Chuckling to my left has me opening my eyes in that direction. Through my tired lashes, Asher’s silhouette greets me, triggering my own laughter. “I’m a roly poly, don’t laugh at me.” My belly is growing larger by the day, making it difficult to sit up from the ground. It’s also wreaking havoc on my sleep. I flinch as my muscles tweak and spaz. “I wonder if I can get Jeff to bring in something softer to sleep on. Sweet Pea’s not enjoying this thin pallet. I think I grew more bones to bruise.” Balancing myself, I’m finally able to meet Asher’s eyes. “Asher!” My own aches forgotten, I’m next to him in an instant, my hands hovering above his battered and bruised face. “What happened to you?” I whisper, not understanding where the damage came from. He was fine last night.
“He doesn’t like it when I touch you.” He smiles, his broken lip spreading wide. He reaches up and tucks my hair behind my ear. “You were so sick…” He trails off, shaking his head and those what if thoughts away. “How are you feeling?” He searches my eyes for honesty.
“I’m okay. I promise,” I say, meeting his eyes, letting him know what I say is the truth. Once that’s clear, the memory of last night floods me. “I can hear him,” I whisper again. Looking around the cave, everyone but the humans are gone. “Where’s everyone?” I ask before he can question my previous statement.
“Getting breakfast.” He’s abrupt. “What do you mean, you can hear him?”
“When I woke up in the middle of the night, I heard him talking to me, but it was in our heads. He talks differently in his head. He sounds human, like he did before becoming infected. Out loud, he sounds sick and scary. He said he wanted to keep me and the baby safe.” I shake my head. This is insane. “I don’t understand,” I confess. We’ve all developed some sort of sixth sense from the Flash. Mine is seeing the future, pieces of a puzzle that I’m always too late at solving. It’s uncontrollable, and I have no idea how to harness it, and now this. I meet his eyes again and speak my worst fear. “What if his bite hurt the baby?” If it influenced me, what would it do to my still developing little bun? I choke on my sob.
“Hey, hey, don’t think like that. You still feel movement, don’t you?”
I nod. “Yes. He’s actually moving more often the last few days, and hasn’t changed since the bite.” Hearing my own words have a reassuring effect.
Asher senses the shift in my emotions and plays on them. “See? There’s nothing to worry about. If you’re feeling all right then the baby’s fine.”
Inspecting all the damage on his face has my blood boiling. Asher has done nothing but help me since I arrived. He’s the rock I can lean on. I’m not attracted to him, nor is he to me, as far as I can tell. He has a family to get back to and so do I. “Thank you. For so many things.” I touch his bruised cheek and lean in to hug him.
“Thank you. For the same,” he murmurs against my shoulder.
“Why don’t you two shut! The fuck! Up!” Abbey sits straight up and glares at us. “I’m trying to sleep and all I hear is you two sapping it up. Shut! Up!” She throws herself back down, a grunt of pain leaving her lips as she turns away from us.
This is the first time just us humans have been left alone together. Normally, an intelligent infected, or some of the wildlings will remain at the cave. Abbey clearly doesn’t like me, but her tantrum isn’t enough to keep me quiet. I need information. “What happened out there yesterday? What happened to Gary?” My eyes are shifting around the cave, waiting for one of the infected to jump out and punish us for talking.
“We were ambushed,” Wendy chimes in.
“Are you both all right?” I glance back and forth between her and Abbey.
“I’m fine, dear. Just a knock on the head.” Wendy touches her forehead.
I look to Abbey. She’s still on her side, facing away from us. “Abbey, you okay?” I ask softly.
“Fine,” she growls.
“What happened out there?” I continue watching Abbey, but Wendy answers.
“The group that came in the other night ambushed us while we were fishing. I believe they use the other side of the lake. They came over the bank and caught us off guard, attacking Gary first, ripping out the side of his neck. His scream tipped us off. After that, they were everywhere. When they started to retreat, Abbey’s infected challenged their female leader. She dodged him, and the rest of her pack followed. Mine tried to go after them but was stopped.” She subconsciously reaches up and touches her wound.
