Vali's entire body burned with exertion as his lungs begged for oxygen, eyes wide with horror as the Alpha barely even flinched at his attack, and instead just tugged the metal from the depths of his skin as if it was nothing more than a splinter. At the beginning of his attack, the Omega hadn't really had a solid moment to take in the Alpha, but now, teetering on the very edge of death, he slowly lifted his eyes.

Even his own shadow didn't do this man justice. This Alpha was miraculously tall and broad, towering at least a foot taller than himself. Every inch of his body was laden with a thick layer of muscle – scars crisscrossing tanned skin in a pattern that told silent stories of years in battle – and shoulders that seemed to go on for miles led Vali up to an incredibly heart-stopping yet alarmingly empty face, as if all joy in the world had been sucked out of his very soul.

And then there was the blood. The Alpha absolutely dripped with it, most of the thick, crimson liquid obviously not his own as it splashed across his body and face in an uneven mosaic.

It was a sight straight from a bonfire horror story, yet through it all, sparkling blue eyes framed by long tendrils of dirty-blonde hair that had escaped from a plaited knot atop his head pierced through the core of him.

This man was a gorgeous angel of death, and Vali soon found himself much too caught in his gravity as his moment of astonishment was immediately taken advantage of. 

Einar advanced once more, making sure to cut off all of the Omega's potential exits this time as he backed him into a corner. He was such a small thing that it was exceedingly easy to trespass into his personal space, trap the Omega's breakable wrists against the wall behind him, and press a thumb firmly into a tendon that would open his hand and make him drop the weapon.

But just as the clatter of the pitchfork falling to the ground registered in Einar's ears, something within him shattered.

The places where his hands made contact with the Omega's wrists burned him as – all at once – his suppressed nervous system came back online. 

It was a wonderful kind of burn, one that forced him to reckon with his own existence as he snapped right back into his body, fully aware of the world around him for the very first time since his youth. 

Suddenly... Einar could feel. He could hear everything, smell everything. 

But most of all, Einar could see everything.

It would have been way too much for him to handle if it wasn't for the way all of the fog slowly lifted from the forefront of his long-incarcerated brain, and a work of art emerged from the space in front of him.

And just like that, no longer was this Omega just another faceless victim among the masses. 

He had never seen anything like him, the unique, bi-toned skin and hair of this man locking him in a trance so great and overwhelming that the Alpha couldn't help but lean in, desperate to absorb every little bit of information that his newly awakened senses could gather about him. 

This Omega's features were gentle, the slopes of his high cheekbones and the plumpness of his multicolored lips drawing Einar in like a moth to a flame. He smelled like a delectably strange mixture of hay and seawater caramel, and his inner Alpha raged, emboldened with the urge to press up against his scent gland and bite. 

He'd been bred with a countless number of Omegas throughout his life, but nothing could have prepared him for the way his instincts set out on a rampage at the man before him. 

Einar blinked.

Instincts?

Rampage?

... Bite?

There was no way. In fact, despite all of the evidence that led him to one conclusion and one conclusion only, he prayedthat what he was experiencing was not what he suspected it was.

Einar had witnessed this process multiple times, and each time he was reminded of what lay ahead if he were ever to find his fated.

Many of the other slaves Guiscard's bond had once found their mates, but rarely were they ever lucky enough to be granted the privilege of staying together. After all, a slave was a slave, and the point of their existence was to obey orders until they died or were sold off to another master, not to live happily ever after. 

In fact, there were times that he'd witnessed Guiscard kill his fellow Berserkr's Omegas right in front of them, the Beta becoming somewhat drunk on the way it made his Alphas fight like savages – truly living up to their Berserkr titles as they lost touch with their own humanity and therefore killed at a much more efficient pace. 

However despite the fact that he had witnessed it over and over throughout the years, for some reason Einar never really considered that one day, he could be staring in the face the same cruelty himself. And now that he was here, he wasn't sure what to do.

