My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 338

Sera

I bit back my first response, glancing around to make sure we weren't drawing any attention. The mounted men were all looking at Fenris, their faces pale in the torchlight. I turned back to Mina, speaking through gritted teeth.

"I swear to the gods, if he had told me early enough, I would have let you know. I just found out the same way you did. Now. Here. In the yard."

Mina stared at me for a long moment, her eyes searching my face. I let her look. Let her see everything I wasn't saying. She didn't trust me anymore. I knew that for a fact.

Why should she? Alas, she didn't know Jace any better than I did. I was doing her a favour by putting him on horseback with Fenris. She should be grateful.

"You're a piece of shit," she said at last.

I was quiet. I looked away, watching the column. Not responding to Mina's insult. I deserved that much. We had recently just reconciled, and now we were at it again. I was purposely putting a wrench in our relationship all over again by letting Jace leave.

"I had no idea," I said softly without looking at her.

I heard Mina sigh behind me. Then her voice, a warning.

"If he doesn't come back, I won't be someone you want in the keep."

I nodded. "I know."

I glanced back over my shoulder at her. Mina's eyes glittered, and her mouth was set in a tight line. The torchlight flickered across her face, casting shadows in her hollows.

The yard went still. I felt the hush ripple through the gathered men, their faces turning toward the sound of boots in snow. Fenris had crossed to his horse and mounted without ceremony, which put him above the torches. Without asking or raising a hand, the men went still, and the yard went quiet.

Fenris let the silence sit. Let it stretch. The torch flames danced, spitting sparks into the air, but no one spoke. No one moved. The only sound was the occasional stamp of hooves on packed snow.

"Brothers," he said at last, his voice quiet. "You know the ground we're riding to."

"I've never lied to you about what a thing costs. And I won't start on the last night before you ride." His voice didn't raise, didn't waver, but there was a steel beneath the words that I couldn't name.

The honesty held them. Fenris could have lied—could have told them they were invincible, that they would all return home. But he'd seen men ride off to war on false promises. But he'd seen more men return home their legs gone. Their faces shattered. Seen them die in agony, begging for peace.

Fenris wouldn't do that to them. He wouldn't promise what he couldn't deliver. The men nodded, one by one, as if in approval.

"But I will protect every man that walks out this gate with me."

Mina looked away, unable to hold back her tears anymore. I shook my head, a bitter smile on my lips. He wasn't helping matters, addressing everyone like that before her. After just taking her man.

I glanced over my shoulder, catching Mina's eye. For a moment we held it, and I thought I saw something there—a warning, maybe. A promise of what she would do if Jace didn't come back.

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