(THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS)

Legend tells that Ragnarok—the final battle of the gods—will herald the end of the world.

Destruction will rage in the kingdom of the gods. In the last battle, Odin will be devoured by a wolf. The earth will be destroyed by fire, and the universe will sink into the sea.

Legend holds that this final destruction will be followed by rebirth. The earth will reemerge from the water, lush and teeming with new life. It is prophesied the sons of the dead Aesir will return to Asgard, the home of the gods, and reign again.

In the mountains of Scotland, the Circle Elders say Odin doesn’t believe in taking any chances, that he schemes to defy fate by breeding his warrior race of Berserkers into the Scottish bloodlines, deeply hidden. There they await the twilight of the gods, at which time he will summon them to fight for him once more.

Legend tells that there are Berserkers walking among us, even still….

She opened the door and began to step in, when he suddenly spun her around into his arms.

Without a word, he brutally closed his mouth over hers.

Too shocked to resist, Lisa stood motionless, her lips parting at the insistence of his tongue. He was angry, she could feel it in the bruising crush of his lips, and it fed her own anger.

Then it occurred to her that kissing was quite a useful and fascinating way to express anger, so she worked diligently at putting every bit of her irritation and displeasure into her response. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back so uninhibitedly that he stiffened abruptly, stepped back, and gazed at her with a startled expression.

Briefly, he looked pleased, then his eyes narrowed swiftly. “I doona like you, and I will not tolerate you complicating my life.”

“Ditto,” she clipped through swollen lips.

“Then we understand each other,” he said.

“Mm-hmm,” she said. “Perfectly.”

“Good.”

They stared at each other.

“Doona forget who’s in control in this castle, lass,” he snarled before stalking off down the hallway.

If that was how he asserted his control, she might just have to challenge his authority more often.