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Her soft cries reach my ears, reminding me that while I’m glad she has someone, I don’t.

There’s no one watching out for me. No one is waiting for me to come back. I’m alone out here.

I swallow hard, forcing myself not to break down. Not now, not when the guy turns around, holding his hand out.

“I–I saw what you did,” he breathes out.

My brow furrowed before I realized what he meant. I could have run. I was close enough to the door that I could have left the girl to defend herself. And from the looks of it, she wouldn’t have made it.

“It—it’s okay.” I give him a sad smile.

“Thank you, I–I can’t thank you enough. I’m Jake, by the way.”

“Like I, uh, said, it’s okay. And uh… it’s N–Noah.”

He eyes me for a moment, clinging to the girl. “You alone?”

I hesitated, not quite sure if I should be truthful or lie. I hated being alone, but being around other people, it could become complicated. Being around people would mean making more noise; things could become risky.

“Uh, yeah. I–I’m alone.” Even if I tried to lie, I was terrible at it. Rue and Mallory have told me many times.

“We, there's a camp about a mile up the road. There’s a small group of people that—we all travel together. Better in numbers and all. Anyways, if y–you can join us.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what to say. He wasn’t wrong about better numbers, but how was I supposed to trust someone again? My grip tightens around my mallet, unsure what I should do. Mixed feelings swarm around my chest, that is until we hear it. A low, wet gurgle sound is coming from the back of the store.

“Come on, what’s it going to be?” The guy asks, his eyes shifting to the back before focusing on me for a second.

My breath catches, fear sinking into my bones.

“Y–yeah, uh, let’s go.” I barely make it out before the siblings are rushing out the door with me following them.

CHAPTER37

Reed

Iwatch Noah run out of the warehouse, my heart pounding as I take in the spooked expression plastered to his face. I step out from behind the abandoned car, ready to announce myself when two other people run out. I frown as they catch up to Noah, the three of them moving together. A knot tightens in my stomach as I am unable to look away. Not that I would. I’ve been watching the store's door for the last ten hours, waiting for him to come out.

But I never saw them enter. The uncertainty burns, feeding the uneasiness in my veins. I never thought Noah would meet up with other people, and now that he has, I hate it.

My jaw clenches, my eyes narrowing on the two strangers. Noah is too trusting, and it’s going to get him hurt—or worse, killed. That should be me walking beside him, not those two.

Nerves coil in my chest, tangling into something hotter and sharper. Frustration boils beneath my skin. I don’t trust them. And no matter how much it hurts, I can’t look away.

My hands tighten into fists at my side. A flicker of anger gnaws at my guts, nearly making me kill the strangers. But I can’t do that. Noah would be upset if I killed them.

So as they move out of town, I follow, keeping a careful distance. If anything happens to Noah, I’ll be ready. No longer feeling like Reed, I’m Reaper, and I’ll destroy them.

CHAPTER38

Noah

By the time we reached the group that Molly and Jake were talking about, my nerves were running high. I felt eyes on me the entire time we were walking. But every time I looked around, I never found anything. There were also more people here than I’d seen in months and than I thought.

Tents lined up, a small fire pit in the middle with some gathered around it. I should feel some sort of relief, but all I felt was unease. My hand tightens around the amulet, scanning faces, watching for any movements. Everyone seemed normal enough, but something didn’t sit well with me.

“Come on, let’s introduce you to everyone.” Jake says from beside me. I glance over my shoulder; the same feeling of someone's eyes on me settles deep in my bones.

I follow behind Molly and Jake; the distant laughter of a child playing nearby pulls my attention to them. A little boy jumps over a rock, falling to his knees before rolling into a somersault. A comforting feeling dawns on me at the sound of conversation.