Maybe Haven can be more than just our rescue. If we’re lucky, maybe we can make it our home.
Chapter Twelve
Wade
I wrap my armaround Briggs’ waist, letting him lean on me as we walk out of the house we’ve been staying in. We step down the porch and cross the street. It feels so wildly domestic, so ridiculously ‘normal’. I feel like we’ve been transported into a time before zombies took over, where Briggs and I are simply visiting our neighbors instead of embarking on a sit down that will determine what happens next.
“You seem tense.”
Briggs lets out a breath. “Well, yeah. I feel like I’m on my way to the gallows or something. Who knows what they’re gonna say or ask of us.” We step up from the street and head towards the house where Lawrence and Devin live. “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I understand,” I say softly. “This is going to be a lot, coming from me, but I tentatively trust them.”
“Are you sure I didn’t get you sick? Let me feel your face and check if you have a fever, Wade.”
I can’t help but snort, allowing Briggs to touch my face. Of course I’m not sick. I don’t think I’ve ever been sick my entire life.
“Happy?”
“I guess,” Briggs says, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to think but I know we can’t put this off any longer. I’m finally feeling better and if we need to get the hell out of here, I’d rather do it now before all the snow melts and the zombies unthaw.”
“Agreed,” I tell him, stepping up to the front door of the house. I give a soft knock. It doesn’t take long before Lawrence is opening the door, allowing us inside.
Briggs and I take off our shoes before following Lawrence deeper into the house. There’s a table set up in the kitchen area, two seats pushed together on one side, two available for Briggs and I on the other. We sit in our place across from Devin.
This feels like when I was in high school and had to have a sitdown with my teacher because the kid sitting next to me was caught cheating and the teacher wanted me to give a ‘statement’ on the situation since I sat right next to him. I feel like I’m about to be yelled at or interrogated. Well, in a way, I guess I kinda am.
Lawrence passes out glasses of water to everyone before sitting down across from me. He gives Briggs a soft smile.
“It’s really good to see you awake.”
“Thanks,” Briggs says back, rubbing a hand over his face. His voice is still a bit raspy, his throat still healing. “It’s good to be awake again. I just want to start off by saying how thankful I am that you were there to help us. Thank you for sharing your supplies with us. You didn’t have to do that but I really appreciate it.”
Devin crosses his arms over his chest. He doesn’t say anything, instead looking over at Lawrence.
“I’m glad we could help,” Lawrence says softly. I pick up my glass of water, drinking deeply. This all feels remarkablynormal. We’re sitting at a table, drinking water from a glass, talking to people who don’t seem like blood-thirsty people out for their own gain.
“What’s your story?” Devin suddenly asks, his eyes boring into us.
“What do you mean?”
“How’d you make it this far? I want to hear about it. You tell us, and then we’ll share with you. Once that’s all out in the open, we can decide what should happen from here.”
I look over at Briggs who nods his head. It sounds fair enough to me.
I open my mouth to start but the sound of a hiss comes from behind me. A cat walks into the kitchen, staring at me with distrust. Being a werewolf, I’ve gotten used to felines not liking me but they usually soften when they realize I’m not a threat.
“Your Majesty,” Devin says softly, patting his thigh. “Come here.”
The cat walks over to him, leaping into his lap. Her eyes sit just above the table, watching me warily.
Clearing my throat, I start. “When everything started, I found myself in a camp. One of those places that promised refuge during all of this. The military was there and as you can imagine, things didn’t go as planned. Someone with a bite snuck in and then all hell broke loose. I managed to run away only to find myself in a new camp, one run by bandits. They found out I was a werewolf and they caged me, made me fight zombies for entertainment. I was captive.”
I feel a hand touch my thigh and look over at Briggs, giving him a soft look.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Devin says and there’s a new look to him. His shoulders are more relaxed, his eyes just a tiny bit softer. “I was part of a group like that. Helped people but at a very steep cost. Disgusting.”
“Yeah,” I say in agreement. “That’s how I met Briggs.”