“Why did they attack them and why wouldn’t they go after them, or send the unintelligent infected?” I murmur to myself. I’d send the unintelligent after them to finish it. Now they can strike again.
“What?” Asher asks, but I ignore him.
“Were you outnumbered?” I ask Wendy.
“They killed a few of our infected, but their group is smaller, at least as far as I’m aware. Their leader’s the only smart one. She has a hard time controlling them. She’s been here a few times, always ruling with violence, killing the ones that get out of line. The only reason I can think of that they’d attack is because of the run in you had with her.” Wendy shrugs.
I nod, agreeing with her theory. “But if we had bigger numbers, why not send the unintelligent after them? I would have tracked the rest down and finished them off.” There may be a good reason why they didn’t, but my inner voice is whispering that something’s not right.
“Your infected is the leader. He was here! With you!” Abbey chimes in, sitting up to face me. “In case you haven’t noticed, he rules this group, even the smart ones. They don’t do anything without his approval. If he’s not there to give it, that’s probably why he let them go.” She meets my eyes for a moment, pain evident. “Now will you shut your mouth so I can rest before he gets back to grope me some more?” Her eyebrows raise, challenging me.
“Sorry.” Big Bully hates me so much, he punishes her to get to me.
She glares for a while before rolling her eyes and lying back down. “Just be quiet.”
Wendy fluffs the area she’s sleeping on and turns over, placing her back to us. “I’m going to catch a nap.”
“One more thing,” I say, and Abbey groans with annoyance. “The female leader…is she the same one that came and tried to steal me?”
“Yes,” Wendy responds without moving.
“The one that fucks your infected? Yes. Jealous?” Abbey leans up to sneer at me for a moment before resting again.
“Hardly,” I mutter. It’s clear that Abbey wants nothing to do with me. I know Big Bully treats her badly, but I’ve never done anything to her directly. It’s like being in foster care all over again, kids hate you for no reason, wanting someone to blame for their problems.
Asher throws a couple more logs onto the fire before tugging on my hand. “Come here.” He pulls me into him, wrapping one arm around me protectively, and whispers in my ear, “She’s hurt and upset.” He sits and pulls me down to sit between his legs, our chains stretched to their max.
“Are you sure you want to sit this close? What if Jeff comes back, he’ll hurt you again?” I try to get up, but my giant belly stops me from quick movement. Asher’s able to trap me without force.
“It doesn’t matter. If he didn’t really want me helping you, he would’ve moved our boulders farther apart so we couldn’t touch. He knows I help you when he’s away and he doesn’t want that to stop,” he reassures me.
“Why would he hurt you then?” I turn to look up at his bruised face.
“He’s infected. He can’t control himself completely, especially when it comes to you. When he sees you with me, it’s like his human senses dissipate and the infection overrides any logical thinking that remains. He attacks.” His voice is soft, soothing my worries, as well as trying to avoid bothering Wendy and Abbey.
“It’s still not a good reason. I don’t like that he hurts you because of me.” I try to move again by using his knees as leverage.
He chuckles in my ear. “Stop trying to get away from m
e. Your belly’s too big for quick escapes.”
His joking demeanor has me laughing too. “You’re not supposed to tell pregnant people they’re fat.”
He laughs harder. “I never said you were fat. Far from it. Even having a prego belly, you’re dainty.” He traps me against him with one arm and rubs my belly with his free hand.
I’m still laughing, and Sweet Pea is doing flips when Jeff comes back into the cave, eyes locked on our touching forms. Instantly, his eyes turn black, and he begins to hone in on Asher. He crouches slightly before heading in our direction, determination settling in his features. This time, I try harder to pry my ass off the ground. Asher helps me to my feet before moving away. His hands are up, surrendering, showing him we’re not touching anymore. This time, instead of having Asher push me behind him for protection, I step in front of him. My anger is a living thing at this point.
Stop! I command through our connection.
He stops immediately, frozen with shock. The room is silent. Jeff is the only infected to return.
“What are you doing?” Asher whispers to me, causing Jeff to growl.
“No,” Jeff says out loud, and moves another step closer to us.
“Yes,” I command, out loud as well. “You hurt him,” I say silently. “He was only helping, and you hurt him for that.”
Jeff cocks his head to the side, his eyebrows dipping in concentration. “He touch. Mine.”
“Of course! He’s helping me! You bit me, remember?” I growl internally. “I could have died!”
Jeff’s eyes widen. I’m guessing he’s not used to people yelling at him, especially since he became infected. He looks back and forth between Asher and me, deciding how to respond. “No touch,” he finally replies with a glare.
“That’s ridiculous,” I say out loud, and then silently, “He’s got to touch me to help me. I’m pregnant. It’s hard for me to move, the bed’s harder than a rock, and he helps. There’s simply no way around it. There’s nothing going on between us, you can see that with your own two eyes.”
He blows out a harsh breath, his hair puffing out of his eyes for a moment, letting me see that they’re a deep brown. I’m getting to him. A small growl leaves his lips and his stance relaxes.
“What’d you say to him?” Asher whispers.
Jeff glares at him, but his eyes remain the same color as he grunts his unhappiness. “No touch, now.” He flicks his head in the direction of our pallet, interrupting Asher’s inquiry.
“Tell you later,” I mumble, as Jeff walks by and grabs my upper arm, pulling me away from Asher. He doesn’t like what I said, but he’s understanding it…I think.
Once we reach the pallet, he stares at it, searching for an answer. When he’s done inspecting it, he looks back at me. “Hard?”
I nod. “Yes.” Flinching slightly, I bend down to pull on the blankets.
Jeff’s eyes narrow, scanning my body. “Hurt?” he silently asks, and then moves to pull my shirt up. I panic. He’s exposing my belly and the bottom of my breasts to the room. Struggling, I try to cover myself, especially when Asher begins watching our exchange. I notice that neither are looking at my goods, but the blue and green bruises littering my ribs. Jeff trails a finger under one of my breasts, down my side, and over each of my discolored ribs. I whimper, drawing Asher’s eyes to mine.
“Let her go.” He stands tall, risking their truce.
Jeff stops his perusal and drops my shirt. “You!” he accuses out loud, while growling his displeasure in his head. “He hurt, mine,” he says to me silently.
I hurry to intercept, placing my hand on his chest. This is the first time I’ve touched him voluntarily. He’s stunned for a moment, placing his hand over mine, as purring begins to vibrate against my fingers. “He didn’t hurt me,” I say out loud, but finish silently, “It’s the bed. I’m too big to be comfortable on it.”
Jeff glares at Asher, wanting to take the situation out on him. When he finally focuses back on me, he looks determined. “I find more. Make better.” He nods and leaves the cave again. The remaining infected are still absent, leaving the humans alone for the second time.
Abbey sits up, glaring at me. “Traitor,” she hisses before turning over, ignoring us again.
My heart plummets with the word. How am I a traitor? I’m pretty sure they kidnapped me, just like her. All I want to do is survive. If not causing problems with Jeff or any of the other infected is how I do that, you bet your sweet ass that’s what I’m going to do. Wrapping my mind around all the goings-on is impossible. I’m reaching my breaking point. I’ve got to get out of here somehow before my Sweet Pea is born, but I have no idea how I’ll do it.
“You okay?” Asher asks, sounding concerned.
“I’m fine,” I say gruffly. I shouldn’t take my irritation out on him, but I’m frustrated and have no escape plan. Instead of taking the time to chat with him like I normally do, I push my blankets into a pile and lay facing away from the rest of the room. I’m never left alone, and at this point, that’s all I want.
~~~~~
I wake up with the warmth of the fire heating my back. I’m unsure of how long I slept, but I’m well-rested, regardless of the sore ribs I lay on. Turning over, I can’t stifle the grunt I release.
“Help you?” Gentle hands hold my upper arms, settling me into a sitting position. Jeff crouches down in front of me, concern showing in his brown eyes. “Have more.” He gestures to the sleeping bag and pile of blankets next to me.
My eyes widen. “Where’d you get these?”
“House,” he replies. He hasn’t moved from his crouching position.
“What house?” I sit up straighter.
He looks away, grunting, realizing he misspoke. “Not close. Far away.”
