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Six

A Seeker Game

D rax and Jax head my way as I stumble over the sand. Jax instantly circles behind me and helps me lean back against him, taking all of my weight as Drax almost presses to my front, his eyes searching my face and body to make sure I am okay.

“Sweet cheeks, you falling for me again?” he jokes.

Winking, I lean further back into Jax, who holds my weight effortlessly, his hands on my hips as he trails his lips down my neck, making me shiver.

We didn’t get a lot of time together in The Cities with everything going on.

I can’t wait to just be with my men, but right now isn’t the time, even though I wish it was, but I’m going to steal some moments, because I need them.

I need their strength right now.

When I’m racked with guilt, pain, and the pressure of leading so many people, they are the only ones who can help, who always have my back.

“Angel,” Jax murmurs. “Have you had anything to drink?”

I close my eyes for a moment and sigh when Drax closes that last inch between our bodies and cups my cheeks, stroking my face as they support me. “No.”

Drax laughs. “Figures. Always looking after everyone else first, babe, and putting yourself last. It’s a good job you always come first with us.”

Grinning, I open my eyes to see he is holding up some water for me. His blond hair is slicked back from the heat, and it’s a bit longer than when I met him, almost to his shoulders now. It looks good. I reach out and finger a strand. “Your hair is long. ”

He winks at me. “Yeah? Knew you liked it, so I’ve been growing it out for you.”

“I like it, huh?” I tease, as I take a swig of water. I’m so used to being thirsty, I don’t even feel it anymore.

“More to grab onto when you’re fucking me,” he murmurs, his eyes heating as they drop to my lips hungrily.

Jax chuckles behind me, nipping at my neck, so I reach back, grab a fistful of his hair, wincing when it pulls on my stomach, and yank his head away hard enough that he moans. My silent demon loves the pain I offer. “You’re right,” I whisper to Drax, whose mouth parts on a moan as he watches me.

Our little bubble bursts, though, when the cry of a dying man reaches me, and I pull away from them, feeling even worse for laughing and joking while there are corpses all around us and people dying from their wounds.

Infections are setting in, and blood loss is killing them, despite Evan’s best attempts.

I can see him working in the distance, even though he’s exhausted, trying to save as many as he can.

Piper is at his side, helping when she is able, and when I catch her eye, she tilts her head and whispers to Evan before jogging over. A huge man is at her back. I don’t even spot Archel, but just as suddenly, he is there, leaning against a bike near us.

Sneaky fucking assassin.

“You okay?” she asks, genuinely worried, her goggles perched on her head and her hair pulled back in braids.

Her brown eyes are tilted up, and her lips are quirked in a smile.

Across her face and chest is what looks like war paint.

We used to wear the same in the ring. It looks good on her.

She has a cut on her cheek and a deeper gouge across her shoulder, parting her leather jacket, but other than that, she looks okay.

She has blood under her nails and on her hands. “I should be asking you that,” I retort. “I saw you out there, you were a badass.”

She perks up under the praise. “Really? I mean, yeah, I totally was.” She nods, making me laugh.

“So were you—I mean, apart from the almost dying part, that sucked, but damn, watching you fight was amazing. You were incredible, like this feral ninja. I bet you made them piss themselves in fear. I mean, my knickers were wet, but mainly from sweat, and okay, yeah, I got a little turned on watching you. I have a serious woman crush on you—”

Archel laughs and appears next to her, covering her mouth as her eyes widen. She turns her head to him and winces when he grins down at her. “Stop talking, Princess.”

She nods, and he removes his hand, laughing. “Did you lick me? ”

“No?” She blinks innocently and then looks over at me. “Sorry, how’s your wound?”

I look down at the bandages that have blood seeping through them. “Doc did really well, I owe him. It’s sure as shit a lot better than when I used to sew myself up after fights.”

Her mouth forms an ‘O’ as she watches me. “That’s so fucking hardcore. Marry me?”

Archel sighs and wraps an arm around her. “Princess, I told you, if you’re marrying anyone, it’s me.”

The huge mountain man steps forward. “And me.”

She giggles as I shake my head and raise my hands to show her the rings. “Sorry, already taken.”

Archel turns and gawks at me before he looks at Dray not too far away—he’s basically lingering around me, even though he is pretending to help clean up.

