BOOK TWO
Six months have passed since Arryn's world went to the dogs. Six grueling months of searching for her betrayer and the friends he took with him.
Taking shelter in a small house, Arryn and Austin develop a routine. But all that changes one...
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The bitter cold planted its roots deep within her skin. They left the car only minutes ago and she already missed the warmth. Every freezing gust sent the cold's roots further, wrapping them around her bones.
Her teeth chattered relentlessly as a breath slipped past her chapped lips in a white puff. It hung suspended in the air, growing before her eyes as it mingled with the snowflakes that drifted down from the grey sky. But like everything else in her world, the breath faded into oblivion.
Austin walked beside her, keeping an equal pace with her. Their footsteps were muffled by the thin layer of snow dusting the ground. They hadn't spoken much since the conversation in the car. Talking about the situation made it feel real. The thought of losing Claire, the one friend who stuck by her side all these years, shattered the last bit of her fractured heart.
Once Claire left, who would be there to pick up the pieces?
As if sensing her thoughts, a hand fell on her shoulder. Her frozen body melted slightly under his touch.
Sure Austin could pick up the pieces, but who could fix something as broken as her?
She wanted to hear him say that everything would be alright. Maybe she'd believe him this time. God knows she wanted to.
He opened his mough to speak and she felt her heart leap to her throat. Was he going to say it?
"Three ahead."
The jagged shards of her heart tore at her throat as it fell back to her chest.
She followed his gaze. Sure enough, three Rabids shuffled aimlessly toward the city. She found it odd how the human Rabids had mutated. The animals just developed thicker skin whereas the humans developed an exoskeleton of sorts. It was as if the virus in humans rejected the host.
She unsheathed her katana, the blade clinking against its case. "Let's take them out quietly."
Austin nodded and pulled out his knife. "Gotta save as much ammo as I can."
"I'll take the two on the left." Arryn's grip tightened around the handle. At least she could take her grief out on the Rabids.
