My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 19

Sera

I woke up when a shaft of grey light hit my face. The fire had burned down to glowing chunks of orange, but the room was still warm enough that I didn't want to move. I lay there for a second, my mind immediately replaying Fenris on his knees, his massive hand wrapped around my foot. The memory made my skin itch.

A sharp, rhythmic knocking at the door killed the silence. Before I could even tell them to go away, the latch clicked and Mina marched in.

She was a blur of rust-colored wool and nervous energy. She didn't look at me at first; she went straight to the hearth and started poking at the embers. "Morning! You slept late. I was starting to think I’d have to pour the washwater over your head to get you moving."

I sat up slowly, pushing the furs off my chest. I didn't say anything. I just watched her.

Mina kept talking, her words coming out in a fast, practiced stream. "The kitchens are making those flat cakes today. You’ll like them. But more importantly, we’re heading to the springs. They’re natural, heated by the mountain. It’s perfect timing, too. Fenris is heading down there soon to wash off the trail grit. If you’re lucky, you might actually get some time alone with him. Without a table between you."

She finally looked at me, a bright, fake smile plastered on her face. "Well? Don't just sit there looking like a ghost. Get up."

"Is that the plan for today, Mina?" I asked. My voice was flat, devoid of any of the morning grogginess I should have felt. "Throw me at him while he’s naked in a pool?"

Mina blinked, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second. "I’m just saying it’s a good opportunity. You’re his mate, Sera. You should be taking every chance you get to—"

"I know who you are."

Mina went dead quiet. She was holding the iron poker mid-air, her knuckles white. She looked genuinely shocked, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for how I’d found out. The silence stretched until it was uncomfortable.

Then, she let out a short, nervous laugh and leaned the poker against the stone. "How?"

"Fenris was here last night," I said. "He was a lot more honest than you've been."

Mina sighed, her shoulders dropping as she let out a breath she’d been holding. She moved toward the washbasin, avoiding my eyes. "Well. We’re not even that close, anyway. The Alpha is my stepbrother. It’s not like we share the same blood."

She didn't need to say that. It was a defensive reflex, a bid to save face now that her cover was blown. I just stared at her. I’d spent my whole life navigating court politics, and I’d only ever heard of Fenris having a brother—the one who died. It hadn't even occurred to me that there was a sister, or a step-sister, hiding in plain sight.

"Why the hell did you lie?" I demanded. "Why pretend to be a maid?"

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify