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“See, my pet. Never look out for anyone but yourself, they won’t thank you for it and they sure as shit won’t return it.

I am all you have.” He undoes my chains but I am too weak to move, to fight.

He drags my limp body across the stone floor, the blood and water trailing in my wake.

Ivar throws me over a bucket of ice cold water, and I only just manage to catch myself with my hands on the rim.

He grabs my hair again, ready to submerge me.

Hate runs through me, but so does defiance. I lift my head, purposely pulling on my hair in his hand until I meet his eyes. “You can break my body time and time again, but you will never break my spirit. My soul. You will never have me. I will never be yours.”

Anger darkens his face and I laugh, blood flying from my split lip as he pushes me face first into the awaiting water.

Pain explodes in my face making me stumble back to myself and with wide eyes to face the red-haired Berserker who just smashed the pommel of his sword into my face.

I fumble and grab my sword, but I can see it is too late.

I let my demons get the better of me, and now I am going to pay for it.

I watch in dawning horror as the sword pommel comes at my face again, it makes contact and flings me to the ground as I try to stay conscious.

The Berserker stands over me, triumph and malice on his face.

“Some champion you are,” he sneers before bringing his sword down again.

I manage to block it with my own this time, but I am weak from the hits I took and my head is ringing.

Gritting my teeth, I brace my back on the ground to try and stop its descent when the Berserker above me is thrown to the side and away from me.

Maxen stands before me, chest heaving and eyes alight with bloodlust. Blinking, I look around to see the other two Berserkers already dead and a Seeker Assassin dressed in all black standing above one with a dagger in his hand.

I don’t have time to question it as the others head my way.

Thorn growls when he sees my face and moves around me to help me into a sitting position, as Drax and Jax look at me in anger.

I prop myself up using Thorn’s chest as Jax crouches in front of me, Drax moves to his back watching everything and anything.

“It’s not always about winning Taz, it’s about getting back up. Time and time again,” Jax says, watching me as if he can see the hate I have for myself. By letting my memories overwhelm me I gave those men a chance to hurt not only me, but also my men.

“Where’s Maxen?” I ask, then realise that might hurt his feelings, but he just smiles and leans forward to kiss me.

“Protecting what is his,” he says before moving to my side, so I can see my warrior, my rock.

I watch in sick fascination as Maxen roars at the man who touched me.

Fury, unlike I have ever seen from my gentle giant, is stamped on his face.

The man on the floor screams as Maxen uses his short sword on him.

The screaming stops abruptly and Maxen turns, blood covering his face, which to be honest turns me on a little bit, before walking up to me.

His sword in one hand and the head of the man in the other.

The head is covered in blood, and those eyes which not too long ago were filled with malice, are now empty and unseeing.

Maxen stops before me, towering over me like an avenging angel. The head like some kind of sacrifice.

“This is yours. He hurt your head, so I took his.” I blink as he drops the head at my feet, which rolls and hits my boots. I guess I should be horrified, but I end up smiling at him. He kneels near me, his finger hovering over what I am guessing is a swelling from the sword used to hit me.

“You might be the strongest, badass bitch I know, but everyone fails sometimes. You’re not perfect Tazanna Worth, you have demons I can’t dream of.

But I will always be by your side fighting them with you.

Anyone hurts you, I hurt them. Like you would for us.

So, get that self-pitying look out of your eyes, it’s not you and I hate it.

So what you froze? So what he beat you? All that matters is, he is dead, food for the vultures while you are still alive. ”

His words boost my confidence, and he is right. Self-pity isn’t my thing, it’s useless and I have no time for it out here. Looking over the men gathered around me, I know that they will always be there to protect me when I can’t protect myself.

“Let me look?” Comes Dr. Perfect Face’s voice from somewhere behind Maxen. I keep my eyes locked on his as he leans in.

“I am quick to anger, Mi Alma. Remember that, we might share you between my brothers, but that does not mean I will share you with anyone else. I see the way he looks at you, don’t make me have to kill him.” With that he stands and turns to the side, watching our backs.

Drax laughs from my other side, making me groan. “Men,” I mutter, making Thorn’s chest shake with laughter. I can’t say I have seen them jealous before, is it wrong it made me want to jump him then and there?

“Sorry to break up the party, but I need to speak to The Champion,” comes a cocky voice from behind the wall of men.

Unwilling to meet the assassin on my knees, I let Jax pull me to my feet as Dr. Perfect Face roots around in his bag near me, muttering about silly women with swords.

“Dray sent you?” I question, making sure to keep my hands near my blades. He is an assassin after all. They might work better for sneak attacks, but they do know how to fight. The scar, the exact same as Dray’s, stretches across his face as he smiles, watching my fighting stance.

“Yes.” The clipped word has me raising my eyebrows, and I thought I wasn’t a talker. When I continue to stare at him, his lips twitch again.

“I see why our fearless leader is so taken with you. He dispatched his best men to different corners of the Wastes in search of you. ”

I frown. “I am not yet late for his deadline.”

He nods. “Priest arrived at The Summit, when you did not, Dray started to send his men out.”

“The leaders are all there?” I wince as my head throbs, but try to concentrate on the conversation.

“Yes.” His voice is cold and bored. “It is time for The Summit.”