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Authors: Megan J. Parker
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“Since hooking up with Serena, he’s has become a lot more focused and dedicated, and while the situation is creating a shit-ton of chaos, I’m confident that Zane can handle it now more than he would’ve been able to before.”
“Yo u have a lot of confidence in him,” Nikki bit her lip, “and I do too, please don’t think I don’t…”
Raith leaned forward, “But…”
Nikki shrugged, “ But… that Celine-girl seems to have her own plans, and I don’t like the way she’s always hovering around Zane. Plus, the way she looks at him… well, it just gives me the creeps!”
“Honestly, ” Raith smirked, sitting back again, “I don’t like her either—never have—but if she thinks she can get to Zane just because Serena’s gone, she’s sorely mistaken and in for a very rude awakening. Zane’s totally head-over-heels for Serena; hook, line, and sinker. Celine doesn’t stand a chance this round.”
Nikki chuckled, shaking her head. “You never got along with her, did you?”
“Of course not, she’s a bitch! And, in my defense, I tried to get along with her for Zane’s sake, but that girl had it in for me since day one! I thought she was just some clingy girlfriend who didn’t like her man’s friends, but she honestly treated me like…”
“Like a dog?” Nikki looked over.
“No,” Raith shook his head, “ that would’ve at least made sense. She treated me like some sort of nark; like every time I was around her she was on edge that I might attack her or turn Zane against her or something; she was always warning Zane about me—despite never having met me before I, mind you—and…” He shook his head, “I don’t know, she just always seemed like she was keeping something from him that I was somehow going to spill the beans about.”
“Not that any of that made any difference to Zane, I see,” Nikki smirked. “Friends to the end, huh?”
“Yeah, gues s so,” Raith smirked. “It’s why we were such good mercs; we could accomplish anything when we set our minds to it. I guess that must have scared her or something; maybe she thought that we’d get overconfident and land ourselves in hot water.” He scoffed at that, “I suppose that wouldn’t be too far from the truth.”
“You suppose?” Nikki shook her head , “Though maybe you two would’ve been fine as you were without me getting in the way and mucking it all up.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened, Nikki!” Raith glared at her. “The curse was not your fault; you were just trying to help your people. There was no way anybody could’ve known what was going to happen.”
“But—”
“No ‘but’s!” Raith growled, “Zane and I both knew the risks going into your tribe and we were too confident in our approach. Our stupidity and that damned curse are what are to blame. Nothing—and no one—else!”
“I still don’t feel that’s the complete truth,” Nikki looked down.
“Well it is,” Raith assured her, “and even if it was, it sure as hell wouldn’t be your fault.”
Nikki bit her lip, looking over at her lover. She knew that Raith didn’t blame her for what had happened to them back then, but somewhere inside of her she couldn’t help but think what would’ve happened if she hadn’t sent Zane and Raith on that mission. She knew that it would’ve been a matter of time before somebody was burdened with breaking the ever-thinning final straw and being the one to bear the curse, and though she felt terrible thinking it, a part of her wished that somebody else—anybody else—had wound up being the one to carry the Maledictus curse.
Shaking her head of the bad thoughts, she turned back to her lover and moved to sit closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had finally gotten used to his new body, what had once been the body of Axle Travers—a small-time therion rogue before Kristine had had her way with him. After she’d killed him so that she could put
“Yo u have a lot of confidence in him,” Nikki bit her lip, “and I do too, please don’t think I don’t…”
Raith leaned forward, “But…”
Nikki shrugged, “ But… that Celine-girl seems to have her own plans, and I don’t like the way she’s always hovering around Zane. Plus, the way she looks at him… well, it just gives me the creeps!”
“Honestly, ” Raith smirked, sitting back again, “I don’t like her either—never have—but if she thinks she can get to Zane just because Serena’s gone, she’s sorely mistaken and in for a very rude awakening. Zane’s totally head-over-heels for Serena; hook, line, and sinker. Celine doesn’t stand a chance this round.”
Nikki chuckled, shaking her head. “You never got along with her, did you?”
“Of course not, she’s a bitch! And, in my defense, I tried to get along with her for Zane’s sake, but that girl had it in for me since day one! I thought she was just some clingy girlfriend who didn’t like her man’s friends, but she honestly treated me like…”
“Like a dog?” Nikki looked over.
“No,” Raith shook his head, “ that would’ve at least made sense. She treated me like some sort of nark; like every time I was around her she was on edge that I might attack her or turn Zane against her or something; she was always warning Zane about me—despite never having met me before I, mind you—and…” He shook his head, “I don’t know, she just always seemed like she was keeping something from him that I was somehow going to spill the beans about.”
“Not that any of that made any difference to Zane, I see,” Nikki smirked. “Friends to the end, huh?”
“Yeah, gues s so,” Raith smirked. “It’s why we were such good mercs; we could accomplish anything when we set our minds to it. I guess that must have scared her or something; maybe she thought that we’d get overconfident and land ourselves in hot water.” He scoffed at that, “I suppose that wouldn’t be too far from the truth.”
“You suppose?” Nikki shook her head , “Though maybe you two would’ve been fine as you were without me getting in the way and mucking it all up.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened, Nikki!” Raith glared at her. “The curse was not your fault; you were just trying to help your people. There was no way anybody could’ve known what was going to happen.”
“But—”
“No ‘but’s!” Raith growled, “Zane and I both knew the risks going into your tribe and we were too confident in our approach. Our stupidity and that damned curse are what are to blame. Nothing—and no one—else!”
“I still don’t feel that’s the complete truth,” Nikki looked down.
“Well it is,” Raith assured her, “and even if it was, it sure as hell wouldn’t be your fault.”
Nikki bit her lip, looking over at her lover. She knew that Raith didn’t blame her for what had happened to them back then, but somewhere inside of her she couldn’t help but think what would’ve happened if she hadn’t sent Zane and Raith on that mission. She knew that it would’ve been a matter of time before somebody was burdened with breaking the ever-thinning final straw and being the one to bear the curse, and though she felt terrible thinking it, a part of her wished that somebody else—anybody else—had wound up being the one to carry the Maledictus curse.
Shaking her head of the bad thoughts, she turned back to her lover and moved to sit closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had finally gotten used to his new body, what had once been the body of Axle Travers—a small-time therion rogue before Kristine had had her way with him. After she’d killed him so that she could put
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