LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

alpha

Sakiko paces by the gate, chewing on her thumb nail.

"Why aren't you out there?" Enid askz.

"I don't know," Sakiko admits.

"Does she have Alden and Luke?"

"I don't know."

"Is she here for her daughter?"

"Enid!" Sakiko hisses, "I don't fucking know."

Tara climbs down the ladder, hands shaking.

"What's going on?" Enid redirects her questions.

"Daryl's talking to her. She has Alden and Luke."

"Sakiko.." Enid whimpers in fear.

Sakiko stops pacing, running a hand over her face. She slams her yand against the wall with a course 'dammit!'.

"Open," she tells Marco.

Marco opens the gates and Sakiko sighs, taking off into a run.

"Kiko-" Daryl begins as he was walking back up to the gates from talking to Alpha.

"She doesn't touch Lydia and she lets my men go. That's my call and we're all sticking to it, all right?"

"She won't let 'em go till she has her."

Sakkko shakes her head in denial, running past Daryl.

She makes it to the gate, face to face with Alpha.

"You're the true leader?" Alpha smiles.

"Let my men go."

Alpha looks back at Alden and Luke.

Alden shakes his head. He trusted Sakiko. He has ever since the war. Ever since she was the one to give him a chance when no one else would. They were friends. Best friends, even.

"Lydia said you wouldn't come for her. So, why are you here?"

"Lydia.. My daughter."

"Just cause you popped a kid out of your moldy twat doesn't make you a parent. Sure as hell doesn't make you a mother."

"Are you a mother?"

Sakiko scoffs, forcing emotions aside.

People always looked for an angle as to what they can take from you.

Sakiko shakes her head to get Rick's words out of her brain.

"I'm a friend to Lydia."

"Lydia has no friends."

"Yeah? She does now."

Alpha looks over to the hostages. Sakiko swallows the lump in her throat when she meets Alden's eyes.

"Yours?"

Sakiko looks at Alpha with confusion, "What?"

"Your men.. But, is it your man?"

Sakiko rolls her eyes.

"Family. We're not some wild animals that don't give two shits about each other."

"But, don't you see? That is how we stay alive."

"It's how you stay alive. It's not how we do things here."

The sound of a baby crying cat hes Sakiko's attention.

Alpha looks back to the woman, shrugging.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sakiko demands as the mother takes the wrap off.