My heart aches. “Can I go home?” I take the chance and ask. “I miss my family.” My lower lip trembles.
Compassion warms his eyes momentarily, before they darken back to black. His upper lip curls, showing his canines as he moves close to my face, growling. “No. You, mine. Baby, mine.” He scents me without speaking, then turns back to the fire.
When he shifts the fire, I smell the food he’s cooking and my stomach flips. The tickle is too lively so I know it’s the baby and not my hungry tummy. My eyes remain dry, but I wipe at them anyway, hoping to regain some of my composure. When I glance around, I notice the unintelligent are at the back of the cave, but now Farmer Joe, Big Bully, and Abbey are missing. Jeff always stokes up the fire like this at night before he cooks our fish. I can smell the fish cooking and see the unintelligent eating in the back. Wendy and Mr. Mom are on their pallet, enjoying their meal as well. My eyes skim the room again but stop on Asher. Guilt swims within me for my earlier shortness.
When he locks eyes with me, he mouths, “Are you okay?” His silent words are like a knife straight to my heart. Guilt is eating at me for my irritation with him earlier.
Nodding, I reply, “Yes.” Relief crosses his features, twisting my gut, knowing he’s worried. “I’m sorry,” I add.
A small grin lifts the left side of his busted-up cheek.
Curiosity catches up with me, drawing my attention back to the two empty beds on either side of me. “Where are the others?” I ask Jeff, trying to sound timid, but I’m not sure you can do that silently through telepathic communication.
Jeff’s shoulders tighten, muscles rippling beneath his shirt. My question angers him. “Out,” he replies simply, never turning from the fire. Shortly after, he removes the fish from the coals and sets them off to the side. He stabs a stick through one, tearing it in half, then sets it on the ground next to me. He doesn’t look at me, but I know his tension is subsiding because he tore my fish apart to cool. If the infected part of him is dominant, he would have only tossed it over to me to fend for myself. When my eyes feast on the fish, it’s as if Sweet Pea can see it too, and starts kicking with excitement. “Eat,” Jeff orders. “He’s hungry.”
Leaning over, I reach for t
he fish and freeze, my arm outstretched in the air. “He?”
Jeff finally looks at me and nods. “He. Hungry. Eat.”
Without another word, I pick up the fish and begin eating, exciting the baby all over again. My internal thoughts are flying as I devour my food. Does Jeff really know the sex of my baby? Even after everything I’ve learned in such an abbreviated amount of time, this surprises me. This pregnancy is different than Azami’s. I had morning sickness with her every day, but with this one, nothing. Same with the weight I’ve gained. I didn’t gain much with Azami, but with him, I’m twice the size. It helps that Jeff brings me food and water every day. Most of the time it’s fish, but there are times he brings other animals or canned items.
As I enjoy the last of my meal, Jeff moves behind me and starts redesigning our pallet. He leaves the softer vegetation against the bottom, overlaying that with the sleeping bag, then the blankets. He leaves my heavy bearskin blankets for the top covers. When he finishes, the bed calls to me, even though I’ve slept most of the day. Without the sun to track time, days are lost into weeks and months. No real way for me to gauge how far along I am. I’ve felt the baby kicking for a while, meaning I’m toward the end of my pregnancy. His kicks are strong and frequent. If I’m judging by my stomach size, I’d say I’m at least seven months along.
Licking my fingers and shaking my head, I come back from my thoughts. My eyelids are already heavy, pulling me back toward sleep. I’m fatigued, and the fluffy bed Jeff finished building is calling my name. I stretch out wide, popping a couple joints in the process. There are a few fish left next to the fire. Glancing around, I see Asher sitting motionless on his bed, his wounds discoloring his handsome face. Nothing in his hands.
“Did you give him some fish?” I turn and look at Jeff when I ask him silently.
Jeff glances up from what he’s doing to grunt at me, signaling no.
I growl my displeasure, surprising Jeff enough to stop what he’s doing and meet my eyes. “Start giving him dinner! He helps me when you can’t. Take care of him!” My words are braver as I start to learn his weaknesses. His biggest ones are me and the baby. He’s done everything I’ve asked, short of letting us go home.
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