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I go out to the garden plot in the afternoon, not sure where Reyes is, and I fall into the familiar rhythm of work. The plants are starting to grow, though it’ll be weeks still before we see any yield. I pull out any weeds and till the soil around the plants, then go to the well to get a bucket of water for irrigation. We’ll need a better system soon; maybe I can go back to Homestead to trade for some soaker hoses.
Homestead…I’m going to have to deal with my people soon. I’m not sure if they even know I’m alive, but last time I saw any of them, we planned to kill Reyes. I can’t imagine they’ll take kindly to me getting into bed with him instead.
But it’s beenweeks. Things have changed.
And if they have a problem with it, fuck ‘em.
Beyond all the wolfy stuff, I’m falling hard for him, in love for the first timeever. I’m not a romantic, but I can’t deny that I admire the man, and I think that admiration is mutual.
Maybe we can get a happy ending after all.
I’m elbow-deep in soil when I feel Reyes drawing closer, the smell of incense swallowing me up. I like this part of the bond—that I feel him before he’s even here, before I can hear his footsteps. A moment later, I hear the whisper of tall grass around his ankles and knees, and then I feel him kneeling next to me, his hand on my back.
I get upright, looking over at him with what I’m certain is a stupid smile. “Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he smiles back. He’s putting on a good show, but I can feel the apprehension in him, the way his chest tightens.
“Something’s wrong,” I say. “What is it?”
“Well,” he says. “I heard back from the city this morning, and we can get your medical shipment—including insulin for Enid.”
My eyes widen. “That’s great news!”
“But that’s not all,” he says. “Apparently, your sister has been casing the den. Arden saw her last night.”
I frown. “She’s not hurt, is she?”
“Enid? No,” Reyes shakes his head. “Arden didn’t do anything to them. But she’s afraid they’re going to make another attack on the den now that they know you’re alive.”
I sigh, my eyes sliding shut. “Shit. If they’re still short medicine, they probably plan on trying another assassination attempt—and grabbing me in the process,” I say. “What do you want to do about it?”
“Well…” Reyes hums. “I thought we could go and talk to them.”
I gape at him. “You know they want to kill you, right?”
“The more I think about it, the more I feel like an alliance might be a good idea,” he says, ignoring me completely. “The Heavenly Host abandoned your people. They need medical supplies from the city, we need food and allies in the country. If we took out the shield generator outside of town, we might even be able to destroy the Celestial Curtain and bring real sunlight back to Homestead.”
“I think you’re overestimating the people of Homestead’s rational thinking skills,” I mutter. “I was always a realist, but there are some real zealots there. People who truly believe this is a biblical apocalypse, that they’rerealAngels and not…well, whatever they are.”
“Aliens,” he offers.
“Right,” I say. “Still not sold on that.”
“I know for a fact that it’s the truth; I’ll tell you the story one day,” he grins. “But for now, we need to figure out what to do about Homestead. So do you think you could set up a meeting?”
“I would need a way to get there,” I say. “Preferably something that isn’t too loud.”
“How about horseback?” he asks.
I go still and quiet, chewing on my lip. I haven’t even thought about my horse since I’ve been here - I don’t know if she made it out or got lost in the woods, or caught in the shuffle and killed…
“You have horses here?” I ask.
His brow furrows. “We do,” he says. “Just promise me you won’t be angry.”
I cock my head in confusion as he stands, then takes me by the hand. I’m absolutely filthy, covered in dirt and a thin layer of sweat, but Reyes doesn’t care. Before we even go anywhere, he takes me in his arms and pulls me to him, planting a sweeping kiss on my lips.
I melt into his embrace, letting myself get lost in his heat. I can’t imagine how horny I’ll be on the full moon if I already feel like this.
