Clover would be all alone.
Carefully laying Keegan down, she sat next to her and stared at the red smearing her hand.Part of her wanted to make sure no one else came near and got infected, the other part wrestled with her fate.Asher flashed through her head.Now, as tears rolled down her cheeks, she finally admitted to herself how much he actually meant to her.Love?She didn’t know what being in love felt like, but she couldn’t imagine feeling so much and not call it love.
She dug her phone out and called Asher.He immediately picked up.
“Missing me already?”he teased.
She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out except a sob.
“Juniper?”he demanded.
“I-I need you,” she managed to whisper.
“Where are you?”
She looked around.“On the sidewalk two blocks away on Brooke Street.”
A sob left her.
“I’m coming!Stay on the phone with me.”
She heard footsteps running on the sidewalk.“I need you to take care of Clover for me.If you think you can’t...”her voice broke and she had to clear her throat.“If you can’t, um, Kinleigh and Daire can take her.Raise her as a w-wolf.”
Juni looked up as Asher skidded to a halt about ten feet away.
“Juniper,” he said, panting slightly.
“You don’t have to stay away.You can’t catch the red death.”
“No,” he whispered.He walked closer and then knelt, cupping her face.His gaze went from her to Keegan and back.“She’s dead.”
“She was infected.Probably from Mrs.Smyth.”She could no longer keep from crying.“I’m going to die, Asher.”
“No,” he said.“No, you’re not.”
Juni gripped his shirt.“I love you.I-I think I just realized it.Why did I realize that now that I’m dying?”
“Don’t say that.I’m not going to lose you.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her while the storm rolled through her.She heard his phone connect through a call.
“Jericho, it’s Asher.”He rattled off where they were located.“You need to get here quickly.”
Disconnecting the call, Asher rocked her in his arms as they waited.Time passed.A few people gathered, but maintained a wide berth.Her tears seemed never-ending.Ledger Klayman appeared, keeping his distance and stared in horror at the scene.
“Oh, my God!”Ledger muttered.“Keegan?”
“Dead,” Asher said.
“Juniper?”
Asher didn’t respond, so she did.“Infected.”
Ledger ran a hand down his face.At that moment, Jericho’s truck came to a screeching stop, and he jumped from the cab.
“Stay back,” Asher told them.
“I’ll call the doctor,” Ledger said and turned away to place the call.
