Page 70 of The Curse Trilogy

Full blood and hybrid soldiers swish over with lightning speed to intervene before the fight can begin, and they restrain the two obnoxious men trying to escape their grasps.

Oh good grief.

“Let me the fuck go,” Hale demands to the men holding him back from tearing Brazen apart.

“I swear,” Clay huffs. “Do I need to separate you two like damn children?” he blares.

“No,” I mumble. “You need to take me back. This is my fault, and I knew it was going to happen,” I almost whimper. “They can’t focus if I’m here.”

Clay’s lips tighten, and then he shakes his head.

“I don’t want you too far away from Hale right now. With your episodes coming in as frequently as they have, it would be irresponsible of me. I’ll send him back with you,” Clay sighs out, and Hale breaks free from the men, his explosive anger slowly dissipating as maturity starts to settle back in.

“I’m fine, Clay. You might need me here. That’s the reason I came. I won’t do anything else,” Hale murmurs softly. “She doesn’t need to go back.”

“Brazen?” Clay asks softly, and I know he’ll comply because he sure as hell doesn’t want me leaving with Hale.

“I’m fine, Sir. I swear it won’t happen again,” Brazen answers.

“I sure as hell hope not, otherwise the two of you will go separate ways, and I’ll put you both on probation.”

Hale looks at me, but my eyes stare at the ground. He promised me he wouldn’t fight no matter what Brazen said. Brazen is hurting so badly right now, and Hale knows that. He has to learn to let it slide until the wounds aren’t so fucking fresh.

“Let’s get moving,” Hale asserts to the hybrid fleet, and Brazen nods to the full bloods to imply the same order.

They take their spot in the front, and it’s all the more awkward that they have to stand beside each other. Clay walks up shaking his head in exasperation. I keep my arms crossed over my chest and my head hanging low, my eyes casting my humiliation to only the ground beneath me. It’s hard enough to get people to take me seriously when I’ve been forbidden from field detail, and now I’m here in the middle of one fucked up triangle.

“When we get there, you stay at the back. Don’t do anything unless I tell you to. We’re just watching and waiting today,” he softly commands. “Are you feeling any-”

“The savage isn’t surging forth right now if that’s what you’re asking,” I grouse. “I’m humiliated, not dealing with unbearable emotional turmoil.”

“I see,” he says while stifling a grin.

“Fuck you,” I grumble, and he has to choke back his laughter now.

He finds some composure, and then a man walks up to speak to him.

“Commander Jude, Sir, what should we expect?” the man asks.

“This place is an old abandoned compound that was left deserted due to the unstable structure and the close proximity to the lines of the United. Beyond the borders are hoards of unruly and unlawful full bloods with a savage nature.”

“They’re not full bloods, they’re no better than the infected,” one man scoffs.

“Sorry, soldier. I didn’t mean to offend,” Clay responds with sincerity, but I can see a twinge of smugness in his eyes.

I stifle my grin, and then we walk toward the hill that hides the compound from sight.

Everyone stops when Hale and Brazen hold their fisted hands into the air in unison, and they both make their stealthy crawl to the top of the hill to view the scene below. They exchange a look of disbelief, and they both stand up into the exposed air that has to be visible from below.

“What are you doing?” Clay asks admonishingly.

“It’s gone,” Hale answers.

“What’s gone?” I muse.

“All of it,” Brazen responds softly, and we all scramble up to see what the hell is going on.

I gasp when I see the flat, destroyed area with burning embers representing the compound that once stood. Gaping mouths and hushed gasps echo out, and Hale takes my side. His hand grazes mine when he temporarily forgets we’re not supposed to be together, and I almost feel desperate to nestle into him right now even though I’m still pissed at him for arguing with Brazen.