Vali was at his limit now, lungs threatening to burst like balloons if he held onto his breath any longer. For a moment he considered just continuing to deprive himself of oxygen until they did just that, but there was no way he would be granted access to Valhalla if he committed suicide. No, he had to die in battle, even if it meant that breathing would awaken his inner Omega and leave him keening for his own murderer as he fought him off. 

A single tear ran down the right side of his face just before he finally succumbed to his lungs' demands. 

Air finally swirled into his nose, filling his lungs with the precious oxygen that they wanted so badly. But along with it came a scent so strong and intoxicating that it quite literally would have sent Vali to his knees if it weren't for the strong hands holding tight to his limp wrists. Dear Odin, those hands...

Apparently in his state of oxygen deprivation, Vali's body decided to focus all resources on diverting oxygen to his brain, therefore depriving him of the mind-numbing sensation of the lightning that shocked between the places where his skin met that of this Alpha Angel. But now that his body was slowly trickling back down from its impoverished state, the Omega could feel it all.

'There's just no way.' The pair thought the same thing at the exact same time, one grey and one brown eye locking onto bright blues, and all that they could do was stare.

That is until Einar spied the lone tear as it trickled its way down his Omega's face, guilt twisting in his chest as he realizes that he was the likely source of his fated's pain. 

Einar knew that he should just leave, that he should simply instruct this Omega to hide until the raid passed through, turn around, and resume his duties. But just the mere thought of walking away from his fated pulled at something so deeply primal that he was left emanating a low growl of warning at himself. 

He could see now why the other bonded lost themselves when their fated mates were stripped away from them. It had been less than five minutes in which he'd had the privilege of being in his Omega's heavenly presence, but even now Einar's soul was wrapped so tightly around this beautiful, courageous specimen of a man that he would undoubtedly burn down the entire world for him with a simple request. There was simply no other way to describe it. And now that he knew this feeling, it was impossible to let go of.

Einar knew that he should have asked for permission, he really did. But when an image of his Omega, throat slit and drowning in his own blood, flashed across his psyche, he was drained of all means of self-control. If this was to be the first and last time that he was to ever exist beside his fated in this lifetime, he would savor this moment until he found him in the next. 

And with that, Einar released Vali's wrist in favor of cupping his entrancing face, bent over, and pressed their lips together. 

Without a single word exchanged between the two, both were powerless to deny the truth of the bond that surged between them at the very moment that their lips met. It was a disembodied, abstract kind of power, one that imbued them both with an elusive sense of peace as their lips moved in tandem, Einar's entire body following the lead of his Omega as if the small man held the key to the entire universe in his very palms. 

Shock and surprise were an understatement for the initial response that Vali had to the unexpected kiss. Although even he tasted the coppery blood that still lingered on the Alpha's lips, he couldn't resist the temptation to lean into it, to give his Alpha everything that he had to offer as his inner Omega preened with desire.

He allowed himself to bask in it for a long moment, completely lost in the newfound onslaught of sensations that assaulted him at his man's touch. But sooner than later, that little, finicky self-preservation part of his mind reared up once more, and Vali pulled back with a quiet pop of their lips.

Fated or not, this man was dangerous, and was covered head-to-toe in blood to prove it. And now here he was, acting like he had zero sense as he sucked the face of a man who could – and probably would – crush his windpipe like a blueberry after he was done rutting off to him.

Vali's breathing accelerated and Einar frowned, tilting his head as he tried to decipher what could possibly be wrong. But when a loud bang and yet another chorus of wails sounded from outside the barn, the Alpha understood. 

Just because he was numb to such atrocities didn't mean that his sweet Omega was. The people who were out there being slaughtered were surely people that he knew if he was – as Einar highly suspected – a member of this village as well. There was only one solution. 

Einar needed to get his Omega out of this bloodbath so that he could get the opportunity to soothe him properly. But how?

The Alpha pondered for a moment, combing through his unsettlingly clear mind he tried his best to think quickly. And then, just as he shifted his shoulders to adjust his bear, it came to him.

