What's love but a second-hand emotion?

Nick stared at the golden grandfather clock in the Master’s Suite as it counted down the minutes until Dakota’s arrival. Knowing her, she’d be right on time.

What she would greet him with, that was another matter.

The way she’d stormed out of the banquet hall had shaken him. But he should have expected a reaction like that, shouldn’t he? He’d known about her feelings. She’d tried to sleep with him in the previous round, back when she barely had any memories. She was still that jealous girl, who would get violently angry at the thought of another woman being with him. And evidently, 15 years of history together hadn’t changed that.

He’d known all this when he’d had sex with Gina, and he’d done it anyway, without consideration for Dakota’s feelings.

This is why I didn’t want to do a show like this… I didn’t want to hurt anybody. Nick’s heart stung as he pictured that pained look in Dakota’s eyes. It reminded him of the broken heart he’d inflicted on Mary. That made two girls he’d crushed in as many days, all because he’d had sex with a third.

Nick took a deep breath and exhaled when he heard the knock on the door. This was it.

I don’t have any regrets. What Gina and I shared, she needed that. And if Dakota won’t understand, well… I’ll have to make her understand. Nick resolved, walking to the door and opening it to greet the dark-haired girl standing in the entry hall. If the worst came, he was prepared to take whatever **** Dakota threw at him. It was what he deserved.

Instead, she threw herself into his arms.

“D-Dakota?!”

“I’m sorry!” She sobbed, clinging to his shirt. “I’m sorry I got so upset with you!”

Nick had no idea what was going on so he pulled her into the main room of the suite and sat her down on the couch. She was still crying.

“Dakota-”

“It’s not FAIR!” She shouted, raising her head to look him in the eye. He felt her golden stare pierce him and he froze. “Why!? Why did you choose her? HER?!”

He couldn’t give her an answer. He’d been expecting violent rage, and had been so sure that’s where this was headed that he didn’t know how to react.

“Gina… is important to me.”

Lame. Pathetic. It was the biggest non-answer he could give, and did nothing to mollify his friend.

“And I’m not?” She hissed.

“I didn’t say that!” He cried. “I just… well, I mean…”

“Do you have any idea how LONG I waited for this?!” She snarled, her tears practically evaporating from the heat in her glare. “The pain I had to go through, coming back from the other world… all to be with YOU! And you couldn’t wait one more day?! You had to pick her. You had your first time with her! Just like you had your first kiss.”

Her accusation cut like a knife. Nick’s kiss with Gina had been the catalyst of this entire mess. While yes, what happened had been an accident, and neither of them should feel guilty over it, the fact remained that were it not for their actions, Dakota would have never gone through the suffering she’d been **** to endure.

“We were supposed to be together forever,” Dakota whispered, her tears rolling down her pale cheeks. “I waited 15 years for you Nick… why couldn’t you wait for me?”

Nick clenched his jaw, not sure what to say. What could he say in this situation? That he didn’t want to have sex with anyone in the first place? That Sylvia had **** him to go along with it, in order to protect everyone, Dakota included, from too much suffering should they be eliminated?

…No. I brought this on myself. I can’t make excuses. Those weren’t the real reasons Nick had sex with Gina last night. They’d just made it easier for him to go along with it.

“I wanted to have sex with her because I wanted to have sex with her,” Nick admitted. “She’s beautiful and sweet. And I felt that she needed me. You don’t understand, Dakota, Gina was broken by what happened to you. We both were. By being together, it was like we were repairing our pain-”

“I undid that!” She snapped. “It’s like it never happened! We have new memories now! So why would she still feel bad about something that doesn’t matter!?”

“Just because your transformation gave us new memories that doesn’t mean we forgot our old ones,” Nick protested. “Even now, I still remember seeing you drown. I still remember the pain and anguish I went through, waking up every day to remember that you weren’t here anymore.”

Dakota sniffled, wiping her eyes. “But I’m here now…” she mumbled. “And you won’t even look at me. You’re thinking about all of them.”

