Ellie, but we don't want you to get hurt."
Greta smiled back. "Don't worry. My late husband was a home builder, so I know how it is. We'll stay out of your way. And we'll be happy to bring you food. Lots of food."
"Sounds super." Alastair shook hands with them, then jumped into the rental car and drove off.
With the parking lot temporarily empty, the aunts quickly stashed the shotgun and hunting rifle in the trunk of Greta's car.
Elsa sighed. "Nothing's going to happen. You'll be sitting outside all day, bored out of your skulls."
"That reminds me, I should bring my knitting." Greta scurried back into her room.
"Bring my book," Ula called after her in Swedish. She gave Elsa a sheepish smile. "I'm reading a romance book. Very sexy."
Elsa smiled back. "That's good." If the hero was anything like Howard, it would be a very sexy book.
Ula patted her on the back. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe. If the berserker comes, we'll shoot him."
Elsa winced. So much for romance. "Maybe we should try talking to him first."
Ula scoffed. "Don't be silly."
Greta hurried to the car, carrying a tote bag. "I've brought some water and snacks, too. Let's go."
Fifteen minutes later, they stopped in front of the gatehouse.
"If you get tired of hanging around here, go back to town," Elsa told her aunts as she climbed out of the car. "I'll be okay here."
"We'll be fine, too." Greta shooed her away with her hand. "We'll see you at lunchtime."
Elsa strode into the gatehouse and found Alastair in the kitchen, munching on a donut.
"Oh yum." She reached into the box and grabbed one. So much for her diet. A girl who had nightmares was entitled to some emotional eating.
"Mmm." Alastair nodded, his mouth full.
She looked around the kitchen as she ate, then pointed at the door to the old laundry room. "The note's gone."
"What note?"
"It must have fallen off. I left a warning on the door that the floor inside is rotting away."
"Oh, that. Yes, Oskar mentioned it. He took the broken window out yesterday after you left. I've ordered a new one." Alastair handed her a bottle of water from the ice chest.
"Thanks. And thanks for bringing the donuts." She stuffed the last bite into her mouth.
"I didn't do it. I think Howard must have."
"Huh?" she asked with a full mouth.
"He brought some yesterday. I suppose he brought these."
She swallowed hard. "He was here?"
"I didn't see him." Alastair drank some water. "I guess Shanna gave him a key. He must have dropped these off before we arrived."
Elsa stared at the huge box of two dozen donuts. He'd brought enough for everyone. "That was kind of him."
"Yes." Alastair gave her a curious look. "He seems like a decent chap. I can't help but wonder why you refuse to see him."
She screwed the top off her water bottle. "It's a long story."
"Well, I must say he looked absolutely devastated when I told him."
She winced.
"But he gave me his word that he would honor your wishes."
She nodded. So instead of knocking on her motel room door, he'd left a note for her in the office.
"Has he kept his word?" Alastair asked.
"Yes." He's a gentleman. Or was he a beast?
"Well, good." Alastair plucked another donut from the box. "I could get seriously addicted to these. I hope he brings them every morning."
Elsa gulped. What if her aunts caught him making a donut delivery? The poor guy could end up shot just for being nice. Or what if he dropped by to check on their work? As Shanna's representative, it was his job to stay informed.
Loud shouts and footsteps sounded in the foyer as Oskar and The B Boys made their noisy entrance.
"In here!" Alastair shouted.
The guys crowded into the kitchen and attacked the donuts. They were so busy eating that Elsa slipped unnoticed into the formal dining room. She peered out one of the front windows. Greta and Ula had opened the trunk of their car.
"Oh no," she breathed. Were they checking on the weapons, or did they intend to take them out and go hunting?
What if Howard was nearby?
She should warn him. She had his phone number in her handbag. But if she called or texted him, he would have her number. With a wince, she leaned against the wall next to the window.
She didn't want to talk to him. He'd want to know why she was avoiding him, and she didn't know what to say. He'd probably ask her out to dinner, and how could she respond? By the way, are you intending to kill me?
She peeked out the window. Greta was loading shells into her shotgun.
"Oh God, no." She had to warn Howard. He'd behaved like a perfect gentleman. He didn't deserve to be shot down in the driveway.
With trembling fingers, she retrieved her cell phone and his note from her handbag. Call or text?
Text. Hearing his voice would make her all quivery inside. She started a message three times and erased it. Finally, she wrote, Not safe for you at the gatehouse. My aunts are here with weapons.
She hesitated with her finger above the Send button. Once she pushed it, she couldn't take it back. He would contact her. With a grimace, she pushed Send.
Seconds ticked by with her heart pounding. She glanced out the window. Greta was loading the hunting rifle.
