BOOK ONE
She had her whole life planned.
What she didn't plan for was the zombie apocalypse.
Eighteen-year-old Arryn Lycaster just graduated high school. With aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, she's ready to take the next step forward in lif...
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Her side. Her mouth. Her heart. Every bone felt weak, every muscle tense.
Surely heaven didn't feel this hot. Pain didn't exist here. Did it?
Her eyes fluttered open, blinded by an intense light.
"Holy shit, you're alive!"
Who said that? Everyone left her. No one remained.
"Drink," the voice ordered.
Warm water splashed over her dry lips, mixing with a metallic taste on her tongue. She choked on a bit of water, coughing. The fit brought tears to her eyes as fire burned every inch of her body. Perspiration rolled down her forehead. Hair clung to her forehead and back of her neck.
"Take these, they will help."
Small, foul tasting objects slipped past her teeth. Water followed, washing down the pills.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, making out a blurry figure over her. Blond hair, chocolate eyes. No. It couldn't be.
He died.
"Austin?" she whispered, barely audible.
"Shh, rest. We'll have to move soon."
"How?"
"I'll explain later. Sleep. You need all the rest you can get."
She wanted to fight it. Thousands of questions picked at her mind.
Her eyes, however, gave into the relief sleep offered.
The next time she woke, darkness greeted her. A humming filled her ears as a cool, sleek surface touched her forehead. Dark objects passed by in a blur through a smudged lens.
A car. How did she get in a car?
Then she remembered Austin's face. Was that just a hallucination of her pain?
"Austin?"
Brakes squealed, lurching her body forward. She sucked in a sharp breath as the movement sent a stabbing pain over her.
Labored breaths passed his lips as a bewildered face turned to meet her. A large gash sat over his left eyebrow. Dried blood stained the side of his temple. His hands gripped the steering wheel tight, revealing a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his left hand.
Arryn found herself trailing the rest of his body. She needed to know if he was wounded—if he was bitten. It looked like he had taken care of his fingers himself, but did that stop the spread of the virus? How many hours had passed? Would she lose the friend she just got back?
"You scared me." He breathed.
What about herself? A pit opened inside her chest, swallowing her heart whole. She hesitated to look down, scared of whatever horror lurked beneath her soaked shirt.
