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A man in front of us swings a metal pipe at a zombie, crushing its skull. I open my mouth to warn him that there's one behind him, but it’s too late. The man is knocked out, his chin bouncing off the pavement. The thing's teeth sink into his back, flesh hanging from its mouth.

My breath is sharp and burning as I try not to trip over my own feet. Reed is counting on me—I need to remember that. But every step feels like a struggle; his knees wobble, his head hanging low. Reed’s weight presses me down, each movement testing my own limits.

“We’re almost there!” Mallory yells.

The dock comes into view, my eyes zeroing in on Rue and Ghost already there. Rue sees us, shouting something to Ghost.

We’re so close I can taste the freedom. The air is thick with the scent of iron and death, echoes of screaming drowned out by the inhuman growls.

Our feet hit the wooden planks of the dock, rattling beneath us as we reached the boat. Rue holds a hand out, helping Mallory and then us. We scramble to the bench, fear gripping me as Ghost tugs on the engine. He curses under his breath when it doesn’t start. My body trembles as zombies race towards us, their teeth snapping.

He tries two more times, “Fuck!” He growls when it doesn’t start. I grip the edge of the boat, waiting for the nightmare of being torn into two to happen.

Ghost yanks the cord one more time, the boat roaring to life. It jerks forward, Mallory falling backwards. Maverick grabs her wrist, pulling her back down. “Sit down,” he orders.

“Yes, sir,” Mallory mutters.

Everything feels numb as I watch the dock slip away, slowly fading until there's not much but the sound of screams coming from the island. I turn my face towards Reed, his eyes dropping as exhaustion quickly takes him over.

“You’re safe now; I got you,” I whisper to Reed. Wrapping my arm around his waist, I lean forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You can rest, baby; I got you.”

It’s not until we’re several yards away that the island suddenly goes up in flames; the deafening sound of theBOOMcarries over the water.

“Oh fuck,” Rue cringes.

“Rue, you’re never going to guess what I found out,” Mallory grabs her hand, pulling Rue into the seat next to her. “I’m fucking special.”

“Uh huh,” Rue raises a brow, glancing over at me.

I smile, looking at the island that I once called home being burned to the ground.

CHAPTER52

Reed

Ijerk awake, a sharp gasp ripping from my throat. Darkness surrounds me, pain burning in my veins. My chest tightens, my body trembling as I try to gather my bearings. My mind tries to piece together what happened, but I only remember the pain—the burning.

“You’re safe.” His voice breaks through the haze. I flinch at first, but I know it.Noah.

“N–” my voice was rough, like I had been screaming for hours.

“Shh, don’t speak. You’re safe, baby. I got you.”

His words sink into me, but it feels foreign. I pride myself on being strong, but everything hurts. Worse than when I thought I was dying. A sob builds in my chest before I can stop it.

“I should’ve told you.”

“Told me what?’ Noah asks, brushing my hair back from my forehead.

“The truth,” I whisper.

Noah nods, tilting his head to the side. For a moment I wonder if he’s going to curse me out or tell me he never wants to see me again. It sits heavy in my chest like a stone, impossible to ignore.

“Then tell me the truth,” he encourages.

The words circle in my mind, picking apart every moment I should’ve said something. Every time he asked me a question, every time he begged me for the truth. I don’t deserve him, but I’m too weak to walk away.

“Viper bit me. I promised him when we were attacked that I would put him down before he turned. But I held onto the idea that it wouldn’t happen to him, until it did. He woke up—he attacked. I tried to stop him, but I let him get too close.” Peering down at my naked chest, I move my arm so he can see the scar sitting on my bicep.