“You’re burning up,” she grumbles. “Stupid man. I’ll never forgive you for injecting yourself.”
I grab her cool hand, bringing it to my cheek. It feels good to have her touch on me. I expect her to pull away, but she caresses me instead. When I turn my nog and kiss her palm, she tugs free and scowls at me.
“The disease is making you mad. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I like your touch and your scent and your voice,” I mumble. “I think it’s because you’re my mate.”
She laughs and the sound is sweet. “I’m not your mate, dummy. You’re hallucinating. Add that to your list.”
My sassy, beautiful female.
“I will,” I retort as my eyes close.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but when I wake, Zoe is watching me with a concerned expression. With a shaky hand, I reach up to touch her soft, silky hair.
“You need to eat something. You’ve been out for hours,” she whispers. “I thought you were gone for a moment.” Her eyes water. “You may be the most annoying man on the planet, but it doesn’t mean you get to die. You’re mine to argue with.”
You’re mine.
“You’re mine too,” I murmur, grinning at her.
“Of course that’s what you’d hear,” she grumbles, but a smile touches her pretty lips. “I think Hadrian left some charred monster steak somewhere. I’ll go round some up for you.”
Meat. Blood.
“Wait,” I bark out, the fog clearing for a moment inside my nog. “Just be quiet and hear me out before I lose this train of thought.”
For once, she doesn’t fight me. Her brows furrow and she nods, her hand gripping mine. “Tell me.”
“The creatures out there. The ones like us…” I try to remember what they look like, but it’s already faded. “They ate those beasts. Raw.”
“Sick fuckers,” she bites out. “I’m surprised they’re not riddled from diseases.” Her eyes open wide. “Wait. Why don’t they have this disease?”
My smart mate.
“The sabrevipes, big birds, armworms, rogcows, rabbawolves—”
“Rabid wolves,” she interrupts, her dark brow arched.
“That’s what I said,” I say back, fixated on her mouth. “They all live outside with no problems. Because of the radiation that’s in their bodies, we’ve always charred the meat in order to protect ourselves from it.”
“But,” Zoe says, her gray eyes lighting up like a magnastrike in a geostorm, “maybe by charring them, you eliminated the very antibodies you needed to protect against the disease.”
“Precisely, stormy one.” I smile up at her, lost in her beautiful features. “So lovely.”
She gently smacks my cheek. “Focus, Av. You’re glassy-eyed and losing clarity. We need to figure this out. Don’t quit on me now.”
I nuzzle her palm that’s now resting on my cheek. She doesn’t pull away. After a quick kiss to her wrist, I look up at her.
“I need you to do something, my brave mate.”
Rather than arguing that she’s mine, she winces. “I feel like I’m really going to hate the sound of it.”
“We can wait until Julie is rested,” I offer, though time is not on our side. “She’s skilled with a weapon and—”
“Don’t go all protective daddy on me now,” Zoe snaps. “Tell me what I have to do. What I have to do to save you.”
My eyes grow heavy and I close them. Just for a moment. I wake to fingers running through my hair and hot breath on my face.
“Wake up,” Zoe pleads, emotion in her voice. “Don’t fade out on me now. Please.”
I barely manage to get my eyes open. She’s so close, her gray eyes glassy with tears. Somehow, I find the strength to grip her delicate neck and draw her to my mouth. My lips press to hers. Her mouth parts and then she gives me the quickest, sweetest kiss. The taste of her tongue is a tease, but that’s all I get. Blood rushes to my cock, invigorating my entire body. It gives me a rush of energy, though I know it won’t last long.
“I need you to hunt a beast and bring its carcass to me.”
Her lips press into a firm line, her gray eyes flashing with unease.
“I’m going to eat the meat. Like they did.” I groan at the idea, but I have no other choice. “It’s the only chance we’ve got.”
She brushes her nose against mine in the most gentle, affectionate way I’ve ever known any being to give another before she pulls away. Determination glints in her gray eyes.
“This better work, Avrell.” She licks her plump lips. “It has to. I need you.”
“It will, my mate. It will.”
We both know I can’t be sure. It’s only a hypothesis. But we’re out of options. It isn’t until she leaves my side that I realize she didn’t argue my words.
Zoe, the mean, feisty, sassy female is mine.
My mate.
Happiness and family and love are within reach. I just need to live long enough to grasp onto it.