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Katie helped her dish out portions, and we all stood around in the kitchen as we ate the first fresh food in weeks.Molev seemed to enjoy the fruit well enough, but I couldn’t imagine it would be enough for him.
“Sleep or bacon and eggs?”I asked.
His gaze locked with mine, and I noticed the way the sandy-colored flecks near the center of his mossy green eyes stood out in the early morning light.It surprised me to realize I thought he had really pretty eyes.
Pretty eyes.Amazing body.And a protective streak a mile long.
In another time and another place, it would have been an attractive combination.
“I wouldn’t bother with sleep,” Roni said, interrupting my thoughts.“Go with the food.Most likely, we’ll hear a knock on the door within the hour.”
“Nah,” Steve said.“Patrick’s probably being debriefed in private.The information will need to be shared with everyone above the general’s pay grade.They’ll need to decide on an approach and put together a medical team.We won’t see them until next week.”
Sid shook his head.“They don’t have the time for that.FOBs are going dark.”
“Patrick sent the message that we made contact days ago,” Katie said.“And you can bet the bases we stopped at, especially the Grand Canyon FOB, have sent their own messages.How else did those guys out there know where to take us?They were told in advance.I’m betting a lot of preparations have already been made.”
“And no one reacted to Molev’s appearance.They were definitely forewarned,” I said, agreeing with her.
“Breakfast it is,” Brandon said.
While he started cracking eggs, I went to explore the house.Molev acted as my shadow until I reached the first bedroom room.With a hand on my shoulder, he stopped me from entering first and moved around me.
“There aren’t any infected here,” I said, a step behind him.
“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” he quoted.
After we’d checked the house, we returned to the kitchen.Sid was out on the couch.Katie was in the bathroom.Roni was telling Brandon how to cook the bacon.And Steve and Roland were leaning back, taking it all in until Steve saw us.
“Which room did you pick?”he asked.
“Doesn’t matter.They’re all the same,” I said.“Clean and undead free.”
“I’ll bunk with Katie,” Roni said.She snatched a piece of bacon from the paper towel and yelled, “You okay with that?”
“Yeah,” Katie called back through the bathroom door.
“Sid, you good being the little spoon?”Roland asked.
“Nope,” Sid said, proving he slept light.“I’ll take Brandon.He’s pro-back-to-back.”
“Looks like it’s you and me, Steve,” Roland said.
“Fine, but no complaining when I pull aPlanes, Trains, and Automobilesmove.”
Sid snorted, and it felt real.More real than it had been in a long time.Yet, still only on the surface.
“Hope you’re okay sharing with me,” I said, looking at Molev.
He nodded once, taking in the group as much as I was.When Katie emerged from the bathroom, her eyes were red.We all pretended not to notice.
After distributing the food he’d made, Brandon abandoned his position at the stove and told Sid to take clean up.They bantered while we quickly ate.
Roni and Katie finished first and went to claim a room.Sid started cleaning up.Feeling zero guilt, I left my dish next to the sink and took the first open bedroom with Molev.
“The humans I knew preferred sleeping at night,” he said, watching me remove my gear.
“That’s my preference too.But that’s not how life’s been working lately.So we rest up when we can.You should do the same.”