“That’s… I can’t deny that,” he admitted. “Dakota, you were the most precious person in my life. And in so many ways, with these new memories, you still are. But I need more than that. The others, they’re important to me too. They’re people that mean a lot to me. And I can’t just abandon them to Sylvia’s twisted whims just for your sake.”

“I’m not asking you to do that!” She cried. “I just… I…”

Her voice trembled, and it looked like she was going to break.

“Please just choose me…” She whimpered. “Even if you have to have the others, can’t you love me the most? Please?”

Nick didn’t have an answer. Not one that would satisfy her. “I don’t know if I can do that,” he sighed, waiting for her **** to come.

But she didn’t get angry. The tears fell away from her face and she stared coldly at him with her appraising gaze.

“Why not?” She asked. It wasn’t a question filled with anger, but one that seemed genuinely curious. “Why can’t you love me the most?”

How was he supposed to explain that? He’d lived 27 years up until this point, and 15 of those years he’d lived twice. He should have some ability to explain himself, right?

Instead, he had a question for Dakota first.

“Dakota, do you love me?” He asked. “Honestly. Do you really, truly love me?”

“Of course I love you,” she replied automatically.

“Why?” He asked, not sure what response he expected to hear, or even wanted to hear.

She stared at him in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

That’s what he figured.

“Why did you fall in love with me?” He asked a little clearer, hoping he could get Dakota to figure out love wasn’t something so easily explained. He couldn’t just “decide” to only care about Dakota, or even care about her the most. The heart was far more fickle than that.

“Because… you were there.” Dakota still looked confused. “From the day I was born, you were with me, Nick. Always at my side. When things were hard at home, you sheltered me. When I felt bad, you cheered me up. When I wanted to have fun, we could play together. You were always a part of my life, and I want to be with you forever so we can be happy together forever. That’s why I love you.”

“But is there anything specifically I did?” He pressed. “Or anything I said to you, that made you decide that was the reason you fell in love with me?”

Dakota tilted her head to the side and smiled a confused smile. “You don’t need a reason to fall in love with someone,” she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m in love with you because of all those things, yes, but it’s mainly because I’m in love with you.”

Nick sighed in relief. Then she did understand.

“So you can see how I can’t say that I’ll love you most, then, or that I won’t fall in love with anyone else? I mean, like you said, love just… happens sometimes.”

Dakota narrowed her eyes. “Then are you in love with Gina?”

Nick winced.

“…I can’t say that,” he admitted. And it hurt that he couldn't. He'd believed his entire life that sex should be reserved for two people who were in love- and he'd failed to live up to that belief. “I’m honestly still getting to know her. But at this rate, I believe, yes, that soon I’m going to fall in love with her. Even if I tried to prevent it.”

Dakota seemed shaken by that answer, giving him a haunted stare.

“...Then what about me?” She asked, her golden eyes burning like wildfire in her skull as they bored into him. “Are you in love with me?”

“Dakota… the last time we were together, really together, alive, on earth, I didn’t even know what love was,” Nick answered. “And then you gave me a mountain of new memories that I’m still trying to sort through. So… I can’t give you an answer yet. I’m sorry.”

Dakota considered his words. Her eyes were glassy. “…No, I’m sorry,” she finally said. “Sorry that I had to **** you into a situation like this.”

Before Nick could say anything, she pushed him down on the couch. Then she rolled him off the couch, and onto the carpet, where she mounted him, staring down at him with her intense gaze.

“Dakota, wait-”

“You had sex with her because she needed it, right?” Dakota growled, leaning down and kissing his neck. “I saw the hickeys you gave her. You marked her as yours. Now it’s my turn to do the same.”

Nick had no idea that the feeling of his skin being sucked on could feel this good. He let out a groan as he felt Dakota rub against his crotch beneath her skirt, humping him into the floor with everything she had.

“This is fine, right?” She hissed into his ear. Her voice sounded ****. “Even if it’s not your first time… it’s fine if I do this. You’ll let me… because you want it, right? Even though you don’t love me, that didn’t stop you when you were with her, so… so it’s fine… you can… you can do it, right? And then… then we can go from there.”