Her phone jangled, and she jumped. Oh God, it's him.
She glanced around the room. It was empty. The guys were still in the kitchen. The phone rang again.
Biting her lip, she took the call. "Hello?"
"Elsa?"
She groaned inwardly when his deep, sexy voice shuddered through her. "Yes."
"We need to talk."
"No. My aunts are with me constantly. They're armed."
"I should meet them."
"No! They want to shoot you! They think you're a berserker."
There was a pause, then he replied, "I would never hurt you."
She winced. He hadn't denied being a berserker. "Just stay away from me. Okay?"
"Wait. Why are you refusing to see me?"
"Good-bye, Howard."
"Is it because of the curse?"
"Don't call me." She hung up.
She rested her head against the wall and took deep breaths, waiting for her heart to stop racing.
Her phone dinged, signaling a text. Ignore it.
It dinged again. With a groan, she opened his message.
I believe you could be the Guardian of the Forest.
Her heart lurched. He knew about the guardians?
He sent another text. That's why the animals are following you.
Tears gathered in her eyes. Why couldn't she just be Elsa? The same Elsa she was a week ago? Amazon Ellie who built beautiful cabinets. Why was she suddenly floundering in a supernatural world where nothing was what it should be? Children could secretly teleport. She and her aunts were secretly guardians. Handsome men were secretly beasts.
She sent him a message. I believe you are a berserker.
A message came back. A descendant.
He admitted it. Her heart sank, and she wiped a tear from her cheek. Her hand shook as she typed out the next message.
Wolf or bear? Her finger hovered over the Send button. A tear splattered onto the screen.
God help me, this can't be happening to me. She erased the message.
He sent a new text. I believe our family curses are connected.
She gasped. Was he admitting his ancestors had murdered hers? She texted back. Stay away from me! My aunts will kill you.
The phone rang.
Her heart jumped up her throat, and she turned the phone off. A message appeared in her voice mail.
She dropped the phone into her handbag and pulled out a small pack of tissue to blow her nose. "I won't listen. I don't care what he says."
She stuffed the tissue back into her handbag.
"Dammit." She couldn't stand not knowing. She grabbed the phone and hit voice mail.
"Elsa, I would never hurt you!" Howard's voice sounded strained. "We don't have to live our lives according to some damned curse! It's making us live in fear. All we have to do is reject the fear. We can break the curse. If we love each other."
Love? A tear rolled down her face. Could she trust Howard enough to love him? He'd admitted he was a berserker. Could she risk loving him when he might go into an animal-like frenzy and kill her?
She dropped the phone into her handbag. Was Ula right? Did he actually become an animal?
She glanced out the window. Her aunts were marching up and down the driveway, carrying their weapons, ready to shoot the berserker. Howard.
Wolf or bear?
Chapter Fifteen
Howard checked his phone for missed calls or texts. Nothing. A week had passed since his last conversation with Elsa. An agonizingly slow week where each day had dragged by, crushing his hopes that she would contact him.
Had she simply dismissed him from her thoughts? Was he that easy to forget? Or was she keeping a distance in order to protect him from her aunts? She had texted him that warning. Did that mean she cared?
What had the aunts told her? That as a berserker, he was a murderous beast? Since they wanted to shoot him, they had to believe he wanted to attack her. Had they convinced Elsa to be afraid of him?
Dammit, he wanted her to trust him. But how could he prove himself to her if he never saw her? Right now, his strategy was to prove his worthiness by honoring her wishes and staying away from her. But that was frustrating the hell out of him. It seemed lame, even cowardly. The bear in him wanted to barge into her motel room and demand respect. Unfortunately, a move like that would probably terrify Elsa. And it might earn him a few bullets in his stubborn hide.
He continued to deliver two dozen donuts to the gatehouse at dawn each day. And he did a quick inspection of the house so he could report to Shanna. In the past week, the construction crew had dug out the basement floor, lowering it by two feet. Then they'd laid a vapor barrier and a concrete floor. They'd reinforced the walls and rebuilt the staircase to the cellar.
He'd gone to the house for two meetings with Alastair and Oskar, and one interview with the camerawoman, Madge. All three times, Elsa and her aunts were nowhere in sight. Apparently, she was given a warning to vacate the premises before he arrived.
Angus, Emma, and all the guys on the mission in Mexico had returned after successfully rescuing the American hostages. Ian and Robby were delighted to be back at the school with their pregnant wives. Connor had asked Howard if he and his wife could borrow his cabin nearby in the Adirondacks. Apparently he and Marielle had fond memories of the place. Carlos was happy to be back, helping his wife with their newborn twins.