9. Hope

I’m so pleased I bit the bullet and asked him. These past two weeks I’ve actually laughed and joked. The paranoia about the place caving in on me has lifted too.

Tonight is the first full moon since we locked down the bunker. Later, we will dope ourselves up on Monks Pepper and drown out our wolves' desperate urges.

Apparently underground it’s almost savage how much your body craves sexual contact. As in whimpering, begging, whining, anyone-do-anything-to-me desire. So, considering Cal still makes my stomach flip every time his dark eyes meet mine, I intend to drink at least a pint of the stuff. Maybe two.

There is a routine established now. Vera and Ervin have stepped into the Beta roles. Arlen is now Sol’s full-time carer. So the slightly smug blonde pair are keeping things running day to day.

Between the other devotees, the kitchens are run, the rooms are cleaned, and the boiler is maintained. They meditate, eat, and socialise together. Calix and I are the annoying children left