Taelin-Snapping awake, I felt like something was wrong. I didn’t have time to dissect that Ryker was no longer in my bed. I didn’t know what had woken me, but I quickly got dressed. I made it halfway down the stairs before I felt the ground beneath my feet shake.Grabbing onto the wall to steady myself, I waited for it to pass before rushing down the remaining stairs. Whatever I thought I was going to find when I pushed open the door, this wasn’t it. It was like chaos had broken out.Everyone was rushing around, yelling commands, but it was hard to understand anything. There was too much going on for me to comprehend. Sara was just running by me, so reached out to grab her arm.“What is going on?” I asked.“We are preparing to evacuate.” She rushed out in one breath before leaving me alone to figure out what was going on.Not having any weapons on me, I felt that whatever was happening, I needed to gear up. Running back up the stairs, I quickly gathered as much as I could. Shoving a

Taelin-“Can we get out through here?” Ryker asked, pointing at the ventilation system that exits on one of the top floors.“Possibly, but it will be harder to reach. With as many members as there are, it might prove to be more dangerous. The last thing we need is to be caught in a bad situation while waiting for the crawl space to be cleared enough for the next one to enter. It seems those vents are much smaller than the one we just crawled through, so it will be a tighter squeeze.” I explained.Looking over the prints, I searched for any other possible solution. With how many infected there were down below, it was a risk all on its own to go that direction. At the same time, it might be our best chance.I wish I would have considered an exit strategy sooner, considering I already knew there was a risk from day one. When I first realized most of them were still using the elevators, I should have considered every possible avenue. I knew the front door was controlled by an electrical s

Ryker-With Ryan’s help, I pulled myself up from the sewers. We were now above ground, in the middle of the city. Glancing at Taelin, I didn’t think she was in any shape to move right now.“Ryan, Sara, and Carter.” I looked over at them, where they were standing side by side. “Make sure we are in the clear for now. Check the building over there to see if it is safe for us to rally there until we figure out our next move.” I pointed to one of the abandoned buildings.Once they did as they were told, I focused my attention on the others. “Stand guard.” I ordered.Moving to sit next to Taelin, who was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest, I placed my hand on her hands. I could feel she was shaking, more than likely she was in shock. Not that I blamed her.This entire situation was a mess, and I understood the pressure she was under. I already tried explaining she wasn’t responsible, yet it appeared she didn’t believe it. I wanted to help her, but all I could do was co

Taelin-I wasn’t sure how long we walked. The sun was moving lower in the sky, which meant if we didn’t find shelter soon, we would need to camp outside in the open. The roads were deserted, and it would still be a while yet before we reached a town.We haven’t come across any rogues, nor humans. There had been one abandoned vehicle we found on the side of the road, but it was in much worse shape than the truck had been. We couldn’t even salvage much from it, but Leo did pull the battery out of the car.I was glad that we haven’t had any more attacks, but I also knew that when the darkness covered the land, we wouldn’t be so lucky. We were walking up a hill, unable to see what was on the other side. I was hopeful that we would find something before we had no chance but to camp out in the open.I was getting tired from not having slept well last night. Nearing the top of the hill, I sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess. Just as my view came over the hill, I let out a breath of reli

Ryker-I still couldn’t believe it, I was mated. I have spent most of my life thinking this day would never come. Now I was not only mated, but I was also mated to the most amazing woman I have ever met.She was everything I could imagine for myself and so much more. To think I was this lucky to have been gifted with Taelin as my mate was beyond anything I have fantasized of. It was like I was floating above the clouds.After our shower, I had taken Taelin to bed, claiming her a second time and a third time. Now she was asleep in my arms, curled up against me. The sound of her breathing was soothing, almost enough to fall asleep.I couldn’t sleep though. I needed to make sure that she was safe enough to sleep. If that meant I didn’t sleep but a few hours every night, that was what I was willing to do. No matter what happened, I just needed to know she was alright.After seeing her fall apart on me, I realized just how much pressure she was under. It was different when we felt safe, no