Nick swallowed and relaxed his body, not resisting. It wasn't like he had complaints. Dakota was beautiful, and part of him wanted to be with her the same way he was with Gina. He was fine with letting her take control.

She reached up and pulled off her shirt, letting her pale breasts bounce free. She’d foregone putting on a bra tonight so her boobs were exposed in all their perfect, creamy glory. Dakota was radiant in the moonlight, staring down at him with a look one part thirst and the other part fear.

But if she was signaling their progress to the next stage, something was definitely off.

“No, this… this is wrong,” she said, beginning to shake.

“Dakota?”

“It’s wrong! It’s all wrong!” She started to cry again, clutching his shirt as she hung her head, her tears dripping down onto his face.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this… it was supposed to be you and me… just the two of us… together.”

“H-Hey, but… we are together,” he said, reaching up and wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s just you and me.”

“NO!” She shouted, digging her nails into his shirt. They’d been sharpened into talons so they dug into his skin, though not enough to draw blood.

“You’re still thinking about her.”

The whispered accusation hung over the room like a fog.

Nick glanced away, unable to deny it. Gina and his actions last night were inextricably linked to this evening, there was no changing that.

“I want my first time to be special,” Dakota said. “This, right now… doing it like this, when you’re thinking about her… no. I don’t want that.”

She got off him and grabbed her shirt, hastily putting it back on. She was still shaking like a leaf, but Nick didn’t know if he should hug her or not.

“Dakota… are you really okay with this?” He asked. “You and I not… you know.”

She looked back at him, her eyes still glistening with tears.

“I’m not,” she answered with a shake of her head. “But I won’t be compared to another woman. When we make love it will be between you and me.”

“But what if…” He felt sick even voicing the possibility. “What if you get eliminated?”

It was a fear that hung over everyone’s heads. But for Dakota, it was much worse. After all, as far as he could tell, she didn’t have any friends here. She was abrasive, occasionally rude, and a recluse. He doubted Holly would choose her as her roommate, or anyone else. And if Dakota got eliminated before they had sex, with how much she wanted it… that would just hurt too much.

Dakota shook her head. “I will not lose,” she said matter-of-factly. “I will be the one earning immunity, that’s all there is to it.”

Nick was stunned by the confidence in her declaration. But then, she’d always been that way, hadn’t she? Overflowing with pride and believing she could handle anything. It was one of the many things he found attractive about her.

“But… what if you don’t?” He had to ask. Because now that it had been spoken, he was thinking about it. Coming to terms with the fact that someone he cared about was going to be severely altered. And even if Sylvia promised to be merciful, the changes would still alter their life permanently. There were no good options here.

Dakota looked him in the eye, and kissed him on the cheek. “Then I’ll take whatever fate is given to me,” she replied. “At least that way, I’ll always be a part of your life. Even if I’m changed, even if I’m not bound to you as part of your harem… I will still serve you however I must.”

Nick stared at her. He couldn’t believe she would say something like that. He couldn’t understand how she’d be fine with that fate.

Just because it meant she could stay with him?

But then… I guess it is better than dying, he had to admit.

That acknowledgment didn’t make him feel better. At this point, he just felt awful. The urge to hug her resurfaced, and this time he didn’t fight it. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, ignoring all the other issues ahead.

Even if they didn’t have sex, he could still be with her as much as he could.

There was someone else, however, that Nick should be concerned for, and it wasn’t Dakota. It was her buddy.

Holly sat on the floor of her room, pathetically soaking the carpet with her juices as she whimpered under Rose’s smirking gaze.

“What’s the matter?” Rose asked, strolling towards the girl. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“Please, I… I…” Holly didn’t know what to say. Her transformation was already starting to seize hold of her, and she felt an overwhelming urge to supplicate herself to the blonde standing in front of her.

“I feel hurt, Holly!” Rose clicked her tongue and shook her head, leaning down to look the brunette in the eye. “I’ve been here for days, but we’ve never really chatted… even though I think you and I have so much to talk about!”

