A Fox Among Wolves

Chapter Thirty-One

Forcing the air out of my lungs, I try to relax, despite the pain in my back. These fake contractions have been coming and going the last couple of days, and it is becoming harder to deal with. Walking around seems to help some, but that just makes Quinn worry, watching me with wide eyes with every pass I make in front of him.

The stress of being here for the last few days is getting to me. We have been keeping track of how long we have been captured, scratches in the stone wall. So far there are five, enough to make my worry grow.

The beast has been by a couple of times, but never stays for long. It just checks to make sure that our cage is still locked, before wandering off again. It will not be long before it finally gives in, doing to us what it did to those poor, mutilated bodies hanging in the back of the cave. The others need to get here, and soon, or else we truly are screwed.

"More contractions?" Quinn asks me, snapping me out of my thoughts. He is sitting against the wall, legs crossed beneath him with a flimsy blanket draped over his lap. Luckily, the beast did not seem to care that we still have our packs, so we still have a good portion of our supplies.

"Yeah," I say, finally relaxing as the contraction passes.

Quinn pats the ground next to him, waiting until I am sitting down before handing over the can of sliced peaches he had been munching on. "Eat."

Rolling my eyes, I do as he says, despite my appetite being gone. The stress of being in here is getting to me. Add in the fact that I am thirty-one weeks pregnant, and the tendency of males to not make it to full term, and I am finding it hard to stay calm.

Every day, at least two times, I check to see if my skin is becoming thinner or if my scrotum has started to contract. So far, everything has stayed the same, which is a relief.

"They will be here soon," Quinn says, grabbing my hand with his. The now empty can of peaches sits a few feet away, and Quinn scoots closer so that he can drape the blanket over my legs as well.

The past few days have been freezing, our breaths coming out in puffs of white when we talk. Winter is fast approaching, and we are stuck in a cave, with no ability to create a fire, and only sleeping bags to keep us warm at night.

"They better be," I say, words tense. Quinn gives my hand a squeeze, laying his head on my shoulder.

"Guess what I found in the bottom of the packs?" he says, and I am grateful for the subject change. His excitement has me looking over at him in curiosity.

"Hm?"

He drags his pack over to us, before reaching inside. What he pulls out causes a small smile to spread across my face. "I didn't know the others had packed these."

"Neither did I," I say, taking the baby clothes that he is holding out to me. The fabric is softer than I remember, durable against the cold.

"There are also the baby blankets, and some of the shoes and pacifiers we bought as well." He holds up a cloth bag, where he had pulled the clothes from. "We have enough for when the little ones come."

A smile spreads across my face as I look down at the lavender colored onesie in my hands. There are small white polka dots decorating the fabric, looking so fragile against the cave we are sitting in.

My smile drops when a loud roar comes from outside. Quinn takes the clothes from me with shaky hands, packing them away before re-zipping our packs. The roar becomes louder until something comes charging out of the woods, straight at us.

"Oh god," Quinn whispers, eyes wide as he stares at the approaching figure.

I would notice that beast anywhere. It is one of the infected hybrids, a big cat of some sort. It is just as disgusting as I remember it, and it seems intent on getting to us.