Vali's eyes widened as his Alpha stepped back, halfway torn between taking the opportunity to run for his life or reaching out to keep him close. But at this point terror was winning, and Vali found his feet glued to the spot as the Alpha turned his back to the Omega before reaching around and pushing his bearskin to the side. 

"Get on."

The Alpha's voice held a crumbly texture to it, the rich deepness of its tone combined with his strange, dialectical accent churning something deep in Vali's stomach. 

The Omega shook his head, pressing his back into the thin barn wall. 

First he was attacked, then kissed, and now he was being kidnapped?

Vali was so confused, way too many emotions mixing up in his heart at once as he tried to figure out what to do. This man was his fated, the way that his lips still tingled with warmth from their kiss was proof of that fact. But on the other hand, this man was also a murderer. 

But then again, what options did he really have at this point?

"I can't hold on, I-I'll fall!" Vali countered pitifully, grasping at a reason – any reason – not to be taken. 

Einar glanced over his shoulder, blue eyes shining with sincerity as he felt his heart rate speed up at the first taste of his fated's honey-coated voice. "I will not let you fall."

Fueled more by eons more fear than trust and painfully out of options, Vali finally gave in. It took a few tries for him to get correctly situated on the Alpha's back given the vast difference between their heights, but an assisting hand on his thigh that left fire licking at the Omega's skin remedied the situation quickly. And before he could blink, the bearskin was draped over his form and Einar was making his way toward the door. 

However, just before he could step out, a sinking dread struck Vali directly in the heart.

"Wait!" He begged, voice muffled by the fur as he pressed a hand against the Alpha's back. The healing skin there protested at the pressure, but Einar had considerably more important things to worry about than a little bit of pain. Plus, he wasn't sure if he even possessed the ability to deny his Omega's touch. "Please... if you are taking me far away, at least let my horses free! They will never survive here on their own, I beg you!" 

Vali didn't expect much from his plea of mercy, let alone for the Alpha to turn on his spot, release Sigge and Ahren's rope ties, and open the barn door for them to run out first. But that was exactly what he did, and Vali's eyes sheened with tears at the knowledge that despite the fact that he would likely never see them again, his best friends now stood a fighting chance. 

"Thank you..." He muttered his gratitude as Einar stepped out of the barn with Vali completely concealed beneath his furs and pressed up against his sweaty back. The Alpha did not reply with words out of fear of someone overhearing, but instead reached back with a hand, giving Vali's leg a quick squeeze of acknowledgment.

Scanning the area, Einar immediately noticed that most of the other Berserkrs had moved onto the far end of the Village. So, he used the lucky opportunity to scope out the closest horse cart. He had to tread around a few burning buildings to find it, checking his surroundings with every step, but soon he came across the textiles cart, already piled high with pillaged linens and fine fabrics. 

The clothing was riddled with the scents of their previous owners, perfect for concealing the sweet scent of his Omega on the trek back to their camp. 

... And just what he was going to do with him once he got to camp, he would figure out along the way.

After scanning his surroundings one last time, Einar reached behind himself and underneath his bearskin, effortlessly transferring Vali to the front of his body before lowering him into the cart. He worked fast, head swiveling back and forth and hands moving frantically to cover the small man with the horde of soft material.

Vali was a mess at this point, tears making his curls stick to his face in various places. He didn't know where he was going, why he was being taken, or how much longer this Alpha was planning on keeping him alive. But despite his distress, he dared not make a sound. 

"Stay still. Stay quiet." That gravel-filled voice sounded once more. Vali may have just imagined it in a brain desperate to cling to any semblance of comfort, but he could have sworn that it almost sounded... scared. "I will be back for you."

And with that, his fated mate, a man who was currently stained with the blood of his village, walked away. 

And for the second time in his life, Vali was all alone.

A/N: Valhalla is "the great hall in Norse mythology where heroes slain in battle are received." It is essentially the Viking 'heaven' but can only be reached when you die in the middle of a battle!

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Xoxo, Alex ❤️