Page 19

The beast slows and swings his body to fully see me. “Your father was my pack. You’re part of it now.”
That stops me. I’m accepted? Just like that?
I’ve never been a part of anything, always the outcast.
He pulls further away, but I hustle to catch up. This might be my only lifeline to survival outside of the walls.
“Stay close, pup.” He raises his head and lets loose a long, mournful sounding howl. The sound washes over me, raising goosebumps along my arms and elicits a shiver down my spine.
Some primal part of me kicks a surge of adrenaline that rushes my heartbeat to pound in my ears.
The large guard hairs down his spine stick up in a mohawk of tans and grays as he stands on his hind legs, shadowing me from the afternoon sun.
Movement flickers on the edge of my vision.
Then again to my left.
A brown flash darts between two buildings to my right.
My ears strain until I can begin to pick up a step here and there, a grunt, a scrape.
Like a mist, silent dogs emerge from the crevasses, surrounding us.
They sling low to the ground as they circle, their bellies almost brushing the grass.
Most of them aren’t fully changed. They’re all in some sort of part animal, part human configuration. Some lean stronger towards one end than the other. A few even appear walking on their hind legs like my companion.
Who’s huge in comparison to them.
Exposed teeth glimmer as their narrowed eyes all focus on me.
The intruder.
A cavernous growl radiates from him. It’s so deep and loud, it reverberates through my chest. I swear it changes the rhythm of my pulse, it’s so overpowering.
His heavy paw with his long claws wraps around the back of my neck, weighing me down as the rough pads dig into my skin.
“One of us.” His words are like boulders in a raging flood of echoing sound. It tempers to a trickle as it drops only loud enough for me to hear. “Stay still, hold your head up.”
Slinking brown bodies begin weaving closer to me, their bodies still low as they skirt closer. Tilting heads flash pale necks as they sniff my legs and hands.
One tentatively reaches out a human-ish finger to touch my wrist, but flees with a small cry when I jerk my arm away.
The way they avoid him, he must be the alpha. There’s one in every pack. Mom told me my father was the top dog and had hundreds of loyal followers.
An army.
I might need one if Sam or Cap come looking for me.
A few stragglers make their way past me and leave.
“What was that all about?” I’m glad to be rid of his claws around my neck.
“They needed to learn your scent.” He drops to all fours and begins walking towards an old parking garage. It’s still mostly intact.
There’s a flash of a reflection on the upper level. Eyes watching from the shadows.
Nausea rolls through me. These were my enemies this morning. Now, they stand guard over me.