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He exhaled heavily, and I wondered if he’d been afraid I would start acting like Roni.
It took him so long to fall asleep I started to doze myself until I heard his light snore.It was cute and made me smile.Then my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten dinner.
Molev’s steady breathing paused, and his eyes opened the second I moved my hand.
“Sorry,” I said softly.“Go back to sleep.I’m just going to get something to eat and be right back.”
He grunted and closed his eyes again, removing his hand from my waist.
I got up and used an extra blanket to cover him before leaving the room.Patrick was in the kitchen, studying the maps when I entered.He didn’t look up at me, so I went to the contents of the cupboards spread out on the counter and grabbed a pack of toaster pastries.
“He noticed you were looping around today.You might want to go over the route with him tomorrow, so he understands what you’re doing.”
“Why?”he asked without looking up.
“A show of collaboration to build trust.”
Patrick sighed and sat back.
“Or opening ourselves for a potential ambush.He sleeps for a few hours then leaves until dawn.He says he’s scouting for nearby infected, but what if he’s not?What if he’s meeting with others of his kind?He’s already proven they can tail us without being spotted.Should I risk the lives of everyone on this team to test his trust with the location of our destination?”
His eyes were red.He had an empty cup of coffee next to him.His jacket was on the chair beside him.
“Did you eat or go straight for coffee and maps?”I asked.
He rubbed his hand over his hair, clearly frustrated.
“Just say what you need to say, Andie.”
“I wasn’t suggesting our destination but tomorrow’s route just before we leave.Low risk since you change on the fly, based on what you see ahead.And you need to eat,” I said, turning away to look at the food options.
“I’ll eat after I’m done here.”
I picked up a single-serve container of stew and popped it into the microwave.When I glanced at the dying light in the window, I saw he was already back to studying the maps.I didn’t envy him for his job or the responsibility that came with it.Or the guilt.He’d changed a lot in the past weeks, and I could see the toll each death took on him.
The microwave beeped.He didn’t look up.I went over to him and held out a spoon.When he looked up, I pulled the maps away from him and handed him the spoon.
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told him.Take care of yourself.You’re no good to us sleep-deprived or dead.”
He didn’t reclaim the maps when I turned my back on him to retrieve the stew from the microwave.
“Thank you, Andie,” he said tiredly.
“Thank me by getting at least six hours of sleep tonight.There are enough of us to pull shifts so you can manage it.”
Taking my pastry, I returned to the bedroom and quietly ate before slipping under the blanket next to Molev.His arm immediately looped around my waist and tugged me back against his chest.
His warmth enveloped me, and I fell asleep almost immediately.
CHAPTERTEN
The spacebehind me was empty when I woke to the worst sound on the planet.
A howl.
I dove out of bed for my gear and was out the door before my eyes were fully open.Everyone else was scrambling too.Silent chaos ensued as we checked gear and weapons.We knew what a howl meant.We’d run into hounds before.And it was only dumb luck that those of us in the house were alive.
Two steps behind Roland, I rushed out the door and veered for the nearest light.One by one, they flooded the night with their brilliance.
