My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 118

Sera

"Did you see the size of the man who brought out the fourth keg?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly off the cold stone of the corridor.

Mina let out a loud, sudden snort. She was leaning heavily against the wall right beside me. We had just dragged ourselves out of the Great Hall, and the massive oak doors had slammed shut behind us, completely cutting off the deafening roar of the victory feast. The sudden silence was ringing in my ears.

"He wasn't a man," Mina mumbled, her cheek pressed flat against the stone. "He was a bear wearing a tunic. I swear to the goddess, Sera, I saw him bite the top off a wooden flagon."

I giggled. The sound bubbled up out of my chest, completely uninhibited. "He definitely bit the wood. I saw him chew it."

"They are all bears," Mina decided simply. She pushed off the wall, swaying significantly on her feet. She blinked at me, her pupils blown wide. We had drank entirely too much dark ale, but Mina had also accepted a small, smoking clay pipe from one of the older women near the hearth. She was completely blasted, flying high on whatever northern weed they had packed into it.

I wrapped my arm firmly around her waist to keep her upright. "Come on. Let's get out of this hallway before my legs stop working completely."

We started walking, our footsteps uneven and heavy. We leaned on each other, stumbling over the stone floor, laughing at the absolute absurdity of the northern wolves. My head felt incredibly light, the floor tilting just a fraction of an inch every time I took a breath.

A large, heavy hand clamped firmly around my right arm, holding me completely in place.

I flinched violently, my muscles locking up as I prepared to swing my elbow backward to break the hold. But before I could even pivot, a familiar scent washed over me. It cut right through the stale smell of the alcohol and the torch smoke.

Fenris.

I stopped fighting the grip and turned around. Fenris stood there, towering over us in the dim light of the corridor. He wore a simple dark tunic, his broad shoulders easily filling the space.

I looked up at his face, and another giggle escaped my lips. I couldn't stop it. The alcohol made everything feel entirely too big and too funny.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," I told him, poking a finger directly into the center of his massive, solid chest. "You walk too quietly for someone your size. It's weird."

Fenris stared down at my finger pressing into his chest. Then, he looked up at my face.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Mina blinked, swaying slightly. "I said... you should be careful. You're not on a battlefield—"

"I heard what you said the first time," Fenris interrupted softly. He stepped closer to her, his gaze intense. "I want to know why you are saying it."

I stared at them both. Fenris looked completely serious. He was analyzing her words, digging for a tactical meaning, looking for a threat. But from where I was standing, I could clearly see that Mina was flying high. She probably didn't even know what she was saying or why the words came out of her mouth. Why was he taking her so seriously?

I shook my head and grabbed Mina’s arm, pulling her back toward me.

"Mina is high, Fenris," I mocked gently, laughing again. "Look at her eyes. She's completely gone. Stop interrogating her."

Fenris stared at Mina's glazed eyes for a long moment. The tension slowly bled out of his massive shoulders. He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his short hair.

"Let me get you both to your rooms," he said flatly.

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