With a kiss on Piper’s lips, Archel races across the sand and tackles him.

We all watch as he tries to pin Dray, but within a second, Dray has flipped them and he has a knife at Archel’s throat.

“You got married?” Archel laughs, face stretched with a grin, even though Dray almost slices his throat.

Men.

“Sure did.” Dray grins. “Had to make sure she couldn’t run away after the war.”

Archel laughs harder. “Well shit, man, congrats! Gotta say, I thought you would have to tie her up to make it happen, but I’m happy for you!”

Dray stands and helps him up, and they both embrace, laughing at the idea of me saying yes. I turn away and stare at Piper. “Men, seriously, stick to your four, five is way too many.” I raise my voice. “You hear me? Five is too many! I might have to kill one of you!”

Dray turns and winks at me. “You could try, soulmate, we both know I would get off on it.”

“He really is insane.” Piper laughs.

“Yup.” I shake my head. “I love that about him.”

I look back at her then, sobering once more. “How’s Doc?”

She sighs and scrubs her face. “Hasn’t slept or eaten. He’s been working non-stop. He takes each person he loses personally. I’m trying to help him, but—”

“But it’s hard.” I nod. “He’s doing his job. I can’t thank him enough, but he’s not going to let me order him to rest. Find a way to make him. I can’t lose him as well, he’s the only one I can tolerate.”

“Apart from me, right?” she asks.

“Apart from you,” I agree, making her grin .

“I’ll use my boobs to distract him, like the piper of men, leading them to their beds to sleep. Tatas to the rescue.” She nods solemnly and turns, and with her shoulders back, she marches over to Doc.

She sure is a strange one, but I’m happy having her at my back. She is an incredible warrior, and she is so young, she’s going to grow into an even better leader.

“Let’s finish burying the dead, then I need to speak to the other leaders. This isn’t the end, merely the beginning.”

After the bodies are buried, we are all exhausted. My wound opened up again, but I refused to stop until the job was done. Each person I buried is a scar on my heart, a life snuffed out too soon.

I stand where she did, Regina, and stare out at the numerous graves. This area will forever be known as the place where we won our freedom, where we stood up for our homes, despite the odds.

Where we fought.

Where we died.

Where we grieved.

Where we begin again.

I watch the people mingling below—Seekers helping Berserkers, and Paradise helping Lost. All the clans are interwoven, healing and bonding, bringing an idea to my head. No more division, no more infighting.

One north.

One nation.

Could it work?

As I observe them, I realise it might. For way too long, The Wastes have been divided, with different rules for each clan and too many people falling through the cracks.

Scavs, roadies, Seekers, and Berserkers, we are each our own people, but if this war has shown us anything, it’s that we can work together. And maybe we need to in order to protect our world, our lands, to keep our people safe.

“Baby girl?” Thorn rumbles behind me, making me turn to look at him. He smiles, flashing those pearly whites, and I notice his hair is slightly longer too, no longer cropped to his head. The scar on his face stands out starkly. “They are ready.”

I nod and look back before turning and taking his hand, letting him help me across the sand, my stomach rolling at the pain. I need to lie down soon before I pass out. That wouldn’t be a good thing to do in front of everyone, it’s a sure sign of weakness.

We head to one of the bigger tents, and when I duck inside, I see the leaders gathered. Nan, Priest, Dray, Piper…and a young man I don’t recognise, obviously for Reeves. He nods as he stands.

“My name is Jon, I’m Reeves’s second in command. I guess that makes me…the leader now.” He sighs. He’s a big guy, really big, with tattoos covering every inch of his body. He has blood covering one side of his face, and his eye is ballooned shut, but he stands tall.

I look to Nan, and she nods. “He’s a good en, girlie, ma hu—Reeves was training him for years ta take over, the old cunt.”

Jon’s lips tip up at that. “Or trying to get me to. I always thought he should stay in charge. The stubborn bastard would have led until he died on his bike.”

I smile and pick my way through the tent to the cushions piled up towards the back.

Maxen, Drax, and Jax duck in, and Maxen instantly sits behind the cushions and helps me down, though he makes it look like he is simply touching me while I struggle to sit and lean back into him. I thank him mentally for supporting me.