Holly’s only response was another whimper and a mini-orgasm.

“Why, I felt like you’ve been trying to avoid me all day,” Rose continued, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “No, wait, it couldn’t be… was I the person you had a dream about last night? Oh, that would just be perfect!”

If Holly was really subservient to her, it was the perfect opportunity for Rose to seize. She crouched down next to the trembling girl and placed her hand on her shoulder. Holly looked into Rose’s eyes, her own filled with hope and anticipation.

“I just want to talk,” Rose said gently. “Talk, and help you out with your little problem.”

Holly glanced down, realizing that she was sitting in her own wetness. Finally coming back to her senses, she moved to get up, but Rose clenched her fingers and held her down; subservient as she was, Holly couldn’t summon the strength to shake her off.

“I suppose you’re wondering why you’re having even less trouble controlling yourself than usual,” Rose smirked.

Holly’s eyes widened and then they narrowed into a scowl. “You! You-!”

Rose placed her finger over Holly’s lips. “Shh now. No no. Don’t be upset! Yes, I used some BP to increase your libido. But it’s only temporary! And it’s for a very good reason.”

“What reason?!” Holly managed to spit out.

Rose smiled, lowered her hand, and reached under Holly’s skirt. She pressed two fingers against her gash and Holly came on the spot, falling into her arms.

“I want to liberate you,” she whispered sensually into Holly’s ear. “Show you that you don’t have to keep going like this. Bottling up your feelings and keeping them to yourself.”

“B-But…” Holly whimpered, her lips trembling as she fought back the wall of orgasms building up around her.

Rose dug in more insistently and Holly came like putty in her hands.

“You don’t have to be brave,” Rose promised her. “You don’t have to keep hiding who you are. Locking your secrets away in a box.”

Holly turned white. “I-I just-”

“I saw the footage,” Rose informed her. “I was in the audience, remember? Last week, when Dakota was on her date with the master? I saw EVERYTHING you did. You really enjoyed yourself, didn’t you?”

“I… I can’t help it!” Holly wailed. She squeezed her thighs together tightly, trying to shake Rose free, but all she served to do was trap the other woman’s fingers inside of her. But then… maybe that had been what her body was trying to do all along.

Holly was so out of it, she couldn’t really be sure.

“What do you mean?” Rose asked curiously. “You ‘can’t help it’. I don’t understand. I know that your transformation turned you into a cuckquean, or at least got the ball rolling, but damn girl you really do squirt like a fire hose. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Not that she’d tell Holly, but Rose had very little experience with orgasms in general. Really she was comparing Holly’s orgasms to her own. But it was clear from everything she’d witnessed that this girl was about as easy to push over the edge as a truck full of anvils hanging off the side of a cliff.

Holly wasn’t spilling. Well, she was, but that wasn’t the pair of lips Rose was interesting in hearing from.

“Come on now,” she purred into Holly’s ear. “You can tell me. Don’t I deserve it? Haven’t I been so good to you, Holly? Didn’t I give you that nice, sexy, sensual dream of yours?”

Holly bit her lip and nodded. Two sides of her were at war right now. Her transformation that was compelling her to go along with what Rose wanted, and the tenuous grasp she had on her survival instincts that told her revealing the truth to someone like this would be an absolutely horrible decision.

Rose was honestly surprised that Holly was still holding out. It was impressive. She stroked her fingers faster, setting off another chain of mini-orgasms rocketing through Holly’s body. At the same time, she held the brunette tightly to her chest, making sure not to let her go as Holly came in her hands.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” she purred into Holly’s ear. “If you tell me what’s so special about you and Nick… what really happened in your relationship, and why you’re concerned about your sensitive body… then I promise I’ll use my transformation to borrow Dawn’s Sexibility, and give you a better orgasm than you’ve ever had in your life.”

Holly’s eyes widened and her pupils dilated to pinpricks. She trembled and screamed.

“Fine, I… I was born this way!” And collapsed into Rose’s arms.